Christmas

Merry Christmas!!! I hope everyone had a great holiday. I spent part of the week watching my beautiful niece Ella while her Mom worked on Christmas projects. Ella loved helping me wrap my presents. She is so much fun!!

I spent most of the week working which hasn't made it feel much like a holiday break but Christmas was still wonderful. I love spending time with my family and having Clay, Ky and Kres here made it extra special. Plus any holiday with pumpkin pie is a great holiday!!

Miss America soap box

Not very often do I get fired up about a news story but this one got me going. Miss America was found partying at bars, (she wasn't 21 yet) drinking and doing drugs. She was reprimanded after being caught on camera and instead of losing her title she was sent to rehab. I think that as the representative of young women that is not the message I want girls to have. I know, I know, it is just a beauty pageant but while I was growing up I dreamed of being Miss America. I believe she should have lost her title. Miss America to me is about standards and respect. Obviously those things do not matter much in the world anymore. It makes me sad and a little scared to think about the world my future daughters, nieces and friends will grow up in. I hope that they will be true to who they are and have grace and dignity in their lives.

More pictures of my hair cut.

New hair

Here is how I am thinking about cutting my hair. What do you think?

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

My Dad, Kylee and her husband Michael and I went to listen to Aron Ralston speak.

(With no water and little hope of survival, Aspen mountaineer Aron Ralston, 27, used a pocketknife to amputate his own arm and free himself from a boulder weighing 800-1,000 pounds that fell and trapped him for five days in a remote desert canyon in eastern Utah.)

It was very inspiring and moving. The depth of the human spirit is remarkable. Here are some things he said about his experience.

"I was at the point where I knew I was going to die there in the canyon. In order to have any kind of a future, really what was indeed a desperate act was a rebirth and it gave me my life back," said Ralston.

"It gives me a confidence, an awareness of potential and an understanding of my own values that I didn't have before. Those are kind of the gifts of adversity - for me that's what came out of this and adversity can contribute to others. It may not be a boulder - it might be any number of a thousand other things that people deal with," said Ralston.

Looking back on that spring day in 2003, Ralston says the agonizing process that set him free has taught him the value of relationships. And life. Things he wants to share.

"It's not enough just to survive. There's a mandate to flourish with a gift that you're given - about making a choice. It could have been the worst thing that ever happened to me and yet I made it a choice to make it the best thing that ever happened to me," said Ralston.

He said that the decisions he made leading up to being trapped under the rock were decisions that he takes responsibility for. He was hiking alone, had little water, and NO ONE knew where he was. He talked about how when he was trapped that he had a turning point.

After the desperation and realization that he was trapped and would most likely die stuck in this situation he became depressed and thought a lot about ending his life early. Then came his choice to stay committed. To live his life to the end. To not give up no matter what that meant. He said that hope changed his outlook on the situation. It didnt free his hand but it freed his mind. When he talked about what it was like to be trapped for six days under the rock without water, the look on his face as he told his story you knew that it was a horrifying and incredible event that no one should ever go through.

His story impacted me. I felt that I go through times in my own life when I feel trapped. And that dispite the decisions I may have made to put me there it is up to me to let go of trying to control things that are out of my power, stay committed to being the person I know I am and to serve others.

Thought for today

"Your call has eternal consequences for others and for you. In the world to come, thousands may call your name blessed, even more than the people you serve here. They will be the ancestors and the descendants of those who chose eternal life because of something you said or did, or even what you were. . .You see, there are no small callings to represent the Lord."

The last few weeks I have had the opportunity to be working with some truly amazing people from Boise and Provo who have blessed my life. They are helping me to find and recognize the tools I need to live a successful life and I am helping them to understand how the mind, body and spirit all work together as one. We are equally amazed as we work together at how much the Lord leads our lives and at the potential we have within us.

It is an amazing thought to think that thousands of people may call us blessed because we fulfilled a calling or strengthened a friendship. That we all have that potential if we simply follow the spirit. What an honored responsibility.

BSU game!!! Go Broncos!!!

Errands I like

I got to pick up Kylene and Kres from the airport. It was so fun to get to see them. I love my nephew!!!!

Thought for the day

I think it is good to be reminded that even the smallest actions are important and meaningful in our lives. I know that for me some of the most faith building experiences have been because of something as insignificant as a phone call. I wonder how many times the simple things we do each day are building faith in those around us. I think we do a lot more good then we ever realize.

"You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands. His work is to bless His Father's spirit children with the opportunity to choose eternal life. So, your calling is to bless lives. That will be true even in the most ordinary tasks you are assigned and in moments when you might be doing something not apparently connected to your call. Just the way you smile or the way you offer to help someone can build their faith. And should you forget who you are, just the way you speak and the way you behave can destroy faith."

The Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Win Opener, 2-1, Over Long Beach

I cant wait for the new hockey season to begin. The first home game is next Friday against Utah Grizzlies. BOOOO!!!!!!!!!! It is going to be a good game!!!

Work Update

Well I put my name in this afternoon. AHHH!!! It does not mean that they have offically asked me to go yet but it does mean that I am now at least being considered. I figure that between now and then I can really think about it and pray to make sure it is the right move for me to be making.

New position at work?

At work they are creating a new team to go to Minneapolis and train on a new system. I was asked if I would want to be apart of the team. There will be some people who travel and some who don’t. The traveling group will spend 3 weeks a month in MN during March and April (of course they will come home on the weekends) and there will be some traveling (1 to 2 weeks) in May and June (or at least that is the plan right now). I am debating if I want to be part of this new team. It would be fun to learn something new but at the same time that is a lot of time away.

The reasons why my blog is so boring

1. I dont have my own computer. It would be so much easier to be able to come home each night and update my blog. So right now I am left with updating it when I can.

2. I dont have a digital camera. I love looking at the photos everyone posts. I think I am going to look into getting one, maybe for Christmas.

3. My life is really not that exciting. Being 28 and single is not as exciting as many of my married friends think. It is a lot less Sex and the City and a lot more like Ugly Betty. (Who goes to work at a job she likes, comes home to a family who she adores and has that weird guy who is in love with her)

Adventures in cooking

I had the bright idea that I wanted to learn to cook, especially more organic foods. So I made a plan to pick one thing to learn every week. This weekend I had decided to make homemade spaghetti sauce. So I picked fresh tomatoes, found an easy recipe and started baking for the first time in my apartment. It started out really great. I felt like a true chef and my house smelled so good. (Spaghetti sauce takes about an hour to cook and then you blend it to the consistency you like.) After all my hard work I took my first taste to see how it turned out. It was so gross!! It turned out bright orange with hardly any flavor at all. I was deceived by all the great smells but couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. I had worked so hard!! So the disgusting orange sauce sits in my fridge as a symbol of all my hard work.

I have come to the conclusion that a can of store bought spaghetti sauce is defiantly worth the $2.00 you spend. And despite the tragedy of the spaghetti sauce I had the best time making it. So I am sure more great adventures in the kitchen will be on the way.

Sad for me

Something very sad happened last night. My favorite pair of jeans ripped at the knee. I was so sad. I guess now I will have to go for the worn in look. So I understand how Samantha feels about her flip flops. It is very sad.

The Amazing Race

So after watching The Amazing Race last night I have made the decision that if I am ever put into a situation where I need to row a boat I am screwed. I would have been crying trying to climb up the mountain and then I would have been crying again trying to row the boat. I am sure it would make for some great TV though.

Thought for the day

I was reading last night and one of the things that struck me was the thought that our relationships here on earth are to help prepare us for eternity.

We have our earthy relationships that come and go from our lives and then we have those eternal relationships, family and those life long friendships that are rare but really special.

I think that it is an eternal quality to be able to shift through the all the crap that comes with life. To be able to let go of what is not important and hold onto the good. See the best in people and at the same time still be true to yourself.

I really do think that there is a purpose for everything in our lives.

My three things

Three Things That Scare Me:
1. Spiders
2. Losing someone close to me or something bad happening to them
3. Getting lost

Three Things I Hate:
1. Cleaning the bathtub
2. People who are mean
3. Moving

Three Things I Can't Understand:
1. People that can't let go of grudges.
2. People who use others for their gain
3. Soduko

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. Travel all over the world.
2. Get married and have children
3. Own a beach house

Three Things That Describe My Personality:
1. Loyal
2. A good listener
3. Fun to be around

Three Things I Can't Do:
1. Run more than a mile
2. Oink or snort like a pig
3. A cartwheel

Three Things You Should Never Listen To:
1. People who tell you you arent good enough
2. People who tell you you can get fit without working out.
3. Heavy metal

Three Things You Should Listen To
:1. Your gut
2. People you love and who love you.
3. Third eye Blind

Three Things You Would Like To Learn:
1. How to swim long distances
2. How to play the guitar
3. How to travel for free

Three Favorite Foods:
1. Cheesecake
2. Lasanga
3. Cake

Three Beverages I Drink On A Regular Basis:
1. Diet coke
2. Coke
3. Water

Three Television Shows I Watched As A Kid:
1. She ra
2. Jem
3. Fraggle Rock.

My new home

I finally got the keys to my new apartment. I am not sure how everything will fit in since it is so small but it is starting to come together and feel like MY home. I like the idea of having a space that is mine.

Getting Closer

Thanks to a lot of friends and family input I think that the apartment search might be narrowing down. I contacted a management company and they were very helpful in showing me some apartments that are available in my price range and also in the area of Boise that I want to live. (Close to work) I am going on Wednesday to look at a few places and if I like them I am going to put down a deposit and go celebrate. Keep your fingers crossed.

The Hunt Continues

I spent part of Friday looking at apartments. I found one that I loved. It is close to work, right on the greenbelt and has everything that I am looking for. The only issue is that it is very expensive and even after figuring out all my money and how much I can really afford, I am still a hundred dollars a month over what I should be spending. I am going to keep looking at other apartments in the area and talk to the landlord of the ones that I love to see what deal I can work out. I hope that something can be worked out. It is the first apartments that I felt at home when I saw them. And having that good feeling has always been a really good sign for me.

Feels like a Monday

After spending all day in bed yesterday with a migraine I was actually looking forward to going into work this morning. But once I got there I quickly changed my mind. My desk had piles of papers everywhere and I spent all day trying to sort through things and get it into some sort of organization.

I am looking forward to the weekend to say the least.

The Hunt

I continued the apartment hunt today and it has been very interesting. I stopped at lunch today to look at an apartment. Kathleen the apartment management showed me an apartment while someone was still living there! It was the grossest thing that I have seen. There were clothes and empty beer bottles everywhere. You couldn't walk through any of the rooms because of all the junk everywhere. The current renter was hanging out on the couch while I looked through his place. It was a little uncomfortable to say the least. To top off the eventful excursion they raised the renting price $100!!! I politely said that I was not interested and walked...Well ran away as quickly as possible. Needless to say the hunt continues.

Brook and David Beckham

I was feeling a little left out and so I decided to join in on the fun and set up my own blog. And since everyone has a significant at the moment to attach to their blog name I am putting good energy out into the universe to bring that special someone into my life. And due to the non exhistant dating life at the moment my blog is simply Brook and David Beckham. Not that I would complain about marrying David Beckham but since he is married, I would simply be happy with marrying someone who looked like him.

I am on the move again. Yes, this is the third move for me in the last three months. I have decided that it is time to get my own place again. Roommates are fun and financially the smart way to go but I am ready to unpack all my belongings instead of keeping them in boxes waiting for the next move. The hunt has begun.

Yes I am still training for my triathlon. Well....I am still holding on to the idea that I am going to compete in a triathlon next spring. While working out with my trainer Sam I was running, lifting weights and going to spin class four times a week. Training on my own consists of walking to and from my car.