I'm Procrastinating

My Yearly Post

2011-08-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I have mountains of laundry to do because a cold is going around my house and I feel the need to wash EVERYTHING and rid us all of the sick germs. My parents are coming into town tonight so I need to clean and get their room ready. I haven't showered yet. I haven't changed SJ out of his PJ's yet and it's 12:30 in the afternoon. Since I have nothing to do, I thought I'd update my blog.

It's been a year since I last posted. I've made a goal to post at least once a year. I know that seems like a lot, but I'm sure I can manage.

Not much has happened since I posted lasted year. Michael and I bought a townhouse last August.

My mom got cancer in that same month. I got pregnant in that same month (crazy pregnancy emotions do not go well with a mom with cancer. Way too many emotions and way too much stress).Michael started his MBA/Global Management Masters through Indiana University and Thunderbird University respectively, and left to go to Indiana University for 2 weeks right after finding out my mom had cancer. We rented out our other house in Layton last October. Michael and I celebrated our one year anniversary at the Waldorf Astoria in Park City on October 17th. We went to the Olympic park in Park City. It was fantastic.

My whole family (siblings and all) traveled to AZ to surprise my dad for his 60th birthday on October 30th. We actually surprised him. It was great, and we were also able to announce to my whole family that I was pregnant. We also got rear ended by a car while driving my Dad's car on his birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!

We spent Thanksgiving in Utah with Michael's family, and then traveled to Arizona to spend Christmas with my family. While in Arizona we hiked Camelback Mountain. My 5-months-pregnant body made it almost to the top but not quite. Michael took this picture once he got to the top. I love Arizona.

My mom had intense chemo/radiation and two major surgeries, and kicked cancer's butt in January.

In March we celebrated our birthdays by going up to Park City again and staying overnight. I got called as the Young Women's president in our ward in April. I was 8 months pregnant - someone has a really good sense of humor. On May 8th, Mother's Day (awwww) I had a beautiful baby boy after a pretty intense and somewhat scary labor/delivery (the first is the hardest, right??) We named him Spencer (after my dad) Christopher Johnson (SJ for short), although we probably should have named him the masculine version of Emily (Emilio?) since he's basically my doppelganger. Lortab was my best friend for a little while. I don't care what anyone says, hospital food rocks. I'm also pretty sure I fell in love with my nurses there. Turns out breastfeeding is not as awesome as so many people said it would be, but it's cheaper than formula, so that's awesome. All in all, being a mom is great. I won't lie, there are times when being a mom is not all rainbows and butterflies, but even the hard and discouraging moments are worth it. Katherine, I posted the picture of you and SJ as proof that you held him. =)

Crazy thigh muscles. No wonder my ribs hurt so much from his kicking.

I quit my job right after I had SJ. It's really strange and definitely an adjustment to go from working full time to being home full time. Michael went to Atlanta for work and Prague for school about a month after SJ was born and was gone for a couple weeks and SJ decided to get acid reflux while he was gone. So. Much. Screaming. Luckily my sister came to help me and keep me sane during the month of June. Michael's brother got married and SJ wore a tie. Adorable.

We went to girls camp in July and Michael won best actress. SJ did surprisingly well for a 2-month old camper. The young women in my ward are the best ever. We went to California right after girls camp with my family and SJ loved it.

I went to AZ for a week as well in August. SJ loved it there, too. We took him swimming for the first time in my parent's pool in AZ which was more like a hot tub and SJ couldn't get enough of it.

My sister got married while we were in AZ and SJ wore a bow tie. Equally as adorable as the tie. We sweated 5 pounds off at her AZ August wedding which was nice - especially since the last 5 pregnancy pounds are stubborn.

We are now home sweet home and looking forward to a year that is sans cancer, moving, and pregnancy. Actually, if Michael had his way we'd already be pregnant again. We won't be this year. WE WON'T BE. =) But then, you never really know with these things, do you?

So there you have it. Our yearly update. As you can see, we didn't have much to write about all year. We're pretty boring. My baby is awake now and wants to play and that's way more fun than blogging or laundry so I'm signing off. Maybe I'll finally get him dressed for the day.

Hopefully I'll update more often now, but if not, until next year!

Mom's Blog

2010-08-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my mom has cancer. If you want updates on how she is doing click here. Thank you all for your love and support!

Marriage and Stuff

2010-03-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

I got married. His name is Michael Johnson and he's pretty cool. His birthday is the day before mine which makes him even cooler. We also had our first Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Day together. Also, my husband is running for the Davis County Schoolboard. Check out his website!

http://www.michaelalanjohnson.com/

I have so much catching up to do and many, many pictures to post. Wedding, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Michael sporting a pink purse - all of these things really need to be documented here and I'll get to it - just probably not in this lifetime.

I will never marry a salesman...

2009-06-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of looking for a new(used) car recently. This was quite the educational adventure for me. Mazda is Japanese for those of you that thought it was Ford. It's not Ford. I've always been a little bit afraid of car salesmen. Being a young, single, blonde girl has a lot to do with that. I've always been told never to car shop without a guy in tow because I'll be taken advantage of. I went to the first dealership completely alone and was a little bit too enthusiastic. Apparently you have to act like you hate the car you love in order to actually buy it. It's a lot like dating come to think of it. Play hard to get. Don't be too enthusiastic. Make sure the ball is in your court at all times. Make dealers jealous of each other. Be mysterious. Yep-exactly like dating. Especially since the salesmen are always complimenting you and telling you what you want to hear even if it isn't true. "Wow-you're a really good driver! You picked up on that manual transmission switch over really fast!" I'd really like to believe that my driving skills are stellar in comparison to others-but they're really not and I know it full well.

A lot of people go into a dealership thinking the dealer is in charge. Not so. The buyer is always in charge. I like to be in charge so, as you can imagine, I was completely in my element. I went to a different dealer and played all my cards exactly right. I wasn't too enthusiastic. There were several times during the test drive that I wanted to scream and yell and cheer because I loved the car so much-but I didn't. I simply said "Ok." to everything the dealer was telling me. He tried his absolute best to crack some sort of positive response but was never successful. I also compared this particular dealer's car to the dealer's cars I had seen the previous day.

We went into his cubicle to talk about pricing. This is where it gets really tricky. It's like having a DTR (Define The Relationship) in the dating process. Everybody hates it, but it's a necessary evil. The dealer gave me his "best price," and I looked at him long and hard for at least a minute. Never underestimate the power of the pause. I knew this wasn't his best price and so did he. He was testing me. I asked the magic words "Is that REALLY the best you can do? That car just isn't worth that price to me." Mind you-a car is ONLY worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

The rest of our negotiation went something like this: I made an offer and the dealer went to talk to his boss. He came back with an answer. "Sure, we can sell it at this price. When you add on taxes, licensing fees, etc. it comes out to about the same price I gave you before." Me: "Well then that doesn't sound like a deal to me at all. No, I want the car at THIS (I pointed to my offer on the paper in case he wasn't sure) price out-the-door. Fees included." Dealer: "Are you planning on trading your car in?" Me: "I don't even have a reasonable price from you yet. Trading a car is not an option at this point." Dealer: "Let me talk to my boss." Me: "Fine." Dealer: "Ok, if you buy the car today I can give it to you at this price OTD (out the door for those you that were wondering if I was talking about some kind of disease). To which I replied: "Great. Now let's talk about my trade in." Dealer: "Oh, so you are doing a trade? (They hate this, by the way, but you can't give away all your assets at once. You've gotta hold on to the buying power). We'll give you this much for it." Me: "Fine. If you bring the price down another couple hundred dollars I'll pay cash right now (another thing-never tell a dealer how you're paying until the very last minute)." Dealer: "let me talk to my boss." Me: "Fine." Dealer: "Sign here and you've got yourself a deal." Me: "Give me a full tank of gas and I'll sign right now." Dealer: "Done." My boss gave me a lot of tips of how to wheel and deal while being completely honest. I didn't want to feel slimy or dishonest at all about my negotiation. The great thing is-I really feel proud of the way I handled it. The salesman I was dealing with (Mike) was completely thrown off by my frankness and knowledge of the car I was looking at (a Mazda 3 by-the-by). I did my homework and it really paid off. I got the car down to just about the exact price that I wanted. Also, right after I sealed the deal, a guy around my age came up to me and said he had been looking at that very same car for 3 weeks now and that he was negotiating for it with his salesman at the same time I was, but that I somehow beat him out. No wonder that other salesman kept glaring at me.

That being said, I absolutely love the car. In fact, everyone I've talked to that owns or has owned a Mazda 3 loves them. So, should you have a series of unfortunate events (much like Lemony Snicket) with your present car, I highly recommend you look into buying a Mazda 3.

Zoom-zoom.

Comfort

2009-06-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

A while back I got a phone call from a friend of mine who had just called off her engagement. I listened to her cry and mourn the loss of the life she thought she would have. My heart went out to her. I wanted so badly to say the right thing. I said something, which, at the time, I thought was very comforting. It went something like this, "Well, at least you figured out that he wasn't the right one before you actually got married so you don't have to go through the pain of a divorce. You'll find the right guy when the time is right. You're lucky your relationship didn't end like Lacey Peterson's, right?" Ok. So the Lacy Peterson probably wasn't the most sensitive thing to say, but you catch my drift. I was trying to make her realize that her situation wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

Finding myself in her same situation about one year after that conversation I had several people say similar things to me. "At least you broke it off and realized you weren't right for each other before you got married unlike so and so. Her divorce is awful." "At least it didn't end badly like so and so's relationship." It was then that I realized that those words are in no way comforting. In fact, I've come to the conclusion that it is never ok to "one up" someone's pain when they are still, in fact, feeling the pain. Sure, they might later recognize the fact that you're right. They might acknowledge that things could have been worse for them. In their time of pain, though, it is certainly not necessary to point out the fact that 99.9% of the world is probably worse off than they are. I'm positive that the person who told me about their daughter's horrible marriage/divorce seconds after I told them about a recent breakup did in no way comfort me or make me feel better. In fact, it made me feel as if I didn't have a right to mourn, and that my situation was not even worth mentioning.

Recently my father had his car stolen with some very valuable (but more importantly sentimental) things inside of it. Naturally, being the protective daughter that I am, I was furious. First of all, I have never been able to understand the mentality of a person who steals something because he/she wasn't willing to work for it in the first place. This is America. Get a job, make some money, save it up, and go buy your own car. Stealing is just plain lazy. That's beside the point, though. I was angry and venting to a friend. My friend said something like "Well, at least your dad wasn't hurt. Plus, he's still well off. In fact, he's more well off than most of the world." He one-upped my...I mean my dad's...situation. And Sure. I'm all for that. It's awesome that he wasn't yanked out from the driver's seat by the villain and left to die on the side of the road while said villain drives off in my dad's car. I get that. I now recognize the fact that it could have been worse and that my family was actually very blessed. Had I been in a less aggravated mind state I'm sure it would have made perfect sense to me. But really? It can ALWAYS be worse. That doesn't make our frustrations or pains at the time any less real.

While I completely understand the fact that everything needs to be put in perspective, I also feel there is a right time to do so. It's perfectly human and normal to feel pain and frustration. We're allowed that. The most beautiful thing about that is that our Savior, himself, felt every single one of those pains. He understands those pains/frustrations we, as humans, inevitably feel. He knew we would feel that. He warned us of those pains/frustrations. What's even better is that He doesn't ever, ever, ever compare us to anyone else. It's so nice to know that when I go to my Savior for comfort He is there for me and me alone. He doesn't say things like "Well, you know, Emily, your life is not nearly as hard as the rest of the world. Suck it up." He doesn't ever actually "say" anything to me at all, actually, for those of you that were wondering. =) He allows me my time to feel the pain, and then gently nudges me to seek out and help those individuals around me whose situations are more dire than my own. I live a pretty darn good life. That doesn't absolve frustrating days, though. I think it's important to comfort others more like our Savior comforts us--without comparison to others.

"In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." - Mark Twain

2009-04-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

I've finally awoken from my winter hibernation. Aren't you glad? It's supposed to be 70 degrees on Monday. Yay! I love warm weather. I'm pretty much a zombie all winter, and I come back to life come Spring. There's only one thing I don't like about Spring. Birds. They never stop chirping. Ever. Not even at night. At work the other day I had to go up to an apartment on the top floor to check to see if the resident had a dog (we don't allow dogs because we're really mean). My coworker and I reached the last flight of stairs but before walking up the stairs we noticed a statue of a pigeon right in front of the resident's door. Only it wasn't a statue because the head tilted slightly to the side. I noticed it had made the most pathetic nest I've ever seen RIGHT in front of the door. I'm not kidding-the nest was sitting on the doormat and consisted of a couple of pine needles. It's not like it fell down from anywhere because there was no where for it to fall down from. I walked up the stairs and noticed the pigeon was sitting on two baby pigeons. You might think that sounds cute, but I'm here to tell you that it wasn't cute. Pigeons are ugly. Pigeon babies are even uglier. Pigeons are dirty and I'm pretty sure they carry bird flu. The mom pigeon got mad and flew straight towards me and then disappeared. Of course I screamed. Wouldn't you? My coworker wouldn't even come up the stairs. I suddenly felt like I was in Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds." Our maintenance guys "took care" of the pigeon problem. How, you ask? I don't know-but I'm sure it was very humane. It's been pretty rainy here the past couple of weeks and you cannot even believe the amount of worms we've had all over the sidewalks where I live. There's no way around them-you have to just step right on them to get to your car. Sick. I guess birds are good for getting rid of the worms. I'll write more when I have something more exciting than birds and worms to write about. Oh! I saw the brightest shooting star I've ever seen last night while driving and made a wish. That was pretty exciting. Two seconds after that I hit a pothole, and my hubcap flew off of my car. That definitely wasn't what I wished for. Happy Spring! =)

"Intellectually I know that America is no better than any other country; emotionally I know she is better than every other country." - Sinclair Lewis

2009-01-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

I went to class tonight and learned some things. I learned that teachers should not try to act like teenagers (swearing, using slang terms that even teenagers themselves would never use such as “fo sho” or “phat”, etc.). I also learned that some people should definitely ask themselves this before they speak “Am I going to end up sounding like a total moron if I say this?” And really, if you even have to ask yourself that question, you probably shouldn’t say what you’re thinking. The professor asked this question “How can you obtain quality of life?” Don’t worry, I’m not a philosophy major. It applies to business…or so I’m told. A fellow classmate of mine forgot to ask himself the question I mentioned earlier before he spoke and said (in a really thick southern accent), “You know, I don’t have quality of life in Utah because it is way too overpopulated thanks to the Mormons.” Way to go for saying that in a room full of Mormons, first of all. Second of all, where are you from? Because seriously, if you think Utah is crowded try Phoenix-or better yet-take a trip to L.A.-or better yet-take a trip to NYC. Or China for that matter. Nice going picking Utah as your overpopulation example. Utah actually has a really good balance between civilization and the great outdoors. Did I just compliment Utah? I must be going crazy. Don’t worry, Arizona, you’re still my one and only even if you are overpopulated and full of cancerous air.

My professor constantly bashes Bush for all of the horrible things he’s done and it really gets on my nerves. I’m probably 1 of 5 people in this country willing to say this, but I actually liked Bush. I might be hunted down and killed for saying that. Granted, there are things he did that I’m not fond of, but it really bothers me when people start bashing their own president. Americans can be so quick to blame our recession on Bush, but fail to remember the fact that he pulled us out of economic uncertainty and kept us from going into a recession when he was elected president in 2000. Americans are screaming equal rights and that everyone be treated fairly, but we can’t even give our own president a little respect. I’m very nervous about Obama and do not agree with some of the things he’s already done, but I can’t imagine ever defaming his name the way a lot of Americans have chosen to do to Bush. We are very blessed to live in America. I’ve never actually been outside of the United States, but I’m very proud and happy to be an American. There are so many people right now who are saying “Oh, I am FINALLY proud to be an American now that Obama is president.” It’s beyond me why anyone would base his or her pride off of one person. I like to call these people "fair weather Americans." They're only proud when things are going their way, and the economy is good, and the person they voted for got elected as president, and we aren't involved with wars in other countries. I think now, more than ever, we need to come together as a country and be proud of what our nation stands for. There are a million and one reasons to be proud to be an American regardless of who the president is. I’ll get off my soapbox. I’m not really one to talk politics, but a level of respect for the president is deserved. Although I am nervous about Obama I do have high hopes that he will eventually be able to pull us out of the slump we’re in right now. I pray for him and his advisors every day to steer our country in the direction that the Lord would have it go. I may not agree with what he’s done so far, and I did not vote for him, but I am still rooting for him and for America to succeed. I feel like the Lord has blessed me with the gift of being born into a nation where I pretty much have everything I could ever want at my fingertips as long as I’m willing to work for it. I have so many opportunities here that I would not have in other countries. My patriarchal blessing says that I’ve been very blessed to come to this great land of America to fulfill the mission that the Lord has for me. I hope I live a life that shows how grateful I am to be able to live in a land of opportunity and be able to go about the Lord's work all because I live in a free country.
I am so very, very grateful for the job that I have. A good job these days seems to be something of a hot commodity, and I feel so lucky to have the job that I have. I don’t make a lot of money by any means, but since I work at an apartment complex my rent is dirt cheap and my bills are always very low. I highly recommend getting a job at an apartment complex to any college student. =) I feel like the Lord was really looking out for me a year and a half ago when I moved here to Utah. I had no experience with leasing apartments, but somehow got the job anyway. I work with and for genuinely good, honest people who care about their success as well as my success in the company. I feel lucky enough to just have a job at all these days. The fact that I love my job is just icing on the cake. I’m so grateful that the Lord looks out for me and has a plan for me.

Brilliant.

2008-12-16T23:15:00.001-08:00

I couldn't help but smile when I saw this picture. =)

Let's get re-acquainted...

2008-12-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a while - here's the jist of what I've been doing:

I've been to two company Christmas parties this season, and I'm going to my own company's party tonight. I guess that makes three. I had an 80's party with friends which was both fun and humiliating. I don't wear pink. Ever. We went out in public dressed like this. We also played twister and some guy brought an Atari. Ashley and I were the 80's jazzercisers of the group as you can see. We're big fans of Jane Fonda.It was also an appetizer party, so everyone brought appetizers. I made mini-cupcakes and had a blast making them. The picture below was supposed to show how small the cupcakes were but it really just looks like a cupcake sitting next to a tomato. Oh well. You get it. They were small.
I decorated the Christmas tree at my office and it took four days. Three of those days were just spent putting up the lights. Over, under, over, under. That's how you string lights. Trust me, I know. The lights look pretty, but for whatever reason we put birds on our Christmas tree as decorations. They're birds with little nests. Every year we throw a bird away because they're creepy, and they only have one eye (some of them don't have any eyes), and they don't belong on the tree. It hasn't really felt like Christmas to me until just today. I really do miss putting my ornaments on my family Christmas tree at home in AZ and decorating the house with my family. I also really miss going to pick out a real Christmas tree at the Christmas tree lots in Scottsdale. My siblings and I would always play hide and seek behind the trees. The tree salesmen hated us. =) However, today I had the privilege of decorating my aunts house and am finally in the Christmas spirit.
Last year I helped decorate my aunts family room with ALL of her Christmas decorations. She has an insane amount of decorations, and her son, Carson, told her that if she doesn't throw some of them away he would put them all up in her living room. So we did. My favorite part about this whole thing is that she has a box of Christmas decorations labeled "crappy but not DI yet." Classic.Guess what? She still hasn't thrown any of them away, so of course we felt the need to put them all up again - only this year Jamey and I put the Christmas tree up upside down. For whatever reason my pictures are all coming out blurry on my camera (user error, I'm sure), so these pictures will just have to do. We decided the Christmas tree is a Christmas tree/dradle. We love Hanukkah, too. Don't you wish we lived by you so we could decorate your house?

The lights we put on the tree are the lights that you're supposed to just throw over a bush in your front yard. =)
This is one of those magnetized ice skating rinks. Someone added a GI Joe and a ninja to it. They had to wrap paper clips around their feet so that they would dance around with all of the other ice skaters. The GI Joe skates around pointing his gun at the other skaters. I love Christmas.
Let's see...what else have I been doing lately? Oh! I've started running a lot and have loved it. I never thought I would love running. I used to make fun of people that say "I love to run." I made the decision to start running one night after work, so I ran for a while and was up until 2AM. Yeah - running gives you energy. I now run earlier in the day, but I'm working towards a 5K...and then a 10K. We'll see how I feel after that. Way to go, Shelby, for running a half marathon! I saw twilight twice. You can make fun of me all you want but I actually liked the movie. I'll go as far as to say it was better than the book (please don't shoot me) because it wasn't as sappy.

I've been ignoring my blog

2008-11-23T00:15:00.000-08:00

I'm that unclever girl on the internet. I'll start posting more often-I promise. I love these Pearls Before Swine comics. =)

"It is cold and gray like a fat, dead pigeon." - Gilmore Girls

2008-11-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

It's snowing outside right now. Weather.com says it's raining, but someone in their office must be color blind because the stuff falling from the sky is obviously white. And frozen. The website also says "33 degrees-feels like 23 degrees." Whatever that means. Wasn't it Brian Regan who said if it feels like 23 degrees outside than it IS 23 degrees outside? I agree. Obama is going to win this election, and apparently if you want to receive an absentee ballot you have to send in for it 4 years ahead of time. I have a 10 page paper to write and a huge empirical project in my stats class that I need to start. I hate stats. It's probably the worst class I've ever taken. Who wants to be statistician? I can't even say the word "statistician" let alone do the math. There are dirty dishes in my sink. I haven't showered yet. It gets dark in Utah at noon now. I hate all of these things. So, in order to get myself in the studying mood I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies for a friend of mine. I got the recipe out of a cookbook that Shelby sent to me. I figured since the cookbook was a gift, the best way to thank Shelby would be to make some cookies and give them as a gift to someone else. Don't you love service? It is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you, Shelby! =) It really is a fun cookbook. Plus, I received this cookbook in the mail the day my uncle passed away. It was a bright spot in a pretty lousy day. in fact, it was a bright spot in a pretty lousy week, to be honest. The timing was perfect. I put some pictures on this post of things that made my lousy week more manageable. I really think it's so important to be grateful for the small things we enjoy, try our very best to do the right things, and put all the hard stuff we deal with during the week in the Lord's hands.
Below is a picture of the cookbook Shelby sent and of my collection of flour. I guess I really do have a hobby now that I collect flour. Don't worry, I have unbleached all-purpose flour as well. I don't have cake or pastry flour, though. Dangit.
I had the opportunity to make the sacrament bread this past Sunday. I had so much fun making the bread, and since my ward is only about 15 members strong I had a lot left over to bring home and use for sandwiches and toast. By the way, kneading dough for 15 minutes is an excellent way to relieve stress. I might start making bread once a week for that reason alone. Two or three times during finals week.

These shoes are like sweaters for my feet! I love them and have been wearing them all week. My feet are very happy. =) Can you picture all the wonderful desserts that can be made with this baking chocolate? I'm going to make one this week. I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to make, but stay tuned.
A lot of things went wrong this past week and this picture below was just one of my many failed attempts. I attempted to make pumpkin pie. The crust turned out perfect, but for some reason the filling would not set. The recipe said to leave it in the oven for 60 minutes and I did. Then I had to add another 20 minutes. And then another 20 minutes. And then another 20 minutes. And then I had to go to church and throw my pie away. Wah, wah, wah. This brings to mind, yet again, the words of President Uchtdorf when he said "What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside." So I failed several times this week. No big deal. I tried my best...and I will most definitely try again. That is what matters.One of my very favorite talks during conference was Elder Cook's talk "Hope Ya Know, We Had A Hard Time." I read it whenever I get feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. I read parts of it throughout this week and it made such a difference. My heart breaks everytime I read about Bathsheba Smith when she wrote “My last act in that precious spot was to tidy the rooms, sweep up the floor and set the broom in its accustomed place behind the door. Then with emotions in my heart I gently closed the door and faced an unknown future, faced it with faith in God and with no less assurance of the ultimate establishment of the Gospel in the West and of its true enduring principles, than I had felt in those trying scenes in Missouri.” I feel so humbled every time I read about those valiant saints who made the journey across the nation to be able to peacefully worship their Lord. I start to realize that however hard I may think that my week is, they had it so much harder. I can go to the temple to do baptisms whenever I want. I don't have to give up my dishes and china to build a temple. I have three temples within about 15-20 minutes from me. I don't have to leave my home and walk across a whole nation to be able to worship how I please. Do I face an unknown future like Sister Smith? Sometimes it sure feels like it. I know that if the pioneers were able to face the unknown with faith in God while going through all the trials and tribulations that they went through, there is no good reason why I can't do the same. I have so very many luxuries that the pioneers never had. This time of life is really not all that easy. I've had people say to me that they wish they could go back to being my age because they felt so free and happy-go-lucky. I say go for it, and we'll see how you really feel. It's not always as easy as some people might think. I'm not saying life gets easier as we get older. I'm positive it gets more difficult, but it isn't like this time of life is a breeze, either. There are a lot of unknown's and important decisions to be made in what seems like a short amount of time. The best thing for me to remember comes from Elder Cook's talk when he said "I testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ covers all of the trials and hardships that any of us will encounter in this life. At times when we may feel to say, “Hope you know, I had a hard time,” we can be assured that He is there and we are safe in His loving arms." It really is so comforting to know that Christ felt the pain that we feel. He can relate to us no matter what our situation may be, and He loves us.
One other thing that has helped me to feel better about this week has been service. I have had the opportunity to serve others in small ways, and there have been several people who have served me in big and small ways. I can say for a fact that there is no better feeling than the feeling of knowing you have brightened someone's day. The happiness charity can bring to us cannot be compared to any other kind of happiness. Sometimes it seems like we don't have the time to serve others. I have been guilty of focusing on what I have to get done even when I knew I should be serving others. President Monson said this when he was asked about what he would want from the saints on his birthday, "Find someone who is having a hard time, . . . and do something for them." Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. This is absolutley the perfect time of year to get into the habit of serving others and expressing our gratitude to the Lord. =)

It's because we love the Smarts =)

2008-10-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

My uncle Gordon passed away on Friday morning. It was so sudden and none of us were prepared for it. How can anyone really be ready for something like that? How blessed we are to have such a strong family to laugh and cry with. It seems like just about every year for the past few years we've had a family member pass away or get seriously ill. I know it's through faith, prayer, and love towards each other that we are able to get through it. I am so grateful that we will all have the opportunity to be together again. It is also a little comforting to know for a fact that my uncle was greeted by so very many friends and family members. I love the gospel.

I've thought a lot about Uncle Gordon this weekend and the things that stick out the most to me are his genuine interest in others and his ability to make people laugh and feel important. I remember in St. George if there was a little baby in our family at the time you can bet Uncle Gordon was making him or her laugh. He definitely had the gift of making others feel important and loved. You could always, always tell that he had a genuine love and care for you whenever he would ask you how you're doing. I had to steal this picture from Adrienne's blog. I love that so many of my cousins have stolen it as well. It truly captures the spirit of my uncle. My heart is so full of sadness and love towards the Smart family. I love you, Smarts! My prayers are with you all.

Cupcakes and PC's

2008-10-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

I had to post this commercial since it has to do with baking. I Don't even use a Mac...I just thought it was great. =) Sorry, PC.

"If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues." - President Monson

2008-10-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted on my blog. I would apologize, but then I'm not really sure why I should be sorry about the fact that I haven't posted anything...and I'm really not sorry. So I'm not going to apologize. =)

During this last conference session I noticed that gratitude was brought up quite a bit. I've thought a lot about the small things that I'm grateful for the past couple of weeks as I go throughout my days, and it has put me in the best mood. I have really come to realize that as I express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father (even for the really small things) I become much more satisfied with the things that I have than upset with the things that I don't have. In fact, I start to loose sight completely of the things that I don't have. I've started to make a list of the small/silly things I'm grateful during the week. I've posted a few pictures of some of them.

I'm grateful for flowers (white daisies especially!) My friend April gave these to me. She's in my new ward and is such a good friend to me! =) I am also grateful for good friends. My mom sent me that pumpkin decoration that's behind the flowers. I'm grateful for decorations, too! Chris and I took the train down to Salt Lake City. I'm grateful for free transportation! Actually, I'm grateful for free anything. Good thing I got my free pass for the frontrunner/buses right as gas prices are going down, right?
I am soooo grateful for ice cream cones!! While I was in Salt Lake with Chris I saw a group of grown men walking around with ice cream cones in their hands. I couldn't help but smile. They all looked like little kids on Christmas morning. I came to the conclusion that it's impossible to look unhappy while carrying/eating an ice cream cone. Unless, of course, your scoop of ice cream falls off your cone and onto the floor as my friend Mitchell pointed out. Next time you go get ice cream don't be boring and get it in a cup. Get it in a cone!! Don't we look happy? =)
Ok, I'll admit that I am the biggest nerd on the planet. Really. I love the smell of new books and scotch tape. Yeah, I know, I need help. I couldn't help but post this, though. That water bottle I'm holding is the darn cutest water bottle I have ever seeen. =) It fits perfectly in my hand, too! My aunt and cousins in Utah always compare me to the girl in the movie "Signs" because I leave glasses of water all around the house. I love water. And I love this water bottle. I'm not really sure why it has pictures of baseballs on it when it looks like a rocket ship...
See that ring I'm wearing? I'm grateful for that. Chris gave it to me for Christmas last year and it meant so much to me. My Uncle Ron designed it and I have had so many compliments on it-especially lately. It is a CTR (choose the right) ring. When people notice it it is a good opportunity for me to talk about the gospel. I have had some pretty cool missionary experiences lately with both members and non-members. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to share the gospel with others and watch it bring them happiness in their lives. I had the opportunity last weekend to go to a baptism. It has been quite a while since I've been to one and it was so good for me to be reminded of the covenants that I made when I was baptized, and to be reminded of the fact that I do have the gift of the Holy Ghost to be with me as long as I'm striving to do the right things. I didn't even really know the guy who was being baptized very well at all, but you could see the joy in his eyes. The missionary who baptized him was so full of joy and light that I thought he was going to be translated right then and there. =) I'm so grateful for the light of Christ that can be found in our eyes if we are doing the right things in our lives. People really do notice it.
I'm in charge of making a dessert for a murder mystery dinner I'm going to this weekend and I'm really excited about it. I'm going to try and make the dessert look spooky like the one above. Any one have any ideas? While we're on the topic of spooky things let me give you all some really good advice and tell you something I'm NOT grateful for. I'm not grateful for haunted houses. Don't go to one. Ever. They're dirty, and not scary, and you get fake blood all over your clothes. Sick.

I'm grateful for the opportunity I have had to cook so much and for so many people recently! Last Sunday I was in charge of making rolls for a dinner I was going to have with friends. I forgot the fact that my rolls were going to be used for sandwiches and made them too small. Doh! Don't worry, I traded the rolls for the sacrament bread that a guy in my ward is in charge of bringing. So, we used my rolls for the sacrament and his bread for the dinner. Win/Win. I also had to give him some homemade jam because he was really unsure about my rolls being good enough. I'm now in charge of making bread for the sacrament on Sundays. =) I think it'll be a good opportunity for me. I'll be posting a lot more often about the things I'm grateful for. I tend to be impatient sometimes and to overlook all the things I've been given. It's nice to be able to look back at the past few week and recognize the things which I'm grateful for.

Flirty Aprons and Snow

2008-10-12T10:14:00.001-07:00

Wanna hear a funny story? I went up to Logan to visit my sister, Katie, and fell in love with this building. Don't worry...that's not the funny story.
This is the funny story:
Chris went up with me to visit Katie and we went to eat at Olive Garden. Our server was the most handsome guy I have ever seen outside of the movies. I'm not kidding. Chris asked him what he wanted to do as a career and he said he wants to be a marriage counselor because it's so important to him that his marriage works out so he wants to help others with their marriages. I kind of feel like that was a total line...but whatever. She told him he wasn't allowed to do that because he was too handsome and all of the wives would just fall in love with him. He totally blushed. I don't think he even KNOWS how cute he is. Which is perfect. Chris asked him if he was engaged (he's been off his mission for 4 months) and he said "no" to which she replied "well you should marry one of these girls." She pointed to Katie and I. Katie didn't want him so we left him a $2o tip on a $23 bill and wrote my number on there. Chris and Katie made me write "blonde" next to it so he would know whose number it is. That's my favorite part. It makes me sound like a total bimbo. Emily Price (blonde). Haha. Anyway, he came to pick up the check and I said something like "hey we're going to a movie...too bad you're working otherwise you could come." Turns out he was done with work right then and there. He went with us to see Eagle Eye and bought us all popcorn and drinks. The movie was awesome, but at the end of it I looked over at him and he was asleep. Don't worry - I'm really not so desperate that I have to tip a guy 100% and leave my number on a receipt. I'm sure I'll never speak to him again...it was just all in good fun. The end. The picture below is of Katie and I wearing "Flirty Aprons." Try and zoom in on the picture that I'm pointing at. Sooo funny. Anyway, the three of us had a blast and Katie really has a nice setup in Logan. If she doesn't show up to St. George for Thanksgiving it's because she turned into an ice sculpture and won't thaw until May.
The next two pictures are of the view from my balcony and my bedroom window. Usually you can see the mountains, but they tend to disappear when it snows. I'll admit-it's pretty. I just wish it could be in the 80's and look like this.

Look! My wall hates the snow, too!

My Favorite Shade of Brown?

2008-10-12T09:47:00.001-07:00

Golden Brown. The picture below is of the dulce de leche apple bars that I made. You also cover the bars with a browned butter icing. I went to visit my sister, Katie, up in Logan this weekend and made these for her. I was sad to give them away. There is a layer of dulche de leche (the yummiest caramel you will ever eat in your life) right in the middle of the bars. I have a ton of apples that I need to use so any apple recipes would be much appreciated!! =) I got this recipe here.

It's Sunday morning. I cook breakfast on Sunday morning and this morning I wanted scones. So, naturally, I went online and looked up a scone recipe. They all sounded pretty bland so I looked up a recipe that included chocolate chips. =) Chocolate tends to give me headaches but once in a while I get lucky and don't have to pop any advil. I got lucky this morning. The picture below is before I put them in the oven. I was afraid I'd burn them (apparently scones burn really fast) so I wanted to make sure everyone knew I at least got the dough part right. =)

I added a powdered sugar/rasperry jam (homemade!!) topping. I saw the heart idea on another cooking blog and wanted to try it. The scones turned out pretty good - although they were just a little bit dry.
I made these pies for dinner last Sunday. I ate at my Aunt Chris's house with some of her family and played games. It was fun, and Travis and Katie brought yummy desserts as well, so we basically just had dessert for dinner.
I love cooking. I never thought I would, but I really do love it. I don't daydream about cute boys, or taking naps, or reading anymore. Nope. I daydream all day about what I'm going to cook next. It's hilarious. It snowed all weekend in Utah and all I could think about was how much I wanted to make soup! I even went to Barnes and Noble last night to look at books for a paper that I'm writing on the ridiculous price of tuition and spent most of my time looking at cool cookbooks. I wanted to buy them all-except for Rachel Ray's. I don't like her. There are so many kitchen gadgets that I want to get. Cooking is an expensive interest. Yeah, it's an interest-not a hobby. Hobby is another word that I hate. I never know what to say when someone asks "So, what are your hobbies?" I think that's the question I hate the absolute most on a first date. It makes me think of people who collect stamps or coins. Then again, I want to start a collection of cookbooks so who am I to judge? =) By the way, it's impossible to find a 9X9 inch baking pan. They're all 8X8. I had to go to three different stores to find one. Stupid. If anyone wants me to make them something I am more than willing!! I only have myself to cook for, and it would be fun to bake things for lots of people.

"A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water." - Carl Reiner

2008-10-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

The first snow of the season is on its way. It will arrive sometime between now and tomorrow morning. My parents are in Tahiti. I hate my life.

Sorry, Utah. Better luck in the regular season. You're really going to need it.

I'll write more later. I'm kind of crabby right now. =)

The Phoenix Suns

2008-10-05T07:54:00.001-07:00

The picture above puts a huge smile on my face. I can't believe I forgot one of the most exciting things about the month of October in my previous post. NBA season starts!! =) I can hear the bad referee calls and smack talk already. I grew up loving the Phoenix Suns and I can't wait to see what this season will bring for them with their new coach. I also can't wait to watch them squash The Lakers...especially Kobe. =) Their first preseason game is this Wednesday against The Hawks, and then they play The Jazz on Thursday - which means it'll be on TV here in Utah. No need to even really watch, though, because we all know who will win.

Happy October!

2008-10-03T22:29:00.001-07:00

I love everything about October. It's not insanely cold but it's cold enough at night so you can still wear cute jackets. The leaves start changing all sorts of brilliant colors, there are Halloween decorations up everywhere, you can buy huge amounts of candy and not feel guilty, and people start to cook a lot more. I know, because I'm one of those people. I love Autumn. I even like hand writing the word "October." How's that for nerdy? It's just a fun word to write. Try it. I have a fascination with words and writing words. It's probably because I do crossword puzzles all the time. Anyway, I really have taken to cooking. Since I made the peach pie I have made crepes and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I've got recipes if anyone wants them. The picture below is of one of my crepes. It doesn't look all that appetizing but it was really good! I know what you're thinking. Yes, those are melted Hershey's Hugs. I melted them on top, spread them around, wrapped up the crepe and ate it! I didn't have any whipped creme, though, dangit!! This was breakfast. I love being an adult because I can eat dessert crepes for breakfast and nobody can tell me not to.
These are my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. If anyone has made these or is planning on making these make sure you use cinnamon and not cumin. Trust me. Oh yeah - add nutmeg to the recipe as well. If anyone has any good recipes please feel free to share! =)

These next couple of pictures are just of my brother, Brian, and I being nerds. I love it when leaves change colors and fall off of the trees. I really am grateful that we have seasons to look forward to. That's a nice little gift our Heavenly Father has given us. Oh, your summer totally sucked? Don't worry-it's Autumn now. Permission to start all over again with the start of a new season. I feel like every season we kind of get a chance to reflect on what we want to do differently. I love change and new beginnings. I'll be honest, though. I'm not a huge fan of Utah in the winter. However, this year I have a garage to put my car in, so I won't be scraping the ice off of it for 3 hours before my classes every morning. Score.

"Oh The Price Family Tree is a Mighty One..."

2008-09-30T07:10:00.001-07:00

Those are the only words to our "Price Family Tree" song that I can remember. =) Today I am so grateful for family and answers to prayers. I'm grateful for my Price family as well as my Rice family. This post will be extremely long so beware. =)He's a pretty handsome guy, huh? I love the picture below of my dad and Brady. Love, love, love it. He might get mad at me for putting this picture below on my blog but I couldn't help myself. He is so much fun and this picture totally captures that. =)As most of you already know my dad was recently diagnosed with a liver disease (PSC...look it up online. I'm horrible at explaining exactly what it is). There is not a known cure for this disease, and in the long run it will eventually lead to liver failure. Once the disease progresses far enough a liver transplant may be necessary. He is in stage 3 of 4 stages. If you want all the details send me your email address and I can pass along his emails about it all. I don't want to write about all the sad details regarding this disease. What I really want to focus on are all of the blessings my family and I have received because of all of your prayers and fasting for my dad. I am so grateful for all of you and your support. It means a lot to me.

When I got off the phone with my dad after getting the news about his disease I spoke with my Aunt, Chris, who told me to call her son, Jamey, and talk to him about it. Jamey made friends with Doctor Wallis Marsh while on his mission in Italy. He has been back East to visit Dr. Marsh and even got to work on a surgery with him. Anyway, I text messaged Jamey to see if I could get some info and he immediately called Dr. Marsh. Dr. Marsh did not even hesitate at all to help. He told Jamey to give my dad his email and phone number and to call/email any time. He also told Jamey to tell me that he has a good friend who is a liver specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. I passed the information along to my dad. My dad emailed Dr. Marsh that night and received an email back from him the very next morning. When I read the email from Dr. Marsh I cried my eyes out. What a huge, huge blessing and answer to prayer he has been to my family. He addressed my dad as "Brother Price," and signed his emailed as "Wallis Marsh" not "Doctor Marsh." I love that. I love that he is so humble. He was so very, very respectful and gave my dad some extremely helpful information. He is so willing to share his talents and knowledge with others. I am so grateful for him and so impressed with his willingness and desire to serve others. Since that email he has set my dad up with Dr. Rakela (the liver specialist at Mayo in Scottsdale). Normally it would take about a month or so to get in to see Dr. Rakela, but Dr. Marsh arranged for my dad to see him within two weeks. When my parents went in to see Dr. Rakela, he spent about two hours with them explaining the whole disease and what to expect. Two hours is a really long time to take with one patient...especially for a doctor as busy as he is. He never once made it seem like he was in a hurry during their meeting. He said my dad most likely has had this disease for 15 years. 15 years!! That is a little discouraging, and my dad made the comment that he wishes we would've known about it sooner. I actually am grateful we didn't know about it sooner. Can you imagine going to the doctor every so often in the span of 15 years and wondering/worrying about what news they're going to have for you? There really isn't a cure for this disease. 15 years ago there wouldn't have been much that could be done. Basically we would be in a constant state of apprehension and worry for 15 years. I think we found out about the disease at exactly the right time. I really believe the Lord had something to do with the fact that we didn't find anything out until now. I know we needed to find out about the disease at this time because it has progressed enough to the point where the doctors need to start monitering it very closely so that we can know whether or not my dad needs to get in line for a liver transplant...or live liver transplant. How cool is it that they can do live liver transplants?? I love doctors. Dr. Rakela said stage 3 can last about 3-5 years before it progresses into stage 4, which is liver failure. We don't know how long my dad has been in stage 3.

This post is already way too long, and like I said earlier, if anyone wants an update I can email them over some of the emails. My dad has received a very sweet blessing from my Grandad. He has felt so much peace when he has gone to the temple. I know there are many friends/family members who have been fasting and/or praying for my dad. I'm grateful to all of you for that. I am one very lucky girl to have a dad as awesome as mine. He has always done what the Lord would have him do. He is such a good example to me. I'm grateful for all my family (Rices and Prices) who have been supportive and offered up prayers and support to my family. I'm grateful that Jamey put us in contact with such a neat doctor who, in turn, put my dad in contact with a doctor right in Scottsdale. My eyes have been opened to all of the blessings the Lord is willing to give to me and my family.

Mormon Ads

2008-09-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

This post is for my friend, Mitchell. So, so funny. For any of you who remember the Mormon Ads you can appreciate this. =)

"I am attracted to pie. It doesn't mean I feel the need to date pie." - Lorelai Gilmore

2008-09-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to date pie. Especially this pie. =)

I talked about all of the free peaches I got in an earlier blog entry and mentioned the fact that I was baking peach cobbler. I also mentioned the fact that it might be a disaster. It was. Lately, for whatever reason, I've been really wanting to learn how to cook. After my cobbler disaster I decided to hang up the apron. Then, Saturday night I watched the General Relief Society broadcast. President Uchtdorf talked about being creative and compassionate. He talked about turning some unorganized matter into something beautiful/organized. I almost thought he was going to look into the camera and say "Emily, that means you need to unload your car and hang up your clothes," but he didn't. Phew. That would've been embarrassing. He also talked about how we shouldn't let the fear of failure discourage us, and how whatever we choose to create does not have to be perfect. So, I decided to give the baking another shot. This time I just went with a good old fashioned pie. Forget the cobbler. Who likes cobbler, anyway? I'll be the first to admit that my pie is not pretty to look at. I didn't crimp the edges. I didn't add nutmeg. I didn't make the slits in the top look like a smiley face or something equally as cute. I didn't cook it so that it was a perfect golden-brown color because I had to take it out of the oven because I was going to be late for church if I didn't. I made the crust from scratch so it was uneven and not artistic at all. In fact, truth be told, my cobbler looked a whole lot better than this pie. The cobbler tasted horrible, though. I brought this pie to dinner at my aunt's cabin and nobody threw up. Actually, I almost threw up this morning while making it because I was fasting today and accidentally licked a spatula with pie filling I had just made on it. I realized my mistake and spit it all out in the sink. Don't even try to pretend like that hasn't happened to you too. It actually tasted pretty darn good if I do say so myself. No cooking on fast Sunday morning for me, though. Lesson learned.

Long story short, I'm so grateful that I have the leaders of my church to guide me and encourage me to do new things and develop new talents even when I fail and even when whatever I work hard at doesn't turn out exactly how I want it to. Another thing he said in his talk was "In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance." How cool is it that we can be the answer to another person's prayer? I really felt so humbled when I thought about the fact that the Lord trusts us and expects us to love and serve those around us. In doing so we will be an answer to their prayers. All we have to do is have a willing heart. I thoroughly enjoyed the broadcast and am so grateful and lucky to be a part of Relief Society.

=)

2008-09-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Clever. I took this picture really quick yesterday while I was going through the home of the guy who had the garden. It struck me as hilarious for some reason.

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow?"

2008-09-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

I went to a dead guys (that isn't meant to be insensitive. He was about 90. He lived a good, long life. I bet he's up in heaven baking peach pie for everyone right now) garden today to pick peaches so that I can eat them...and make pie...and give them away since they were FREE! =) I love free stuff. I have a peach cobbler baking in the oven right now. It's my first attempt at making cobbler so we'll see what happens. I used a pan that was too small and I have a bad feeling it's going to be disastrous, but I had fun with it. Don't you just love the picture below??

Peaches are great. I was also able to pick some red peppers and a ginormous onion. Fun stuff. I want a garden. It really was a beautiful garden with peaches, corn, peppers, SWEET POTATOES (I got really excited about that), tomatoes, plums, etc.Yummy. I'm going to eat that whole onion. Nobody will ever kiss me again. The house is for sale. I walked through it just to see what it looked like inside, and it's definitely a fixer-upper. It has potential, though, and lots and lots of storage space...and a really cute garden. There were lots of bees, though. I hate bees. I know we've got a shortage of them right now, and it's probably because I do my very best to kill every one that I see...when I'm not running away from them, that is. My crazy, fun aunt! She got up on the ladder to pick the peaches and everything. It really was a blast. The man that allowed us into the home to look at it and to pick the peaches was so sweet. He lives just a few houses down from the home where I picked peaches. He's got a garden of his own which is where I got the huge onion that I love so much. He told Chris (my aunt) and I about how several years ago he had a stroke and had to relearn everything. When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. He didn't know who his kids were. He had to learn what 1 plus 1 equals. Really sad stuff but he really pulled through and has developed his talents ever since. His garden really was amazing...especially for someone who had to learn how to do everything all over again. I wanted to get a picture with him but forgot. I'm so grateful that he took the time to show us his garden and allow us to look through his neighbors home and pick stuff out of his neighbors garden. I had so much fun and learned a lot! I had no idea all the things you could grow in your backyard. That's probably because I'm from Arizona where the heat kills everything.

Kill Me Now

2008-09-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

I. Hate. Mornings.

"The moral of Snow White is never eat apples." - Lemony Snicket

2008-09-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for answers to prayer. I know with all of my heart that the Lord is mindful of me. He has shown me over and over and over again this week that he will not leave me alone. My prayers have been much more meaningful lately and I'm becoming much more sensitive and in tune with the whisperings of The Spirit. I was worried last Sunday about how I was going to move from one apartment to another apartment. I'm not very good at asking people for help-especially when it comes to things like moving because I just don't want to burden anyone (The real reason is that I'm a little too prideful...I should work on that). The Lord knew I was worried. I prayed for help to know how to accomplish this move in the best (and most cost effective) way. After church on Sunday the Elders Quorum president found out I was moving and said he'd have four guys ready to help me. He asked if I had a truck and I told him I was planning on renting a uhaul. That's when another guy in my ward chimed in and said that he works for uhaul and can get me a pretty good discount. Long story short, I'm officially all moved in (ok, ok, so I still need to hang up my clothes and buy food) to my new apartment and it only took a few hours thanks to all the help I got from my super cool aunt and some very generous friends.

On to less important things. There are some things in this world that I will never begin to understand. Like, for instance, the cost of ottomans. Seriously. Why do they cost so much? We put our feet on them. That's it. Feet. I don't get it. Rugs are expensive, too, and I'm in desparate need of one. I spill things frequently. Anyways, what I really meant to talk about was my trip to walmart. I love the prices at walmart, but I hate actually going there. I ALWAYS end up waiting an insane amount of time in the checkout lane. All because some lady is complaining about the price of her apples and weren't they on sale? Can we have someone check? I went to walmart today and didn't make a list. I'm not allowed to go grocery shopping without a list. Not allowed...ever. Why? Because I went in to walmart thinking "toilet paper, excedrin (to relieve the headache I knew I'd get from the check out lane), and mac and cheese." I came out of walmart with cup-a-noodles, excedrin, a couple of frozen dinners that looked good (I'm a sucker for those), chapstick, and gum. I really just needed the toilet paper. Doh. Good thing I have paper towels at home, right?

One more thing. There are certain words that I love and hate. I hate the word "moist." I think women in general can agree with me there. I also hate the words "busy," "ointment," and I really hate the phrase "just joshin' ya" whatever that means. I hate the word "busy" because it irritates me when I ask someone how they are doing and their response is "I'm so busy." That response tells me absolutely nothing about HOW you're actually doing. Sometimes I get the feeling people like to use the word "busy" because they think it makes them sound important, when really it just makes it sound like they don't have their priorities where they ought to be. That's only sometimes, though. Other times people really, truly do have a good reason to be "busy." There are certain smells that I love and hate as well. My apartment has a smell that I hate. I love the new book smell, though. Maybe I'll buy a myriad of new books and put them all over my apartment. Scotch tape smells really good, too. Hmm...scotch tape and books all over my apartment. Perfect. I'm sure some of you are thinking "febreeze" right now. I'm here to teach you that febreeze smells like crap. You're welcome for the tip. If any of you have any good scent suggestions send them my way. =)

A first time for everything

2008-09-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Technically this isn't my first experience with the "blogging" world. When I went to BYU-Idaho I had a blog for about 2 seconds and then lost interest. Plus, the fact that it was public made me feel like I couldn't really "tell-all," for lack of a better term. I made a promise to myself that instead of a public online journal I would keep a private journal with all the good, bad, and ugly details of my life. That never happened. So here goes my second attempt at journal keeping.

I'm not what anyone would call an open book. In fact, if you were going to compare me to a book I'd be one of those diary's (diaries??) with a lock on it. I had several of those when I was a little girl. I loved those diary's but I always seemed to lose the stupid key that opened the diary up so I would have to figure out a way to break the lock. That's all beside the point, though. Sorry. So, for those of you who were hoping for more detail about my life on this blog I'm going to apologize right now. However, there is one part of my life that is open for anyone who cares to listen (or read, in this case). My testimony of the gospel is something that I am more than willing to share. I figured if I'm going to have a public blog I might as well write about what is most important to me in my life, and that way if anyone stumbles upon my blog I know they will be reading what is nearest and dearest to my heart. I'll write a little bit about my boring day to day activities once in a while as well.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I'm one very lucky girl. I'm the kind of person that gets the good parking spot and doesn't have to wait in an hour long line to buy her school books even though everyone else does. I have exeperiences like that all the time. I've been assuming that it's mere coincidence and that I'm just luckier than others. Not so. Most of you know that I'm not a huge fan of living in Utah. Sorry, sorry, sorry to any of you die-hard Utah fans, but I'm an Arizona girl through and through. Since I've moved to Utah I've had a series of good things happen to me. I'm not talking about life altering things. It seems like every day I have several small things happen that, had I been living in Arizona still, I probably never would have noticed. I was taken out of my comfort zone when I moved to Utah, but in the process it has made me realize all of the little things the Lord blesses me with every day. Moving to Utah has definitely been a humbling experience for me. I did not want to move here and leave my life in Arizona behind. I'm so grateful, however, that I listened to the promptings of The Spirit and what the Lord wanted me to do. C.S. Lewis said "There are two kinds of people: those who say to God 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says 'all right, then, have it your way." How very happy I am that I chose to do this the Lord's way. I've definitely been in the position where I've tried to do things my way and gained nothing but heartache. I'm so grateful to have a loving Heavenly Father who is always right there ready and willing to bless me.