Tis the Holiday Season!

Well, it's only been like 2 months since I last posted. I thought it was about time that I posted again. It's been a busy last couple of months! But can I just say that I'm super excited for Christmas. I do love this time of year and I love it even more when all my family can be together! And this year....ALL my family will be together including this cutie!

This little boy will get to experience his first Christmas ever AND his very first birthday! But, I'm also very excited to see my parents and all my siblings and in-laws! I imagine that the days we are together will result in very little sleep, lots of laughing, and tons of fun! That is what usually happens when all my sisters get together!

Anyways, I've also been trying to do some holiday baking and finish my crafting projects which hasn't been easy to do. I feel like I've got way more to do and less time to do it in!

On a different note, last weekend I got to go to like my 3rd concert ever. It was put on by a local radio station here in Tucson and the concert was awesome! The tickets were cheap and well worth it. Christina Perry, Ryan Starr, Plain White Tee's, Ingrid Michaelson, and Sara Bareilles all played and they were UH-MAZING!

After like 5 hours of sitting on the grass my butt was killing me, but it was still worth it! I'll try and post some pictures of that later. They aren't the greatest but I know who is in them!

Well, now it's time for sleep!

Back to the Living!

Well, for all those who actually read this blog, I am still alive! I realize it's been awhile since I've posted but I am still here. I did eventually finish packing and get moved. I love my new apartment, it's not quite so ghetto as the last few have been. It's a little closer to my work and a little further from town but it's nice a quiet. I don't really know that I'll catch up on the last 3 months since I've posted. Lets just say that I've been keeping myself busy. I got to go to Mesa for Labor Day weekend and see Brittany for a little while. Mom and I drove to Snowflake to get some delicious corn and see Aunt Becky and family for a couple of hours. We also picked a LOT of peaches and brought them home with us. I spent the next day shucking corn and getting it ready to be frozen. I also got peaches peeled and sliced and ready to be frozen. I was pretty proud of my work! Now I have yummy Taylor corn and peaches in my freezer as do mom and dad!

I also had the unfortunate luck to celebrate yet another birthday! I don't know why but this year I just didn't want to turn another year older! I realize that I'm really not that old, I just felt it this year and wasn't too excited to acknowledge the change!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go with mom, 3 aunts, and 4 cousins to Time Out for Women in Phoenix. For those who don't know, this is a program put on by Deseret Books and it consists of music and speakers and is geared towards women. This years theme was 'We hope for all things'. It was really amazing. The speakers were awesome and the music was great. I loved the group that sang on Saturday, Mercy River. Their music is so good. Anyways, this weekend was so nice. I live in the same state as most of those I was with this weekend and I rarely get to see them. So it was nice to get to spend a few days with family and catch up. I'm glad Ellen flew down here for it too because I don't get to see her very often either.

Well, thats a quick catch up for now. I'm sure I have pictures to post later but I've got to go to work so that will wait! It was a great weekend and I wish my sisters could've come too. I am excited to see all of them in a few months though:)

I Hate...

.........PACKING

I don't know how anyone else feels about it, but it is one of my most dreaded chores! I'm happy to be moving, I just start packing and wonder where I got all this crap and why I need to keep it! Anyways...I should be packing right now seeing as how I'm moving on Friday and I still feel like I have so much to do! Does anyone want to come and pack for me? I'll be so very grateful.....

No takers? Fine, I guess I'll get back to work then. I just wanted to share my complete loathing for packing with all of you! On the bright side, I get to see Mom again for the 2nd week in a row! She loves me enough to come and help! Actually she's coming to bring me a different bed but she's so nice she said she'd help us clean! What an AMAZING Mom I have!

Ok seriously, I'm really getting back to work now.....

Funny Little Thoughts

I just read this on Staci's blog and laughed at every one because they are all so very true! Well, at least for me! And since I haven't posted in a while I thought I'd share. I know I especially need #1 and I definitely have done #13 and #17 A LOT!

1. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

2. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

3. Was learning cursive really necessary?

4. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

5. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

6. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

7. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

8. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

9. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

10. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?) but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

11. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

12. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

13. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

14. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

15. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

16. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

17. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch or phone 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

Really quick, things are going well, I can't believe it's almost August and summer is almost over. This year is going by so fast. I'll post more in a little bit, I'm moving to a new apartment next week and so life has been a little crazy!

Mother's Day 2010

So below are some of the pictures from Mother's Day. The whole family went to Austin, TX this year to see Andrew Keenan get blessed. It's the first grandkid in our family and it was also the first time any of the family, except Steve and Mom, have met him. Can I just say that he has got to be the cutest kid ever? I know you're all out there thinking that can't be true, but really he is! I'm saying this as a totally unbiased judge also. He's just so stinking cute and skinny!

Anyways, I drove down with mom, dad, grams and Brittany and the drive was killer! In the end it was totally worth it, but we left Mesa at 8am Thursday and got to Austin and 3ish Am Friday! It was a long day. But at 8am I got woken up when Mhari let the dogs out, but I got to meet my nephew so I forgave her and let the little guy steal my heart! Friday night I went with James to pick up Kiersty and Seth from the airport and that was quite an experience! At the Austin airport there are no waiting zones like they have in Phoenix and the guards there are strict! We circled the airport like 4 times, spent some quality time at the Shell gas station- where James broke the toilet....- and got yelled at by a guard to keep moving! Saturday Mhari had a BBQ planned to celebrate Andrew's blessing and so we got to meet some of her friends from the ward and such and see some old friends of ours from Lubbock. It was fun although the weather didn't cooperate with us very well. Sunday, Andrew got blessed and we saw some more friends from Lubbock and then went home and celebrated Mother's day with an awesome dinner and good company! Mom, dad, grams and I had to leave real early Monday morning. That was a pretty sad day. Kalli and Kiersty were staying til Wednesday and Brittany is living in Austin this summer so I missed some more quality time with the sisters but enjoyed the ride home with mom, dad and grams. I've gotta say that I slept a ton on the ride back. I guess the weekend just wore me out!

Now I can't wait for Christmas when we'll all be back together again and celebrating in Utah this year! I can't believe by then, Andrew will be a year old. He's not my son but I can seen how parents say time just flies!

Mother's Day 2010

Andrew testing out the flavor of

his hand....seems tasty!

Mhari and James acting like they love each other!

All the sisters being goofy! And the family, minus James, after Andrew's blessing!

Catch up!

So, it feels like it's been awhile since I've posted. This will be short and sweet because I'm on vacation and I should actually be working on a project that's due next Monday....

So here's whats been going on.

1. I now have 2 jobs and still going to school. I'm working part time at a law office as a file clerk, and it's keeping me busy. I like it though, I get to dress up which is fun!
2. I don't have to work Friday nights anymore which is truly amazing since I've been working them steadily for probably the last five years! My first one off was last week and it was amazing!
3. Flour bomb wars followed by water fights, are no good! We had a flour bomb war on Friday and then I made the bright idea of starting a water war when I got home with someone who wasn't covered in flour. Lets just say that i lost the war, big time!
4. I'm on VACATION til the 24th!
5. I'm back in Idaho and minus the cold, I love it! And I get to see my best friend get married in four days!
6. I saw a man trimming his trees this morning with a machete and was invited to try it! Unfortunately, we didn't have time to stop!

And Bethany is out of class now so this is all ya get!

Reflecting

So as it would happen, on Sunday, pretty much all of our meetings talked about the Plan of Salvation or our Savior and I just found it so fitting. For Christmas, my mom made each of us a book for sacrament. It just has sacrament hymns, scriptures and quotes that relate to our Savior and the Atonement. Anyways, I was reading in it on Sunday and kind of throughout the week and I came across some things that just kind of struck me. I shared it in my institute class today but it's just been on my mind.

I was reading in Helaman 14: 15-17 . It's talking about how it was necessary for Christ to die so that we could be saved and be with our Heavenly Father. Then I came across this quote and it just hit me.

In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer, and like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child and has to be taken out of the room so as not to look upon the last struggles, so He bowed His head and hid in some part of His universe, His great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for His Son. Oh, in that moment when He mights have saved His Son, I thank Him and praise Him that He did not fail us, for He had not only the love of His Son in mind, but He also had love for us. I rejoice that He did not interfere, and that His love for us made it possible for Him to endure to look upon the sufferings of His Son and give Him finally to us, our Saviour and our Redeemer. Without Him, without His sacrifice, we would have [been buried in the earth and there our bodies would have] remained, and we would never have come glorified into His presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in heaven to give the gift of His Son unto men.

-Elder Marvin J. Ballard

I read that quote and love it. I am so very grateful for our Father in heaven's plan for us. There are times where I don't always know what exactly that plan entails but I know that there is a path for me to follow so that I can return to Him, so that we can all return to Him. I can't express how grateful I am to know that because He sent His Son to earth and let him be crucified, we all have the opportunity to return to our Father. And it seems that Heavenly Father knows when that time will be even when we sometimes we don't.

This is another quote I read today. This was on Jamie's wifes blog. She found this in one of his journals from a couple of years ago and I thought it was amazing. And it just goes along with things that I've been thinking of. I can't put it much better than this.

"Do not give up. Do not stop before the line, sprint past it. Do not consign yourself to apathy because a goal is in sight. It doesn't matter how tight you pulled a line if you allow slack in at the last moment. Moore yourself to the iron rod and receive all the promised blessings from Heavenly Father now, and the blessings of eternal life and exaltation in the time to come."

I think this is what we need to do to make sure we stay on that path so that when our time is here, we can return home.

Eye Opener

Yesterday on my way to work I got a call from my roommate who told me that one of our really close friends had passed away. At first I couldn't even believe it. Jamie, was best friends with a previous roommate so he was always at our apartment. The first time I met him, I was actually looking at the apartment to see if I wanted to live there, and I walk in and this guy is there dressed really nice with a huge mohawk! I wasn't quite sure what to do with that, so I went shopping for hair dye with him and Elspeth. I mean how could I not participate in the dying of a mohawk? Anyways, over the course of the next couple months, I got to know Jamie really well. He and Elspeth were always up when I got home from work so I got to listen to his Navy stories and mission stories. I have a lot of good memories of him and I'm so grateful that I got to know him. I just never thought it would happen to someone so young. He just got married like 8 months ago and was so happy.

It's definitely times like these that I'm so very grateful for the gospel and the knowledge that it gives me. It is such a comfort to know that he is married for time and all eternity and that we will see him again someday. I don't always understand the Lord's timing but thats not for me to understand right now. So, I'll be happy that for a little while he was a part of my life and he made it better with his laughter. He always could make me laugh, and frequently did!

Just so you know.....

.......I'm still alive!

I was told the other day that I needed to update my blog and at the time I didn't know what to write so I didn't. I still don't have a ton to write but I thought I'd do something! So....after doing some research and thinking...I changed my major. I'm in a paralegal program currently and I've got to say, I love it. I don't know if I'd say that I've always been interested in the law, but I have been for awhile. I don't really have the talent for arguing that my sister does so I didn't want to be a lawyer. This is something that really intrigues me though. I get to do research for attorneys and learn more about the law. I'm not very far into the program since I just started a month ago but I do enjoy what I'm learning. So I'll keep ya'll updated on that!

The other exciting thing is my adorable nephew! I can say that he's adorable because I don't have to put up with him crying at night and not getting much sleep! Sorry Mhari, I wish I was closer so that I could help out and let you get some more sleep! I just get to see pictures of this stinkin cute kid and he's just so easy to love! I can't wait for May when I actually get to meet him and see Mhari and James!

Ok, I mean look at this picture. How can you not just love this little guy? I don't think it's possible!

Last thing thats coming up is...my best friends wedding! In March, I get to go back to Idaho for my best friend Bethany's wedding and I get to spend 9 days away from work and school. I can't wait to see her and to be back in Idaho. I've actually been missing it the last little bit. And by missing it, I mean I miss the summer weather, definitely not the snow and cold that's going on right now! Anyways, I get to spend like 5 days with Bethany, and then I get to spend like 4 days with my sisters and bro-in-law. I'm way excited for that also! I've still got like a month before that happens, but I'm already counting down the days!

Well, I feel like thats a pretty good update for now. I'm off to bed!