Kelli Moss

MMT...Made Me Think

2012-02-05T22:39:00.002-07:00

Nothing inspires me more than stories about forgiveness or kindness. Today I discovered a blog that was full of 99 tiny stories that makes you happy and cry at the same time. Take a minute and click HERE to enjoy!

Other websites that make me happy: www.postsecret.com and http://makesmethink.com/ and of corse, www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com.

My Math History (500 word essay for math class)

2012-01-16T19:21:00.002-07:00

Call me a geek but I’ve always loved math. It has been interesting to think back into my life and try to remember why I love math. There aren’t too many school situations that immediately come to mind. What does come to mind is my father’s enthusiasm for math. As a child I distinctly remember sitting at our kitchen table with book open, pencil in hand, and being amazed as I watched my father help me with my homework. Obviously my dad was the world’s smartest mathematician. No one could have convinced me otherwise. My dad worked hard to raise seven children on a salesman’s salary, my mom stayed home to tame us. Dad often worked nights and weekends and so moments with him were really special. That is where my love of math was born.

Math has always come easy for me. I’ve never mastered all the times tables. I don’t know all the formulas. But I know I could find them if I needed them, with the help of Google or my handy-dandy calculator. I think that knowledge is what got me through a fourth grade class where we had to line up and pass off our times tables as we were leaving for recess. If we got a wrong answer, we had to go back to the end of the line and try again. I know that I had to go to the back of the line several times. I was one of the last kids in the classroom. I wonder how on earth I wasn’t discouraged! But I wasn’t.

I like the certainty of math. There is only right answer. I like that you can check that answer, most of the time, to make sure you found the right answer. Once in Jr. High School, a kid was visibly cheating off my math test. I knew for sure that he wasn’t even reading the questions when it said to draw a rectangle and I drew a triangle. He drew a triangle. I wrote all the wrong answers on the test. Then after he stood up to turn in his test I erased all of my answers and replaced them with the correct ones. I can still remember him leaning over to my desk saying desperately, “What are you doing?!!” I was pretty proud of myself that day. Needless to say I solved that cheating problem.

I would also really like to thank Dr. Jee of Weber State University for being the best math teacher I’ve ever had. He drove a fancy red sports car and taught night classes. He had a very fancy job and taught out of passion because he definitely didn’t need the money. He made sure every single student understood. He never made my classmates or I feel stupid, he made us feel like we were smart and that every (right or wrong) instinct was natural. The think-aloud was his best friend. I hope to be a wonderful, caring, passionate teacher like him.

I love you Aunt Gale!

2012-01-13T06:30:00.005-07:00

Dear Aunt Gale,

Just wanted to send you a note to tell you that I am thinking about you today. 5 years came in a hurry. I miss you so much and so often. I miss your laugh and how funny you are. You always took the time to find out about me and I've never doubted how much you love me. I often give myself permission not to share my chocolate because of your example. ;) You taught me how to make quilts, blew me away with your gospel knowledge, and were the best model of hard work and dedication to family. I will spend my lifetime trying to live up to your high standards. I hope you feel my love today.

Hugs from St. George and lots of love, Kelli

The Best Moments of 2011

2012-01-04T22:19:00.002-07:00

2011 has come and gone. A part of me always thought that in the year 2011 all my dreams would come true, seeing how the number 11 has been somewhat of a lucky number for me in the past. I will say that I still have dreams to dream, but I did have a lot of fun in 2011. These are my favorite experiences, the coolest moments, and top 10 things I will remember about the year. In no particular order, here they are!

1. I have to say meeting Ty Burrell at my place of work was awesome! I’ve never really met a celebrity, and I actually got to shake the actor’s hand. The Modern Family dad who plays Phil Dunphy on the show was seriously so kind, very humble and gracious. I just wish I could have played it a little cooler! I totally was NOT cool.

2. 4th of July was spent this year with the entire day off and having a great time with friends. We floated in the water at Sand Hollow and watched fireworks in the St. George Sunbowl at night. It was so nice to be with friends and doing something fun other than working. Yay!

3. Another year of school has been completed. With 2 more semesters to go, it seems there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I might actually get a Bachelor’s degree in 2012!!! Doesn’t it seem like I’ve been in school forever? There’s a reason for that- I have been! Ha! Seriously, I’m very grateful for the opportunity to get an education. I know I am so blessed so I shouldn’t complain!

4. There are defining moments in life. Mine seem to come with me at U2 concerts. Moments that really do take your breath away, and your voice, from all the yelling. Moments when you just have to put your hands over your mouth and close your eyes because you are so filled up. These are good moments. What a band!

5. I found something that I believe will save my life. It’s something that I have a deep, strong, developing relationship with. It’s something that brings out a side of me I didn’t even know I had. It’s something I spend on plan on spending a lot of time with in the new year. Zumba is by far the best thing that happened to me in 2011. Who knew that I had this deep yearning to be a great dancer? It’s like the lessons we could never afford as a child. It’s like I get to be the cheerleader I always wanted to be and never made the team. Doing Zumba is the first time I have felt sexy since…2003 probably. I LOVE ZUMBA!

6. I got to spend the year 2011 serving as a primary teacher, 8-9 year olds. I still think the times I have felt the spirit the strongest have been in primary, especially when those innocent children sing. This Christmas the chorister sent a class out to the hall who would brings someone in and we would sing a Christmas carol. It was suggested that they sing Silent Night and as those beautiful children sang there was not a dry eye in the room.

7. Being able to spend time with family in 2011 was always such a treat. Picking up my sister, brother-in-law and their 2 babies at the airport and surprising everyone on Thanksgiving Day who didn’t know they were coming and enjoying our entire family being together is such a special memory. Being able to give a talk at my nephew’s baptism was so special. Playing tennis in St. George and Layton, wacky-ball and other games with my nieces and nephews and watching their soccer games is my favorite thing in the world to do. My brothers and sisters are indeed my best friends. I love that we are so close. I love that they are there for me. Tear!

8. I’ve had so much fun hanging out with friends in 2011- seeing Yanni live in Las Vegas with Karen was amazing! Walking with Linda is the best! Water aerobics, tennis, and climbing the Dixie rock with Emily was so much fun (and then she had to go and move to Seattle, sniff). Heather, my roommate is amazing and we do everything together (like sneak into old people dances, movie buddies, and even shop for hours! Who can forget time spent with Joe as in the almost perfect “treat yo self 2011” day? I have so many friends who listen to me and are there for me! It’s hard to list them all! But I do love you all!

9. If any of you know me really, really well you’d know that I tend to get myself into these financial situations. These situations tend to take a lot of time to repair. Since I am an honest person and fully plan on repaying the debts I have accrued, I have spent the last several years working my behind off. I am happy to report that the worst is over. I have NO credit card debt, let’s just say the financial forecast looks great! I am so proud of myself!

10. Finally, in 2011 I got to spend about 132 hours observing, teaching, and helping in Elementary schools here in Washington County. It has been so fun and I’m so thrilled at the idea of finishing school and being a teacher with my own classroom!

It’s a new year. A new start. I have hope for a great 2012! I’m excited to see where it will lead!

The Best Movies of 2011

2012-01-01T17:21:00.003-07:00

My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2011

Since I frequent the movie theatre, I like to make a list of my favorite movies every year. I'm sure it will be different than your favorites, because I have very different taste in movies than most people. As I frequently explain, I go to the movies for 3 reasons. 1) To laugh. I don't like to be stressed out at the movies, unless it's funny. 2) To be inspired to be a better person. I love "the feel good movie". 3) The popcorn. My shameful addiction to movie theatre popcorn leads me to consider buying stocks in popcorn. So with my disclaimer, here we go. I will say I at first considered writing my top 10 movies that made me say, "oh." because there weren't too many that I thought were so amazing that I would want to buy or watch again...ever...but there were a few winners and those are listed below.

10. Thor gets my number ten spot because let’s face it, Chris Hemsworth is mighty attractive. Another reason is I thought I wouldn’t like it all and I ended up enjoying it. It was a pleasant surprise.

9. Real Steel comes in at number nine for one reason and one reason only. The double upper punch the robot does.

8. Bridesmaids/Hangover. Two movies tie for number eight because although overly crude, I really did laugh my butt off.

7. Tower Heist/ Mission Impossible were fun movies I enjoyed watching. I didn’t have very many moments where I had to say to myself, “really?”.

6. The Lincoln Lawyer. What can I say Mathew McConaughey? Super interesting plot, made me think. I loved it!

5. Limitless with the beautiful Bradley Cooper. Very fascinating plot. Fun to watch. Did I mention it had the beautiful Bradley Cooper in it?

4. The Help. Even though I couldn’t enjoy my chocolate pie at Thanksgiving as a result of this movie, I really enjoyed it and thought it was interesting.

3. The Muppets! Bless Jason Segel for making this movie happening! I also loved Walter, the new Muppet and just had a blast watching it!

2. Soul Surfer, the story of a girl who kept going after losing her arm to a shark while surfing gets my number two spot. It made me cry and was seriously moving.

1. Crazy, Stupid, Love with Steve Carel is my favorite movie of the year. Not only did it truly inspire me, it was also funny and had a really unexpected twist at the end. I LOVED this movie and would recommend it to anyone!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T14:56:00.005-07:00

The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.

He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter.

"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

-Associated Press

The magical feeling of Christmas has found me again this year. I think mainly because of this story. Before the woman left Kmart she had also handed out a ton of $50 bills and paid off about 50 layaway accounts. All she asked is that people remember her husband who had recently passed away.

I hope wherever you land this holiday season you will find opportunities to serve no matter your circumstances, maybe in the memory of someone you love.

I hope that you will remember the reason we celebrate Christmas; remember the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, His perfect life, His miracles, His kindness, His teachings, His death, and the hope His resurrection brings. I hope that you will reflect on the tender mercies that He has shown you in your life.

I hope that you take the time to reflect on your childhood Christmases. I hope you get to sing all of your favorite Christmas Carols. I hope you get the chance to give to others, and I really hope that you get a really great kick-ass gift that you really wanted too.

So Merry Christmas friends! May the spirit of Christ lift you and comfort you this year!

The Ron Swanson Handbook

2011-11-15T14:33:00.006-07:00

So my 3 year old nepew turns to my year and half year old nephew who was crying and says, "Be a man." I've never laughed so hard in my whole life!!!!!! Max has obviously read the Ron Swanson Handbook!

Now if a 3 year can understand this concept, why are there so many other men out there that don't?

Funny Turkey Talk

2011-11-07T13:50:00.001-07:00

So my niece makes her own Thanksgiving card with a picture of a turkey that says:

Where's the thanks? I'm the one doing all the giving!

Things I've Learned This Past Week

2011-11-04T06:13:00.004-06:00

Hi y'all. It's been a hectic semester. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to learn to get humble this semester. I could write a novel on each of these topics listed below, but to save us both time, I'm just leaving this small list and the rest to the imagination.

1. Hug your family. Tell them you love them. They could be gone tomorrow.

2. Never show a youtube video to a bunch of 5th graders without previewing it. It's a long story, but if you want to pretty much figure it out visit THIS LINK! and you too can see why I will never get a teaching job in this town!

3. Zumba is fun. Like, really, really, really fun. It's my new love.

4. The Lord answers prayers in really strange ways sometimes.

5. I work too much.

6. Halloween dances are fun, especially when your roomie is dressed as a granny and break dancing.

It's been a weird week with lots of mixed emotions. I have had moments of total joy and complete heartbreak, but know I am so blessed and that having faith in God includes faith in His timing. One never can tell what is coming next! But life is good, every day is a new begining and you never know what is around the corner!

Sidenote:***Prayers would be appreciated for me as I am taking my big teacher test on content knowledge next Saturday Nov 12th!!!!!!!!!!*********** I need all the help I can get folks!

Jeffery R. Holland

2011-09-16T23:49:00.003-06:00

Two weeks until General Conference! Oh I love the way the spirit pours into your home and you soul.

I wanted to share a few quotes from Elder Jeffery R. Holland in his new book I just bought at Desert Book entitled Created For Greater Things which I thought were very touching.

"I believe we have all been created for greater things than we can comprehend. The times call for great things, but great things in the noblest and most redemptive sense are predicated upon tolerance, love, respect, understanding, dignity, prayer, God.

Be a woman of Christ. Cherish your esteemed place in the sight of God. HE NEEDS YOU. The church needs you. The world needs you. A woman's abiding trust in God and unfailing devotion to things of the Spirit have always been an anchor when the wind and the waves of life were fiercest.

If we constantly focus on the stones in our mortal path, we will almost surely miss the beautiful flower or cool stream provided by a loving Father who outlined our journey.

Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.

None of us are less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us- insecurities, anxieties, poor self-image, and all. He doesn't measure our talents or our looks; He doesn't measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other."

I found the book easy to read, full of beautiful text, pictures, and patterns, but what prompted me to buy it was how uplifted I felt after reading just a few passages.

I hope it inspires you too and if you get a chance, pick up a copy!

What Inspires Me About That Day

2011-09-10T01:47:00.010-06:00

Isn't it crazy how ten years can pass by in the blink of an eye?

On September 11, 2001 the radio was not playing the usual alternative music I usually woke up to. They were talking so seriously, I jumped up and turned on the TV, I called my friend Kim. It was then, standing in the living room with my mother that I saw the second plane hit the twin towers in New York.

I had recently received my mission call to Montreal, Canada and up until this point was a bit disappointed that I wasn't going to Europe. After this day, Canada seemed alright to me.

I remember going to work at the car dealership in Bountiful (no one was buying cars) and a coworker could not reach his sister who worked at a restaurant across the street from the World Trade Center. He was pacing the floor and finally went home. (We found out later she was ok.)

The world was shocked.

Do you remember how ALL the American flags sold out within hours? Suddenly everyone had a patriotic sticker on their vehicle.

Do you remember the grey soot that covered New York like snow?

Time stood still.

But what inspires me about that day, makes me cry even to this day, is the way that people pulled together. The stories of kindness, service, renewed faith, heroism, and unity. We helped each other. We made it through.

We lost over 3,000 Americans that day and gained a new perspective.

Ten years and the lessons remain, to be kinder to each other and remember what's really important. There are opportunities to be someone's hero everyday.

Secret Life of a Hotel Night Auditor

2011-08-17T03:17:00.000-06:00

You might think that being a night auditor at a hotel might be a boring job. You might think it is simple, or a paid to sleep position. May I just stop you right there and tell you that it is neither boring nor a position in which I get to rest my eyes. Oh no, let me tell the real life tell of a day, well make that night, in the life of a hotel night auditor. Just promise you won’t get jealous of all the fun I get to have all night long while you are sleeping soundly in your warm comfy bed!
10:55pm, pull in the parking lot. Pop my Vitamin B12 or I’ll never make it.
11:00pm punch the time clock.
11:10pm Check in my first guest of the night
11:20 pm Discuss the days’ events with my coworker who is getting ready to leave.
11:30 pm Count the Cash Drawer
11:45pm Take about 5 phone calls. They ALL say the same thing:
1. Q. Do you have any rooms tonight? A. I’m sorry we are full.
2. Pregnant Pause as if I’m going to suddenly remember that no, we’re not sold out, or perhaps giving me some time to run in back, grab my hammer, and build up a room for them real quick.
3. Q. Is there something going on in town? A. Napoleon Dynamite sigh.
Midnight- Go close up to pool. Kick out kissing couple in the hot tub (my personal favorite part of the night).
12:15am See my old Bishop who is checked in. Chat a bit about the changes in the singles ward scene lately.
12:30am Windex all windows, clean the bathrooms, mop the floors
1:00am Check in last guest, start running the audit.
1:20am Guest asks me if I have a can opener? Negative.
1:30am Really nice guests come in and ask for directions to the Emergency Room. Their son hurt his leg up in Zion in the Narrows today. His ankle is swelling up like a grapefruit.
2:00am Deliver blankets to a room. $3 tip- SCORE!!! That’s like 6 tacos at Del Taco!!! (Yes this is where my mind goes)
2:15am Start up my hulu and begin folding towels, washcloths, and handtowls. I have 2 huge dryers full waiting for me.
2:45am Newspaper Delivery. Why don’t they take the old newspapers? Grr.
3:25am Finish Primary Lesson.
3:36am Phone rings. No we don’t sell rooms by the hour, and we are full tonight anyway.
3:45am First Check Out of the Morning.
4:00 Time to go get the coffee machine ready to make coffee for our guests and deliver folios under the door.
5:00 Start setting up breakfast
5:30 My breakfast time- today 2 biscuits with strawberry jam, a hardboiled egg, orange juice and a yogurt.
6:00 Put my computer & crap in the car & start fielding check outs at the front desk.
7:00am- fill in the next shift about my happenings during the night. Punch out and stumble to the car.
7:30am Crawl into bed. Ha! The rest of the world is heading to work!
7:31am Sleeping Soundly- not much could wake me at this point!!!
So there you have it folks, the true story of what I do. It’s busy, but I like it. It’s interesting. Funny how much you can get done at night!

Home

2011-08-14T02:50:00.004-06:00

My car makes the old trip down Highway 89 in Layton, UT.

The darkening sky paints huge white fluffy clouds shades of pink and orange. Antelope Island is to my left, the mountains a soft violet hue. The sinking sun makes The Great Salt Lake shimmer.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I pull in the long driveway filled with those familiar trees and faces.

I’m Home.

Comfort.

Relaxation.

Family.

Love.

I sit on my front porch watching the kids play and catching up with the adults. Mom, washing dishes in the kitchen inside flips on the outdoor light for us.

My old room. I flop my duffle bag on the floor and jump into bed.

Memories fill my head. Old memories long forgotten.

Old hopes, old dreams bubble up inside.

Refuge.

I drift off to sleep.

I wake up at 5am, it’s hard to work 5 graveyard shifts in a row and switch back to sleeping at night. Eyes wide awake. It’s useless to try going back to sleep.

I’m awake.

I put on my running shoes and get ready to go down one of the most beautiful streets in America as I have done so many times in the past.

I pass the fridge and see the wedding announcements…I try not to look.

Wait who’s that?

Mindy?!?!?!?!?!?

I babysat her!!!!

Isn’t she like…12?!?!?!

The lovely soundtrack playing in my head since I got home abruptly stops like a record being scratched.

Get me home to St. George!!!!

Back to Working Nights...

2011-07-24T03:15:00.004-06:00

Although working nights isn't my first preference, I have always found comfort in this quote I got off a sticker someone once sent me on a letter...

"Oh silvery moon,

you reassure me that

the sun will rise again".

Moving On...

2011-07-12T18:07:00.003-06:00

The year has been moving on at a rapid pace. Half over, already. How does this happen? In a blink we'll be watching harvest colored leaves fall from trees, carve pumpkins, eat Thanksgiving dinner, followed by trimming the tree with dazzling lights and get ready to welcome 2012.

But who has time to think about that? Not with all the BBQs, swimming, summer blockbuster movies, tennis, and lounging we have to do in the glorious sun this summer!!!

The 4th of July was a fun one for me!!! Playing in the water at Sand Hollow and watching the fireworks from the Dixie Sun Bowl in St. George with friends. It was HOT but it was really fun. Even if some random slightly creepy older gentleman going solo plopped himself down right next to me during the fireworks. It was a bit awkward, but I will assure you I never made eye contact. And who could blame him? I am pretty irresistible.

This summer has been one filled with relaxation, can I just say for once that I haven't worked a million crazy hours and I've caught up on my sleep. For the first time (this YEAR mind you) I spent one whole day in jammies in front of the TV eating cookie dough....

Which is when IT happened. I was innocently channel surfing in my PJs and nothing was on...

Until....

There she was, crying on the witness stand. Casey Anthony's mother, Cindy, on court TV. I was instantly hooked, desperately searching for any clue, looking for an answer, as so many have, what happened to this beautiful little girl?

Needless to say, I've followed the case daily, watched much of the actual courtroom footage, and waited with anticipation while the jurors deliberated. The Not Guilty verdict shocked me as it did the nation. Is there anyone in this country besides those 12 jurors who DON'T think she's guilty? Well it is what it is and we can't change it. Moving on...

I did have a moment of reflection this year on the 4th as I remembered last year on the 4th of July. This consisted of me crying in my car on my way to work a graveyard shift as I watched the fireworks explode in the night sky. I pictured all the people having fun with family and friends and here I was, living alone, not being able to afford living alone, and going to work, where I would be all by my lonesome for all hours of the night. It was quite the pathetic pity party.

This year, floating on the lake I realized that I was surrounded by friends, and almost, ever so close to financial freedom as well. Things are looking up. I'm on track with school, have paid many debts, have friends, live in a beautiful home, I am so blessed. What a difference a year makes! I have moved on. Moved on from sadness, heartbreak, bad situations, debt, and loneliness. I smiled thinking about how happy I am today.

Life isn't perfect, there are more situations I need to move on from, like getting rid of this weight that is holding me back from so many things... But I will get there.

This is MY theme song for the year. I guess it's time I posted it! There is not a lyric that doesn't ring true for the past year. So enjoy the video "I'm Moving On" by Rascal Flatts by clicking HERE.

"I'm Moving On"

I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons

Finally content with a past I regret

I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness

For once I'm at peace with myself

I've been burdened with blame,

trapped in the past for too long

I'm movin' on

I've lived in this place and I know all the faces

Each one is different but they're always the same

They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it

They'll never allow me to change

But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong

I'm movin' on

At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me

And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone

There comes a time in everyone's life

When all you can see are the years passing by

And I have made up my mind that those days are gone

I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't

Stopped to fill up on my way out of town

I've loved like I should but lived like I shouldn't

I had to lose everything to find out

Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road

I'm movin' on

It WAS a Beautiful Day

2011-06-14T18:39:00.013-06:00

When I think of October 25, 2009 I remember the best day of my life.

UNTIL...

I discovered that U2 would be playing in Salt Lake in Spring 2010. I called my sister Julie and told her we HAD to be there. She scored the tickets for us.

Then...

Bono had a slight problem with his back and had to have surgery. The concert date was re-set for the next YEAR. It seemed it would never get there. But FINALLY the May 24th concert date came and went.

I worried that I would be let down because the concert in Cali was so fantastic, but ya know what? I wasn't. Not for one second.

Julie & Mike ended up not being able to attend the concert because they had this crazy notion to put their daughter's dance recital first. So we had 2 extra tickets. I begged Karen to come.

But she lives in Cali.

My roomie Heather decided to come along. And so did Kim, my BFF from college. And my bro Joe came also- he had tickets from the beginning.

It was a little cold, but it was SOOOOOOOOOO FUN!!! The best parts of the experience for me were taking the train & trax- I've never done that before!!! Then there were the two hippies sitting a few rows in front of us. They space-age danced and/or made out all night. It was highly entertaining in a kind of gross way!!!

The Fray opened the show. They were fantastic. Although they got no respect. The show was set to start at 7:30 and even though we got there around 7:15 they were already singing and people were still pouring into the stadium.

U2 hit the stage. Highlights included Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Beautiful Day/ Here Comes the Sun, Pride (In the Name of Love), City of Blinding Lights, Walk On, One, Where the Streets Have No Name, Sunday Bloody Sunday and With Or Without You. At one point they started playing "Blowing in the Wind" and the crowd sang along. It was about then that I realized, 'I'm totally just singing with Bono right now'. Ahhh, such a good, good time with fabulous friends!!!

Ch-Ch-Check Joe & I out on the fan cam photo by clicking HERE!!!

Maybe it's not all about ME

2011-06-03T22:29:00.005-06:00

So lately I have been thinking about life.

About hurting people.

About people who die of hunger.

About homeless people.

People who go to bed with nothing to eat.

People who have terrifying war raging around them.

I especially think about these people when a guest at my hotel staying in an enormous, elegant suite is throwing a fit because there is a bee on the balcony, their A/C is only cooling the room to 74 degrees instead of 69 degrees, or they hear the people next to them being loud.

I think about how much I take for granted. How much extra food I eat. How beautiful my house is. How wonderful it is that I have a car. How wonderful my childhood was and how lucky I am to have loving parents that care for me. I think about how many calories are in the popcorn I eat at the movies, and how much money I waste daily.

I think about the times that I complain, because my life isn't the way I think it should be and how low I get. I forget how much I have. Opportunities surround me.

Life really is good.

So lately I've been thinking about life. I'm thinking maybe it's not all about me.

I want to donate more of my time to serve others.

I've always wanted to sponsor a woman in Africa. For just $30 a month she gets more than she needs to survive, get an education, feed her family. The interesting thing about this program by Women For Women (Click below to visit their website if you want to learn more), is that with this program you also send a letter to the woman. To these women, a letter from an American friend who wants to help is more valuable than the money.
http://www.womenforwomen.org/programs-supporting-women/sponsoring-a-woman.php

For more ideas on ways to help, you can visit
http://www.oprah.com/
http://www.one.org/
http://lds.org/service/humanitarian?lang=eng

So Guess What Karen Got Me Now....

2011-05-30T16:59:00.004-06:00

Yep, 2 tickets to see Yanni LIVE in Las Vegas. So, Yanni was never an artist I thought to myself, "I must see his show". As a matter of fact my 21 year old coworker just asked me who this picture (above) was of, and when I said Yanni she said, "who's that?" LOL!!! I don't dislike him, but he's not a favorite. Sure, it was mostly just an excuse to hang out, but it was amazing! I'm so glad we went!!! We stayed at the beautiful Silverton Hotel, where we each had our own heavenly bed! The concert was in the Orleans Hotel, so we hung out there before the show. In the parking lot before the show, we looked at each other and said we will stay for at least 3 songs. Then we may or may not split and go to the movies. After the first song, I knew we would be there for more than 3 songs. It was like being at the symphony but with electric instruments. It. Was. AWESOME!!! I am now a Yanni fan! He didn't make me "Yawn" at all.

Thanks Karen for another amazing concert experience. We really need to somehow work out Back Street Boys and New Kids on the Block...

Music Challenge- My Top 10

2011-05-20T19:15:00.003-06:00

Music. I saw Karen's post about her favorite songs and couldn't help wonder what I would chose for my top ten. I thought about it for several days. Top ten songs by genre? By decade? Top ten songs that produce a memory? Songs that produce a feeling? I have to say that it was a challenge because I love all music so much. My favorites change all the time, but if I had to choose the ten songs I love the most, I think they would be these. Feel free to listen along to my music player as I have put them all in order below.

Sarah McLachlan- Ice Cream. Sarah is my favorite, and this song a classic.

Baby Can I Hold You Tonight- Tracy Chapman. I realized something about me. I LOVE Tracy Chapman. Working on learning this song on the guitar right now.

Don't Worry Baby- Beach Boys. I love this song. It reminds me of summer and I use it to lull myself when I'm stressed and freaking out!!! LOL!

The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra. A classic. I hope to dance to this song at my wedding some day. It was also one of my Grandma's favorites and makes me think of her.

The Good Stuff- Kenny Chesney. I love country music. I love the message of this song and it has been one of my favorites for years.

Movies- Alien Ant Farm. Maybe it was the concert I attended. Maybe it was the time of my life. Maybe it's the lyrics or the beat but for whatever reason, I still totally love this song!!!

Poker Face- Lady GaGa. I know, I know. It's overplayed. But I still listen to this song, especially when I'm on my way to do something I really don't want to do (like go to work, or school) and this song gives me attitude. I put on my poker face and go do what needs to get done.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful World- Israel Kamakowiwo Ole'a. I admit this song totally makes me cry when I think about all the innocence in the world and how much I take for granted.

Fuel- Shimmer. This is my go-to-when-I'm-angry song. It always makes me feel better.

U2- One. U2 is the most amazing band and at first I was going to say With Or Without you, but I think the at the last concert I went to, this song won out at #1. Concert update to come, but it is all about helping each other after all, isn't it?

Honorable Mentions:
Reba- The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Jimmy's Chicken Shack- What do I do Right?
John Lennon- Imagine
Shiny Toy Guns- Rainy Monday
Blink 182- What's My Age Again?
Lone Star- Front Porch Looking In

I love my crazy random music! What are your top ten favs?

Kindergarten Funnies

2011-05-03T20:18:00.003-06:00

This past semester I have had the ultimate joy of joining and participating in a kindergarten classroom every Tuesday. You know what? Kids are funny! Here are some funny/ surprising things that the kids did or said that just put a smile on my face!

Kindergarten girl "My mom told me not to lift my shirt up because I have boobs on my tummy."

Kindergarten boy's response when making a mother's day book for his mom we asked him what his mom always wears. He responds, "Pants, shirts, skirts, shorts...[pause] and definitely bras!"

One day all the kindergartners came rushing over one at a time at recess to tell us there was a chiwawa on the loose on the playground. 5 minutes later we see a humongous white furry dog! This was not a chiwawa! Oh, we laughed.

Pink light-up cowgirl boots.

I say, "Good morning B____". He just took one look at me and threw his little arms around me and gave me a bear hug!!! Made my day!

I say, "Class, does anyone know what a hypothesis is?"
Student says, "A hypothesis is an idea that forms in your mind and you test it to see if it is correct." This was a few weeks before he gave a POWER POINT presentation on hurricanes!!! Kindergarten, people!

The naughty one who practiced his Karate Kid style crane kicks one morning. I tried really hard not to laugh.

Another naughty one who came up to me and said, "I love you Miss Moss" right in front of my professor who was visiting from the college that day! Yes, I paid him later.

Oh the kids are so loving, sweet, funny, and sometimes naughty. But I love them. I'm going back for their graduation in a few weeks. I'm really going to miss them!!!

I did it.

2011-05-03T19:09:00.004-06:00

This is the semester I thought would never end. Finally, after six tests in three days I can say, a bit in shock, that I did it. I finished my semester. And not to blow my own horn or anything, but it was difficult, and I am so proud of myself that I focused and worked hard everyday this semester.

As much as I'd like to take all the credit, it wasn't all me. There are a few shout outs I'd like to thank for keeping me sane in these last few months:

1. Diet Dr. Pepper. In my attempt to be more healthy, I've turned to the diet soda. Prob in the long run not the healthiest choice, but it got me through so thank you Diet Dr. Pepper.

2. Ernesto's shrimp tostada. Need I say more? The place is kinda a dive, but the food, oh so yummy. Only in a small town is my banker by day also my waiter by night. Thank you Ernesto's.

3. Vitamin B12. Let me just say that I would have never made it through my 7:30am classes or long nights working without it. Go buy some at your local Wal Mart today. Its benefits are increased energy and metabolism, and let me tell you if I didn't take it I really noticed. It makes you feel good, really gives energy, and makes me happy. Thank you B12. You are my friend.

4. The Hulu. What would I have done without you? Especially Parks and Recreation. You have made my life exponentially better. Ron Swanson is my male counterpart and I love him!

5. Joey's music. What would I have done without the music of all those artists I should know who they are but I don't know their names but I listen to it all the same and it makes me happy?

6. Early morning or Late night phone calls with Joe, Karen, lots of family, friends, and basically anyone who loves me enough to stay on the phone and talk to me while I am driving so I don't fall asleep while driving. I LOVE YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!

7. Movies with Heath...er that is. She's my fav movie buddy and has realized that no, there won't be a time that I won't go to the movies without buying popcorn. And Heather made my birthday super special and she always listens to my rants. I love my roomie!

Well folks, time to sing SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!! Hurray!!!

School, Primary, Taxes & Spring Break

2011-03-19T23:56:00.004-06:00

Ahhh, springtime. The trees are blooming. It rains instead of snows so I'm not scared to drive home. I can leave my bedroom window open. The days are getting longer, its getting warmer. It's just a great time of year!

So school has been great, and would it be bragging if I say I impress myself with the amount of focus I have exhibited this semester? I'm working about 50 hours a week, in full time school, and doing my practicum in the Elementary School once a week. I am loving it. My classes are so interesting and I've learned so much! I love being in kindergarten once a week. My goal last time was to make the kids laugh as a class. I've seen my teacher do it and it is the cutest thing in the world! So at the end of the day, my teacher asked me to read them a story. I picked out a funny book, and by the end I had the class in giggles. It was so fun!

Primary has always been my favorite calling in the church. I have a great class of 8 & 9 year olds and we are studying the New Testament this year. Last week we were talking about Matthew Chapter 5, the Sermon on the Mount. On cards I had written the "old law" such as eye for an eye, and my class had to find the "new law" that Jesus established when he was on the earth. The new law for eye for an eye was turn the other cheek. And here's what my student drew: It made my day!

My first tax season I swore I'd never do another one. So how in the world does this happen to be my 5th tax season? Usually my birthday present from the government is that I don't have to do taxes on my birthday (April 18th, hint hint) and the tax deadline generally falls on April 15th but not this year. It's Monday, April 18th. So I am a little bummed about that but the good news is I really like my coworkers so at least it will be a fun birthday!

Spring Break has been a blast! I got to go home! Even though I had been home in January, it feels like forever since I've been home! I miss my family when I don't get to see them! I got to play "shark" with the kids on the tramp, (a game I made up where I stand on the side of the tramp and try to get them as the jump by), watch tv with Joe, go to lunch with my mom & sisters, made a really cute "Lucky" sign for St. Patrick's Day with my sisters, go to the Bountiful temple with Kim & Katharine, and it was my good fortune to attend a Real Salt Lake soccer game.

If you know much about me, little brings me more joy than being around passionate people. Real Salt Lake fans are the most passionate in the world I think! As we approached Rio Tinto Stadium, here comes the band playing, singing, and throwing confetti. The band did not stop the whole game! I'm wasn't shocked to see the huge streamers fans throw on the field, because I saw that last time, but I was shocked that they had to remind the crowd before the game not to throw bags of urine on the field. Hmmm. Always a surprise at the Real games! Good times. I had so much fun, and they won too.

Well it's back home and back to work for me! Life is good! Can't wait to finish this semester and I really can't wait for Kristen & Ryan & the boys to come visit from Alaska in May! I also am really excited for Ben to have a little GIRL and Andrea to have her little BOY in August! Good things are happening! I love springtime!

Why You're Not Married by Tracy McMillan

2011-03-05T17:58:00.003-07:00

Celebrate with me! This is my 100th post! And what would I be writing about? Oh you know, what else besides marriage? Ha!

Found this article online. I know it pissed off a lot of people but I found it amusing and think it has some good points. Take it for what it's worth & I'm very interested in your thoughts? Why do you think I'm not married? LOL! BTW, it's NOT #3.

You want to get married. It's taken a while to admit it. Saying it out loud -- even in your mind -- feels kind of desperate, kind of unfeminist, kind of definitely not you, or at least not any you that you recognize. Because you're hardly like those girls on TLC saying yes to the dress and you would never compete for a man like those poor actress-wannabes on The Bachelor.
You've never dreamt of an aqua-blue ring box.

Then, something happened. Another birthday, maybe. A breakup. Your brother's wedding. His wife-elect asked you to be a bridesmaid, and suddenly there you were, wondering how in hell you came to be 36-years-old, walking down the aisle wearing something halfway decent from J. Crew that you could totally repurpose with a cute pair of boots and a jean jacket. You started to hate the bride -- she was so effing happy -- and for the first time ever you began to have feelings about the fact that you're not married. You never really cared that much before. But suddenly (it was so sudden) you found yourself wondering... Deep, deep breath... Why you're not married.
Well, I know why.

How? It basically comes down to this: I've been married three times. Yes, three. To a very nice MBA at 19; a very nice minister's son at 32 (and pregnant); and at 40, to a very nice liar and cheater who was just like my dad, if my dad had gone to Harvard instead of doing multiple stints in federal prison.

I was, for some reason, born knowing how to get married. Growing up in foster care is a big part of it. The need for security made me look for very specific traits in the men I dated -- traits it turns out lead to marriage a surprisingly high percentage of the time. Without really trying to, I've become a sort of jailhouse lawyer of relationships -- someone who's had to do so much work on her own case that I can now help you with yours.

But I won't lie. The problem is not men, it's you. Sure, there are lame men out there, but they're not really standing in your way. Because the fact is -- if whatever you're doing right now was going to get you married, you'd already have a ring on it. So without further ado, let's look at the top six reasons why you're not married.

1. You're a Bitch. Here's what I mean by bitch. I mean you're angry. You probably don't think you're angry. You think you're super smart, or if you've been to a lot of therapy, that you're setting boundaries. But the truth is you're pissed. At your mom. At the military-industrial complex. At Sarah Palin. And it's scaring men off.

The deal is: most men just want to marry someone who is nice to them. I am the mother of a 13-year-old boy, which is like living with the single-cell protozoa version of a husband. Here's what my son wants out of life: macaroni and cheese, a video game, and Kim Kardashian. Have you ever seen Kim Kardashian angry? I didn't think so. You've seen Kim Kardashian smile, wiggle, and make a sex tape. Female anger terrifies men. I know it seems unfair that you have to work around a man's fear and insecurity in order to get married -- but actually, it's perfect, since working around a man's fear and insecurity is big part of what you'll be doing as a wife.

2. You're Shallow. When it comes to choosing a husband, only one thing really, truly matters: character. So it stands to reason that a man's character should be at the top of the list of things you are looking for, right? But if you're not married, I already know it isn't. Because if you were looking for a man of character, you would have found one by now. Men of character are, by definition, willing to commit.

Instead, you are looking for someone tall. Or rich. Or someone who knows what an Eames chair is. Unfortunately, this is not the thinking of a wife. This is the thinking of a teenaged girl. And men of character do not want to marry teenaged girls. Because teenage girls are never happy. And they never feel like cooking, either.

3. You're a Slut. Hooking up with some guy in a hot tub on a rooftop is fine for the ladies of Jersey Shore -- but they're not trying to get married. You are. Which means, unfortunately, that if you're having sex outside committed relationships, you will have to stop. Why? Because past a certain age, casual sex is like recreational heroin -- it doesn't stay recreational for long.
That's due in part to this thing called oxytocin -- a bonding hormone that is released when a woman a) nurses her baby and b) has an orgasm -- that will totally mess up your casual-sex game. It's why you can be f**k-buddying with some dude who isn't even all that great and the next thing you know, you're totally strung out on him. And you have no idea how it happened. Oxytocin, that's how it happened. And since nature can't discriminate between marriage material and Charlie Sheen, you're going to have to start being way more selective than you are right now.

4. You're a Liar. It usually goes something like this: you meet a guy who is cute and likes you, but he's not really available for a relationship. He has some condition that absolutely precludes his availability, like he's married, or he gets around town on a skateboard. Or maybe he just comes right out and says something cryptic and open to interpretation like, "I'm not really available for a relationship right now."

You know if you tell him the truth -- that you're ready for marriage -- he will stop calling. Usually that day. And you don't want that. So you just tell him how perfect this is because you only want to have sex for fun! You love having fun sex! And you don't want to get in a relationship at all! You swear! About ten minutes later, the oxytocin kicks in. You start wanting more. But you don't tell him that. That's your secret -- just between you and 22,000 of your closest girlfriends. Instead, you hang around, having sex with him, waiting for him to figure out that he can't live without you. I have news: he will never "figure" this out. He already knows he can live without you just fine. And so do you. Or you wouldn't be lying to him in the first place.

5. You're Selfish. If you're not married, chances are you think a lot about you. You think about your thighs, your outfits, your naso-labial folds. You think about your career, or if you don't have one, you think about doing yoga teacher training. Sometimes you think about how marrying a wealthy guy -- or at least a guy with a really, really good job -- would solve all your problems. Howevs, a good wife, even a halfway decent one, does not spend most of her day thinking about herself. She has too much s**t to do, especially after having kids. This is why you see a lot of celebrity women getting husbands after they adopt. The kids put the woman on notice: Bitch, hello! It's not all about you anymore! After a year or two of thinking about someone other than herself, suddenly, Brad Pitt or Harrison Ford comes along and decides to significantly other her. Which is also to say -- if what you really want is a baby, go get you one. Your husband will be along shortly. Motherhood has a way of weeding out the lotharios.

6. You're Not Good Enough. Oh, I don't think that. You do. I can tell because you're not looking for a partner who is your equal. No, you want someone better than you are: better looking, better family, better job.
Here is what you need to know: You are enough right this minute. Period. Not understanding this is a major obstacle to getting married, since women who don't know their own worth make terrible wives. Why? You can fake it for a while, but ultimately you won't love your spouse any better than you love yourself. Smart men know this.
I see this at my son's artsy, progressive school. Of 183 kids, maybe six have moms who are as cute as you're trying to be. They're attractive, sure. They're just not objects. Their husbands (wisely) chose them for their character, not their cup size. Alright, so that's the bad news. The good news is that I believe every woman who wants to can find a great partner. You're just going to need to get rid of the idea that marriage will make you happy. It won't. Once the initial high wears off, you'll just be you, except with twice as much laundry.

Because ultimately, marriage is not about getting something -- it's about giving it. Strangely, men understand this more than we do. Probably because for them marriage involves sacrificing their most treasured possession -- a free-agent penis -- and for us, it's the culmination of a princess fantasy so universal, it built Disneyland.

The bottom line is that marriage is just a long-term opportunity to practice loving someone even when they don't deserve it. Because most of the time, your messy, farting, macaroni-and-cheese eating man will not be doing what you want him to. But as you give him love anyway -- because you have made up your mind to transform yourself into a person who is practicing being kind, deep, virtuous, truthful, giving, and most of all, accepting of your own dear self -- you will find that you will experience the very thing you wanted all along:

Love.

Tracy McMillan is a TV writer whose credits include Mad Men and The United States of Tara. Her memoir I Love You and I'm Leaving You Anyway is now available in paperback from Harper Collins/It Books. She lives in Los Angeles with her 13-year-old son. Follow her on Twitter.

My Recent Obsessions

2011-01-17T09:18:00.005-07:00

HGTV's Dream Home

I've never entered before, but then again, It's never been a ski chalet in Stowe, Vermont. The house is the kind of house that I fall asleep dreaming that I'll live in someday. It's BEAUTIFUL! Oh, and as if the house isn't enough, you also win a BRAND NEW CAR AND $500,000 CASH!!! HELLO!

SOMEONE is going to win, it might as well be me. And if by chance you hear about it from me, and win the drawing, will you just cut me a check for like 5% of the winnings? I'd appreciate that. :)

To take a tour and enter to win, click HERE!

Have you ever followed this or entered? Will you enter? Will you come stay with me and go snowboarding with me when I win?

David Tutera's Weddings

As one bride put it, he is the Oprah/Michael Jackson/Barack Obama of weddings. He has his own show on the WE channel called My Fair Wedding where he takes bride's tacky ideas and turns them in to elaborate, classy, fabulous weddings. He has no problem telling the bride he's changing the gown she picked out, or the venue, or the brides maid's dresses. Usually I don't like wedding shows because I'm crotchety and bitter, but I love this show!

Cityville

They got me again, damn facebook! This game can seriously suck you in, so beware, but please start playing so I can unlock the next level! Do it! You won't be sorry! It's very similar to Sim City, but more fun!

Soon my obsessions will be things that are good for you, like working out and doing homework, and doing productive things. But for now, they're not and its ok.

Kelli Moss' Alaska

2011-01-11T23:12:00.009-07:00

My trip to Alaska was AMAZING! I saw so many things, learned so much, and finally just took in some R&R that was well overdue!

So not to be confused with Sarah Palin's Alaska, here is MY version!

First up is a pic of Sarah Palin's back of her house. This was as close as I got folks. And for the official record, yes you can see Russia from some parts of Alaska way up north, but not here in Wasilla.

Mug Shot Saloon. A very classy place for drinks!

Top Gun Taxidermy. I love this place!

This is actually a glacier in between the trees and the mountains. It is massive! It looks like a river going back but is actually a glacier! It's pretty cool!

The Anchorage, Alaska Temple! It's a small temple but a really pretty one!

This was called the drunken forest because the trees freeze and start falling over. I thought it was cool.

Wild life: Thankfully I did not see any bears because they were hibernating and it would have seriously freaked me out, but moose were plentiful. I saw at least a dozen and I even had some in my taco soup too! Kristen totally didn't tell me it was moose but it was delicious! And I probably would have thought differently had she told me what it was!

Moose wasn't the only delicacy I enjoyed. Fresh Alaskan crab legs, too! YUMMY!!!

Beautiful scenery was everywhere! I totally understand why Kristen and Ryan love living in Alaska. This was a cool place they go to pick blueberries in the summer. Also, it was like 12:00 noon and notice the position of the sun. It would never really rise all the way in the sky. I will never take the sun for granted again!

Kristen has always told me that we could fill up http://www.thepeopleofwalmart.com/ with one trip to any Alaskan Walmart, and she was right. I think this clerk was my favorite. If you can't tell very well he's wearing a Happy New Year top hat as well as several bead necklaces. When we got to him in line, I said "excellent costume!". He looked very confused and looked at me and said in all seriousness, "What costume?" To which I said, you know the hat, the New Year's get up. He said, "Oh, ya, last week I dressed up like an elf so I thought I'd get festive this week too." Oh how I love festive people!

Look at these beautiful boys! Getting to spend time with them was one of my favorite parts of the trip!!! I miss them!

Look at how handsome Max is!

Yes. This man has a stuffed wolf above his front door. Wonder if he went to Top Gun?

Christmas Day at about 11:00am. Just outside of Kristen and Ryan's house.

Ryan near the ocean. So beautiful!

Overall, I had a blast in Alaska! My sister and brother in law were very fun to hang out with and showed me great hospitality. I was so impressed with my beautiful sister and the way she is so organized, hard working, beautiful, and such a wonderful mother. It was great to get to meet Marshall and play with Max, visit their town and know that they are ok. I miss them all so much and I totally cried when I had to leave at the airport. Thanks guys for a wonderful stay and I can't wait to come back!!!

Top 10 of 2010

2011-01-02T22:35:00.025-07:00

2010: what a crazy year! So much has happened. In a word, this year for me represents growth. How quickly a year rolls by! This was a challenging year, but I have to say I've had some cool experiences! This is my list of my top 10 most awesome, cool, and memorable experiences of 2010! (In no particular order)

1. Meeting Abe Lincoln /Ben’s wedding/ Visiting Washington D.C. By far the most fun wedding I've ever been to! We danced the night away! It was so fun spending time with my family in another city. I also have to say that meeting Abe Lincoln was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. There was a very cool feeling. So much to see and do, I can't wait until I get to visit my big brother again! He lives in a very cool place!
2. Seeing Phantom of the Opera with my sisters in Vegas makes my list this year. Such a good show!
3. School- Getting accepted into the Elementary Education program was a challenge, however, just knowing that I only have 4 semesters left until I get my Bachelor's degree makes me excited! I love what I'm doing! I love school! It really is fun!
4. Working in Zion's National Park was such a treat in 2010. The beauty of the red rocks was so beautiful! I loved being able to see the sun come up dozens of time in 2010 in one of the most gorgeous places in the world.
5. Getting my new car that has a speedometer, trunk that works, passenger door that opens no matter the exterior temperature, as well as cruise control and power locks and windows, what more could a girl ask for?

6. Being able to visit the St. George temple makes my top 10 list. It is such a beautiful temple and I love to go and do work, learn and feel the special spirit there.

7. Meeting and moving in with my roommate Heather . This is my fav pic of her from the 80's. Heather is the COOLEST and is sooo good for me! I just can't even begin to express how much I appreciate her influence in my life (as well as being able to live in the prettiest place I've ever lived).

8. Getting health insurance. It had been awhile! YAAAAY for being able to go to the doctor!

9. Joe’s Thanksgiving oasis will make me smile on a dark day for years to come. My bro is sooo talented.

10. Visiting my family in Alaska was SOOOO FUN! And very very cool!

December Birthdays

2011-01-02T21:48:00.005-07:00

Pat is my brother-in-law married to my sister Michelle. He's so fun to play cards with, and a talented pool player. He's fixed my car for free so many times that if I paid him, he'd be a very rich man today. He is a dedicated dad and would do anything for his boys. He also plays the guitar and is very musically talented. I'm so glad Pat is in my family!

Mike another brother-in-law, married to my sister Julie. Mike is hilarious! He cracks me up! He takes great care of my sister and his four amazing children. He is the ultimate soccer dad and really supportive of his kids and all their athletic endeavors. He is a great helper to my sister and I've noticed that whenever she asks him to do something, he does it, like that second. I love being able to hang out with Mike and his family.

Last but not least is my beautiful sister, Michelle. Michelle has a heart of gold. She really cares about people and has a special compassion for people and their needs. She is the best hairdresser on the planet and makes me look great even with my thick hair. Michelle knows the meaning of dreaming big and dares to dream. She always has the best ideas! She's willing to work for what she wants and when she makes up her mind, consider it done! She is raising two gorgeous boys, she works so hard, and inspires me with her accomplishments. As my sister closest to my age, Michelle is one of my best friends, and we've been through a lot together through the years. I am so happy that I was blessed to have her in my life.

I can't believe it's my last birthday post of the year! It has been fun for me to introduce and recognize all my favorite friends and family in 2010! I know I am so blessed! I'm going to do something different for 2011, so you will all have to wait and see what it is!

I'm dreaming of an Alaskan Christmas!

2010-12-15T00:12:00.003-07:00

While I am avoiding writing that last paragraph of homework I have for a ~~truly awful~~ extremely busy semester, I guess I will check in with my blog buddies and let you know what's up!

I am going to Alaska for Christmas is what's up!

Not only am I am totally excited to see my little sister,Kristen, brother-in-law Ryan, and very funny nephew Max, I also get to hold their new baby (now 9-month-old) Marshall for the very first time! I can't wait! I'll also get to put an end to some debate about weather I can see Russia from her house (they live across the river from the one and only Sarah Palin). Hopefully I'll get to see some northern lights, I'm really looking forward to Ryan's honey baked ham, fresh Alaskan crab legs, and I know we'll share lots of laughs. Oh I just can't wait!

OK, fine, I'm going to finish that doggone last assignment for the semester!

So Many Things to be Thankful For!

2010-11-25T03:22:00.003-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Sometimes I don't know how I could possibly be blessed so much. Here are the top 10 things I am so grateful for this Thanksgiving:

10. Hulu. It keeps me company at night. I love TV probably a little too much.
9. Movie popcorn. Why does it taste so good?
8. My health and my ability to work and I am very thankful that I have the opportunity to work!
7. The blessings of the temple, and the opportunity to have so many so close. The peace and clarity that comes when visiting the temple is a very big blessing in my life.
6. My warm house and my warm bed and my down comforter. I love it!
5. To be an American. To live in a free country. I feel extremely grateful for the men and women who gave up their lives for me so that I can can live how I do. One of my favorite songs says it best: "And I'll gladly stand up, (duh duh) next to you and defend her still today, because there ain't no doubt I love this land! God Bless the USA!" I love my country.
4. The opportunity to complete my education: I don't think I told y'all but I got accepted into the Elementary Ed program at Dixie College!!!!!!!! I start in January!!!! I am so excited!!!! I can see the light at the end of the graduation tunnel! I just can't wait until December 2012! Yessss!
3. My family. I hate to break it to y'all but I got the best one in the world. They are the funniest and most amazing people in the world. The way they care about me means the world to me.
2. My roomie, Heather. I feel like I won the lottery being able to get to know her. She is the greatest friend and such an incredible person. When I grow up I want to be just like Heather. I have so many friends who love me. Living life with positive friends who inspire me and challenge me gives me the courage to get out of bed for another day.
1. My new car!!! Here is a picture FINALLY!: It is a Toyota Camry 2003, new to me! These are the things that work on it that I'm not used to: A trunk that opens, a speedometer, the passenger door opens when it's cold, cruise control, it tells me the temperature outside, power locks and windows, should I go on? Ahh, it's a great car! The Jetta served me well for many years, but I have to admit I'm LOVING LOVING LOVING the new car!!!
Well I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving where ever you may be. I hope you have some turkey, some pumpkin pie, and spend meaningful time with the people you love. What are the top ten things YOU are thankful for this year?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Winter Wonderland

2010-11-25T03:04:00.007-07:00

I feel so lucky to work in such a beautiful place. The beauty of Zion's National Park takes my breath away every morning when I'm driving home. It will never get old. The sun arose on a winter wonderland on Wednesday!!! It was so beautiful I couldn't help but take a few snap shots on my (pretty crappy) cell phone camera! It was just one of those really special moments- when the world is still and you feel like it's just you and nature. Ahh, I love where I work. We have a pretty full house this Thanksgiving and the hotel is all decked out for Christmas. I love that warm feeling I get when I see all the lights! It really just makes my day (or I guess you could say night).

Easy Cookie Recipe

2010-11-19T01:01:00.004-07:00

1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg.

That's it folks. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes! They are the fluffiest bestest and easiest cookie around!

You want to know what else sounds good? Corn chowder! You better believe I'm making this tomorrow:

1 can cream of potato
1 onion
1 can corn (drained)
1 can cream corn
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup celery

I'll throw in some carrots, and seasonings. Doesn't that sound sooo yummy?

And you know what would be great with that? Those delicious biscuts from Red Lobster!!! They are surprisingly easy to make! All it is is..
2 cups Bisquick. baking mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup margarine or butter -- melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450. Mix baking mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min. or until golden brown. Mix margarine and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

I must be hungry!!! And since when do I like to cook? Anyone have a good recipe with pumpkin? I have a can and I want to make something besides a pie because my roomie doesn't like pumpkin pie *gasp*! I love fall!

Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) should receive Royalties

2010-11-04T04:19:00.004-06:00

In the history of cell phones, who wasn't influenced by this famous phone? Imagine if he were to get paid for his influence?

I couldn't resist sharing this hilarious paper that my little bro Joe wrote for school. The assignment was to write about something we use everyday that is potentially harmful. Here's what he came up with! I love it! Excellent work, Joe!

________________________________________________

Almost every minute of my life, I have a cell phone with me. I keep it in my pocket in the daytime and on my nightstand every night. It is at the point where I feel almost naked without it. Perhaps that’s because the shower is about the only place my phone does not come with me. I use it to type quick emails and text messages, browse news, listen to music, play games and oh yeah, talk to people. It is an incredibly handy device, and has almost become an extension of myself. Although in the last few years I have wondered about how safe this is.

Sometimes I feel the vibrating phone in my left pocket, only to realize that I didn’t get a text or a call. Sometimes my phone is on a table next to me and not in my pocket at all and I think it’s buzzing. Luckily for me, I’m not alone. It’s called Phantom Vibration Syndrome. It happens to lots of people who keep their cell phones on their persons. It’s an odd trick that I’m not sure is physiological or psychological. The fact remains it happens now, but didn’t use to.

In the late 90’s it was kind of a joke that people with cell phones got brain tumors. Eventually people stopped talking about that, mainly because they themselves were now talking on their own cell phones. I am 25 years old, and I remember when Zach Morris on “Saved by the Bell” looked so cool with that gigantic brick phone. How dangerous could it have been to have a cell phone then? Very few people had them at all, so the very few conversations were being wirelessly transmitted. It was so large one would have to keep it in a briefcase or desk. Also the battery life was so short that you usually only kept it on when you had to make a call or were expecting one.

But as things changed, battery life got longer, phones got smaller and now everybody has one. At any given moment there are signals moving through our bodies. Conversations, text messages, and Internet pages are constantly whizzing around us to these devices that are everywhere. Perhaps I am being a bit paranoid, but perhaps these signals produce help produce tumors, or cancer, or both. There is no way we could have tested the constant exposure to such signals. Perhaps these signals were originally tested and found to be harmless. But you cannot test exposure over decades. Maybe this wireless generation will be the tumor generation 50 years from now. There is no way of knowing until it might be too late.

Sometimes I think of cell phones as pewter dishes, which were once so common. People ate off pewter every day, and eventually were killed by the minuscule amounts of lead they were ingesting from their tableware. Perhaps in 100 years we may have a fix to the cell phone problem, if it turns out to be a problem. But for now a precautionary measure like the EU’s [European Union, kind of like our FDA but effective] may be a good idea in America. It could guard against the next fen-phen, but it may not guard against longer term problems. I believe the EU has taken responsible and reasonable steps. Caution and precaution are good things; however in the real world a government can’t protect its citizens from every threat out there. Europeans all have cell phones too.

Although I have these worries, I continue to use my phone, and so does everybody else. Maybe we all just want to feel cool like Zack Morris, and are willing to grow a tumor to prove it. So if by the time I am 50 I have a brain tumor, I might say “We didn’t know.” And that is the truth, we don’t know. At least we will always have a good story. We can all say how cool we were, gabbing away on devices that will inevitably be archaic. But damn, just like Zack Morris, we were awesome.

October Birthdays!

2010-10-31T12:33:00.009-06:00

I am so happy to announce this month's birthdays! I have some really special people to introduce to you today!

First up is my awesome nephew, Braeden, shown in the picture below in the white jersey. I talk about him all the time because he is a phenomenal athlete and a very passionate as well as dedicated soccer player. This picture (that was taken and posted on the front page of Salt Lake Real Soccer team's website) kind of says it all! Braeden has a quiet demeanor, a funny sense of humor, he's so smart, and quite the ladies man I must say! He turned 11 on the 11th and I love him so much!
My bro-in-law, Ryan is awesome. Not only is he the only one I'd want to be next to if suddenly attacked by a bear, he is the best hunter ever, has the funniest stories, amazing guitar hero player, maker of the most scrum-diddly-umtious honey baked ham, and most importantly takes great care of my sister and nephews in Alaska. He's also the luckiest person I've ever met. Go with him to Vegas!!! We all miss him so much! I've always had a great friendship with Ryan that I've missed a lot.

Then there's my big brother, Ben. I really don't even know where to begin when talking about him! Charisma and charm, funny funny tall tale teller, extremely hard worker, creative, smart, and dedicated to helping us remember to keep the commandments. Here's a picture of him with his beautiful new wife, Melissa. I look forward to getting to know her better this Christmas! To say I'm proud of my brother is a huge understatement. I'm so glad Ben landed in my family!

I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T12:19:00.003-06:00

When my roommate, Heather, said the words "Church dance" and when those words are in the same sentence with "31+ singles" excitement was NOT the emotion I would use to describe my first reaction. But then she said "Halloween" and "dress up" and I decided that I should make an effort to be social and make new friends in my new(ish) town. Let's face it, I love to dress up!!! Back in the day, I used to be quite the avid dancer and it really is fun. So who cares if it was a church dance, who cares if there were guys there that could have been my grandpa? I actually had a great time. I warned Heather when the dance was over, that she has created a monster and we're going to be going back again and again. So confession of the day is: I had a blast at the church dance!!!

Life lately...

2010-09-17T23:41:00.005-06:00

What an interesting year I have had! You know, I moved to St. George for adventure and I do have to say that it's been a pretty eventful summer! Not to say that I've had a blast or the time of my life by any means, I was going to write a list of the top ten most fun things I've done this summer, but I could only come up with 8 fun things I did this summer and most of those were in the spring. So I had to throw that idea out. My summer has been spent working and working. Don't get me wrong. Working is my favorite thing. I love creating an income and figuring out ways to get the things I want. So I'm a tad bit of a work-aholic. There are worse things in the world, right?

So I have been waiting to tell about this until I have pictures, but who knows when that will be so I'm just going to tell my stories and then one day post a bunch of pictures, probably on Facebook.

Just for the sake of top ten lists, another favorite thing of mine, let's just list the top 10 things I'm excited about right now!

10. Applying for the Elementary Education program. Kelli Moss. Bachelor's Degree. Not two things you'd expect to see in a complete sentence, but just watch it happen!!! Right now I am in qualifications to enter the program at Dixie State University to receive a Bachelor's Degree for teaching. You see, if I don't get in, my schooling is completely stopped until I can get in, or I could apply to programs at different schools. So fingers crossed, deep breaths, and many many prayers to go until the nail-biting MOT (moment of truth) when I find out via letter, in my mailbox, sometime at the end of October. Rest assured I will be out of control freaky uptight until I find out!!!

9. Kim's new baby girl, Marley Ann Galloway born September 12th. She's so cute!!! I can't wait to hold her!!!

8. Spanish. I. LOVE. IT! I've always wanted to learn Spanish, and the fact is that with my background in French, I GET IT!!! French was sooo tough but Spanish comes really easily to me. I've always wanted to take this class so I'm so excited!!!

7. Tutoring. I have 35 hours to do either observing/ or tutoring kids in math this semester. Can I just say that it is a joy!!! I love to be around kids. I love to get to be the one to explain things to them! I love it when the light bulb goes off! It is so fun!

6. All my friends coming to visit me in October! What can be more trouble than Spring & I in Vegas? Well she's bringing along a couple of friends and I have to say that I can't wait!!! The very next weekend my sisters are coming down for our big race (you know the one that they win medals in & I try to get ahead of the 70 year olds in the back- ya that one). It's a 5k and it is actually really fun! I love visitors!!! Nothing makes me more happy!

5. Not living alone anymore. Honestly, moving was tough on me. I thought I'd really miss my own house and be sad. I even wrote a really whiny post about it. But guess what? Living with roommates is WAY better than living alone!!! What was I thinking before? It's so nice to have people around and to talk to!!! I don't miss my old lonely house in the slightest. Maybe its because my new townhouse is so nice. I should take some pictures! I love my new house and my roommates!!!

4. Scentcy. I've always loved it, I'm not going to lie, I've thought about selling it for a really long time. So when I was approached at a fair I was doing for Mary Kay, I didn't have any reason why not to sign up!!! Visit my Scentcy website by clicking HERE!!! or my MK site HERE!!!

3. That fall TV is coming back!!! YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!! Let me count the shows!!! Survivor, Biggest Loser, The Office, Parks & Rec, Glee, and oh so many more- let's face it- TV gives me great satisfaction!!!

2. School- I heart it! I never really thought I'd love school this much. I am having a ball and couldn't be happier. Busy. Super crazy insane no sleep busy. But good busy. Fun busy. Mucho gusto!

1. My New Car!!! That's a whole other blog post!

Feel free to leave your comments!!! What has been keeping YOU busy??? I have to know!

Birthday Update!

2010-08-26T23:40:00.009-06:00

Alright, gang. I have to admit the last few months have been a blur with moving and working a million jobs and trying to keep my head above water. Unfortunately, in all that business, I forgot to keep on track with my birthday peeps! So I have a whole bunch of special people to brag about today!

First up is my girl Andrea (or P-Drea) who is currently living it up on the beaches of Florida. Not only is she my cousin she is one of my very bestest friends in the world! We have been friends forever! Even though we might go for awhile without talking now, when we talk it's like we've never been apart!!! I care so much about her. She was there for me when I needed it most and there were times when were attached at the hip 24-7. One time, years ago, as we were out in traffic we got stopped next to a car of a pretty cute guy who was totally checking Andrea out!!! Because she had a cell phone, & I didn't (it was back in the old days when only special people had a cell phone) I held up her phone and then proceeded to hold up my fingers indicating her phone number. Well he called and we had a nice chat. Turns out the poor boy spent hours on the phone with P Drea discussing his problems!!! Heh heh! I still owe you one for that my love!!! Andrea is truly one of the most generous people on the planet, and taught me how to stand up for myself as she does NOT take any crap from anyone! I love it! I miss riding around in the FJ! Love u dear!

Then there's my favorite little people in the world. Each one has such a special personality and so many talents but the one thing they all have in common is the ability to completely melt my heart and renew my faith in this world through their sweet faces. I love my nieces and nephews so much because they just make me happy! Max, Nick, Owen, Lexi & Mason all celebrated birthdays in the summertime! One smile and hug from any one of these very special people just makes my whole day! I love all the funny things they do & I'm sooo glad I get to be a part of their lives!

Ah, my Mother. What words can one use to describe the perfect mother? What a sad world it would be without Debora Gay Harrison Moss! One of my favorite things about mom is how funny she is! Especially when she does the bit with a random ribbon or straw that she'll use for a mustache and says, villain style, "I'll get you" and then puts it in her hair as a bow while acting like the damsel in distress and says, "Help me! Help me!" and then puts it on her chest as a bow-tie and says like the hero, "I'll save you!" Makes me laugh every time. Mom is the most unselfish person in the world and always puts my needs before her own. Mom must have a secret direct line to God. When she prays, He listens. Mom can move mountains with her faith. Mom is always there for me when I feel overwhelmed, sad, happy, when I need a Kaysville Theatre movie buddy. In the words of Abraham Lincolon, "All that I am or can be I owe to my angel mother".

My big sister, Julie. My role model. The one I've always wished I was just like, the one who keeps our family together, the pretty one, the wonderful mother, who style just effortlessly oozes out every pore. Julie is fashionable, a fantastic athlete, the one who talks me through so many situations and one hell of a good cook! I love that we can share all our funny stories about how we are just like our mother & how we get into crazy situations all the time like sitting on the sticky side of a fruit roll up at a soccer game or praying over a toilet in the middle of the night! I love that we have come to be such good friends. I love that I have you to look up to & count on!

Last but certainly not least is my St. George BFF, Christie Starks!!! Christie is believing, hardworking, so put together and polished, and has a heart the size of Texas! Thank goodness I found Christie through Mary Kay! Christie is so selfless and patient, listens to my rants and ramblings, she is sooo calm through it all! Christie spoils me & always shares her top secret chili sauce with me! I love to go visit her beautiful home in Central, she is such a great friend and I appreciate her more than she could possibly ever know!

I am so blessed to have so many great people in my life!!!

Why I Went

2010-08-25T23:56:00.002-06:00

This post is dedicated to my big sister who asked me in frustration one day after me complaining about my mission “Well why did you even go?!”

There is no short answer to that question and on the 7th anniversary of coming home (August 13, 2003 by far one of the best and scariest days of my life) assuredly I have spent many hours pondering the reason.

It all started when I was at huge church conference called Stake Conference, featuring a special guest from the Twelve Apostles, Henry B. Eyring. All through the meeting I couldn’t hide the fact that I had a huge gaping hole in my heart. You know that sinking feeling when you know things just aren’t right? In my mind I started going over my situation trying to put a finger on what was wrong. Should I change schools? Change my Major? Am I Dating the wrong guy? Working at the wrong job? Should I move? Where was my life going? Each suggestion in my mind left me just as blank and empty as the one before. The thought entered “You should go on a mission”. I quickly voided that thought and continued on to a different one. Again it came “you should go on a mission”. The more I tried to shove that thought out of my mind the more it kept coming. I considered it briefly. I cannot deny that when I thought about going, my entire body felt good, from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes. I just had a really warm feeling. The darkness consuming my soul was filled with light & peace. My pride would not let me dwell on it and just as quickly as it had came, I threw the idea out. NOT ME!!! I never had a desire to share the gospel far away from my friends and loved ones. “I’m more help when I don’t help” was my philosophy on missionary work as long as I could remember. I spent the rest of the meeting convincing myself that there was no possible way that I would be successful or could even fulfill such a role.

Fast forward to that evening, as I sat at a CES Fireside at the Weber State University auditorium, again listening to another inspirational message. Again I was struck with the same darkness and troubled feelings of not knowing what direction to take my life in. Again the still small voice entered and said “you should go on a mission”. Again I was filled with the most impressive good feeling that liberated me from the horrible frightened feelings. Now having experienced this twice, I knew it was not a fluke. It did not help that I was there with my beautiful cousin, Andrea, who was a returned missionary herself. After the meeting I told her what happened and we discussed it all night.

Unfortunately, I did not act on this inspiration right away. I thought it would be too hard and cramp my lifestyle too much. I thought I had zero capacity to do the work.

The turning point of my decision was, honestly, the look on my father’s face when I told him I was seriously considering it. The way his face lit up told me that there was no way I could let him down. The memory of my father’s face at that moment was the ONLY thing that got me through the hardest times on my mission when my companions hated me and the work wasn’t going very well and I couldn’t speak the language and felt completely unworthy to be there.

6 months later I walked into the Missionary Training Center terrified.

I have to say that my mission was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. It took awhile for the Lord to humble this spoiled princess.

I do have to ask forgiveness for complaining too much about my mission. Being resilient was never a strong point for me. I don’t mean to whine. I just had never been in such an uncomfortable position with so much pressure and bizarre circumstances thrown my way before.

I remember sitting on the plane that August day in 2003 and looking down on the streets as my plane took off that sunny morning with tears streaming down my face. Unlike when arriving in Montreal, I now knew all the street names, and could recall various funny, sad, and crazy memories on those streets. I also cared a great deal for those people I left behind.

Did I go for the wrong reasons? Some of you may think so and perhaps I did. But the important thing is I did it. I learned so much. Thank goodness I did it. So many good things happened as a result of that decision. Some of those good things I am still discovering.

What a unique experience to walk around the streets and do nothing for 18 months but share the good news of the Gospel, that Jesus Christ is risen, and as a result we all will have the opportunity to live with those we love for time and all eternity! I hope I helped somebody, even if that somebody was just me.

You know, at the end of the day, I can’t help but wonder what the look on my Father’s face will be like when I return to His presence.

Adventures With Karen

2010-07-28T01:42:00.000-06:00

Don't miss my exciting guest post on A Peek At Karen's World by clicking HERE!!!

Change

2010-07-28T01:38:00.000-06:00

In my youth, I loved change. Change was exciting and fun. It was no big thing to move with only 24 hours notice to go clean hotel rooms in Jackson Hole, WY for the summer. Or to Boulder, Colorado. Or to head out into the great unknown of Canada.

Let’s face it, at my age, the only change that could be remotely exciting is my relationship status on facebook. It’s just especially challenging when you’re living in your very own very cute place that you’ve dreamed about for so long and taking all of that crap that you’ve so carefully placed in each room of that very cute very large apartment and shoving it into one room. Not fun.

Now, I don’t want to sound like a total curmudgeon. I know logically, that I’ve been so blessed. I have so much. I know that I live like a Queen where others live in squalor. My new place is a brand freaking new beautiful townhouse with spectacular views of the red rocks and lava fields. I couldn’t ask for a cooler roommate if I searched the planet over and our third roommate will move in when school starts next month. I had so many wonderful friends come to help me move I know I am so blessed.

I am moving to save money. Time to swallow my pride and stop whining after this entry on my blog even though it’s hard and it really sucks. So I don’t like change any more. There I said it.

My Recent Obsessions

2010-06-09T02:35:00.000-06:00

Hi all, it's been CRAZY in my life lately! Mostly the story has been work, work, and more work. Which is awesome. It has been so busy I have hardly had time to notice (and celebrate) that school is out for the summer! But there are a few things that I am quite obsessed with that have been keeping me going!

#1. The Eels. EXCELLENT MUSIC! Especially the song "That fresh feeling". I put it as song #1 on my playlist so take your volume off mute and give it a listen! #2. I am obsessed with sleep. Working all night doing audit here at the hotel (it is 3:11 am as I type) is fun, kind of in that way it is fun to stay up all night at a sleep over. However; There are some things you don't appreciate until you don't get to have it and sleep is a prime example. I look forward to sleep. I plan when I sleep. I sleep every chance I get. Sleep is the best.

#3 My new love is for Multi Grain Cheerios. I eat them all time. They taste good. Excellent snack too. ;)

#4. I get it. Now I understand why so many people are obsessed with Glee. It's because the teacher is HOT! Oh ya, and those performances they do are awesome. (Although they really should not have touched Lady Gaga.) I've been watching all the episodes and I kind of hate to admidt that I totally love it.

#5. The Bachelorette Ali. As if watching Glee wasn't bad enough, I'm totally sucked in to yet another season of the most terrible yet horrifyingly entertaining show that is The Bachelor. Any fellow viewers out there? The guys are very hot, and it's not without drama. It is so fun. Holly has a great bachelor blog that I love to read, you can visit it by clicking HERE.

Well, I have a lot of birthdays and my trip to DC to blog about. So I'll have to get all caught up soon. So much to write so little time!

My sista Kristen

2010-05-19T03:08:00.000-06:00

My beautiful sister had a birthday on May 8th! Not only is she such a good mom to my two nephews, she is also a good wife and in school full time all the while maintaining a beautiful home in Wasilla, Alaska. AND she just started a blog herself! You can check it out HERE!

My sister Kristen has the best common sense of anyone I've ever met. Since she is the baby of the family I can remember being told at school that my new little sister was born and she had red hair! Then I remember her coming home from the hospital and my sisters & I were fighting over who could hold her first. (Julie got to because she's the oldest :) Kristen has a special way of making everyone around her feel comfortable. She's the best mom too. It just makes me laugh to watch her with her boys! I'm extremely proud to have Kristen as my sister! My favorite memories of Kristen through the years would have to be having her and her friend Cali clean my car every payday and then I would give them driving lessons in the church parking lot! I was really sad when they got their own licenses! I am so proud to have her in my life! You rock Kristen! I can't wait until I get to come visit you in Alaska!!! Love you! Big hug, little hug, big kiss little kiss!!!!

Brudder Joe

2010-05-08T20:47:00.001-06:00

My brother Joe is my best friend in the world. I don't know why I really don't have any good pictures of him- it's always me taking a picture while he's driving the car for some reason... Or him trying a new do. This do is kind of a mix between the Fonz & Kramer. Sorry, dude. Remind me to get better pictures of you when we are in DC!

Since he turned 25 on May 2nd & I'm a HUGE slacker and haven't wrote about him yet, I have decided to write 25 of my AWESOME & AMAZING things that rock about Joe!!!

1. He sent me the prettiest flowers for my birthday, and when I moved into my place.

2. He keeps me up to date in music and sends me cds that are awesome all the time!

3. Let's face it, the boy can dress me better than I can dress myself. He's my fashion consultant.

4. Good present wrapper too.

5. AND amazing decorator.

6. And very talented and creative house plan planner.

7. This is the best one for me: GREAT person to watch TV with.

8. Excellent memory

9. Good curly hair that made it possible for my brother-in-law to nick-name him "Big Perm" which always makes me smile.

10. Excellent listener

11. The kid is smart, like sooo intelligent.

12. He listens to NPR.

13. Keeps me informed of world events. (We need to talk about that British Prime Minister)

14. Sent me a very cool "fruity" air freshener.

15. Always sends me funny texts.

16. Went to see Sex in the City with me in the movie theater even though he was the only guy.
17. The guy is so generous- PRAY he gets your name in the Christmas drawing because you will get HOOKED UP!

18. Snazzy dresser with those cuff links!
19. Open minded

20. Let's face it, the kid is good looking.

21. Good person to sluff church with to listen to the travel show on the radio and eat grilled cheeses from Sonic.

22. Very hard worker.

23. Il parle du français bien! Lo!

24. He's the first person to help anyone in need.

25. He's always there for me.

The greatest thing about Joe is that he really cares about people, and he's willing to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done, and he won't stop until the job is done. He has so much talent. My brother is my hero. I want to be more like Joe Joe.

Thanks for all you do for me buddy, my life just not would be as good without you in it. I'm so glad you're my brother!!!! (Tear!) Love ya!

31

2010-04-24T00:22:00.000-06:00

31 years old. Seriously. The whole getting older thing needs to stop.

The good news is this past week at least a dozen people have asked if I was 21 yet. SCORE! It's gotta be the Mary Kay- or baby fat. LOL!

Well another year come and gone. I would have to say it has been a very eventful one. I had a great birthday going to Vegas with Spring & having Kim & Brant visit and then dinner at my friends Christie & Donnie's house. Good times.

I have a tradition where I always ask people 2 questions on their birthdays so today it's only fair if I answer them for you.

1. Q: What was your greatest accomplishment in the last year of your life?
A: Def moving out on my own. Very, very, exciting.

2. Q: What is your goal for the coming year?

A: I really, really, really, really want to go to Hawaii. Oh and like, look good when I'm there. The truth is I have a lot of goals. Life is exciting. I love a new year, it's a new beginning and ANYTHING could happen!

What I've been up to...

2010-04-23T23:29:00.000-06:00

It's no secret that I have been super buys as of late! But it's all good because I love to be busy!

I have had a ton of visitors! I love it! Among some of my visitors were my sister, Julie and her cute family. I even got to do one of my favorite things to do in the world: watch my super talented nephew, Braeden play soccer. It was awesome and he did great!
Kim & Brant stopped by in their way through town with their cute kiddos. They even got in some exercise while they were here!

Then Spring came down, and we hit Vegas. Titty twister!!!!!!!!

Ahh, gay Paris!

The celing in the Belagio. LOVE IT!

Now mostly I just have to worry about finals. Summer will be most welcome in 2 more weeks! :)

And I just scored a sweet new job at The Desert Pearl Inn at the mouth of Zion's National Park! This is how it looked when I went in for my interview- it was really rainy.

It's a pretty fancy hotel & I'm soooooooooo excited to work in a hotel again! I love it!

One day I'll tell you the sad tale of my St. George employment and by the time I tell you that tale, it will have to be a funny story to me and not a really, really scary stressful tale. So that will have to wait, for now. What I will say is that I am very gratefully employed full time now and I know someone upstairs is watching over me.

What are your summer plans? Doing anything fun?

2 more special birthdays!

2010-04-08T17:29:00.000-06:00

Just in case you are just joining me, this year I have decided to spotlight all the special people in my life on their birthdays. I thought it would be a fun way for me to introduce you to all of my friends! Today I have 2 amazing people that I am so greatful for to show off to you!

Have you ever met one of those people out there in the world who has more talent in one little finger than you do in your whole body? Tara Payne is like that! I met Tara working at Wiggins & Co. when I started there in 2006 (that sounds like a really long time ago now, eh?) Here's a picture of Tara with all her Reba loot from when we went to the concert last fall! Tara is a sweetheart, not only is she amazing at her job she also is the pop culture Queen. And I really, really love and hate that she got me addicted to so many things (ie: Eggrolls at The Depot in Washington Terrace, El Matador, Guitar Hero, YoVille, Ross Matthews (see youtube video below) and therefore Perez Hilton, Christina Chen and about 2 dozen tv shows. We share many inside jokes (Regina Bunch!- still funny!)Tara is a great friend to me and I really, really miss seeing her on a daily basis!

(one of the best videos EVER!)

My brother Dave shares a birthday with Tara, April 4th! He's the oldest in our family and I'm so excited for him because he just bought a house! Dave is musically talented. He taught himself to play the guitar, bass guitar, and the drums. He's lived in New York City. His band has toured around the North American continent. My big brother is seriously smart. He is always ahead of any fashion trend and is very "cool" unlike me. He is an awesome uncle and is my serious rival for favorite between my nieces and nephews. I'm so glad that Dave got to be in my family!

He is Risen

2010-04-02T23:10:00.000-06:00

I was intrigued by the title of an article you may have seen on msn.com this last week entitled "Will we have a physical body in Heaven?" I didn't get a chance to read the entire article but in the opening it mentioned that there were a lot of conflicting opinions on the topic. I couldn't help but stop to think of how lucky I am to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Knowing that we WILL have our physical bodies after the resurrection is just one of the parts of the eternal progression puzzle that is firmly in place. I love having the gospel in my life and I love all the knowledge and how much sense it makes. I love the scriptures. I love my Savior Jesus Christ.
Of all the scriptures I think the most beautiful and meaningful of all is Matthew 28:6 which says:

"He is not here, for he is risen."

Because Jesus Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for me, I will be able receive forgiveness for my sins and be resurrected like He was. I will be able to return to my Heavenly Father's presence and live eternally with my family.

I am so grateful this Easter morning for the blessings in my life. I love the temple. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I love General Conference and the beautiful peaceful spirit it brings into my home and into my heart. I love the Plan of Happiness that my Heavenly Father created for me.

So today, like so many Christians around the world, I want to add my testimony of Jesus Christ that I do know that my Redeemer lives. And because he lives he gives us all life. For a special Easter message click HERE.

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you enjoy your day!

Confessions of a 30-something Utah Single Gal

2010-04-02T21:43:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in my last post, sometimes being single at my age (31 in a few weeks!) is really annoying, especially living in a culture where if you are 23 and not married people start whispering. I don't like to complain on my blog or open up about things that get me down, so just know this isn't easy for me to write. Deep breath, here goes:

These are my top confessions of a 30-something Utah single gal:

The older girls get when they are single, the cooler they get. The older the guys get (without a woman's supervision) the weirder they get. The pickings are slim, folks. And it seems that any worthwhile guy remotely close to my age is chasing the 18 year old toothpick skinny blond with perky breasts. Y'all. I'm here to tell you, that I'm pretty cool, but I can't compete with that.
People wonder "What's wrong with you?". There obviously must be something wrong that you have become so socially retarded. There is a stigma that you must be incapable of creating worthwhile relationships. And no, I'm not gay.
It's really annoying to be this poor. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted the opportunity to make it on my own. Having another income contributing to household expenses and life in general would really make my world so much easier. Seriously.
Other people's good news can be really devastating. It's not that I'm not happy about your engagement, baby shower, wedding shower, wedding, first pregnancy, second pregnancy, third pregnancy, tenth pregnancy, new baby, new house, husband's job promotion, 1st anniversary, 5th anniversary, 10th anniversary, baby's first birthday, your baby's tenth birthday, your child's baby blessing, your child's baptism, your child's Halloween costume, etc. (and trust me I COULD go on). I am happy for you, truly, from the bottom of my heart. It's just really hard for me not to wonder what I did so wrong to not be able to have those blessings too. It just really painfully reminds me that everyone else is moving on and experiencing life and really, really living and I'm just existing. You all are moving up Maslow's Pyramid and I can't even sustain all basic needs at the bottom. It's really challenging to not be hard on yourself.

However, with all that being said, the ultimate confession of a 30-something Utah Single gal is this:

It's not all bad. It's kind of fun to be this free and independent. I don't hate my life. Half the fun of Christmas is the anticipation of what will happen. I LOVE coming and going as I please! I LOVE making all the decisions on where I will live & how I will spend my income. I LOVE making it on my own! I LOVE that there are a million possibilities out there for me!

All people have challenges. Being single is one of mine. I have heard it said that if you can't take it being single, then you'll struggle being married. It's all about the attitude. At the proper time the Lord will provide for me what I need- that's a fact I've never ever doubted.

My Bro's getting hitched!

2010-03-30T19:18:00.000-06:00

Many have tried but finally, finally someone has succeeded to seal the deal with my big brother Benji. Good job Melissa. It's going to be weird to have a sister-in-law. I have 3 brother-in-laws and that's normal. But none of my brothers have gotten married yet. I have never met Melissa. She came to visit once but I couldn't meet her because I had to work at Famous Dave's. That was in 2006 so they've been dating for awhile. I'm anxious to meet her.

We really want to get her a roping trophy to honor her feat. We get to travel as a family to Washington D.C. for the May wedding which will be interesting. The last time we took a family vacation out of the state of Utah was in 1990-never otherwise known as the 80's probably. I've never been to that part of the country so I'm really looking forward to seeing the White House and all the museums and visiting the Washington D.C. temple!

Click HERE to check out the happy couple to be. Password is: dcwedding. I'm really proud of my brother. I really can't wait to meet Melissa. She's taken really good care of Ben the last 3(?) years he's lived back East. I'm so happy they are happy.

I have to say that It's kind of weird to find myself suddenly single. Now my oldest brother Dave has a serious girlfriend, Ben's getting married, and Joe & I are the only two without someone, and Joe's in his 20's so it's not as awkward. For instance, who will I room with when I get to DC? Everyone has their prospective person they will room with so I feel quite awkward. Being single at this age has its pluses and minuses. Sometimes it is really, really annoying. So my next post will be about my pet peeves as a single person in their 30's. :) Bet ya can't wait for that one!

Got crabby at Joe's

2010-03-30T18:45:00.001-06:00

Hi blog buddies. I admit that I've neglected you a bit lately. But between school, taxes, Mary Kay, soccer games in Las Vegas, Career Conference in Salt Lake, having fun with old friends, and making new friends, homework, 3 church callings, and about a million other things, TODAY I am blogging!

I want to talk about my good friend Spring...

About 6 years ago we met at a skin care class. She didn't even want to participate. She sat there reading a book (not much has changed- she's always reading!) and I started feeling intimidated! But then reluctantly she joined us, we bonded, and have been friends ever since. I admire that Spring loves learning, reading, and animals. She IS the dog whisperer. The most endearing things that I love about Spring are she is the one I call in tears when I need someone who will listen. She's the one who will talk to me at 2am when I'm trying not to fall asleep driving the car. She is the one who will drive 1/2 hour to come fill up my gas tank at midnight (it's happened). She is the one who is always there for me. She knows more about me than probably any other human, and she understands my history and cheers me on to where I'm going (wherever that me be at the moment!). We have a little tradition where we go to Joe's Crab Shack in South Jordan for her B-day. She's gonna kill me- but I totally love this pic! Good friends are hard to find and I have a great one right here. Love ya babe!

I'm a new auntie! (for the 8th time)

2010-03-17T15:23:00.000-06:00

Welcome with me Kristen & Ryan's new arrival, Marshall Moat born on March 14th, 8lbs,, 8oz!

The boys! It's still weird for me to see Max with teeth because when they left he had none! Look at wha a chunck Marshall is!

Max is going to be a great big brother! Look at how he's buckling Mickey in!

My sister did great and they are all well and should be checking out of the hospital today! I've never hated Alaska more! I wish I could be there to pinch those cheeks and start teaching Marshall who his favorite Aunt is!

Funny You Tube

2010-03-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

For the funny of the day you MUST CLICK HERE!!!!

And for another guilty pleasure go to Karen's blog to see THIS video!!!

It's LOLtastic!

Happy Birthday Karen!

2010-03-06T23:17:00.001-07:00

I have the coolest friend named Karen. She's a California girl and we met in 2004(ish) in Ogden, UT through a mutual friend. We actually both served missions in Montreal, Canada. We celebrated her birthday (Feb. 27th) in the best way possible.

I arrived in California last Friday and was warmly greeted by Karen & her roommates. We then got pizza (yay!) and chatted.

We started the next day by having Dim Sum. I had never tried it before and was pretty surprised by how bad my chop stick skills were. Then we went to the movies & saw Valentine's Day- which was really very funny. And BTW- California movie theatres are way better than Utah theatres!

Then we decided to go to a concert. Ok, so Kar got me tickets back in December for Christmas to a little band you may have heard of known as

BON JOVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, how I've looked forward to this concert!

Dashboard Confessional opened... they are still vindicated I am selfish I am right .... They rocked! This next picture will make me smile on my darkest days for the remainder of my life. We saw these guys all tricked out in acid wash jeans and jean jackets walking in and I wished I could get a picture with them sooooo bad. But then suddenly, they appeared in front of us. I asked if I could get a picture with them. AS THEY TURNED AROUND I THEN NOTICED THEY WERE ALSO WEARING FANNY PACKS!!!!!!!!!!!! That thrilled me! So I had to make sure the birthday girl got in on the action! LOVE this PIC! Then Bon Jovi appeared on stage... Our seats were amazing!!! We were at the top, on the side, and at first we didn't think they would be that great, but then when we got up there we both looked at each other and knew we had fantastic seats. Especially at this moment. Here's the band listening to the crowd before the first song. The place was electric! We could see Bon Jovi the rest of the people couldn't!
Jon, Jon, Jon. I fell in love during the concert!

I really had the best time! You can read Karen's account of the event by clicking HERE.

The thing I love most about Karen above all of her many talents (and aside from the prestige of being best friends with a blog superstar), is how insightful she is. Karen is sooooooo patient with me. If I had to pay her by the hour like I would have to a Counselor she'd be a very rich person today. Karen can help me realize things I don't even know about myself. She has the guts to tell me things that I don't necessarily want to hear. Whenever I have a problem or a serious situation I'm dealing with I will pass it by Karen first and she always gives amazing feedback. I appreciate her thoughtfulness, the way she thinks about the world, her forgiving spirit and willingness to serve others, her testimony and the influence for good she is in my life. I love that she got me tickets for FREE to U2 and now Bon Jovi with no thought of getting anything in return. I love that we've been on exciting adventures including 2 trips to Dallas (1 planned and one not planned) and a 17 hour stint in New York City. Karen, I heart you! Thanks for all you do for me! I'm looking forward to many more adventures together as we continue to lead our lives "living on a prayer" ;)

This special girl...

2010-03-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

This special girl is my beautiful 6 year old niece, Olivia. She shares a birthday with my Grandma Harrison on Feb. 19th. It made my day and broke my little heart when my sister called me and told me that Olivia was wishing out loud that I could be there for her birthday party.

Olivia is spunky, funny, not afraid to tell you how it is, and def not a morning person! On the 4th of July last year I sent the dog to wake her up early in the morning (because her parents were running a race.) She came out of her room, stood on the landing of the staircase with hands on hips, and with a cross look on her face said, "You obviously don't want me to get any beauty sleep!" She is also very expressive. I love it when we look at photos together because she will act out every expression someone has. It is hilarious!

Having funny little Olivia in my life makes it exponentially better! Love you Livie!

Indian Astrology

2010-02-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

Who knew that Native American Indians were into Astrology?

Native American Horoscopes or Indian Astrology
Goose -December 22- January 19
Otter - January 20- February 18
Wolf -February 19- March 20
Hawk - March 21- April 19
Beaver - April 20- May 20
Elk - May 21- June 20
Woodpecker - June 21- July 19
Salmon - July 20- August 21
Bear - August 22- September 21
Raven - September 22- October 22
Snake - October 23- November 22
Owl - November 23- December 21

I learned about it today in class. Mine was pretty right on:

It said: That my personality is vehement and powerful, and I like spontaneous activity. My emotions are fast and varied. My intentions are new starts and activity. My positives are affable manner, adventure, openness for new things, and enterprising. My negatives are impatience, egoist, boastful attitude, and egocentric. My goals are leadership and initiation.

Check yours out HERE and let me know if you thought it was a match! Don't forget to comment and tell me what you are so I can check it out too! Too fun!

I was tagged!

2010-02-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
I go through this pretty much every day. I look in the mirror and make myself smile. It makes me look younger!

How much cash do you have on you?
$3.00 + a few handfuls of change at the bottom of my purse.

What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
Shore.

Favorite planet?
I think planet earth rocks. I'd like to stay here.

Bright or Dark Room?
I like the sun but my house is usually dark because I am usually not fully dressed!

How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
I’ve gotten high on life like at least 5 times.

What was the last thing you said to someone?
Told my bro Joe to have a good day.

If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?Give me the cash! I’m afraid of heights.

Where did you live in 1987?
Layton, Utah

Where were you when 9/11 happened?
My friend Kim woke me up with a phone call and my mom & I watched the second plane hit in my living room.

If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
I really don’t care for tattoos, but if I would get one I think I’d get a little heart on my butt.

Would you move for the person you loved?
I love the adventure that is moving. If the other person loved me back I’d move in a heartbeat!

Name three things that you have on you at all times?
Usually a hair elastic, lip gloss, and my cell phone.

What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
Gasoline. I try to buy everything with cash.

Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
He knocked up a girl, married her, and named the baby Chloe. Boo.

Does anything hurt on your body right now?
Nope.

Have you been burned by love?
Oh yes.

Have you burned others with love?
I’m a heartbreaker. I admit it. All these guys want me and I just trample on their hearts left and right!

How old do you look?
Most people guess around 24, which I LOVE. It’s the Mary Kay!

Are you waiting for something?
I’m waiting for the library to open so I can go study for my test. Apparently they aren’t open all day on holidays. Crazy!

Have you ever thought about converting your religion?
Sometimes I think it would be fun to be Buddhist, because of all the lives, and the house statues. But I guess I’ll just stick with Mormonism.What was the last thing you drank?Agua.

Who do you most look like in your family?
Prob my little sister, Kristen. We are both gorgeous!

Have your parents ever smoked pot?
There is absolutely no way in history of the world or universe at any point in time past, present, or future that my mom has or ever would smoke the ganja. I know my dad used to party, so it is possible…

What do you order at the bar?
If by bar you mean drive through window, that would be Dr. Pepper. Everytime!

What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?
P B & J sandwiches forver!

Where were you on July 4th, 2008?
For sure I was hanging out at my family’s compound in Layton. I heart my family!

And now I'm tagging you!
Kristen Moat
Kathryn Flannagan
Jana Cannon
Ali Aston
Tara Payne
Tori Christensen

Happy Valentine's Y'all

2010-02-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Valentine's Day. You either love it or hate it. There really is no in between. I really have always always wanted to love Valentine's Day...mostly just love someone on Valentine's Day. I had a boyfriend on Valentine's Day...once. I hope that maybe one day I will again. So while I had zero action on THIS Valentine's Day, I at least have my chick flicks! (Hopefully that was a good transition from an awkward topic to something slightly more interesting than my non existent love life). These are my top 10 Valentine's picks out of my all favorite chick flicks- and trust me I have many! So if you've never seen one before, put it on your Netflix, ASAP! Although you probably have seen most of them!

My life in Ruins. Another movie about Greece. Hilarious! You must see this movie!
The Family Man. Would you choose love over money?

While You Were Sleeping. Probably the greatest movie ever made.

Overboard with Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn. Classic!

Hitch. The best dancing sequence in history.

Fever Pitch. I just love Drew Barrymore.

I watched the Sound of Music all the way through for the first time in a long time recently. Ahhh, what a great love story!

If anyone ever wonders what goes on in my head, just pop in Bridget Jones' Diary. I feel so normal when I watch this movie!

50 Fist Dates. Pretty much have this movie memorized.

7 Brides for 7 Brothers. I totally love this movie!

Thanks to my superstar blogger friend, Karen for giving me the idea for this post. Check out her top 10 fav chick flicks HERE.

Happy V-day everyone. If you have someone special in your life, I hope you know how lucky you are. If you don't have anyone special, today, well, I love you! And at least we have the movies! :)

My best friend Kim

2010-02-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

This year I have decided to introduce you to all the important people in my life & honor them on their birthdays. This special person shares a b-day with my Papa. Needless to say I'm a tad bit behind, but I didn't want to leave out my good buddy and best friends of (dare I say) 12 years,

Kim Aston Galloway

This is a picture of us right before I left on my mish in 2002.

Here's us partying because it was 1999- New Year's Eve in exciting Wendover, NV.

Def our favorite place: Moab, UT. We would go down there with $35 bucks. Go buy a few bagels at the store and call it good. Try to camp for free. Arches, Dead Horse Point, Rafting, and cliff jumping! Sooo many good memories come from Moab! (I don't know what's funnier in this pic, my blinding white legs or tall white socks!)

Here's Kim with her babes, Luke & Maddie.

Kim & I met during my brief stint at Snow College in Ephriam, UT. We became best friends fast and have never looked back. Kim is the kind of girl that even if we don't get a chance to talk for awhile, whenever we see each other again its like we've never been apart. My favorite thing about Kim is her sense of humor. I love to laugh with Kim! Whenever we go to the movies we always laugh at the same parts (usually its when no one else is laughing). We just get each other. We have shared a ton of fun adventures such as: Moab, State Street, numerous New Year's Eves, guitar lessons, movie nights, and so much more. Oh, and I introduced her to her husband, Brant. :) Kim is smart, funny, talented, and an excellent mother. I admire the strength that she exudes, the perseverance she displays each time life's challenges get in her path, her unshakable testimony of the Gospel, her dedication to working out and living healthy, and her patience with her kids, Luke & Maddie, especially with Maddie's autism. She's the first one on my side and I'm so lucky to have such a great friend like Kim. I love you babe!

My Dad

2010-01-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

My dad turned 60 this last week. I called on the day to mock him, but then decided not to when I remembered how humbling a milestone like this can be (a-hem, ie: my 30th birthday). So we had a good chat. I just wanted to honor my dad today. He is the greatest man I've ever known. My dad is the most patient, hardworking, hilarious, smart, spiritual guy in the world. He's down to earth, honest, and deeply committed to our family. He treats my mom like a queen. He plays with the grand kids and laughs at my corny jokes. I love my dad.

Happy Birthday & here's to many more great years laughing together!

She totally just got you!

2010-01-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I have long enjoyed the music of Lady Ga Ga but now after watching her on Oprah I have a whole total new respect for her.

Please click HERE to watch a video. It's 7 minutes long but it's fascinating so it won't feel like 7 minutes!

First of all, the fans dressed up in the audience made me happy at about 2 min 20 sec. People who are passionate and get into it are my fav.

But what she said at the end (about minute 6) really touched me. I only wish they would have shown the hair bow they made Oprah!!!

If I were to run a marathon...

2010-01-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

If I were to run a marathon- this is just how I'd do it!

Cheaters never prosper!

30 runners competing in a Chinese marathon in Xiamen were disqualified after it was revealed that they had cheated!
Some of the runners hired impostors to run the race for them while others used vehicles for part of the race or gave their time recording chip to faster runners!
Turns out that a big chunk of the cheaters really wanted to get a good time because they stood to get extra points to their score for the highly-competitive Chinese university entrance exams.
Shame, shame!Read More: Celebrity gossip juicy celebrity rumors Hollywood gossip blog from Perez Hilton http://perezhilton.com/page/2/#ixzz0dU02l4MK Celebrity Juice, Not from Concentrate Read More: Celebrity gossip juicy celebrity rumors Hollywood gossip blog from Perez Hilton http://perezhilton.com/page/2/#ixzz0dU02l4MK Celebrity Juice, Not from Concentrate

Ha ha ha! That kinda makes my day!

Addiction Confession

2010-01-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

I confess that my addiction is the movies. And maybe not even the movie itself, but mostly the popcorn! I have been to a lot of movies lately so I will review them for you now, and try not to give too much away!

Last night I saw Up In the Air with George Clooney and Jessica from the Twilight movies. It was great, the first half. The second half went kind of downhill, although there were some interesting twists that I couldn't have guessed in the end, but then again I'm really not all that great at guessing the end of movies anyway. Overall, I'm glad I saw it and I give it a C mostly because George Clooney is very attractive.

Saw Sherlock Holmes on Christmas Day and despite being extremely disappointed, I also fell asleep. It was too long and too much like The Da Vinci Code. I kept wondering when Tom Hanks was going to jump on screen. I wanted a mystery not another Masonic crazed religious evil people show. It was entertaining and all, everyone I was with has loved it. But it wasn't love for me: B-.

Ok, here we go. Avatar. I saw this movie for 3 reasons. The most important reason was (1) because Joe Joe really wanted to see it and because I majorly owed him for helping me out at work so I took him to see it. (2) It was in 3D & 3D glasses are cool. (3) Popcorn- the promise of movie popcorn could probably get me to do anything, BTW. Let me just say that I was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to be really lame. It wasn't that lame. [If you haven't seen it yet you may not want to continue reading from this point] They actually really had me with the whole ex-Marine thing and when he got to run again I just wanted to put down the popcorn and run around the theatre! The (sorry) geeky people in the theatre who gasped at every little thing and there was even a Joey from Blossom "Whoa" or two made the movie about 100 times more fun. So they really had me until the aliens turned into Indians. If you are going to go to all the trouble of making up a new language and new world, don't copy one that already existed many moons ago here in the U.S. I give this movie a solid B, mostly for the people who kept saying "whoa! This is awesome!" around me.

Finally a Disney Princess that I can relate with!!! She works a thousand crazy jobs and has big dreams for herself! Awesome movie, you have to see it! But the shadow people scared me, so B+.

This movie was rated PG. There was no sex or bad language, and the story was cute. A lot of it took place in Ireland and the guy from Step Brothers who played the annoying perfect brother that sang in the car (remember that part? It was so funny.) I'm a big Amy Adams fan too. Sweet movie, you should see it B+.

What movies have you seen lately? What did you think of these movies?

My Favorite Teacher

2010-01-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Back in 1989 in the world of Smurfs, Punky Brewster, roller skates, double dutch, and My Little Pony, fourth grade was a magical year for me at Crestview Elementary in Layton, UT. It was my favorite year of elementary school because of my favorite teacher. Mrs. Anderson was a beautiful Asian woman who always had a smile on her face and a kind word to say.

Mrs. Anderson was passionate about teaching, and I never knew a boring lesson in her class. I can especially remember how much she loved birds, tropical birds. She would bring these beautiful red, yellow, green and blue Macaw birds into class. My classmates and I felt we were in a tropical paradise.

The most important reason why I regard Mrs. Anderson so highly in my memory was that she had a vested interest in me as a person. I could tell she really cared about me and wanted me to learn. More than that, she believed in me. She thought I was smarter than I thought I was. She saw me as a very promising student with a very bright future ahead and because she saw that in me, for the first time that I can remember, I believed in myself. For that reason, I will always appreciate Mrs. Anderson because that belief in myself had a lasting impact on my life.

I have seen her several times throughout the years. Each time she remembered me, and continued to show her love and concern for me. I hope that I can be a teacher like Mrs. Anderson. If I can help even one child feel as special, smart, and important as she made me feel, then I know that I will be a successful teacher.

Who was your favorite teacher? Why were they your favorite?

I keep writing the date as 2009. Do you?

2010-01-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, a new decade. Where does the time go?

I would have to say that this last year has been a good year for me. It has not been an easy one, but growth is never easy and I have so much more to learn!!!

My top ten favorite and/or most memorable moments of 2009 are:
10. The elderly lady in my family ward in St. George who wears blue-blocker sunglasses and a golf visor to church every Sunday.
9. When my 9 year old nephew bought cologne from me at my Mary Kay open house. It just cracked me up.
8. So many funny times shared with so many good friends, I am so lucky to have amazing friends!
7. Reba concert with Tara & Brandon
6. The kindnesses that my wonderful, patient, and totally unselfish parents and siblings have shown me this year are too numerous to list. Any time spent with my family is the best. I am so totally lucky to have the family I have.
5. Going back to school has been amazing. I have really enjoyed all of my classes. It's like a whole other world. My mind has been expanded in so many ways.
4. Experiencing miracles by way of employment here in St. George. I can't deny that the Lord wants me here and has showered countless tender mercies on me.
3. Being with my grandma when she passed was a beautiful and peaceful experience. Even though it was painful I'm so glad I had that experience.
2. Moving to St. George into my own fantastic apartment! Living on my own is definitely a dream come true for me!
1. THE U2 CONCERT! Love ya Karen and can't wait for Bon Jovi in February!!!

2009- what a trip! I would have never been able to guess how I would finish the year when it started! All I have to say is that struggle is good, challenges are good. I had been too comfortable, too stuck in a rut for too long and all that changed this year. I wouldn't change a thing and I'm so happy with my own personal progress. And even though I still have such a long way to go, that's the point of life, right?

I have to say that I really got spoiled during Christmas. It was a really, really, really, really good one for me (gift wise). Thanks Santa!

The holidays were good to me. I am excited for all the possibilities that lay ahead in 2010!

FYI

2009-12-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I have changed the settings and made it really easy to leave comments HINT HINT.

Pictures of my apartment!

2009-12-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Finally! I have promised for a long time! But here are the pictures of my house! And it's decorated for Christmas! Enjoy!

The front room

My tree!

Bedroom

Kitchen

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my house! It's a great place to be!

I had that dream again...

2009-12-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

Not the silly one about Robert Pattinson I talked about in THIS post. I have had this dream in a dozen different variations but it always ends up with me having a sinking horror and complete panic when I realize that I am now....

ON A SECOND MISSION.

In the dream it's never a "I'm retired and my husband and I am now on a second mission". It's more of a "I'm on a second mission because I'm a loser and not married and didn't have anything better to do" kind of feeling.

I haven't had this dream for a long time. Maybe a year or two. The last time I had it I was so excited because I realized I only had 6 months left on the mission. Somehow I knew I wouldn't be having the dreams any more. Now I'm a little freaked that they have returned.

My mission was the hardest thing I've ever done. Its just in this past year that I would say I have really appreciated all that I learned during that time.

I have no idea what this dream means. Any guesses at interpretation?

Christmas Time

2009-12-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy! One final exam down, 3 to go. One scary one, one easy one, and one unpredictable one. Oh how I am excited for a few weeks off of school!!!!

Let me just say that in my past life I tried to avoid the mall as much as possible and at Christmas I refused to not only enter but drive anywhere near it. Now I work in the mall. This means not only dealing with the traffic, but with the crowds. I don't mean to sound like a curmudgeon, I love helping my customers, love it, but it's hectic!

My bro Joe came to visit me for a few days! He is the best! He is a fab decorator and helped me set up my tree and when I came home from class he had put lights up in my window for me! I was so excited! We went to Vegas for the morning/afternoon. No gambling just walking through some casinos and had lunch at the Rio buffet! It was so fun!

I saw my first palm trees with Christmas lights on them! Awesome! Also, the St. George temple square looks beautiful all lit up! They have been telling me that it was going to snow. I've never had a Christmas without snow so I was kind of excited. But then it rained a lot. But when I woke up yesterday and saw a little of the white stuff on the ground, I knew that Christmas time was finally here!

I'm looking forward to being with family for Christmas! I wish I could stay longer than one day so I could stay and see all of my friends, but hopefully I'll have a chance to come and spend some more time at home in January before next semester starts! :)

The best day of the year...

2009-11-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL!
I can't wait to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family! It's going to be a little crazy this year because I now work in retail! So I get to drive home Wednesday afternoon, enjoy Thanksgiving all day Thursday, and then turn around and drive back to George Friday and get prepared to work 2-11 on Black Friday! It's sure to be a very busy day. I haven't been home for awhile so I'm really looking forward to getting in that car and making the drive home! PRAY that it will not snow!

The top 10 things I love about Thanksgiving are:
1. Hello, it's a holiday designed around eating.
2. Focusing on what you are thankful for.
3. Hanging out with family!
4. The house smelling great while Mom gets ready!
5. Two words: Pumpkin Pie!!!
6. Thanksgiving Day Parade that ends with Santa!
7. Being so full it hurts and watching some TV
8. Getting the table all set with the fancy dishes!
9. Did I already say Pumpkin Pie?
10. LEFT OVERS!!!

I also love that it gives you permission to start celebrating Christmas! So, when I get all of my decorations out I PROMISE to post pictures of my apartment! But until then, I hope that you have a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving where ever you are and enjoy spending time with your family and friends! I hope that you focus on all the things that you are thankful for!

What are your favorite things about Thanksgiving?

New Moon, hos.

2009-11-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

Yes. I saw it.

No not at midnight, at 2:30 am.

And the truth is,

I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!I became a Jacob fan about the time that Edward took off his shirt there at the end. Did anyone else wish to yourself that he would put that shirt back on????

New Moon was my favorite book in the series. A lot of people say they didn't like book #2. To that I would say, and you liked #4? The real reason I liked New Moon was because I could relate with Bella the most. I think we've all been there when we feel so down that we could just lay down in the middle of the forest and not care what happens next...

The other reason I like this book is because it gets complicated. It's not just a break up. Edward leaves her with the terror of being hunted by Victoria who she is completely incapable to defend herself against. The story goes from high school romance to now she HAS to become a vampire. It affects her family. Anyway, I enjoy it. And I LOVED the movie!

Did YOU see the movie? What did you think? Let me know!!!

BEST. DAY. OF. MY. LIFE. (thus far)

2009-11-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

So maybe you've heard of this little band called U2. They have always been my favorite band of all time and I've ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wanted to see them live.

Enter my favorite person on the planet- Karen. She happened to have an extra ticket to the concert (U2, bitches, U2) that she very graciously offered to me.

The concert was at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Here's a picture of the sun setting on the Rose Bowl and U2's amazing set!

The Black Eyed Peas started the show with "Let's get it started" Fergie sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" They sang "Where is the Love" and then Slash appeared in top hat and with guitar and Fergie sang "Sweet Child of Mine" It was awesome! Then they sang "I got a feeling" and then...

U2 came out on stage!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I borrowed these pictures from Karen's blog because she has amazing skills and her camera was much, much better than mine. To read Karen's much more articulate and detailed account of the concert click HERE.

This was the stage during "The City of Blinding Lights".

For most of the concert I just stood there with my hands under my chin. I couldn't believe I was there. It was amazing. Highlights were "With or without you"- the last song and my all time favorite song, Sunday Bloody Sunday, City of Blinding Lights, and One. During "Where the streets have no Names" there was a definite moment between the music and everyone there. It was so fun. I will never be able to repay Karen for letting me have this experience. It brought back a little piece of the old, excited, unstoppable Kelli. I was in a daze for days after the concert. Nothing will ever beat that concert. It was a total dream come true.

THANK YOU KAREN! I LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love my sistas!

2009-11-09T21:20:00.001-07:00

These are my beautiful sisters, Michelle and Julie. They came to visit me a few weeks ago to do our annual 5k called "Save a Sister" race for breast cancer research. We have been doing this race for the last 3 or 4 years. This year was different in a couple of ways. First, Kristen wasn't with us. Being in Alaska, and expecting baby #2 made it impossible for her to join us this year and she was missed much! Next, I lived here in St. George so I missed the road trip talk time with my sisters! But, they came and stayed at my cute little apartment, so we didn't stay in a hotel like usual. Finally, I didn't run the race! I started a new job at Maurice's as a manager in the mall and it was my first week, so I worked through the race! I was...um...like...really "sad" that I didn't have to I mean didn't get to run those 3 miles! But I was so so proud of my sister Michelle who won 2nd place over all the women and Julie who did awesome also!

When I got off work, we headed to Zion's National Park. Not before doing some rock shopping.

Wish I would have read this sign before going on a little hike...

It says: Warning: This rocky, uneven trail is not for anyone fearful of heights, although most dropoffs are fenced. This is what I looked like trying to make the hike. Let me just say that I do not like heights. Also, let me say that a little skinny hand rail is NOT enough between me and a 100+ foot cliff, ok!

Here's me safely back on the ground as the sun set on the red rocks.

I was so happy that my sisters would come and visit me! We got plenty of gab time, and good eating too! I feel so lucky to have such beautiful, funny, smart, and loving sisters! We had such a great time!

The thing about Drew Barrymore is...

2009-10-10T21:35:00.000-06:00

...I love her movies. I was having a poor me moment. Ok, a little more than a poor me moment, maybe a poor me day... week... month...er...could have been couple of months. I don't know what it is about Drew & her movies but she just has this special magic to make me believe I am someone important. Whip It was no exception. This movie was funny, intelligent, interesting, and sucks you into another world. Ellen Paige is fantastic. Make sure not to miss this one!

Back to School

2009-09-27T16:45:00.000-06:00

I started college in January 1998 at Snow College in Ephraim, UT. I finished my Associates degree at Weber State University in May 2004. I specifically remember begging one of my teachers to give me a C- so I could graduate with that degree. I spent the last five years driving by Weber State or any other school, or any other student with basically the same immediate thought: Ha ha, you have homework and I don't!!! You have to take tests and I don't!!!

You see, school was mostly about the social aspects and those test thingies and that learning thing was really not the main event.

Imagine me walking back onto a College Campus in 2009. I feel pretty ridiculous. First of all, I'm really not sure what's in the water back home, but I'm pretty sure that I'm a foot taller than 99% of the student body here. I feel like this huge giant walking around campus. I just want to say to people: "Hello down there!". Seriously, NO ONE is as tall as me.

In my first class, someone asked me what High School I went to. I told them I am 30 years old, I don't even remember what High School I went to. They had presumed I just graduated. Hmmm. I guess it's great to look that young at 30!

Even though I feel embarrassed to be my age and back in school, I do have to say that I really LOVE my classes. It's a different experience. For one, I bought all my own books. In the past I didn't have money for books and it was kind of a strategy for me to sit by a cute guy so we could make out ...I mean ...study together because I didn't have a book.

My classes are Financial Accounting (I'm avoiding doing that homework right now), Family Relationships, Business Law, and my favorite of all, Personal Finance.

My business law class is so interesting. We studied this case where this guy owned an abandoned farm house and these kids kept trespassing on his property, so he set up a shotgun in the doorway. When the teenagers opened the door a shot gun went off and hit the little punk in the leg! Ha ha ha! I just thought it was funny, but evidently, you can only use weapons like that in situations of self defense. So the old farmer got busted. We have also been studying the McDonald's case where the woman put her cup of coffee in between her legs and it spilled. She sued McDonald's and won millions and as a result McDonald's has to write "this coffee is hot" on each cup. I have known about this case for awhile and I've often thought of what an idiot this woman was. People would sue over anything and everything, she was the one who put the coffee there, where's your personal responsibility?! Well, then I found out the facts of the case and my teacher totally changed my mind of something I had a pretty strong opinion about for a long time. The coffee was 190 degrees hot. There had been over 700 similar cases where someone suffered 3rd degree burns from McDonald's coffee. McDonald's knew that it was a problem and did nothing to change it. And I really just don't even want to think about being burned that bad down there.

My favorite class is Personal Finance. Some of you who know me well know that I LOVE money. I love talking about money! I love spending money! I love making money! I love to spend money! I said that already, didn't I? It really helps that my teacher is so funny. He is a financial planner and tells all these super interesting stories about his clients. For instance, there was this really really rich guy in town. And he passed away unexpectedly several years ago. All his wife had left was her son, mentally challenged, he lived at home and worked making tassels for graduation caps at a factory. Her son, we'll call him Tommy, lived a very simple life. Going to the tassel factory, then McDonald's and a coke for lunch, and then he'd come home and watch tv in his room. Every day. Very sadly, just two weeks after the passing of his father, Tommy also passed away. Cleaning out his room, his mom started to find stock certificates. One for McDonald's. One for Coke. And on and on, one for Wal Mart, Tommy owned tons of stock in all the companies that he loved! Then she found all these hand written letters. He'd mail them in and basically say, please buy me x number of shares, and don't send me any dividends, just buy me more stock when I make money. Tommy, in his 40's I imagine had an estate over 2 million dollars in stocks! No one expected his fortune to rival that of his father's!

In Personal Finance, we study financial websites every class. These have been some of my favorites, you really should check them out:
www.prosper.com This is where you can try to get a loan if you have crazy credit, or where you can play banker, loan someone the money, and then make the interest off the loan. People go here to plead their case to try to get loans- it's really fascinating!
www.redneckbank.com This is not a joke. This is an FDIC Insured Bank. Make sure the sound is on on your computer!
www.milliondollarhomepage.com This 20 year old guy from England decided he wanted to make a million dollars so he started this web page and he sold 1,000,000 advertising cells for $1 apiece. He became an instant millionaire. Why, why, why didn't I think of that?????

I guess school is just a lot better this time around because I'm there to learn. I really am enjoying it! Hopefully I'll get to taking pictures of my apartment this week and posting some pictures so stay tuned!

ST. GEORGE, VEGAS & REBA!

2009-09-19T21:47:00.000-06:00

I made it! I am here in beautiful St. George! I have survived on my own for one entire month! This is the picture that I took on my first night here of the Dixie D all lit up on the red cliffs. I love it here! I wake up in the morning, drive around, and there's palm trees, amazing red mountains, and lots of sunshine! I don't think it's dropped below 90 degrees since I've been here!!!

Honestly, it's been a rough transition. It's hard to be away from the comforts of family and friends. It has been really stressful starting a new job, being back in college for the first time in 5 years, and like, the dishes don't magically get done anymore like they did at home ( I love you mom!). I just thought it was going to be really fun, I didn't anticipate it being such a struggle.

I mean, it hasn't been terrible or anything, just scary. I'm out of my element. I do have to say though, that I LOVE school! I love my classes, my professors are really interesting and I feel really smart in my accounting classes thanks to the folks at Wiggins.

I got a job at Allconnect, a call center. This is a new experience for me. I've never worked at a call center before. Even though they are all incoming calls, I don't think it's my favorite job ever. But I guess it has only been 3 weeks and I really am grateful to be working.

Life is crazy busy. It's work from 8-5, then rush to school, then homework in the library. Most days I don't get home until after 9 or 10. I like my new ward, I'm meeting people, and life is good. I love my new house, and one day I'll even take pictures of it and post them.

Another great thing about living here is that Las Vegas is only about an hour and a half away! I must admit that the last time I've been to Las Vegas was like, 10 years ago. Vegas has changed! I went to the Reba concert with Tara & her friend (now my friend) Brandon, who lives in Las Vegas. You see I love country music. But Tare LOVES country music, specifically (pacifically) all things Reba McEntire. Its such an understatement to say that Tara loves Reba, its and obsession, more. But not in a stalker kind of way... its complicated, anyway. But the deal is, there is nothing more fun than going to a Reba concert with Tara. Watching Tara watch Reba is the best. Brandon & I had a blast!

First we had to get dressed up, Brandon loaned me his sparkle tie.

The concert was at Buffalo Bills casino. The inside of the casino reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean, except with Cowboys.

This is Tara buying one of each at the Reba vendors.

My favorite picture of the night. Reba had just walked out on stage.

Brandon's lighter app on his really super cool phone.

I wish I could have gotten a picture of the security guard who was giving us the stink eye all night. He kept on coming up and flashing his little flashlight at us. It was messed up. Just because all three of us were constantly taking pictures all night- hey they never said no flash photography! The best part was the very end when Reba came out to sing her encore, "Fancy" wearing a red dress. Amazing! I really did have the best time!

Thankful

2009-07-15T09:48:00.000-06:00

Sometimes when I am down I like to play a little game. It is called the Gratitude Game. What you do is name something you are grateful for that starts with each letter of the alphabet. I remember playing this game while knocking doors one cold winter in Canada. I admit that my attitude was not where it should have been that morning. But as my companion & I played the game, as we focused on the positive life just got better. I want to play with you today! I'll start and in your comments continue on & let's get to z!

A- Adventure (like when you're about to be unemployed as of July 31st and you're moving to a new town without any of your family or friends and you don't have a job yet, and you don't have a place to live yet, but you're not freaking out because it's an exciting adventure, right? Am I right? I have no nails.)

B- Bachelorette (I love the show- the drama, the romance, the craziness!!! I can't wait to see who she chooses in 2 weeks!!! Anyone a fan?)

C- Cars that have good batteries (Yesterday I had to get my car jumped FOUR times. Today I'm driving my mom's car and will buy a new battery tonight. Wish me luck!)

D- Dr. Pepper. Specifically Dr. Pepper for breakfast. As in, what I had for breakfast this morning. It's the best!

Now it's your turn! I can't wait to read your lists!

Summer Fun

2009-07-07T09:40:00.000-06:00

People who know a lot about me know that I love my family so much, especially my nieces and nephews. I must be a homebody, or maybe its just because I know I'm going to move soon, but I've really enjoyed spending time with my family this summer! This is Olivia dancing with Spike during our Hannah Montana Concert.
Michelle pushing Owen on the swing.

Nick- his nickname is "Bugsy" (from the movie Bedtime Stories)

Lexi signing autographs as Hannah Montana :)

Too grown up!

Braeden wearing Lexi's Hannah Montana costume- with his soccer medal on.

A broken arm- guess she'll slow down on the cartwheels off the couch.

I LOVE to watch this kid play soccer! I was so proud that they won first place in their soccer tournament to their arch nemesis on their field. Even though he's only 9, he is such a good little goalie and everyone on their team is so flipping good, it is entertaining to watch. He and his friends practice for hours because they love it. Even after a game or a practice, he will BEG you to play with him. And, because I'm the Auntie, I can brag- he also was selected to play on his baseball All-Star team and won 1st place out of four All-Star teams on the Fourth of July. I am so proud of him and I plan on fully supporting him so that when he's a rich athlete he'll remember his little old Aunt Kelli. It's my plan for prosperity, really.

I have to say the 4th of July was a fantastic one. Julie, Mike & Braeden ran a 5k that morning so I got up at 6 to go over and watch the girls and Nick. I woke them up early (really, I let Spike wake them up) to which Olivia put her hands on her hips and said very matter of factly "I guess you just don't want me to get any beauty sleep". We went to our neighborhood breakfast and then to Braeden's baseball game. The parade followed.

I don't remember enjoying a parade this much since I was little. It was just fun. The kids were on the Primary float. I saw one of my Primary kids that I taught when she was 5 on the float for the Jr. High class officers! She pointed at me and waved and yelled "that's my Primary teacher!" It was so cute (and I am so old). We stood for the flag, applauded the troops, boogied to the music, laughed and waved. Fun times.

Then we went home, had a BBQ, water fight, and then more food. The fireworks were fun. We missed Kristen & Ryan & Max, Dave & Ben. But it was fun to have Shannon & her kids + Kevin there!

I love my country. I love the beautiful mountains I live near. I love my freedom. I love my family. I love having all the opportunities and responsibilities living in this country.

I love the carefree, happy days of summer!

The World Mourns for Michael

2009-06-26T08:44:00.000-06:00

August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009

What a shock!

Even though he had his issues, no one can deny that Michael Jackson's music, videos, dance moves and glove changed the world.

"I can't stop crying over the sad news. I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever! My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless." - Madonna

Quincey Jones said "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever."

Closer to home, MJ changed my family's world in many ways.

My bro Joe got a broken arm because of him. In 1992, we were just kids. It was Easter Sunday and Joe was doing his best MJ impression- standing on top of a chair singing "hee hee" and grabbing his lower regions. Michelle told him to knock it off and kicked the chair. I was in the living room with my grandparents and Aunts & Uncles when he came in the living room crying and holding his arm. We all started laughing because his pants were also ripped. Poor kid.

Then there were the April Fool's Day jokes. I think I was the one who started it, at least 10 years ago. I called my mom and told her that Michael Jackson had died. She fell for it hardcore! Every year after that we would call her and tell her the same thing. She fell for it year after year!!! We all teased her and laughed so much about it that the last couple years she would call us on April Fool's Day and tell US the MJ had died. Joe called my mom yesterday to tell her the news and she didn't believe him. The boy who cried wolf I guess.

As missionary in Quebec, Canada there was a celebration going on and we were at a park carnival. The band began to play Thriller. One of the hardest things for the French to pronounce is the "th" sound. So they sang "Triller, triller night". Still makes me smile to this day thinking about that.

Michael Jackson's Number Ones album is in my car. The song Thriller changed the world. I enjoy playing Beat It on my Guitar Hero. He was a musical genius. I hope he can find peace on the other side. His legacy and his music will live on forever. RIP Michael Jackson 1958-2009.

Alaskan Adventure

2009-06-19T13:54:00.001-06:00

So my beautiful sister, Kristen, & her awesome husband, Ryan, & their 1-year-old, Max, now reside in Alaska! :( Although I miss them a lot, I know that they will have amazing experiences and learn and grow together. :)

Their first trial was getting to Alaska. We all stood in shock as they loaded up this little trailer with dressers, baby crib, changing table, kitchen table, boxes, microwave, everything. None of us could believe they fit everything they did into this trailer! We teased them that it looked like the sled the Grinch loaded after he stole Christmas, and we were going to send the dog with a bone attached to his head to ride on top! On top of the trailer is their mattress and their big heavy headboard.

These pictures are of the morning they left. I think all of us were a little nervous for them as they drove away, knowing they had a 3,000 mile journey ahead. My family & I were relieved & thankful when we learned that Ryan's parents followed them the first day. At that point they ended up sending a bunch of stuff home, like the carrier on top of the car and their big screen TV. (I'm so sad that they had to leave that & now I will be forced to take it to school with me- shucks!)

The second day the journey was going fine. They were enjoying the journey, making lots of stops for Max and the trailer was fine. Same with the third day. Then none of us could get a hold of them on the fourth day, and I was really worried on the fifth day when they still had no cell reception. But luckily, they had a good Samaritan helping them out!

Turns out that on the fifth day they had some technical difficulties with their trailer. Apparently the Alaskan Highway has a tendency to be pretty rocky. They had a tire blow out and the hitch of the trailer was dragging on the ground. They were 2 hours away from Wasilla, the town where their apartment is. They had been up all night driving, so more than 24 hours without sleep, a one year old who doesn't like the car seat to begin with who was screaming after now day 5 in the car, they were in bear country- they had seen 15 bears that day off to the side of the road, no cell reception, and no one around to help. Off to the side of the road they prayed to know what to do. Should they just leave the trailer and try to come back for it later? Then a really big truck hauling farm equipment pulled up. He stopped and asked if they needed any help. By then, Ryan had fixed the hitch and was changing the trailer's tire. They said they would be ok and sent the big rig on his way.

They fixed the tire and proceeded to go on down the road...very...slowly. They were so close- only 2 hours away if they could go normal speeds. About an hour later, they see the big rig coming back. The man stopped and said, "I just had a feeling that I needed to come back and help you." He loaded their mattress & headboard into his truck and some more of their gear, and helped them get to their new home. As they got to talking the man was originally from Cashe Valley, and was a Bishop of not their ward, but another Alaskan ward. He said he loves to help young couples and if they ever needed anything to call. He ended up helping Ryan get a fantastic job that has even more work to do than the job he originally got.

I am so grateful that they got there safely & for people who follow the spirit! And I can not wait to go visit them! Love ya Kris!

Crazy dream!

2009-06-19T13:40:00.000-06:00

The other night I dreamed that I was at the premier of New Moon and a bunch of females were rushing the stage. I was hanging out in back watching the madness when I realized someone was standing next to me. It was Robert Pattinson (Edward)! He just grinned at me this cute smile & I asked him if he would give me a hug- and he did- a big bear hug! I don't really know why I dreamt about him- I don't really think he's that dreamy or anything. My mom, sister & I went to the movies that night & saw the poster for New Moon. That must have been it! Maybe I need a hug? I just thought it was funny!

Red Sand...Here I Come!

2009-06-10T16:34:00.000-06:00

I always thought I'd finish school, but I NEVER thought I'd be going to Dixie State College in St. George, UT. I've never been known to shy away from the adventure of moving to a new place, weather it was Jackson Hole, WY, Boulder, CO, or another country where they speak another language (that just sounds cooler that Canada), but I really must say that I really wasn't planning on this one!

I have just really felt like it's what I'm supposed to do, it just got in my head and wouldn't go away!

Right now I'm looking for a job down there, but I am registered for school and I have to admit that I'm really excited to shake things up, meet some new people and LIVE IN MY OWN PLACE!!! I love my family but as they say- distance makes the heart grow fonder! :)

Checking in on my cousin Heather in Canada

2009-06-10T16:27:00.000-06:00

Another amazing email from my cousin Heather- currently serving a mission in Halifax, Canada. Great story!

This morning since it was our p-day we went out to the beach there and went on the most gorgeous hike. Then we last minute decided to stop at a little bistro on the way out of town. There were a group of people there that were asking if they could pay with American money and were asking for directions to Amherst so we helped them out. Then I asked where they were from, they said Idaho and Utah! One couple was from Layton! We told them that we were missionaries (Since we were in our hiking clothes it wasn't obvious) and they were members of the church too! (p.s. we NEVER run into members out here!) They were in a hurry so we couldn't talk much and they walked out. Then the chef came out from the back to greet us and ask how things were. As he did the husband ran back in the resturant with a $20, set it down on our table, said "We're buying" and ran back out before we could stop him! We were so suprised and both of us started giggling like little girls and the chef asked us what just happened. So we explained we were members of the same church and live close to eachother back home. We explained we were missionaries. He said "Oh! you're sisters with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" We asked how he knew. He said "I've heard about Joseph Smith and I am interested in the Book of Mormon. I am fascinated with all religions and I've been reading about yours." We were both so suprised. The way that things perfectly worked out, for us all to be there in the same place at the same time. Had the chef walked out any earlier he would have missed it. Had our hike gone any longer we would have missed them. God is amazing at puzzles, because those pieces were placed perfectly today! Luckily we had a Book with our testimonies in it with us to give to him and both shared our testimonies and our love for that book. He said he couldn't wait to read it and seems like he's been looking for this for awhile. We had no idea such an amazing experience would come our way today, on our p-day!.... We're keeping track of him! He's golden.

I'm loving her stories! It really brings me back! :)

For Sale

2009-05-12T14:09:00.000-06:00

Imagine my surprise when I was driving down South Weber Drive, my favorite street of all time, and happened to see one of these hum-dingers for sale. I drove past. Then I turned around to take a picture! Oh how I wish I had the $400 cash to buy it! The sign said it was an authentic jazzy! Maybe I shouldn't panic that I'm 30! Sometimes I think that getting older won't be that bad!

Perfect Weekend!

2009-05-12T11:40:00.000-06:00

I had such a great weekend! On Saturday I. did. NOTHING. I was in PJs until 4pm. Does it get any better than that? I just hung out with my family while they worked in the yard. Here's a picture of my cute nieces up in our apple tree. Doesn't it just remind you of carefree childhood summers? Then Spring & I went to the drive-in. I LOVE THE DRIVE-IN! These are the days you wait for all winter!

Friday was Kristen's birthday! Her husband surprised her with Trace Adkins concert tickets in one of my favorite places, Wendover, Nevada! However, Ryan ended up in Alaska for her birthday to finalize their job up there (they are moving this weekend and taking baby Max with them :( . We have all told them that they can go but Max has to stay.) Sooooooo, I was the lucky recipient of a free ticket to Trace Adkins! Thanks Ryan! Before the concert, we made a few stops. One was to the penny slots. I put in a dollar and look at how I cashed out- SCORE!

Guess how many nickels you get for $20? 400 we found out. Kristen won 480 and cashed out. That makes a lot of nickels!

Then we had dinner at the all you can eat buffet- snow crab- YUMMY!

I love my sister and I'm really going to miss her and her family when they move!!!

Sunday was Mother's Day. The whole crew came over. We ate outside and the kids played and we all talked and laughed. It was the perfect day. I had a fabulous weekend! I can't wait for it to be Friday again!!! ;)

Book Review- Must Read!

2009-05-12T11:12:00.000-06:00

So lately, I have become somewhat of a reader. Studies have shown that the average American reads about 2 books a year, and they don't even finish those. However, the average CEO reads 42 books a year. I really forgot how much I love to read. Even though I don't think I will hit "CEO" statistics, I am already above average!

I must put this book out there for all the ladies. "Why Men Love Bitches" by Sherry Argov will change your life. A great friend told me to read it and I'm SO. GLAD. I. DID. So much that I bought, in fact, 3 more copies of the book and gave them out to some friends. And if money were no object, rest assured, I would have bought 100,000 copies and given it to every woman I saw on the street. I feel so strongly about this book that I think it should be required reading at age 16. It is the ULTIMATE relationship book! Married, single, divorced, or widowed, you MUST READ this book! Sherry Argov basically interviewed thousands of men and uncovered their "secrets". The book is not about being mean & rude, when she says "bitch" she means not getting walked all over. The theme of the book is how to go from being a doormat to dream girl. It is addressed to the "nice" girl. And I had to admit that I found myself slapping my forehead saying "D'oh! I have totally done that" on every page. I gave one of my copies of the book to my sister, who works at a beauty salon. She read it, loved it, and recommended it to all of her girlfriends there. Everyone loved it. So I'm not even joking when I say YOU MUST go to amazon.com or Barnes and Noble TODAY and pick up this book. You will NOT regret it!

Great Musicals

2009-04-21T11:06:00.001-06:00

I have been so inspired lately by Susan Boyle and her beautiful rendition of Les Miserables "I Dreamed a Dream" (If you haven't heard about it crawl out from under the rock you've been under and go to www.youtube.com immediately!!!) When I watched her sing, it made me realize how much I miss listening to musicals!

My co-workers, Tina & Tara were lucky enough to get tickets to Wicked here in Salt Lake City! I was lucky enough to see it in LA last year with my good friend, Karen. It was mesmerizing!!!

And I have to admit that I have watched my FAVORITE musical of all time more than once in the last month or so...

I LOVE Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!

And I realized that I haven't listened to the Soundtrack of Newsies for FAR TOO LONG!!!

Gotta throw a shout out to Annie, the first movie I ever saw in the movie theatre. I still remember going to the Kaysville Theater with my mom, probably one of my earliest memories. We got twizzlers. Good, good times. I also love the Wizzard of Oz, The Sound of Music, and of course The Phantom of the Opera (he steals the show every time!) I would love to see The Lion King on Broadway in New York, also. I must make me a cd of all my favorite music and start listening to it more often!!! What are your favorite musicals of all time?

Too Funny to Forget

2009-04-21T11:00:00.000-06:00

So we are sitting around eating dinner the other other night, getting ready to watch The Office when someone said, "My food is too hot" to which someone else said, "Then blow on it" to which Joe said, "That's what she said" to which my niece (7 years old) said without missing a beat: "Or he said!"

Ruth Cloward Moss

2009-04-08T13:50:00.000-06:00

http://www.webfh.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=236877&fh_id=11049

Dear Grandma,

You are the strongest woman I've ever met. Thank you for all you taught me, for all your long talks, for all your love. Thank you for raising my Dad to be the man he is today. I know I will see you again, I just hope I can make you proud and live up to the family name you honorably created for us. I will miss you, but I won't be sad, because I know we are a forever family. I love you!

Love,

Your favorite (OK, and only) red-headed grandchild

Kelli

Brings me Back!

2009-04-01T15:49:00.000-06:00

My cute little cousin, Heather, is on a mission in Canada (Halifax area) and getting her emails every week have been a treat! It just brings back lots and lots of memories! Arriving in Canada in February, I distinctly remember the joy I felt the first time I saw grass in Canada (that was in April). Today I got this email and it was just what I needed to hear so I thought I would share with you today!

Heather writes:

Hey everyone. Thank you for the emails they make me so happy! This week has been a really great week. We had another snow storm, which I heard you all did too so that's just too bad for us all! lol. The days get warmer though so we are doing good when it comes to knocking and OYMing outside. So this week we had like 4 investigators drop us which was super unfortunate, that's not including our Less-actives that dropped us for the Jehovah Witnesses! Sister Krix and I were like "what in the world is going on!?" Then we went to our district meeting and heard that the same thing happened in the other companionships as well. Our Zone Leaders lost 8 total investigators this past week! We all came to the conclusion that God is doing a little "spring cleaning" by getting rid of our time wasters and we set a District goal to help Him along with it. So we're all cleaning out our areas, our Area Books and apartments and cars and this transfer are focusing on finding "Kingdom Builders". It'll be good. I was reading in Exodus today about Moses and how after they were delivered from Egypt and walking in the wilderness for a bit God deprived them of food so that they would turn to Him for help and when they did he made it rain manna and bread! I'm pretty sure its the same with missionary work right now. He's clearing our plate to get us ready for the raining bread and manna! There are amazing people out here, we just need to be scared a bit so we rely on Him more and follow those quiet promptings so we can find them. Other than that we are LOVING the work.

The longer I'm home the more I appreciate what an unbelievable experience my mission was! And it helps to remeber that there's someone there for us when life gets challengeing!

Out like a Lion

2009-03-31T13:51:00.001-06:00

Ok, March 31st here and it. is. still. SNOWING. But it is probably my fault because I washed my car yesterday (it looked like someone had dumped a bucket of mud all over it and I couldn't take it), AND windexed the windows. It looked so nice for all of...hmmm 12 hours!!! I'm so over the snow!!! Bring on shorts, sunburns, drive in movies, not getting dark until 10pm, corn on the cob, my freezing cold basement bedroom actually feeling good because it is so frickin hot outside- that kind of stuff!!!!

It's been awhile since I've posted anything- just a month or 3! And I have to admit that one of the main reasons I'm doing this is because I want to be one of Karen's featured blogs and she said one of the requirements is to frequently update- well you got it baby! (I'm not cool enough to know how to post a link to her blog here, but you can check it out on my list of friend's blogs- hers is a peek at Karen's world and I'm obsessed with it- she is SUCH an excellent writer!!!!)

A lot of things have changed since I last wrote!!! For one thing, I got my job back at the accounting firm. They begged me back, and I wanted to come back also, so it all kind of worked out. And I'm so glad I took that time off, because I learned a lot! They learned to appreciate me (except for Tara who has always appreciated me) and I learned to appreciate, among other things, a steady paycheck (again). But I still LOVE my Mary Kay, and that will ALWAYS be a part of my life, just maybe not such a big part at this moment because...

I have joined a gym! It's called Bootcamp 4 U and it kicks my butt every night! www.boot-camp4u.com It is so fun and so addicting!!! I've been at it for 15 weeks now! I've lost 40 lbs and I'm so excited!!!!

Another fun thing I'm doing right now is something I've always wanted to do- drum roll please! I'm taking guitar lessons!!!!!!! I bought a guitar, not a pricey one, not a cheep one. Ok, maybe kind of a cheep one! I got it home and just looked at it, I had no idea what to do with it! My first lesson was last Tuesday, and I learned 3 chords, A, D, & E. We learned to play Silent Night! The best part about the class is I get to go with my good friends Kim & Emily! So I'm looking forward to going to my 2nd class tonight, and then running to Boot Camp! I wonder what songs we will learn tonight!

Something not so fun is my Grandma Moss is not doing so well. In January she broke her hip, then she fell and broke her back a few weeks ago. She had surgery, which they told us only 40% of people at her age make it through, and made it. But now her kidneys are failing, they are basically shut down. I went to see her today at lunch at the care facility and even thought I think she knew I was there, she just kept talking about socks. She wanted me to get her pink, blue, yellow or white socks. All she was wearing and had in her drawer were plain old light tan socks. She was really fidgety, and all slumped in her chair, and in a lot of pain. I hate to see one of the strongest, hardest working, amazing women I know like that. It's hard, but I can't wait for her to be reunited with my grandpa, who passed away in 1990, and my favorite Aunt Gale.

To end on a happy note, I have to say that another dream of mine came true last Sunday. I now own Guitar Hero World Tour. But I'm excited to learn to play the real guitar, also! I need to post lots of pictures, I will do that soon!

Best & Worst Movies of 2008

2008-12-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

Granted, I haven't seen every movie that came out in '08 (obviously), there are still a few I want to see (like Kung Fu Panda, Wall E, Doubt, and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist) so I may revise this list in the future, however, they didn't compel me enough to go see them yet so they are not on my list. I am a very simple movie rater. I don't care about producers, soundtracks, what kind of film they used, any of that stuff. I just want to be entertained, and most of all LAUGH! I tend to like the comedy, and the romantic, not so much the 25 guys chasing one guy and he miraculously doesn't get hurt while everything is blowing up stuff. So that said, here are my lists!

Top Ten Biggest Personal Disappointments of 2008
10. Dark Knight. Yes, Heath Ledger was wonderful, but the plot really lacked for me. Useless violence.
9. Hancock. Didn't do much for me.
8. Don't Mess with the Zohan. As they said on the radio, it should have been named: Humus Joke, the movie.
7. Get Smart. Steve Carrell couldn't even save it!
6. Step Brothers. Could have been so so so funny. They crossed the line for crudeness, for even me.
5. Indiana Jones. If I can guess what's going to happen, me, the most unobservant person ever, its bad. And he survived a nuclear blast in a refrigerator! Anybody else think that was ok?
4. Jumper. Could have been great. They just missed the mark. Hayden Christensen is the MOST AWFUL actor on planet earth, no matter how many places he goes on it. He is sexy but come on! I may have bought it if say, Shy Shy a buff buff starred. Or anybody else with a decent set of chops (or at least dentures) could have carried that movie.
3. 27 Dresses. I was even really looking forward to this one, too.
2. Vantage Point. Good premise, but when people in the movie theatre are laughing when there's no jokes, its bad.

And the Number One most amazingly bad movie of 2008 is:

7 Pounds with Will Smith. Awful, awful, awful movie. It was slow, it was not inspirational, it was morbid, a total, total disappointment.

Now for Kelli's List of Top 10 movies!
10. Be Kind Rewind with Jack Black- funny movie.
9. Iron Man
8. Marley & Me (and I don't even like dogs!)
7. The Other Boleyn Girl, Fascinating. Got me really interested in European history!
6. Smart People. Mostly because I watched it in the Mann Chinese Theatre! But it really was a good movie!
5. Sex and the City Movie- especially when Joe realized he was the only one in the theatre without a va jay-jay (except for that one tranny).
4. Twilight! Yay!
3. Baby Mama
2. Madagascar 2, I couldn't stop laughing
1. 21 It inspired one of my new careers! No one would ever expect me to be a card counter!

Honorable mentions: Mad Money & House Bunny

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T17:27:00.001-07:00

Wow! Another year has come and gone in a flash! I started thinking about my year and it seemed that there weren't a ton of great things that happened, but then I challenged myself to think of my top ten highlights and I started cracking up! It's funny how you can find an awful lot of good, if you look for it! Well, I wanted to share my top 10 favorite highlights of 2008 with you!

10. Quitting my full time job at Wiggins (sorry Tara) because I took control of my life.

9. Reading the Twilight Series because it reminded me of all the excitement, magic, passion, and good things that love can be. I had really forgotten about love, I think!

8. Laying on the beach in California for a whole day and then watching the sunset on the ocean with good friends. It was the most relaxing day I have had in a very long time!

7. Spending the day with my nieces and nephew the day their brother was born and then taking them to meet Nicolas. I loved being able to share that special moment with them.

6. Going to Seminar and the Million Dollar Weekend in Dallas, Texas because I got to be around powerful people doing really amazing things. I felt like I could do anything.

5. Movie nights with Tara and TV nights with Kim because there's nothing like laughing with friends!

4. Being able to vote. It is a privilege. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to have my voice be heard.

3. The day I bought my Wii & guitar hero. It was June, but when I brought it home and took it out of it's packaging it felt like the BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER!!!

2. Volunteering at the kid's shop at the Festival of Trees. I had never been to the Festival of Trees before but seeing all the kids' eyes light up and smiles on their faces just filled me with Christmas spirit and reminded me of the true meaning of Christmas. It really set the tone for my holiday.

1. The number one highlight of my year is definitely spending time with my family. The cost of a movie ticket: $8. Watching my mom watch Mama Mia: PRICELESS!!! That memory alone will keep a smile on my face for years to come!

I truly am blessed! I am looking forward to 2009, a new year, a new start! Happy New Year everyone!

Family Pictures

2008-12-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

I felt like sharing some funny random pictures today!

Sometimes living at my house, here at the Moss Family Compound, can make you feel a little trapped, like my nephew Owen here shows.

Sometimes it can make you want to scream.

And then there's my mom...

Halloween socks and all...

Some things just move at a turtle's pace...

Not even Yoda would have any advice,

and you'd need the patience of an angel to cope!

But it doesn't take the ugliest woman alive to tell you....
(Ryan on Halloween)

I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I can tell you one thing- I feel so lucky and blessed to be a part of my awesome family! Our family may not be the richest, but we don't have to go around the world to have as much fun as we do sitting around the kitchen table, telling funny stories, cheating at cards, and teasing each other!!!

Playing cards on Thanksgiving

Mason & Me

Kristen & Max

Mason, Me, 1/2 of Michelle's face

Family's the best gift of all this time of year!

Who Knew a Toothpick Could Do That?

2008-12-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well the other day I was just walking around my house barefoot as I commonly do when I felt something poke in the bottom of my foot. I reached down, saw that it was a toothpick and just tried to get it out. I started to panic a little when I couldn't pull it out and it was stinging!!! Ouch! So I called for my sister who has been trained as a nurse, Kristen, and she and her husband came to my rescue. I hobbled to sit down at the bottom of the stairs when my brother in law, Ryan volunteered to "rip it out". "No thanks, and don't touch me!!!" was my response! Kristen carefully pulled it out, it was stuck in about a half an inch. I didn't look while she pulled it out. She went to get a bandage as I was examining the wound. Suddenly, blood started spurting out of the hole on my foot! It was just like in any movie! I cupped my hand to catch the blood. It was so cool, I've never seen anything like that! Then my sis taped me up! I love her so much! And now, two days later, the foot is back to normal!

Twilight Movie

2008-12-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

OK, OK, OK! I am so far behind! First of all, I have finally finished Breaking Dawn, the 4th book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, and therefore I can FINALLY talk to all of you about the ending which I thought was...OK. I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't finished yet so you will just have to ask me about it!!!

I was lucky enough to be invited to a special premier of the movie as a vendor for Mary Kay to promote our Bella fragrance. The movie theatre had a big party before the movie started and my Mary Kay friends & I had a ball! The room was set up with big trees and lights covered in blue so it had a spooky feel, people dressed up in prom dresses, an actor who looked like Edward was there, and they even had a blood red chocolate fountain!

The movie was OK, it was obviously not as good as the book but I thought it followed the story well and I think I had more fun being with all the fans who were so excited and cheering. Y'all know I love that kind of thing!!! I just had a great time with it!

Well, Christmas time is here, but the snow isn't! It's not that I'm complaining!!! Trust me! I think we got enough snow last year to last a life time! But I do hope we will have a white Christmas! And I do love this time of year! As Jack Skellington sings in the Nightmare Before Christmas:

"There's children throwing snowballs
instead of throwing heads!
They're busy building toys
And absolutely no one's dead
There's frost on every window
Oh, I can't believe my eyes
And in my bones I feel the warmth
That's coming from inside"

Last night I took my nieces to see the lights at the park. Their eyes just got so big and they're so excited!!! It's just such a great time of year! Are you feeling the Christmas spirit too? Are you ready?

President Obama

2008-12-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

As we just elected a new President of the United States last month, I haven't really said a lot about it. If you know me well, you know that Obama did not receive my vote on November 4th! However, regardless of my personal preference, he is our President now, and no matter what your political views I think you will enjoy this video. (you have probably already seen it- I am always the last to see these things!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

What It Takes To Be No. 1

2008-11-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

What It Takes To Be No. 1
By Vincent Lombardi

Winning is not a sometime thing; its an all the time thing.
You don’t win once in awhile, you don’t do things right once in awhile; you do them right all the time.
Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place.
I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don’t ever want to finish second again. There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in everything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.

Every time a football player goes to play his trade he’s got to play from the ground up - from the soles of his feet up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That’s O.K. You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, every fiber of your body. If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.

Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization - an army, a political party, or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win - to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don’t think it is.

It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there - to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The objective is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules - but to win.

And the truth is, I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head to head combat.

I don’t say these things because I believe in the "brute" nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that an man’s finest hour - his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear- is that moment when he has to work his heart out in a good cause and he’s exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.

Gluten for self punishment

2008-10-27T12:11:00.000-06:00

From left to right: Julie, Nick, Kristen, Max, Me, & Michelle

Max Moat 5 months, Nicolas Grow 4 months

Well we just got back from the 3rd Annual Save-A-Sister 5k for Breast Cancer in the beautiful red cliffs of sunny St. George, UT. As you all may recall, my first year I tried with all my might to pass an older gentleman, (he must have been in his 70's) and I was gaining on him, gaining on him and then reached our turn around point at a mile and a half. It was when I turned around and he didn't that I realized that he was not even in the race!!! I felt pretty defeated! But we just went down again and I got my best time ever and actually ran a lot (and I'm still sore!) And can I just say that THIS year I beat a 70 year old woman by several minutes!!! It was a bit of a foot race but I pulled it through there at the end! Michelle scored 14th overall, and 1st place in her age division! She just ran a half marathon in Moab last week! I am so proud of her! I had a great time with my sisters and their two little babies! We had a blast! I will post some more pictures soon!

I finished New Moon & Eclipse in a week! And I have banned myself from reading the last one until I get some serious work finished!!! I loved both of them! I can't wait for the movie to come out!

Twilight

2008-10-08T09:53:00.000-06:00

Ok, ok, I'm reading the first Twilight book. My sisters informed me that I WOULD have at least the first one read before the movie comes out next month. If you know a lot about me, you know that I don't like Harry Potter, the mythical, and especially creepy and totally unbelievable Vampire books. Nothing wrong with those of you who love it (*cough, cough Spring;) ) but its just not for me. But, after being "forced" to go see my first Harry Potter movie (I was initially just going for the popcorn & a nap) I hate to admit that H.P. was totally fun and thoroughly entertaining. And now, I have to say the same thing about the book I'm currently reading, although I must say that it's giving me a slight complex. I AM JESSICA. I'm totally Jessica! Is that as annoying in real life as much as Bella is annoyed by her in the book? Oh well, I am really enjoying the book! Although this morning she just went to the Cullen family's house and it's really weird and freaking me out right now. But entertaining anyway!

I am loving this time of year! The mountains are beautiful and I'm so enjoying the cooler weather, and I had some pumpkin pie over the weekend- nothing as good as pumpkin pie! I enjoyed general conference so much and I know more than ever that my Heavenly Father is looking out for me, I am so thankful. I'm excited for Halloween & all the upcoming holidays- this is my favorite time of year! I need ideas on a Halloween costume. What are YOU going to be for Halloween? Let me know!!!! :)

Crazy Day

2008-09-27T22:29:00.000-06:00

Well, I have now worked 3 full weeks with one and one only job title: Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant! And for the official record, can I just say, that I can't stop smiling and I love my life. It's better than I thought it could be! Even though I have my ups and downs, its still all worth it.

I had a really busy day today (I totally feel like Doogie Howser typing on his online journal right now by the way). I got up early and went to MK Boot camp, visited one of my favorite customers and then hit the road. I had a skin care class in the cutest house, met the nice people, and then went to follow up with my potential new recruit and delivered some more product.

Then I met the R.S. Presidency at the Conference Center and was blessed to attend Women's Conference. I really enjoyed all the talks. Then grabbed some food with the RS Pres and I'm afraid they are learning WAY too much about me!!!!!!! What can I do???? When no one else talks I talk!

Gonna be another busy day tomorrow. Speaking at a nursing home, Pres meetings, then picking up my fav cousin Princess Drea for church. I love my life what can I say?!!

Oh, yes, and P.S. I did buy a new phone. I just bought a Nokia from Cricket. I love Nokia, and I love my cheap Cricket phone! I kind of had to buy one when I dropped my phone and it went totally blank. Oh well!