Back in 97035

Well, I kind of forgot about my blog... Oops.

But you can't blame me, I've been BUSY!!! I finished my sophomore year in July, and moved back to Portland to work. I work full time at my old job with my uncle, and am loving it. I also work for a family friend on weekend nights at Kat's Crepes, and it's a problem. I can't get enough crepes! Strawberry Nutella is just way too good. 

In August, I came back to Nampa for my best friend's wedding- it was a great day. She was beautiful, and there were so many people there that were so happy for them. I couldn't be more happy for her. 

It was so great to be a bridesmaid!!

Other than that, I have just been working- all day every day! I have never slept better in my life! I also teach a primary class, and let me tell you- I love my CTR 5 kids as if they were my own. They are adorable, not a bad one in the bunch! I go all out on every lesson, making smores and other crazy stuff for them. I will have to post a pic of us later... 

That's about it! This weekend is conference weekend, so hopefully I will remember to post later about the wonderful inspirations that come. Have a nice weekend!

May

Well, I'm a little behind.

I finished out last semester with a bang, and survived finals week. WOO! Unfortunately, it meant I had to part with some of the most awesome roommates I have ever had. I miss them a lot! Then, I drove to Boise, and then flew to Portland to spend time working and being with family. It was great. We took lots of silly pictures... Of course.

I just love having fun with these guys. I hate that I have to go 4 months without seeing them at a time.

But I guess that's one of the wonderful things of college. You learn to appreciate things that you are forced to miss, i.e., my amazing family.

I started my new semester in the third week of April. And it is going so well! In previous semesters, I hated going out and meeting people, and this semester, I can't get enough of it! Part of it has to do with Makenna getting here, and did I miss that girl!

Makenna was my roommate last year, and she transferred to Provo this year, but decided to come back, and I was so excited!

We are taking classes that require us to work out as homework, and we take lots of fitness classes together. Sometimes I think that the laughing works our abs harder than most of the stretches or lifts do, and it is so fun!

Look at her. So buff. We usually can't walk after working out, and have taken advantage of the many elevators on campus.

I'm taking lots of classes, but I love them a lot. I'm excited that I am so close to having an Associate's Degree! I sometimes am frustrated that I'm not as accomplished or haven't done the exciting things my old friends have done, but I'm excited that I'm so close to accomplishing this.

I'm also less than 2 weeks from the big 20th. So I decided I had to do one last crazy thing as a teenager. I dyed a streak of my hair red.

I have always wanted to do it, but was always worried about damaging my hair, applying for a job, etc. But I already have a job when I'm off track, I'm not getting married anytime soon, and I only live once, right? So Makenna and I did it. Just because we could.

So I'm enjoying life. And because it is May, I have a quote about May. Just kidding. It just has the word May in it.

I'm having a ton of fun and learning so much about medicine, friendship, myself, and life. Could life get any better?

Therapy

So, I started therapy because I'm crazy. Just kidding, it isn't for my craziness. Just my grandma hip.

My hip has been getting progressively worse, where sometimes I can't sleep for hours because of the pain. So I finally took my doctor's referral and scheduled my appointment. I have to admit. I didn't know how effective I thought it would be... Not that I didn't think it would help, but I kinda thought it was hokie.

So I went last Thursday, and let me tell you... it was freaking painful. They had to check the different muscles in my hip to figure out which ones were causing problems, so they could figure out a treatment plan. Apparently, my gluteus medius and piriformis muscles have been way overworked, and my hip flexors are tighter than the therapist has seen in decades (that's bad).

So this is what I have to do when I go:

1. I get this heater thing that goes over my butt to relax the muscles, and this is by far my favorite part. Actually, this is the only good part. 
2. I get a deep tissue muscle massage on the glutes, piriformis, and hip flexors. I wish I could say it is enjoyable... but it is by far the worst pain I have ever endured in my entire life. Who  would have thought that massages could be such a bad thing? Each visit it goes deeper, and it is horrible. The therapist asks me the most random questions so I don't scream, such as: "What did you buy the last time you went grocery shopping?", "What is your favorite movie quote?", and "What would your dream shoes look like?" I have to be reminded to breathe and not break my thumbs from squeezing my hands so much.
3. Then I do this horrible stretch for ten minutes, which I have to do when I'm at home too. Not too fun.
4. I use this lifting machine that is actually not too bad. It strengthens my legs, hips, and butt. My roommates joke that I will probably get a super toned butt out of this if I make it out alive. 
5. This is the most strenuous part: lunges. Laps and laps of lunges that I have to do perfectly. I always hated lunges, but they are so much more painful when your therapist has just bruised all of the muscles involved with the exercise. I just have to remind myself that it will make my hips stronger. And that I will get great legs! 
6. Lastly, I get to ice my butt. I somewhat enjoy this, because there is no pain involved. Getting up afterward is hard though, because my left hip is frozen. 

That's it. I had an appointment this morning, and I was so exhausted I came home and took a three hour nap... It was much deserved. Anyway, there is my life update, since nothing else in my life is exciting. 

Confession... I Can't Remember Which One.

I've been pretty busy. This week is midterms, and I'm going to Salt Lake for the weekend to go to my cousin Lindsay's wedding. So I feel like I'm on overdrive. Here's what's up:

Valentine's Day: I made peanut butter cookies, with heart-shaped Dove chocolates on top. They were pretty adorable, and I passed them out to my FHE family, my home teachers, the girls I visit teach, and some of my friends from high school. I also made dinner and watched a movie with this guy... It was pretty great.

My hip: Super long story short, when I broke my cuboid in my foot in high school, I started walking in a way that strained my hip for 3 years. So I'm developing arthritis in my hip at the ripe age of 19. WOO! So I went to the doctor and am now on anti inflammatory medication to see if they can correct it.  I also got my blood tested during my anatomy lab, and brought the results in so we could go over my sugar/cholesterol levels before the blood they took got back. The doc said that my sugar and cholesterol levels were pretty much the best he's ever seen. Yay for eating healthy!

My pajama pants: I got a 96%!!!!! I'm so excited! I expected lower, because I didn't have the greatest stitching on the casing. But I love it! My pants are super soft. And apparently, most of the class got C's... Not that anyone is keeping track. I'll post a picture when I get to it.

The little trip to IF: In case you aren't up to date on BYU-I vocabulary, IF stands for Idaho Falls, which is the closest "city" to Rexburg. I went there with some girlfriends to get fabric for our shirt project, get lunch, and "get away" for a part of our 3 day weekend. It was fun! I got cheap fabric, had Olive Garden, and best of all, went to TARGET!!! Of all of the things I miss most while I'm away from college, it is Target (notice I said "things," which doesn't encompass people). I got an adorable little day planner, which was much needed.

Anyway, that's about it. I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day/ President's Day weekend!

Cinnamon Rolls, Alfredo, and Downton Abbey

Well, I woke up as my first and only class for the day was starting, and as my car was covered in frost, so I decided to stay home and blog instead... Oops. But I did want to document my weekend, for it was a grand one. Okay, don't get too excited. I still stayed in my apartment for the weekend (big surprise), but I had lots of fun!

My friend Chelsea came over, and we made some delightful things. We made cinnamon rolls, and I kid you not, they were FLAWLESS.

I made the dough before she came over, and when she did, she was pretty impressed with the dough. I don't even know what made it so special. But it was perfect! And the rolls...

Let's just say they were to die for.
Then, we tested out a Pinterest recipe... for Olive Garden Alfredo  sauce. And it was tasted great, but the consistency doesn't last long before the different ingredients separate. Which didn't bother us, because it was great!

Sorry this isn't an "instagram worthy" picture. I just don't care.
After eating some of the best food ever, I introduced Chelsea to one of the best shows ever... DOWNTON ABBEY!
For those of you who haven't heard of this wonderful show, I pity you, for it is wonderful. It is about a wealthy family in the early 20th century in England, and their whole household. Trust me, you will love it, and by the end, you will have a love/hate relationship with Mary, hate Edith and Thomas, and pretty much want to marry Cousin Matthew. So good! We watched the whole first season... There are only seven episodes, so I didn't feel too badly about it. And we found the perfect meme about Mary and Mr. Pamuk!

And that's why you don't have sex before marriage.
Then on Sunday, I watched the Superbowl. Actually, not really. I was sewing the whole time... listening. I looked up every once in a while. So I know that the Ravens won, wooo. I will show you my sewing project when I put it up, because it is adorable. That's about it folks! Just a relaxing weekend avoiding studying and eating. 

Super Taster

Okay people. I'm learning about the body, and oh is it fascinating! Get ready to take notes people. This is some pretty cool stuff.

So your tongue... It is pretty much amazing! You know those bumps on your tongue? Those aren't taste buds... Sorry your whole life is a lie. They are papillae, which contain the taste buds. Then each taste bud has about 50 taste cells, and it gets more complex. There are 5 general categories of tastants, which cause the taste cells to recognize a change: sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and umami (savory).

Anyway, the amount of papillae on your tongue changes your sensitivity to tastants. In my class, we dyed our tongues blue to see the different papillae, and measured a small circle, about 1/4 inch wide. Then we counted the papillae within these circles. There are three main categories of "tasters": nontasters, regular tasters, and SUPER TASTERS.

 If you had between 5-15 papillae within the circle, you are considered a nontaster. Nontasters need lots of flavor to taste something, and usually dump salt or sugar on their food. Nontasters can handle super spicy foods, and find most foods bland. If you had between 15-35 papillae within the circle, you are considered to be a regular taster. You can handle most foods, and can sense most flavors without a problem. People with over 30 are considered to be fairly sensitive to tastants.

Then there are the super tasters. Super tasters have at least 35 papillae within the little 1/4 inch circle, and can taste things without excessive amounts of tastants. Super tasters had the biological advantage back in the dinosaur days, as they were sensitive to bitter plants that ended up being poisonous. Now super tasters are just considered to be picky eaters. Which leads to me. Guess how many papillae I had? 38! That was the class record. It was kind of awesome, people were super surprised that somebody could have twice as many as most of the class.

I'm sorry if you found this post boring, but I thought it was so cool to learn something that explained part of the way I live! I'm super picky, and super sensitive to spicy foods or super sugary foods. It is just so incredible to learn the little things that you didn't think had a logical reason! Anyway, I hope y'all have a great day, and maybe learned a little something about yourselves. Tudles! 

Rocky Road, Batman, and Coldplay

Well, it's one of those weeks where I'm not so great at finding joy in the journey. It's more of a listen-to-sad-music-and-eat-lots-of-ice-cream week, and it's only Tuesday. I've never been a super huge fan of ice cream, but apparently I am this week. I got my Breyer's Rocky Road, and let me tell you about it. Super good chocolate ice cream, marshmallow swirl, and chocolate covered almonds. Pretty much all one needs when life isn't going the way you want it to. Okay, maybe not all you need. But chocolate releases endorphins, and endorphins make you happy, and happy people don't kill their roommates. (Name that movie! Not that it is exactly the same...)
 
This is what it looks like, just in case you are having the same kind of week I am.

I think the best part of this week is that I'm starting my pajama pants for my Clothing Construction class... and holy cow. I got the coolest fabric ever. ON SALE!

Check it out.

I think it speaks for itself. I win!

And lastly, I've been listening to slow Coldplay songs on repeat. I can't tell if they make me sadder, or happier, but I love them either way. They haven't made a music video for their best song, so I'll just post a weird video posted by some stranger.

 This is Til Kingdom Come... It was in the new Spiderman movie, but I liked it way before that. Just in case you were wondering.

So that's my life this week. Rocky Road, Batman, and Coldplay.

Finding Joy in the Journey

I don't know about you guys, but when I was 12, I wanted to be 16, and have a car, and go on dates, and be cool. And when I was 16, I wanted to be 18, with no curfew, going to college, and being on my own. And now, at almost 20 (how did that happen?) I wish I was four, with a designated time for napping and tons of coloring books.

I have been thinking about this a lot. And I realized that with more freedoms, comes more responsibilities. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it is crazy how true it is! Most of the time, it feels like there are ten times more responsibilities than there are freedoms. It is often easy for me to pout and whine about life, and bum around with a negative attitude. But I remembered this quote this week:

And how true it is! So I began to think of the blessings I have, and focused on the great things I got to do as an adult.


For example, this week, I had an assignment to make a pillowcase. It was frustrating, and I definitely stabbed my fingers with pins a few times, but at the end, I loved it!

Pretty dang cute, if I do say so myself. (the trim is supposed to be purple blackberries, in case you were wondering.)

I am still sick, and thought that I should make soup, so I did.

What is this deliciousness, you might ask?

This is my aunt Barb's Tomato Bisque. And it is delicious. I had some dough for rolls that I had frozen last week, so I got those ready, and had a pretty great meal!

So as frustrating and overwhelming as adulthood can be, there are so many wonderful things that come with it, such as developing talents in sewing and cooking wonderful food, or acing my Epidemiology test today. Whoop whoop!

Big Girl Weekend

This weekend my roommate Holly, friend Chelsea, and cousin Nick and I drove down to Provo for the three day weekend to escape the miserable place called Rexburg, which has weather I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. And it was great! We got there and back safely with no problems. And I even wore a sweater outside and didn't die from exposure like I would here. Hallelujah!  The only misfortune we came across was the fact that we didn't document our adventure at all, which makes this a boring post. Wait, that's a lie. I took some of people dancing to Just Dance, but I swore to not post them. BOOOO.

I got to Provo on Friday night, and had dinner with Nick and my cousin Cameron. Yay for Pizza Pie Cafe's oreo pizza!!! And then I crashed on Allyson's couch. So good!

Saturday was... good. Allyson, Chelsea, and I met up with a friend for lunch, which was a little awkward. But the pizza was great! (It is called Slab Pizza, for any of you Provo-visiting people.) Then we went to the mall, and used one of my Gap gift cards from Christmas to get a shirt. I actually look like an adult! I think. But it was an exciting event. After the mall, Allyson and I went to the BYU basketball game! It was fun, but really weird because it was my first time going to a game since high school... So two years! Crazy stuff. Then we were lame college students and did homework. Woo.

Sunday was good, just a lot of time being with Allyson, Chelsea, Nick, and Cameron. We visited my aunt Sue, which ended up being a whole lot of eating chocolate chip cookies. Yum!! And the Wii Just Dance party of course, which let me tell you, is embarrassing and exhausting. But so much fun!

On Monday, we had Kneaders for breakfast, and just walked around the mall. And I finally washed my car! That was super exciting, because it was so dirty from Rexburg. We had In-n-Out for lunch, and then drove back to Rexburg. That was it! Three days of being with great people and just having fun. Now I'm in freezing Rexburg, lying in bed sick. I blame the people of Provo. Sorry this was so boring, I just didn't want to forget this great trip!

And the worst blogger of 2012 goes to...

Me.

I was pretty busy in Portland. I worked 40 hour weeks, and ran lots of errands and did other stuff that won't really excuse me from taking forever to blog. Oh well.

The sad part of it is that I'm blogging when I should be reading about the eye... It is just SOOO BORING! So many layers of mucous and other disgusting stuff. However, I did learn that the purpose of eyebrows is to stop sweat from dripping from your forehead into your eye. I guess you learn something everyday!

So, for those who I don't talk to pretty regularly, I am back in Rexburg studying my heart out... Kinda. Actually, I've been pretty good these two days about reading and homework. For those who care, this is what I'm taking this semester:

• Anatomy and Physiology 2 (MWF 7:45-8:45 am): that is really early. But the teacher is pretty cool, and seems to really like people. Sometimes I think teachers just don't like anyone, but he seems to care, which is nice to have for such a fast paced class. I've already studied at least five hours for this class this week... and it's Tuesday. 
• Clothing Construction (TTr 8:00-9:30 am): Also early. But it seems like it will be fairly easy... I hope. We will have to make a pillowcase, pajama pants, a shirt, and a skirt from patterns. So exciting. 
• Epidemiology (TTr 3:15-4:45 pm): I'm definitely excited for this one. It has to do with patterns and the way diseases attack you. The teacher is pretty funny, and works as an Epidemiologist for the govt. I learned that 100,000 people are killed from receiving the wrong treatment from doctors. Not from the disease that they had, but from being misdiagnosed. So I guess we should just get rid of all of the doctors to prevent bad things from happening. (That was my jab gun laws...)
• Family Foundations (F 9:00-10:00 am): This is a hybrid class, so it is mostly online with one class discussion a week... I haven't gone to it yet, but I have high hopes.
• World Foundations (Online): I'm actually pretty excited for this one, even though I HAVE to take it and it has nothing to do with what I am studying. It has to do with ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian cultures. And for those who didn't know this about me, I actually really enjoy studying Greek mythology. (Romans are just copy cats). 
• Understanding DNA (Online): This sounds okay. I don't really know what I think about it yet.

So that's my life. Studying the body, sewing, diseases, family, ancient cultures, and DNA. With a little Pinterest on the side.

Oh! And I made a New Year's Resolution of running... I won't say exactly what it is in case I miserably fail, but I did go running and cycling today. Needless to say, I'm exhausted.

Sorry for the rant, I just needed to catch up. Hopefully, I will be better this year. Maybe. 

Life in 97035....

So... I live in Oregon now. It's kinda cool, but nothing particularly exciting. I have been here for three weeks as of today, and these three weeks have been crazy!!!

Unpacking wasn't too hard, and getting used to the area wasn't all that hard either. The hardest part to adjusting here is the driving! The speed limit here is usually 35, and only 55 on the freeway! There are a gagillion lanes, tiny parking spots in ridiculously packed parking lots, waaaay too many cops, lots of freeways, and I can't even fill up my own gas! It makes me miss Idaho driving, where if you were going 55 mph on Highway 55, you were going too slow.

The shopping experience is... interesting. I love the Costco here, not that it is different from any other Costco. Look what I found in the produce section: Baby, organic, mixed baby me!!

Don't I look so cute??

But Baja Fresh is soo close! I pretty much eat there a lot. And since Brooke works at Jamba Juice, my Razzmatazz is becoming an addiction. Except I don't like Brooke making mine... she adds extra orange sherbet on mine because she wants me to get fat. Her words, not mine. Here she is, caught red-handed:

And there are shopping malls/outlets EVERYWHERE!!! Such a temptation. Here is me with my new "Administrative Assistant" shoes, and enjoying a free massage experience at Brookstone:

Speaking of work... I'm the Administrative Assistant for my uncle's company, A1 Installations NW. THe company has contracts with all of the Lowe's, Sears, and Home Depots in NW and central Oregon, as well as SW Washington to install all major appliances. That means that our installers are the ones that install you dishwasher, washer/dryer, shower door, microhoods, ovens/ranges, cooktops, sinks, faucets, toilets, etc. The list goes on forever. So my job is to help communicate with the suppliers, customers, and our installers, letting them know what our schedule looks like, and figuring out where products are. It's hectic. On average, we have at least 150 appointments for installations or details a week. So I call the customers, which can be CRAZY! You would be surprised how angry people will get over their dishwasher installations. I deal with the paperwork, and I usually talk to 20 different Lowe's stores multiple times a day talking about products, appointments, and angry people. It's just a lot of Excel work, paperwork, and phone calls. But I like working with family! Most of the time, that is.

I also hang out with my family a lot, and go to places where I grew up. I went on a little trip down memory lane the other day and found some stuff which made me miss my childhood:

This is my treehouse! My grandpa made this in his backyard. From scratch. I was 8 or so, and it took him all summer, but I sure loved this thing! He even put old rocking chairs and bean bags inside, with a bird feeder on the side, and there used to be a net underneath the rope swing, if you can see it. We could swing on the rope and fall down the net, or climb the net and crawl through the window to hang out in there. I have a pretty awesome grandpa, and was sad when they moved. The new owners haven't washed it, but when I asked to take pictures of it and told them my grandpa built it, they were amazed. I feel pretty lucky to part of the generation that playing outside was what kids were expected to do, instead of staying inside to watch tv or play the xbox.

And this ugly thing... Haha. In the 3rd grade, we were given clay squares, upon which we were to make a self portrait, or whatever you call it. Then they put them outside of the main office at the school. Only the students of that year made them. So it is still there, 12 years later. I think it was supposed to be of my along my grandparents' pool, and they always had leaves fall in... I don't know. But it was pretty cool to see it up there, like there was still a piece of my childhood forever cemented in a place I loved so much.

That's about it. I live at Maria's condo, where I am only there to sleep and change clothes, as I work 10-6, and usually just eat dinner at Barb's. I go window shopping with Ney and Brooke, hang out with Eric, and go to Isaac's soccer games. It's a simple life, but it's good!

Except this week is crazy. Barb and Curt are in Hawaii, so I've been here watching the kids. So stay tuned to see if I survive this week, that is if you weren't bored to death by this super long post.

I can tell that we are going to be friends...

Well, I hope you sang that in your head, because that is a great song.

Anyway, last night, I hung out with my bestest friend for the last time until Christmas. It was so fun! We went to go window shopping (the only thing we actually got was See's Candy. YUM!), looked at Pinterest for a fair amount of time, talked, and looked old pictures of ourselves.

Including this one!

This was the summer of 2009, when we had our first adventure together. We went on a road trip to Oregon for a rafting trip. It was so fun! This is us at Old Navy trying on huge clothes... We look so young! Since then, we have had many adventures, including a band/choir trip to California, a road trip touring schools senior year, GRADUATING!, and the fun day to day things. Like "running", making cookies, going to midnight premieres, and talking for hours on end.

I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful best friend, and I will miss her while she is at school!

Sad movie review... and a moment of gratitude

I'm just watched this horribly depressing movie, which I couldn't turn off. It's called Never Let Me Go, with Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley. *Warning- it's rated R, but on tv they protect my virgin eyes:)* 

Anyway, it's set in an alternate 20th century, where in England, they have these private schools where they raise clones that will later become organ donors. It is pretty much terrible. But it is so intriguing!

It's a terrible concept, raising children like pigs to be slaughtered, but I just was wondering what I would do. You know?  I just wonder if I would be the same person, but I know I wouldn't be, because my experiences would have shaped me differently. But I would like to think that I would have been a rebel and that I would have run away. I'll never know, but that is definitely not something I regret not knowing. I guess I'm trying to say I'm grateful for the life I have been given, even though the challenges make me want to scream. I'm incredibly blessed to have the people I have in my life, the opportunities I have been given, and for a Heavenly Father that blesses me so much more than I could ever have deserved.

So that's it. Yay for a good life, even though I might not say the same thing next week... 65 hours at the waterpark.

The little things

Okay, I know I already blogged today, but I had a few good moments today. I am a pretty serious person, and one of my biggest flaws is that I'm often negative. I know that I'm an extremely blessed person, and am so glad to have my family and lifestyle, but sometimes the everyday problems blind me from that.

So when I had these two little moments, I just knew I would want to remember them. It is the little things that we should remember. So here they are!

One: I have been lying on the couch all day, just resting my ankle, when my grandpa asked me if I wanted a banana split. Of course, I said yes, and he asked, "Small, medium, or large?" So I said "Medium." Ten minutes later, he brings me this MASSIVE bowl of ice cream, and we just started laughing hysterically. I took a picture, and accidentally deleted it :/

Two: I'm watching a movie with the kiddos (Christian, Olivia, and Adelaide) and Olivia suddenly wants water. So she walks over to the kitchen, and Adelaide declares, "I want water too!" and grabs my water instead of following Olivia. It was hilarious to me that Adelaide was so observant. Then she goes starts to drink it, and screams, "THERE'S NO ICE!!!!!!!!!!" It seriously could have been a meme, where they show 1st world problems.

Anyway, these were small moments, but they say it is the little things in life that makes all the crappy things worthwhile. So yay for cute moments!

McCall/Boise River/Shopping

I've had a crazy week. Seriously. Here is a basic rundown... (is rundown a word?)

Monday- Lots of packing. Babysat my adorable new cousin Zane (he is only 8 weeks!) and how awesome is he???

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Tuesday we left for McCall, only after 4 trips to Walmart. Sweet mercy. I drove with my dad, Madi, and Megan. It was fairly short at 2 1/2 hours, and it was amazing. Seriously. We got to Pilgrim Cove Camp in McCall, which is like a church camp with a big lodge where the staff feeds you, lots of cabins everywhere, and a dock with kayaks, paddle boats, canoes, and other fun stuff to hang out on the lake with... Here is the view from our cabin! 

Gorgeous huh? It was a little cloudy when I took the picture, but the rest of the trip was perfectly sunny. 

The reunion was great! It was with my Great Grandma Bessie Marshall(we just call her grandma great), her five children, and their children, and their children's children. I'm one of the oldest of her great grandchildren, and the first to have the Marshall last name. My grandpa (Gpa Marshall) is grandma great's first kid, and he had 8 kids, so his family takes about 50 of the 108 people there. It was so fun to see all of my family!\

 It was kind of sad that 2 of my favorite cousins were gone, but I think being gone on a mission is a great excuse for that. So I hung out with my cousins Lindsay, Cameron and Porter, who are my only first cousins that are 1) single and 2) college aged. So we had a great time! We played lots of card games, watched the Walking Dead, got milkshakes in McCall, and hung out at the lake a lot. I found out that I'm a pretty skilled paddle boater, even with psycho-crazy waves. I wish I had a picture to post, but that kinda failed to happen. Oh well. 

We took family pictures, ate lots of food, and just hung out. It was kind of a bummer that there were lots of wildfires going on, because we couldn't have any campfires at all. Not that I missed the smell all over my clothes. 

We left Friday morning, and had to take a longer route because the wildfires blocked off the main highway. It sucked. I also got a handful of mosquito bites, even with the use of bug spray everywhere. I got one on my ankle Tuesday night, and this is what it looked like Friday afternoon...

It was huge!!! And it still hurts. It is still swollen (it's Sunday). I can barely walk on it. This is what it is like to be allergic to mosquito bites.

When we got back to Nampa, some of my first cousins, aunts, and uncles decided to take us floating on the Boise River. 

BAD IDEA!!! We didn't get there til 6 because of traffic, so the water was freezing! Long story short, I hit my head a lot on trees, got tons of little leeches on me, scratched my back and butt a ton, and was freezing to death.  The only good thing that came out of it was that the river was so cold it helped my ankle's swelling go down just a little bit. I'm never doing it again!

Which leads to yesterday. Madison is going to high school,  so I took her school shopping. We did pretty awesome, if I do say so myself! We got a most of our stuff at American Eagle, which had a HUGE sale. I got a few things too, so it was great. My favorite thing that we got for Mad was this awesome bunny shirt! 

It is so cute on her. She couldn't wait to wear it everywhere! It was great.



We watched Olympics, and then I took her back to my dad's. I was pretty exhausted and tired from walking around the mall, and it made the swelling worse again. Not exactly the smartest thing I've done.


I also sent my 2 week notice in. August 25th is my last day at the waterpark!! Thank heavens. Life is getting pretty exciting!!! Sorry for the long post, there was simply so much to say. 

Confessions of a Lifeguard

So, I haven't had a "confessions" post in a while, and I'm not really a student for the next few months, so I thought it might be interesting to confess the truths of lifeguarding...

For those who don't know, I have worked at the Roaring Springs lifeguard for 3 summers now, so you could say I'm experienced. I know the waterpark backwards and forwards. It was really fun the last two summers, but this year is not as fun. Maybe because these things have become more noticeable...

1. Confession 1. "Do you know CPR" Is THE WORST pickup line in the world. Seriously. Of course I know CPR, and no, we don't do mouth to mouth. 
2. I have learned that there are such things as dumb questions in life, but I had no idea how bad. "Will we get wet on this ride?" is hands down the dumbest question to ask in a WATERPARK. 
3. Lifeguards are exhausted. So don't screw with us. We sit anywhere from 5-12 hours in the sun, standing, walking, lifting rafts, and holding up to 650 pounds with our calves. Our hands are raw and peeled from holding the rafts for people. Hence the lack of patience when people are irritating. 
4. Not all lifeguards use the exact same rules. On the bottom of each rules sign of each attraction there is a rule that says, "Obey the lifeguards at all times." If we aren't comfortable with your behavior, we make that a rule on the spot. If the guest becomes upset, our boss will back us up 100%. 
5. In waterparks, or anywhere that has many dangerous things, the customer is NOT always right. 
6. All of the rules or things we yell at people for have an incredible purpose. People tend to think we want them to be miserable, but every rule will save lives. Especially the "No Running" rule.
7. We really don't get paid enough for what we do. Apparently, the lifeguards got paid $11 an hour. After the economy dropped in '08, they dropped it to around minimum wage. I'm a higher level lifeguard, so I get paid a little more, but not much. This results in a need for more hours, which results in more exhaustion, which results in cranky lifeguards.
8. This one is the main thing I want all parents to know: I wouldn't trust more than half of the lifeguards to save a kid's life. I know that is terrible, but it comes with experience. This is so important to know, because we are responsible for hundreds of people. Don't expect a lifeguard to pay "extra attention" to your kid. That's your job.
9. The lifeguards clean the park at night. After the park closes, we have to pick up the trash, move the furniture back in place, sweep the towers, and clean the parking lot. It sucks, and really has taught me the importance of not littering. I've had to pick up (with gloves on, THANK HEAVENS) full diapers, underwear, alcohol containers  (which have dripped all over my legs...), rotting food, hygiene products, band-aids, and many other disturbing and inappropriate things. 
10. The water is NASTY! I am always in shock when a parent doesn't scream at their children when they drink the water. The chlorinate it a lot, and often, but I've seen what's been in there. Dead animals, used hygiene products (ewwwwww), blood, pee, poop, spit, and pretty much anything else imaginable. I'm not saying don't go in it, because it is safe, but just don't drink it. And shower when you are done. 

This is a pretty short list of things I've learned, but they definitely are important. I guess with the new job coming that has much better things (and much cleaner things), it makes it harder to work at the waterpark knowing that something better is waiting.

Don't get me wrong. I love the waterpark, and all that they have done for me. But this job is one for younger kids that have the energy to work til midnight in the freezing cold, not for "old" people like me, who prefers to go to bed at 10, and stay inside all day. Maybe it is a sign that I'm growing up, that I need an "adult" job. This job has taught me lots of things, but I'm very glad to be moving on. WOO!

Decisions, Decisions.

So, I expected to come home from school, relax, and have no stress.

WRONG!

I'm working at least 8 hours a day (which doesn't sound like too much, but it is physical work. My hands are peeling, my skin burned, and my feet ache), sleeping a LOT (which helps, but is more like recovering than relaxing), and I am making a lot of decisions. Such as which car will I get, where will I work, will I leave Idaho? Okay, so they aren't that bad. It isn't like I'm getting married or anything. But it still feels like a big decision. Especially after I made it...

So here it is. I'm getting Ken's car. And I'm moving to  Portland, to work as Curtis' "Administrative Assistant". I know, I'm a legit adult now.

It is a big decision to me, in knowing that I am leaving Nampa... Again. I'm leaving a lot of family, and although most of my friends will be gone, I will be missing when they come home for weekends. The job was what made the decision. Curtis called yesterday, and it just answered a lot of prayers. So I'm excited! I will finish with Roaring Springs, and will go there in September. I love Portland, which will make it even better!

That's pretty much it. This was more of an update kind of post, so I should probably say that I cut and dyed my hair... I'm really tan... I love the Olympics... And I am going to my family reunion in McCall next week! I'm really excited.

So I am stressed, but I'm glad to have my decisions made and my path set.

Back in the 2C

Well, let's just say I'm glad to be back home.

I will skip the stresses of the end of final week, the drive home, etc...

But I got home Thursday night, and went out to dinner with Allyson. I missed her! And my favorite Fajita Quesedilla from Jalapenos. We got some dutch and candy, then went the to theater. Surprisingly, they made us go to the actual theater listed on the ticket, instead of whichever one. It ended up being a HUGE blessing, because all of my friends were in the same theater! I saw most of them, and we all sat together and talked. It was great, because for most of us, we hadn't seen each other since graduation. It was great!

Then it began. Let me just say that no words can describe the pure genius that the movie was. It was so incredible. I LOVED it. I loved the cast (minus Anne Hathaway, who I despise, but must admit she wasn't terrible.) I loved it SOOOOOO much, I can't wait to go again.

However, I'm so sad about the Colorado shooting in one of the theaters showing the movie. How terrible it is that someone would go to hurt people that are going to the movies to have a good experience with friends and family. I can't even comprehend how awful they must feel, especially the parents of the 6 yr old. Terrible.

Anyway, I have just been with family, and did some Roaring Springs training (EXHAUSTING!). It's been great being back, and can't wait to see the rest of my family and friends!

venting time!

I thought I was stressed last week. I wasn't. Last week is nothing compared to this week.

There were a few good things that have happened: Famous Dave's for Gavin's birthday, got my nails done with Alivia, I have my Batman tickets, got lots of laundry done. That's about all the good things that happened.

Now for the stressful things that happened/are happening: Courtney. I'm not going to elaborate. Tests: I had 7 tests lined up, 3 for Anatomy, 2 for American FD, 1 for Science FD, and 1 for Biostats. I rocked my American tests, took my anatomy ones (No idea on the results), and then I am taking the rest tonight. I have to pack everything I own right now and haul it back home, just to unpack it, then repack it in a few months. Then I have to deep clean like my life depends on it. Then I have to have enough energy to go to Batman tomorrow night (which I am excited for, but it still is a stessor), only to wake up at 8am Friday and Saturday for lifeguard training, with my gear being heaven knows where. My laptop mouse pad is having a major spaz attack, making studying impossible. This along with cranky, also stressed roommates. All of this is causing a crazy migraine, which is making everything worse.

So at the moment, my life is a chaotic mess. However, it will all be worth it very soon! I'm so excited to see my family, hang out with Allyson, plan a Halloween party with Laura, get tan at the waterpark, not stress over groceries, and sit around! It'll be great! Just a few more hours...

Stress

HOLY CRAP. The past four days have been CRAZYY!!!

Saturday: Court got here! We walked around campus, got some Great Harvest Bread Co bread, and just walked around a lot. Ney got tired pretty quickly, because she wasn't used to walking up massive hills in high altitude. But it was fun! Later that night, we went and saw the Amazing Spiderman in IF w/ Makenna, Elle, Gavin, and Juan. It was so good! The lizard guy was so creepy!!! We got home, and crashed HARDCORE.

Sunday: We slept in til twelve... We were pretty tired. We went to my ward, and just chilled out at home. That's pretty much it.

Monday: It was okay. I had LOTS of studying and homework to do. I had my biostats class, and ney just sat outside for a while. We skipped FHE, just because I had so much homework. Yay for studying. And clean checks.

Tuesday- a freaking nightmare.
8:40 Get up.
9:30 go to American FD
11:30 Science FD
12:45 Book of Mormon
2 Skipped devo to finish notebook for AMFD
4:30 RUN to turn in notebook onto campus
 5-6:30 Study like crazy for my Biostats and Anatomy tests...
6:30 Tests... I'll just say I got an A for biostats!
7:45 BDUBS! It was so fun, (Gavin, Elle, Makenna, Riley, Alivia, Juan, Court, and myself) I died laughing!
11:30 More homework. Then pass out. I was exhausted.

But When I got home, there was a note that this guy came over, left his number, and wanted to call me. I knew him last semester, but apparently I didn't make it clear enough that I didn't want to go out with him. Which is really frustrating. So I'm ticked. Why can't people understand that if I don't give you my phone number or address, I don't want to talk to you????

UGHHHHHH.

To add to the stress, I have two more tests this week, packing, cleaning, finals, moving, and restarting my job next week. Kill me now.