2008 Recapped :)

Two days until 2009! I am feeling the need to recap my life for the last year. Be excited!

January - Blah
February - More of Blah
March - Ew
April - Skipping finals week to go to Zions with my family. Not something I would recommend for most serious students but I just had to get away.

Angels Landing. Scariest hike I have ever been on. Having a 3,000 foot cliff be right next to you while holding onto a chain, climbing and making sure that my 9 year old sister and 12 year old brother were safe... so much fun!!



May - Long boarding and more long boarding. Granted my board was the slowest thing to ever grace Provo Canyon but I still loved it. Also, being an extra on HSM 3 and getting to see Zac Efron in person. Wowzers.

Taren and I on the set of HSM 3. Yes that is Corbin and Zac in the background.

June - New York, Boston, Salem, Wicked, awesome outfits (pink and purple tights, crazy tube socks and bright colors), Times Square, Haunting Tour in a thunder storm, Empire State Building, Shopping in China Town, back rooms and Maine.



Casco ME, CLS, Animal Game, Ha, Bob the Weasel, "How to Live a Better Life", Whippoorwills, Wal Mart, Thatchers, sleeping in a hotel while while the rest of the counselors slept in a field and got drunk, Hannah Montana Superhero at a slumber party, accidentally kissing Mush, The Hole and my first session campers :)



July - Spirit Day, Blue Sharks, Bye Bye Birdie, The Spot, sleeping in Jo's car (every twenty minutes... "Why are we here????" in a whiny voice), Old Orchard Beach, knock off Louise Vuitton watch, S'mores, Pontoon Boats, Departure Day, Doves, EED, CCP, Twilight (not the book!), Kaylie and Kaitlin and rain!



August- Boston Red Socks, wandering around Boston by myself, first time on a subway by myself, being ready to go home, being sick for a week straight, Thanksgiving dinner... again, syrup on everything, Booth Bay Harbor, whale watching, a little unknown beach, almost getting stranded a half a mile out in the Atlantic Ocean, Chinese Restaurant, second session campers, more rain and finally going home!


September - My first month back in 'real life', working in the Sandy Office, my 23rd birthday, Taren leaving for Russia, Scott, guitar lessons, floating down the Provo River, BYU football, moving into Glenwood with Steph, making a Hannah Montana music video, tumbling at All American, the big 'dance party' in Reams parking lot with Sarah, Sarah and I trying to go on a 'diet' and failing miserably and Devin kissing me.

My family at the Cheesecake Factory on my birthday

October - Me trying to convince myself and others that I didn't want a boyfriend, more BYU football, working in the Orem Office with Steph, HSM 3, Going to Logan and seeing Heather, getting a flu shot, Disney Land, riding around Disney Land in a wheel chair, texting Devin, watching Sleeping Beauty and Mulan, finally telling Devin that we could date and being an awesome vampire for Halloween.



November - Mooooore BYU football, being really happy, babysitting my siblings for ten days while my parents were in Hawaii, swimming at the AF Rec, Frosty's, Nancy Drew, a real Thanksgiving dinner, going to Salina and meeting Devins' grandparents and Twilight coming out into theaters and sucking bad.


December - Making sugar cookies and macaroni and cheese, Vegas Bowl, going to Temple Square twice, Spaghetti Factory (also twice), Blindman Christmas Party, snow, going to the gym with Sarah and Steph, working... lots, signing up for 2009 classes, reading HP 1 again, Christmas, being sick on Christmas, getting the best gifts ever, going to see Marley and Me (so good), Uncle DeVere coming up from CA, being a Shepard in our family nativity, Brick Oven and being excited for 2009!

Creativity at it's Finest

My little sisters are the cutest things in the world! I don't know what I would do without them. Yesterday, a choir that they are in was singing at a sacrament meeting down in Provo. Devin and I went to hear them sing and afterwards I let them ride up with me to our house in Alpine. Both Elizabeth and Allie were in the back seat and I was in the front seat. They were being suspiciously quiet so I looked back to see what they were doing. This is what I saw:



I had given them Twizzlers to eat on the ride up :) When we reached our home I had to get in on the action.

Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

My wonderful 20 year old brother is on an LDS mission in Toronto Canada! He left October 10, 2007 and will be coming home sometime in October 2009! I can't wait to have him home! Growing up it felt like Andrew was my other half... my obstinate, annoying, smart alec half but still... (haha kidding.) We did everything together! From building huts in empty lots, selling food, biking to the AF recreational center, water fights, I think I was even able to con him into playing house with me a few times, one time I KNOW that I conned him into being in my musical, Greece, in our basement, and I think I even curled his hair at times! Most all of my memories from when I was younger involve Andrew and our little sister Stephanie.

The point of this post is that I miss my brother. But I am so proud of him! I can't even imagine dropping everything in my life for two years and going out to teach other people something that I know to be true. But he, and many other 19 year old boys, did it! And continually do it! Good job!!

Here is a website that my dad has made for my brother:

http://www.creoad.com/missionary/

You should all write him... either emails or letters are fine. He would appreciate it :)

Publish My Love by Rogue Wave

So I don’t usually talk about guys that I’m dating in my blog. There are a few reasons for this: #1. I don’t have any clue as to what to say about them at all! Example: So I'm dating this guy. He's great. The end. Booooring. #2. People don’t want to read about my mushy love life. (But believe me for the past year there really hasn’t been that much mush. Not until recently at least. Hhaa.) and finally #3. What if it is just a little fling that doesn’t last very long… do I want them memorialized in my blog? Nope.

Anyways, I’m going to go out on a limb here and introduce all of my two faithful readers to my boyfriend: Devin.

Devin and I at Temple Square last weekend.

Devin was my home teacher last year when I lived at Carriage Cove. I don’t think that he ever actually taught me anything though. (Not then at least.) Him and his roommate Sam would come over a lot though under the pretense that they were going to teach us something. Sometimes we would go do things too… like one time we went to Del Taco, and another time we went to Cold Stone (I think this is because I owed him ice cream because I had kissed someone. Hm), and another time we went to a movie, I think the movie was Baby Mama, very funny.

– I would like to take a second and congratulate myself on that last sentence. It had 4 comma’s and a few ‘…’s. Awesome.

Anyways, I went to Maine last summer and we texted sometimes (As much as I was allowed to text anyways.) Then when I got home he asked me to go to Del Taco with him and as we were sitting in his car waiting for my sister he kissed me! I was super mad at him because that just changes the dynamic of everything. Gr.

Apparently I ended up being okay with him kissing me.

My Love

I love music.

Music is my passion. (One of them at least) I don’t understand how people cannot care for music very much. Music is perfect for any mood because there are so many different types of music! I love concerts! I haven’t been to one in way way too long. (A couple months at least.) Most of my favorite bands I have seen in concert. These concerts consist of a small room where bodies are packed in so tightly you can smell everyone around you. When the guy in front of you has really bad BO believe me, you know.

Here are some songs that I am loving today!

Ben Folds – You Don’t Know Me

Starting Line – Best of Me (I think this song has been on my ‘list’ for about five years.)

Augustana – Boston (I fell in love with this song on the way to Boston. Seriously)

The Shins – Australia

Imogen Heap – Hide and Seek

Silverstein – Your Sword vs. My Dagger

Maroon 5 – Human

Rise Against – Give it All (Also on ‘the list’ for years)

Secondhand Serenade – Fall For You

Fall Out Boy – Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet

Brand New – Seventy Times Seven

Enjoy!

Who Loves You More

So I was searching for a song by The Starting Line because, 1. I love this song, 2. I didn't know the name of it and I wanted to make sure I had it on my I Tunes. I came across this blog posted on Feb. 8 of this year by a blogger on MSN... (I couldn't find the name.)

Now I'm not at this place in my life anymore. Not even close! But had I come across this at about the time that this blog was written I would have related perfectly! It's always nice to be reminded that when you are having hard times in your life you are not the only one. You aren't alone. So I copied and pasted the post. I hope I'm not plagiarizing. :(

**

Being generous and turning the other cheek is always hard for anyone. You can be as zen or taoist or Christ-like or [insert your model for unselfish behavior here] and it still hurts to watch the world keep revolving when some shock or loss keeps your mind standing still.

Maybe it's that I haven't yet reached that limit of loss. Perhaps there is some floor you have to hit, some threshold where numbness envelops and stillness settles you to its chest. I feel I've been there before and it isn't the lack pain I'm longing. Pain is living, another breath is another moment I shouldn't waste. No, I the return to normalcy is my hearts need. That infusion of passion from facing the future and feeling free, no foundering or fragility.

I know where my confidence should be. I just can't push through. There is to much Me in me today.

I can't wait for this to end
And leave tonight behind us
I'm unsettled letting go of you
And sleeping the night in silence

This letdown falls along with me
Onto my bed while rolling over
So break my heart or break my fall
Don't kiss him or cover all
The memories you had of me

The last time I saw you
You were standing by his side
The last time you saw me
Was through your closed eyes
As I'm waiting by the phone

He loves you
Who loves you more?
To let you go

He loves you
Who loves you more?
To let you go

I can't wait until my heart mends
So I can finally go outside
And I tell myself, "Well Ken
It's better to have lost love
Than to paint a smile and pretend."

The last time I saw you
You were standing by his side
The last time you saw me
Was through your closed eyes as I'm waiting by the phone

He loves you
Who loves you more?
To let you go

He loves you
Who loves you more?
To let you go

The last time I saw you
You were standing by his side
The last time you saw me
Was in a crumpled photograph that missed the bin

He loves you
Who loves you more?
To let you go

-- Decisions, Decisions from A Goodnight's Sleep by The Starting Line