Hey Brain.

Hey brain, Where are you? Remember that leisure intervention protocol that's due in 6 days? Remember how you are supposed to be researching contact theory? And the effects of inclusion on people's attitudes towards individuals with disabilities? Remember you are supposed to have a clear understanding of autism and the intervention of modern dance? Remember how you have to compile a comprehensive risk management plan for a school who needs one really badly? Remember how you are supposed to evaluate those risks and prioritize them in a risk matrix? Remember how you are supposed to put together a professional presentation? Remember how some of your group isn't doing squat. . .and you need to pick up the slack? Remember how you have to find a court case in Utah that describes a breach in someone's constitutional rights concerning recreation? Remember how you have to describe the side of the plaintiff and the defendant and say what side you agree with? Remember how you have no idea what's going on in your finance class? And you need to review stocks, bonds, and mutual funds? Remember how you have to do that take-home test on planning, and management styles, and the APIE process? Remember how you need to read that chapter in bio? And catch up on the homework assignments? And get a better understanding of how global warming is really affecting the earth you live on? Remember how general conference is this weekend. . .and you really wanted to have all of this done before it starts. . .so you can peacefully listen to a prophet's voice? Remember how you were supposed to do a lot of this last weekend. . .and you got really distracted. I let you go then, but I can't now. Please come back to me.

And stop wandering off here...

(I realize if you aren't a therapeutic recreation major... you probably won't understand the extent of the work outlined in this post. And that's okay. All you need to know is that being a certified tr specialist isn't always fun and games... and my classes are a little bit kicking my butt right now).

Friendship.

Grateful for my continued friendship with these girls. Grateful for their spirits and their smiles. Grateful for their strength and their support. Grateful for memories and laughs. Grateful that no matter where life takes us, we take a little of eachother with us.

May is for Weddings.

Seeing people in love makes me happy. I feel like spring is the season for love. I know a few couples getting married in May, but here are some that make me particularly happy.

Sam and Roxanne, May 1

I really like this mix. I can't really say I knew it right when they first started dating, but it did seem from the get-go like he made her so, so happy!

Jeremy and Stefanie, May 7  Moved to August

They met eachother the night before our wedding on a blind date. The roommates joke she was talking about him all night :) If you want to see the cutest thing, check this proposal video out.

I'm so excited for these lovelies and am sad I'll have to miss some of their wonderful events. Nonetheless, my heart twitterpates a little bit for them as I remember being where they are and feeling the rush of excitement that comes from being in love and planning for marriage.

It's not always hearts and roses, but mostly it is bliss.

Disappointment and Excitement.

A year ago around this time.. I was preparing to fly home for Holli and Abe's wedding. It was an exciting time for sure! Much to my dismay, when I arrived in San Antonio, I was informed my bags didn't make it onto the connecting flight. Dang it, Southwest! I was a little panicked because I needed my bridesmaid dress. It was really chaotic, but I ended up being able to pick up my luggage the next day at the airport about an hour or two before I needed it. For my inconvenience, Southwest issued me a travel voucher of $50. Score! I was excited. The disappointing part of the blog title post is that I have forgotten to use it everytime I've flown in the past year, and now it's too late. The silly voucher expires on April 1, 2010. I was so excited to use it for jd's flight to Washington DC! Gah. The exciting part of the title is that I'm going to San Antonio in a monnnth. My old roommate and good friend Stefanie is getting married on the 7th of May and I really wanted to stay in Utah for that. The problem was.. I'm done with finals on April 21 and that's basically 2 weeks of dead time, where I'm not doing anything. JD was planning on leaving like May 2 or 3 to go to DC and start knocking. I'm thinking to myself... this is a little ridiculous. I don't want to be a bum! And then I had this brilliant idea that I could go home during that time. In my thought process, I realized it was probably unrealistic for me to pay to fly from SLC to SA, back to SLC, and from SLC to DC in about a week's time frame. I kindof pushed the idea away, not wanting to get my hopes up. However, I brought it up to jd and he seemed really supportive. He suggested I talk it over with my mom. Naturally, she thought it was brilliant and talked to my dad. I said we could possibly split the cost. My dad said they would pay for my flights there and back and it could be my birthday present! Whoo-hoo. How exciting :) The sad part is that jd can't manage to come with me and we'll be a part for a week and a half. But mostly, I'm really happy because I didn't know when I would get to see my family again... and now.. it's really soon! So thanks, parents, for funding my wishes, and thanks, husband, for supporting my wishes and sacrificing our time together. I'm a little giddy. Siblings, begin planning our adventures. :)

A Marriage Questionnaire

I recently finished the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. I picked up the book in a used bookstore over a year ago when I was searching for textbooks. The copy I have is battered and worn and some of the pages are falling out. I thought the book was overall very good. Written in the 1930's, it is supposedly one of the most influential books of all time (according to one of my professors, it changed his life. i can't actually remember which one said that though...) Nonetheless, it gives practical advice and tips concerning ways to make friends, increase your popularity, win people to your way of thinking, increase your ability to get things done, handle complaints, avoid arguments, and make you both a better speaker and a more entertaining conversationalist. I really enjoyed the language Carnegie used and the little stories and examples he gave to illustrate his points. The last section of the book, Seven Rules for Making Your Home Life Happier, included a questionnaire reprinted from a 1933 article, "Why Marriages Go Wrong," by Emmet Crozier. I would like to share the questionnaire with you because it really made me think of how I can improve my interactions with both my husband and my other friends and associates. Maybe you'll find it interesting as well.

The first section is for husbands. I would really rather not type out all those questions.

Here is the section for wives.

1. Do you give your husband complete freedom in his business affairs, and do you refrain from criticizing his associates, his choice of a secretary, or the hours he keeps?

2. Do you try your best to make your home interesting and attractive?

3. Do you vary the household menu so that he never quite knows what to expect when he sits down to the table?

4. Do you have an intelligent grasp of your husband's business so you can discuss it with him helpfully?

5. Can you meet financial reverses bravely, cheerfully, without criticizing your husband for his mistakes or comparing him unfavourably with more successful men?

6. Do you make a special effort to get along amiably with his mother or other relatives?

7. Do you dress with an eye for your husband's likes and dislikes in colour and style?

8. Do you compromise little differences of opinion in the interest of harmony?

9. Do you make an effort to learn games your husband likes, so you can share his leisure hours?

10. Do you keep track of the day's news, the new books, and new ideas, so you can hold your husband's intellectual interest?

These questions really triggered my thinking as I've pondered lately ways to improve as a wife, a sister, a friend, and a person.

If I could, I would...

be a photographer.

I wish I took more pictures. I wish I knew how to use fancy lenses that create beautiful images and capture all the wonder life has to offer. I wish I could take snapshots of people in love, and families who are ridiculously happy. I just realized that we went to the freakin Caribbean and came back with hardly any pictures at all. When are we ever going to do that again? I wish I knew the art of photography. I wish I was better at capturing the moments that make me happy. I wish I was one of those girls that walks around with their fancy, pretty camera always ready to snap a priceless moment.

But, I don't know where to start.

Snowboarder.

I married a snowboarder. He loves to play in the snow. Sometimes he doesn't wear sunscreen and has a goggle burnline... and he looks kindof funny for about a week. But he definitely has some mad skills.

(And I still think he's dang cute.)

So many blogs, so little time.

Whenever I sit down and say I am going to study or review or write a paper on the computer, I get distracted. I have no self control. I want to look at blogs. I click on links to links to links and end up admiring someone somewhere's creations. I could do it for hours. Here's a little idea I've rolled over in my head lately: 

I don't have to stop when I have a degree in Therapeutic Recreation.

I could keep going. I could be a double major in art. I could dance. I could take lots of classes I haven't taken because I was too afraid to. I want to be an artist, but I don't know how. And "the people" over at the Harris Fine Arts Center said I couldn't take classes until I'd been accepted to the art program. I want to paint and I want to draw. I almost feel like I missed my calling in life. I don't know what to do. I also feel like right now we can't afford the supplies I need to start a new hobby on the side. I don't even have any idea what supplies I would need.

The quickest way to make money is to knock doors and convince people they need an alarm system. I have no excuses now; my license to sell came in the mail on Tuesday and I picked up my ID badge last night. JD and I are going on Saturday. I am scared out of my mind.

Loyal, strong, and true.

Did you know BYU is the most popular national university in the US? I didn't. But it's a pretty awesome trivia fact of the day, if you ask me. I am grateful for my opportunity to study and learn here. I wish my husband went to BYU, too. I think we would get to see eachother a lot more than we do now. Often times I think about how different my life would be if I had chosen to go to UT, which is really the only other college I ever considered. I would have to try a lot harder to make the right decisions. I would have to explain my lifestyle a lot more. I would probably get in more political arguments. Also, I would be a lot closer to my family. I would be able to see my grandparents. I would play with these people.

I miss them. We skyped the other day and it made me really happy! I realize what a terrible friend I've been over the last few years in terms of keeping up with their lives. I think I would have a lot of fun if I lived in Austin. I think my heart would be content in Texas. In fact, I feel the pull home quite frequently. I really hope we move back sometime in the next few years...

But for now, I am trying to finish strong at BYU. In the next few weeks, I will register for my last semester of college classes. I'll do an internship next winter, and then I'll graduate. FROM COLLEGE. Someone pinch me, please. This is so unreal.

Happy Birthday Morgie.

I have really beautiful sisters. Like long-haired, make-me-jealous, everything-I-wasn't sisters. They are both so much more trendy and fashionable than I was at 15. And especially more than I was at 12. It's so weird to live far away from them as they're growing up, because everytime I go home they seem taller, and older, and prettier. Today is Morgan's 12th birthday. She cut her hair off, but I don't know how it looks in real life. She has boyfriend, but I don't know any stories. She's in 6th grade, but I don't know what her life's like. It's all so unreal. I remember being in 6th grade. I liked Ross Hruska, and Steven Barrow liked me. I had a locker next to a girl named Michelle who cursed all the time. I was on Team Kaleidoscope. I wore big glasses and pigtails. I cheated on a test and told my teacher the next day. She gave me half credit. I wanted to be cool like Sterling. I don't feel like it was that long ago, definitely not 9 years. But it's true. My family is growing up. My sisters are both really old. And so am I.

But, it's really comforting to know that no matter what...

we love eachother.

(Ps. There's some pictures of Lindsey by herself because I just think they're cool and thought they were appropriate for a post about sisters growing up. I wish I had some of Morgan, but she doesn't have a Facebook for me to steal them from.)

But the point is... today is Morgan's 12th birthday. I worked hard to make her something that I hope she likes. I'm still not sure how I am going to get it to Texas though. I love Morgie. She is happy and fun. She is always smiling. She's a good helper around the house and she's a really good comforter. I can remember some times in high school when I was really sad that she came into my room just to love me and cry with me. She tries really hard to do the right thing. She has oodles of friends. JD and I brought her lunch to school over Christmas break, and she was definitely one of the prettiest girls in 6th grade. She's a rockstar soccer player and is dedicated to her team. She's always working to improve. She loves bright colors, and her room is the cutest. I want her bedspread, but I don't think JD would let me. She's tall and skinny. Her smile is big and beautiful. She says quirky things that make me laugh. She's incredibly smart. She gets really good grades.She's very diligent... and I still can't believe she's twelve!

Happy Birthday Morgie. I love you.

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas.

We went to Vegas for my old roommate's mission farewell. She was called to Argentina to teach people about the Gospel and Christ and how they can be so happy! We are so excited for her. She is already rocking it at the Missionary Training Center. We love Kas. The trip was over the weekend of Valentine's Day. It was wonderful to spend the time with the people I love.

JD was jammin on the way there.
This is us on the way.
We ate at Applebee's.

And went to a cactus garden

that was decorated for Valentine's Day!

I thought it was so cool to be in front of the famous Vegas sign!

At the Bellagio. So pretty :)

This is us at Circus Circus at an amazing acrobat show.

We had such a wonderful time. We love these people.

I blessed with such incredible friends!

Elder Batey.

This picture was taken my senior year. These are some of my very favorite people from high school. Holli and I were inseparable my first few years of high school. We pretty much did everything together, and I loved it. So many of my favorite memories are with her. Even though she was a year older, I never felt that gap. I'm actually closer in age to her younger brother Austin, which is weird. I thought I was going to die when she left for college a year before me. It was hard at first, but then I got really close to Angela. And Leah, too. We had a lot of happy times. Those two girls were by my side all throughout my rollercoaster relationship with Stephen. And then... well, there was Jordan. Looking back, I have to laugh at myself for the totally overdramatic, completely insensible, utterly hopeless crush I had on him. For pretty much all of high school and a little after that too. Anyone who knew me well knew I daydreamed incessantly about the possibility of him finally admitting he'd been in love with me for as long as I'd been in love with him. We were good friends. We did tons of stuff together. He asked me to a couple dances, and I always tried to read into it... like "he really likes me," "he secretly wants me," or "he's too afraid if he tells me the truth, it'll ruin our friendship." Honestly, I think he always just thought of me as a friend. But I definitely loved him... and the thing is... he really isn't that cool!

Haha. But the whole point of this post is that he comes home from his mission to Oregon on THURSDAY! Really? I can hardly believe it. Time goes by so fast. I was a pretty good friend for about the first half of his mission, and wrote him at least once or twice a month... but then life got busy and I started dating JD and then we got married... and then the whole writing missionaries thing didn't seem quite as cool anymore. Haha, but seriously. I'm excited to see him again. I'm not sure when that'll be. But I am grateful for him and his friendship.

Ps. Looking at this picture really makes me miss these girls too! High school was so fun. :)

Racing.

In early February, we went on a date go-kart racing. It was a Platinum sponsored event and we were excited because it was FREE. (Sometimes it's really hard to try and live on a budget!)

It was way fun. Of course, JD was a rockstar and got the fastest speed out of everyone in our race. I was super angry because my kart kept stopping and the worker guy had to come over about 3 times to re-start my engine. You can imagine how that would throw off my game! Seriously! We had a good time though. JD's brother Tyler came too with his girlfriend, Mikella. She got really angry after the first race and didn't want to go again. I almost waited out with her too because I was pretty frustrated. But the Knowlden boys convinced us to go out again!

[Jd ready to race!]