Uh oh....

I've stumbled upon what could potentially be the greatest/most horrible thing to ever happen to me. I have discovered itunes. Yes; I am aware at how FAR BEHIND the times I am. But, the reality is I never understood it, therefore I never used it. You know, the whole "you don't like what you don't understand" thing. I just couldn't wrap my simple brain around the huge concept of ANY SONG KNOWN TO MAN being mine a the press of a button, click of a key. Guess what people...my brain has caught up, and let me just say that my ears are VERY VERY happy, but my bank account has the potential to be VERY VERY un-happy. I'm a music addict. I can't stay away. And now that I have finally discovered the ability to attain WHATEVER I want while sitting on my bed is very threatening to my financial stability. Pray for me.

Change

I never quite understood how and why returning home from a mission could be so hard. Well, I still don't know for sure...it just is. I can't explain it. Life is not the same. Even if you've got the same people surrounding you, you're looking at life through a different pair of glasses now...a different shade. Plus, most likely, changes have taken place while you've been gone. So, you've got to desperately try to find your place in this new colored, changed world. You know...I don't even really know where I'm headed with this post. So, if you're still reading, you're in for a wild ride. I just know that the tears running down my cheeks needed to express themselves. So here we are.
I watched this last night. Can we say AMAZING? I hear the book is better...so I'll be reading it SOON. But, it definately brought on some homesickness for my southern home. I LOVE the South. I LOVE it. I really wouldn't mind living there again someday. I would love to own my own big southern home, with a huge front porch...and each night I'd sit out on my porch swing or rocking chair with the ceiling fans on while look out at the fire-flies as the night gets darker with a tall glass of lemmonade in my hand. Oh how I would love it.

Anyway...change. It's coming...coming like a tornado.
My studly little brother, Kevin, is graduating in June. WEIRD. He's not even 18 yet...he'll be 18 in August. He'll work through the Summer and Fall and then head to BYU-Idaho in the Winter. We'll probably be there at the same time...WEIRD. He's like 6 1/2 years younger than I. But, it should be fun. It's just crazy that NO ONE will be left at home. My step-dad, Chuck, has been raising kids for the past 40 years. His oldest kid is 40...and Kevin's the last. WOW. Kevin's a great brother. He's got an attitude sometimes...but who doesn't. :) We have this fun tradition...who know how it started. But every Christmas Eve he and I listen to the song "Lime in the Coconut." It's so much fun. We've been doing it for years. While I was on my mission, Kayleen and Kevin listened to it while thinking of me. Tender. I hope we can keep the tradition up for years and years...even when we both have families (hopefully) we can still do it over the phone. :)

Another BIG change...
Do NOT worry. This is NOT her dress...just something she tried on for fun. My little sister, Kayleen, is getting married. Kayleen's the coolest sister. I love her sass, her style, her taste in music (maybe not for me all of the time, but I love it for her, if that makes sense) and who she's become. She's the coolest of the cool. Lucky for me, she's marrying a guy that I really like, Bobby Ulrich. Bobby and I were best friends when we were 7 and 8 years old. He and Kayleen are perfect for eachother and I'm blessed to feel extremely comfortable around them. I really enjoy spending time with them and I couldn't ask for a better brother-in-law.

Yet, I can't help feeling a little sad as the day approaches. Just because everything is CHANGING. No more threesome...me, Kayleen, and Kevin. I feel that we're a pretty close bunch of siblings, especially because of the circumstances we grew up under...the sickness of our dad, the death of our dad, the single parenting of our mother, and being thrown into a blended family. I love them tons and tons and believe that I have the best brother and sister in the world. Hopefully, as my brother and sister move on in life, I too can find my place in this world. I've been home for 9 months now...that's a whole pregnancy! I have some goals, some aspirations...so let's hope that in the next 9 months I'll have them well underway.

OH, and if you haven't commented on my post below...PLEASE do. Thanks friends. :)

Help Me

Ok people. I need your help. I'm serious. Everyone needs to come togeter to help a girl out. I NEED to know what some classic movies are. I have been in desperate need of a good movie...I mean GOOD. A movie that just leaves you in awe after seeing it. You know...a movie that has the "it" factor. The "WOW...that was amazing...I'm speachless" factor. So, I'm up for suggestions. Anyone. What are some of the classics? What are the "must see" movies...the movies that you mention to a friend and are beyond shocked when you find out he/she has not seen them??? There's a possibility I'll have seen some of the movies you suggest, but just keep the list coming. I wandered around the video store with no direction and no purpose, trying to find something that would stand out to me...and I just couldn't come up with anything. So, it can be new; it can be old. It can be color; it can be black and white. I don't care. Just give me some classics. :) Thanks friends.

The sun's out!

Gotta love the sunshine. It just feels good. And it makes me happy. I got to spend some time out in it yesterday thanks to my uncle and his need of lawn care.
Yep, I mowed the WHOLE back yard! It took me about 30 minutes...so I counted it as my exercise for the day. :) Hey...it was hard work... So, then Lacey and I decided to make a "summer" dinner to eat outside since it was so beautiful. Garden burgers, baked chips, and a yummy salad. But not before having a "summer" snack.

MMMM...nice and refreshing after hard yard work in the hot sun. :)

Brings me to tears...TEARS I tell ya

So...American Idol. It's the one show everyone in my family actually watches. I've only watched it two years...the 5th season (with Chris Daughtry, the BEST) and this season. My family watched the 6th and 7th while I was on my mission. And realistically, I've never actually watched WITH my family, because both times I've watched it, I've lived with my cousins, the Peterson family. But, we all watch it none-the-less.

Season 5 was a great season. It had amazing people with amazing talent. My whole family liked Chris Daughtry the best. And, none of us liked Taylor Hicks (who somehow managed to win.) This year, however, my family and I don't see eye to eye on the top contestants. Friends, family, and stalkers...I would like to admit that I am a BIG Adam Lambert fan. I am not a fan of his "freakiness" BUT I think he's AMAZINGLY talented. My sister, Kayleen, can't stand him. She says she wants to slit her wrists every time he sings his high notes. I, on the other hand, LOVE it when he sings his high notes. Sometimes he even brings me to tears...tears of JOY that is...I don't want you to get confused and think I mean tears of pain. :) Now, honestly I don't want him to win...just because I'm not sure he'd make the best CD. I would definately buy Allison or Kris's CDs first...but Adam is EXTREMELY talented and I really do like his voice, A LOT.

So, with that said, I'd like to share this video that I found on Youtube of him playing the part of Joshua in the Ten Commandments staring Val Kilmer as Moses. It's basically the best thing ever.

Say what you will, but the man's got talent.

Aaaaaand....We're DONE

So, it's late. I really should be in bed. But, it seems that all of my wonderful, grand ideas come late at night. My best papers are written at night, my best song/lyric ideas are created at night...and my DESPERATE desire and DRIVE to get in shape happens late at night. So...this is it. There's no turning back. I am getting my butt in gear and I'm gettin' into shape! Do you hear me people? We are DONE being un-happy about how we look in every picture and feel in every piece of clothing we own. Who am I referring to when I say "we?" Well...mostly I mean myself, but my dear dear cousin Lacey is joining me on this endeavor. While I feel she is beautiful and in shape already, she has the desire to join me, and I say more power to her because having someone do it with me ALWAYS helps me do better. And this time, we're going to SUCCEED. Right Lacey? RIGHT.

I was just sitting here...looking at some recent pics that my HOT sister posted on her facebook pageand I'm thinking..."I need to do what she's done. I need to work out. I need to make HEALTHY choices. If she can do it, I can do it." So, thank you Kayleen, for inspiring me. I have about 3 1/2 months until her big day...where I get to dress up as a bidesmaid and I'm telling you what. I am going to be ready for it. So, no more of this... I mean...Gilmore Girls will ALWAYS be in my life...but the next time you see a picture like this...carrot sticks and weights will be in our hands replacing the jelly beans and cookie dough. Seriously. WE ARE DONE. Out with the old and in with the new!

Living in Utah part 2...

I love the fact that living in Utah means being surrounded by mission buddies. Although I don't live extremely close to any of them, I have had the wonderful opportunity of seeing and hanging out with these tender eternal friends. I've loved talking and laughing about sweet sweet memories with these people.

Sista Love (now Jones) and Sista Jensen were amazing companions. I was able to meet up with them my first day in Utah. We just laughed and giggled the whole time about funny random memories. All the sisters from the MJM have southern old lady names (it's a tradition these two actually started.) Sista Love on the left is Barb, I'm Edna, and Sista Jensen on the right is Rita. Barb actually trained both Rita and me, and then Rita ended up being my follow-up trainer. So, we all have a ton of fun memories together. They taught me well, helping me have fun but achieve or exceed our goals at the same time. I love these girls, and if it weren't for the wonderful start they gave me, my mission wouldn't have been the amazing experience that it was.

Out of everyone, Sista Roach is the closest and the one I've seen the most since moving to Utah, so I'm surprised I don't have a recent picture of us together. But, I at least have this beautiful shot of her from the first day we were able to see eachother. Sista Roach, or Gerty as I like to call her, is amazing. I love this girl with all my heart. We worked our butts off together and tried hard to overcome our weaknesses during the short 6 weeks we were able to serve together. I learned a TON from this chick and admire her a great deal.

I'm so excited for next week when the girl I trained, Sista Wiechmann or "Erma," and the girl that killed me off, Sista Draper or "Beth, come home. I'm beyond excited. But something that made me even more excited for their arrival was the chance I had to spend last night and this morning with two sisters who served with both Erma and Beth.

Sista Mortensen or "Lily Mae" and Sista Brucker or "Rose" are awesome girls. I'm sad I never had the chance to serve with them. But, they were in town for the "reunion"/party we had as missionaries, and I had the honor of hosting them for the evening. We stayed up until 4 in the flippin' morning just talking about wonderful, hard, beautiful, yet painful experiences from the mission. We laughed, we cried...it was a beautiful thing. I'm so glad I was able to spend some time with these two ladies...and anticipate with them the return of our beloved Beth and Erma. :) How exciting.

I'm so thankful for my mission. It was the happiest, hardest time of my life. I had such an amazing mission filled with such unique and wonderful people and experiences. I LOVE the missionaries I was able to serve with...and even those I didn't serve with. Because there were only 7-10 sisters in my mission at one time, all of the sisters became close (through letters, exchanges or zone conferences) whether we served together or not. The Mississippi Jackson Mission will always and forever hold a very special and TENDER place in my heart.

Living in Utah...

is different than living in Portland, OR. For example, today, during my first day working at Deseret Book, that famous mormon actor, Kirby something or other, came in and did a signing for a couple of hours. While getting briefed over some procedures by the team lead, the supervisor comes in and goes, "Oh my gosh guys, Kirby so-and-so (I still can't remember his last name) is here!" Then she looks at me and is like, "Are you a Kirby fan?" And I'm like, "Kirby who?" She goes, "Kirby so-and-so...from The Best Two Years and the RM." "OH, I know who you're talking about now," I said. Then she and the rest of the girls in the store proceeded to giggle about him and how they're too nervous to talk to him. Sure, he's in a couple of movies...but it kind of amused me how EXCITED and GA-GA they were over this guy. Of course, I did get a picture with him. I mean, come on, I'm mormon, and he's a famous mormon, so why not? :) I'm happy to report that he's really nice and pretty darn funny. Working in Deseret Book is going to be fun.