Amazing

click here for originals

Another Funny Thing

I'm sure Davey loves this:

I'm finally coming to accept that I have curly hair.

The strongest evidence - it takes less than 1/3 of the time to put a little gel in and diffuse it than it does to run curling irons over it to make it straight without being frizzy.

Yesterday I thought it looked pretty good.

Today it looks something like this:

I'm still learning.

Don't worry, I didn't leave it down.

Thank heaven for rubber bands.

Artwork

I've had a long-time secret desire to be an artist (not necessarily for pay, I'd just like to know how to draw). Even though I've never been able to draw. These engineering meetings provide quality practice time.

Lest I be accused of not paying attention... check this out.

Feel free to guess what they are -

At first I left the face blank because I have a hard time drawing faces, and then I decided to attempt it (the meeting just wouldn't end) and ended up scribbling it out.

Unusual...

Never thought I'd see a sign like this at BYU:

modeling done by Miss Sharla

It Doesn't Matter How Often I See This

I always laugh.

You know what happens if you forget to add your signature

to one piece of paper before copying it?

You end up adding your signature to a whole lot of papers...

Oops

Last night I almost put this:

on my face.

Instead of this:

I barely caught myself and smoothed it through my hair instead.

I think my hair was very pretty while I slept.

Forgive Me. I Just Found Out How to Embed Videos...

Love this.

Wow. So True.

Do You Remember When I Did This?

That was fun.

I love the music from "The Secret Garden" (Mandy Patinkin [Anigo Montoya for you "The Princess Bride" fans] has an incredible voice).

Here's one of my favorite songs:

courtesy of Watford Area Arts Forum

MARTHA:
What you've got to do is
Finish what you have begun,
I don't know just how,
But it's not over 'til you've won!

When you see the storm is coming,
See the lightning part the skies,
It's too late to run-
There's terror in your eyes!
What you do then is remember
This old thing you heard me say:
"It's the storm, not you,
That's bound to blow away."

Hold on,
Hold on to someone standing by.
Hold on.
Don't even ask how long or why!
Child, hold on to what you know is true,
Hold on 'til you get through.
Child, oh child!
Hold on!

When you feel your heart is poundin',
Fear a devil's at your door.
There's no place to hide-
You're frozen to the floor!
What you do then is you force yourself
To wake up, and you say:
"It's this dream, not me,
that's bound to go away."

Hold on,
Hold on, the night will soon be by.
Hold on,
Until there's nothing left to try.
Child, hold on, There's angels on their way!
Hold on and hear them say,
"Child, oh child!"

And it doesn't even matter
If the danger and the doom
Come from up above or down below,
Or just come flying
At you from across the room!

When you see a man who's raging,
And he's jealous and he fears
That you've walked through walls
He's hid behind for years.
What you do then is you tell yourself to wait it out
And say it's this day, not me,
That's bound to go away.

Child, oh hold on.
It's this day, not you,
That's bound to go away!

It's Like Magic!

Cure for hiccups (weird that you can spell that hiccough too):

As soon as they begin, think of a cow. Within the first or second hiccup, picture a cow and they will go away.

It doesn't matter what kind of cow or what the cow is doing.

I was a non-believer once.

Now I believe.

I'm Always Slow Responding to Tags...

Katie tagged me here, and I'm just now getting to it.

"The Five Senses"
(or 6 if you are one of the weird ones)

You list 4 things you love, and one thing you hate, for each category. Then tag people, leave them a note on their blog so they know. Also, let the person who tagged you know when you post yours. Enjoy!

Sight
1 - sunrise/sunset
2 - blossoms budding
3 - a clean kitchen
4 - smiling baby
hate - animal carcasses on the side of the road

Sound
1 - water - brooks, waterfalls, etc
2 - train whistles
3 - a beautiful male singing voice (like I mentioned here)
4 - sissel (if you haven't heard her, you should make it a point to. her voice is not of this earth.)
hate - the sound of a car accident, the crunching of cars

Touch
1 - soft blankets
2 - a niece or nephew's hand holding mine
3 - new baby skin
4 - snake skin (I just think it's cool)
hate - raw meat

Taste
1 - bread fresh from the oven - especially the crust
2 - mangoes - good ones... it's hard to find good ones in the States
3 - persimmons (short season - which makes me enjoy them more)
4 - tim tams (an Australian treat)
hate - mushrooms & olives

Smell
1 - blossoms (especially if you smell them before you see them)
2 - fresh cut grass
3 - bread baking
4 - honeysuckle
hate - fish

I tag... Bess, Caitlin, Faith, Jen, and Jennie B. (L) ( :

He:

is a brilliant actor.

And he:

is also wonderful.

Both of which make this:

a movie well worth watching.

I Can't Decide Which One I Like Best

check it out here

Recent Conversation

Linda - "Warm all this week and then Monday -" (makes a diving motion with her hand)

me - "Why?"

L - "Storm."

me - "Snow?"

L - "Yes."

me - "Wow."

I Would Definitely Watch...

Due to the popularity of the "Survivor" shows, Texas is planning to do one entitled, "Survivor, Texas-Style."

The contestants will all start in Dallas, then drive to Waco, Austin, San
Antonio, over to Houston and down to Brownsville. They will then proceed up to Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Odessa, Lubbock and Amarillo. From there they will go on to Abilene, Fort Worth and finally back to Dallas.

Each will be driving a pink Volvo with bumper stickers that read: "I'm Gay," "I Love the Dixie Chicks," "Boycott Beef," "I Voted for Obama," "George Strait Sucks," "Hillary in 2012" and "I'm here to confiscate your guns."

The first one to make it back to Dallas alive wins.

I just heard that I was accepted into the Master of Public Health program for this Fall! Yay!!! I'm so excited!

Yesterday I Ran...

miles.

And then I played this -

for two hours.

My body is tired, my legs are sore, I'm really stiff whenever I stand up and start moving.

I'd like to just lay in bed. Watching Sabrina.

All day.

But I won't.

I'm Tired

Here's proof:


I wore them for 10 minutes around the house and then walked out with them on. The only thing that clued me in was that one of them clicked and the other didn't. At first, I thought it was how I was walking. So I walked differently. Nothing changed. I looked down.

Blast.

A week of horribly sleep-deprived nights will do that to you.
(I try to sleep, and early too, I just can't for some reason.)

"It's easy to be a cardinal, when your cousin is the pope."

a quote from this book.

Very interesting story.

Lessons Learned

Since it's her "birthday month," - and because I was thinking about some of these things today - I decided to list some things I've learned from Bethany over the years.

Here, in no particular order - and in no way to be viewed as a complete list - are some of the things I've learned:

If you rub cooking oil along the top of the pot before you boil water for pasta, the water will never boil over.

If you put celery in water and keep it in the fridge it stays crispy.

It's okay to stop cooking/cleaning/etc. and rock out with your kids to Shania Twain.

Being able to call the Dave Ramsey show and yell, "I'm Debt Free!!!" is something to look forward to.

Wearing skirts, high heels, and make-up is a good thing.

Sometimes the best books are the ones that make you cry.

It's okay to "go hollywood." even when the neighbors might be watching

Thanks Bess!

Morning Goop

Looks delicious, no?

Ingredients:

fresh spinach
frozen fruit mix
pineapple frozen concentrate
banana
water

blend, serve, enjoy!

A Follow-Up

Jennie, I loved the quote you left in the comments so I'm putting it here.

"I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the 'highest place of honor' in the Church and in the world. One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it."

--James E. Faust, "Womanhood: The Highest Place of Honor", Ensign, May 2000, 95

I'm feeling a little anxious over the upcoming weekend.

I'll explain.

I've been doing so well this past week with my eating, sleeping, and exercising habits. I'm a little nervous at the thought of being at home for the majority of the weekend with food so easily at my disposal... I'll need to buckle down even harder to ignore what I don't need and eat only what I need.

Wish me luck.

I Like This -

the words we speak and think hold great sway over the kind of life that we create for ourselves. many people live their lives plagued by negative thoughts and never even realize this. they tell themselves and others that they are doomed to fail, not good enough, or not worthy of love, yet they are amazed when their reality starts reflecting these words. just as the subconscious mind accepts as truth the critical statements we tell ourselves, however, it is also equipped to instantly accept the veracity of our affirmations.

affirmations are statements chosen and spoken consciously. once they enter our realm of consciousness, they also enter our subconscious mind where they have the power to change our lives. the affirmations you create should be specific, not too long, worded positively, formed in complete sentences, and spoken in the present tense as if what you are affirming is already true. it is a good idea to repeat your affirmations daily. you may want to tell yourself that you deserve to be happy or that you are in control of your destiny. or, you may want to focus on a particular goal, such as attracting new friends. rather than telling yourself you want to be well-liked, say, “i am well-liked.” your subconscious mind will pick up on these positive messages, and you will begin to live your life as if what you are affirming already has happened. soon, your reality will begin to reflect your affirmations. if you find that you are thwarting yourself with negative thinking, try repeating ! your affirmations several times a day. write your affirmations down and say them aloud or in your mind. allow your conviction to grow stronger each time you say your affirmations, and your negativity will be overridden by your motivation and positive thoughts.

affirmations are a powerful tool for creating our desired reality. we consciously and subconsciously invite opportunity into our lives when we say affirmations. trust in the power of your affirmations, and you will very quickly create what you have already stated to be true.

from dailyOM

Burn Out

I've drastically changed my lifestyle this past week. I'm a little worried about burning myself out.

I think the key is getting enough sleep.

(how is this possible???)

If I continue getting at least 8 hours a day (it's been absolutely wonderful!) then I should have enough energy to keep on with the exercise and healthy eating...

More Isn't Always Better...

Sometimes It's Just More.

(I think you get a bazillion points for naming that movie
[clue] because it's maybe my favorite...)

The last few days I've gone from this:


to this:
Thoughts?

... And I'm Feelin' Good!

(look at one of the videos on the right for the reference - love that song!)

It's day three of the "healthy living plan" that I'm determined to follow for the next three months (it's all in prep for the marathon - I need as much help as I can get).

A sneak glance was seen in one of the meeting "notes" I posted.

Here's a quick rundown:

running 3x/wk (Sat - distance runs - non-negotiable)

pilates/yoga 3x/wk (and on mw if running doesn't happen)

no candy

desserts - twice a week MAX

follow eat to live better (fruits and vegetables)

8 hours of sleep a night

no elevator, only stairs (pretty good at this, but sometimes I feel lazy...)

So far (keep in mind, I'm two and a half days into this) I'm feeling great. Really, really great. I noticed a difference on Monday but wasn't sure if it was just in my head or not. I don't think it is. My body is just feeling better because of what I'm doing and not doing. I love it. I didn't get 8 hours of sleep on Sunday (having a friend over for dinner kind of made it a late night) so I didn't wake up early Monday (I prefer exercising in the morning if possible) but I did exercise shortly after getting home from work. I didn't really feel like running, so I did the biggest loser boot camp dvd. Just the first level. Yeah... I was feeling it.

Yesterday morning I woke up early and did yoga.

This morning I woke up early and ran just under two miles (big news from the run - my foot didn't hurt at all!!!).

Monday and Tuesday I have gotten to bed early enough to get 8 hours of sleep even waking up early. It's fantastic.

Why I Love Being a Woman

In no particular order:

- the ability the close the car door, a drawer, etc. with a(n) (oh-so-graceful) thrust of my hip
- the ability to open doors that have a push bar or lever with the same thrust of my hip
- the ability to hold babies and toddlers propped up on... said hip

(I'm really not obsessed with hips... read on...)

- being a more natural nurturer (I love that women are predisposed towards being able to discern someone's feelings and respond in a caring way)
- being able to have long nails that you can paint in pretty ways (my favorite is the french manicure - thanks to Bethany for helping me with my very first one for her wedding)
- being able to have long hair that you can make look pretty in various ways
- wearing skirts (I used to hate skirts. during my mission I came to love them. I own lots of them.)
- being able to cry when watching movies (doesn't mean I don't get embarrassed when I get caught, and it used to bug me that I'd cry, but I'm becoming grateful for the ability to show emotion like that)
- accepting the gentlemanly actions of gentleman (this one, I love. of course I'm capable of opening a door for myself, but that's not what it's about. it's about allowing others who care to "take care" of you... or show consideration for you. I love it.)
- being soft-spoken (I'm not always as soft-spoken as I'd like to be, but I love hearing pretty speech and I'd like to get better at having pretty speech)
- wearing make-up (another thing I used to hate having to worry about. it wasn't until three years ago, at Bethany's encouragement, that I started actually learning how to do it. It's nice to be able to enhance whatever natural beauty you have... and cover up those not so beautiful blemishes...)
- having girl-talks
- the ability to have babies (of course, I haven't experienced this myself, but I love that I'm capable of creating life and nurturing growth)
- being feminine and graceful (another thing I'm working on and am far from perfecting, but I love that the possibility is there)
- being able to throw your hair up, tie on some sneakers and go for a 20-mile run, then return home, shower, and make yourself all pretty for an evening out
- wearing lotion and other things that make you smell nice

It's a far from comprehensive list, just a start. But I really do love being a woman. I have a roommate who's a self-proclaimed feminist. I think I may be considered anti-feminist, and by the use of the word in today's society, I'm perfectly okay with that. Men and women are different, and the differences should be celebrated.

I Love Being a Woman.