Thursday, September 30, 2010

Sitting and Thinking About....

*a trip to Europe...the Eiffel tower, Paris at night, floating in the river in Venice on a tiny boat, Italy, Rome, Greece...next summer

*dancing in a fountain, jumping in puddles, running through water parks with friends

*hope, love, courage....courage to be, to be me, to be strong, to be enough

*Disneyland, the magic, the laughter, the fun, the adventure....the memories

*the old the new, the forgotten and the found, the loved and the lost

*warm summer nights with laughter, baseball, stars...

*lake powell, the night sky, the milky way, friends, songs on guitars, roasting marshmallows, green socks.....

*ones that math your eyes, butt rocket boys, salad shakers, and smothered burritos....

*bad dates, entertaining dates, good dates.....future dates

*who I am, who I'm not, who i want to be...where were you....where was I

*music, song, words, meaning....together they create a feeling

*feelings inspired by others, by memories, by experiences, by life....

*life in general, young, old, past, future, present, life right now....

*what life are you living, whose life are you living, why are you living this life, is it your life...

*rough nights, old memories, old hurt, old fights.....hold tight, its alright

*a song in the background, soundtracks, theme music, my own soundtrack to life

*funny noises, random comments, animation, cartoons, duck tales, goof troop, monster mash...

*Halloween, jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treat, candy, costumes, witches, vampires, werewolf's, mummeys, bats, dark nights, haunted houses, scared, screams.....

*what to be for Halloween, need costume, old, new, scary? ummmm.....shopping

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wondering

Do you ever just sit and wonder? Wonder about things, days, events, life in general? I do. There are many a times where I find that I just sit and wonder about things. I find myself wondering about things when I drive, when I go shopping (which can be pretty entertaining because I will just stand and stare at the products until I stop wondering) when I go to bed (this seems to be a problem because when I wonder in bed I tend not to go to sleep) and sometimes I find myself wondering just when I stare out the window or look up at the sky. For me, wondering seems to be a daily occurrence.

With all of this time spent wondering some of you might think that I would run out of things to wonder about. But alas, that is not the case. For it seems that the more that I wonder the more I find that there is to wonder about, and therefore..it just never stops. I fear that I will always be a wonderer. But even if that is the case, I do quite enjoy it. Therefore, I figured that I would share some of my wonderings with you. So here is a list of a few of things that I have wondered about before.

*I wonder about zippers and why when you move a metal piece up and down the zipper will go together and separate, but you can't seem to make it connect with using your fingers.

*I wonder about the phrase "new and improved" because how can something be new if it is improved upon because that means it already existed, and then how can something be improved upon if it is new, because if it is new then there was nothing to be improved upon?

*I wonder about who got to name all of the stars in the sky and decide what stars made what figures.

*I wonder about the names of objects, such as gazebo or galoshes...I mean really, who came up with that? And who got to choose how they were spelled?

*I wonder about my future and what life holds in store for me.

*I wonder how I am still alive after all of the crazy and stupid things I have done throughout my life.

*I wonder who went around and tried all of the foods to determine whether they were safe to eat or not.

*I wonder about my future family and who they will be.

*I wonder about elephants and what it would be like to have a nose that long.

*I wonder about clouds and what they would feel like to touch.

*I wonder about writing on here and who reads it.

*I wonder about people and their life stories and the adventures that they have had.

*I wonder about my job and if I will ever figure out all that I am supposed to be doing

*I wonder how hot metal can make your hair curl, twist, or lie straight. And who got to be the first to test that out.

*I wonder how something as small as an ant can lift so much.

*And most of all I wonder what adventures life holds for me tomorrow. For everyday that comes about, there is always a tomorrow to wonder about.

It would seem that I am destined to always be a wonderer. Wondering about the silly and the serious. The strange and the beautiful. But even though I tend to wonder a lot, there are many things that I know for sure. I know that the gospel is true. I know that I have a father in Heaven who loves me. I know that my mom is amazing I and I would trade her for anything. I know that my sister is one of my greatest friends. I know that my brother is truly great. I know that whatever happens in life, someone has a plan for me and that it will all be ok. I know that I can accomplish anything with the Lords help. So even though I tend to wonder a lot, there are also a lot of things that I know. And it is knowing those things that keeps me grounded in life. It is knowing those things that allows me to wonder about everything else and still be sure of who I am and what my purpose is here on earth. It is knowing those things and more that truly lets me wonder about and discover everything else.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Things I Miss

It occurred to me the other day that this is the first fall in about 18 years that I have not been in school. And quite frankly, it is a little bit weird.

All my life so far, well minus the first few years, every time August came around you new summer was almost over that that school would therefore begin. For me, every time we got home from our Lake Powell trip in August we new summer was over. After that we would begin to get ready for school. We would make sure that our schedules where correct, that we had the supplies we would need, and get the clothes we would want to wear on the very first day. First impressions stuck with you all year, you didn't want to be the kid who blew it on the first day.

With this being the first year that that did not happen, it has taken me a while to realize that it is fall and that summer is officially over. It has also made me realize that there are a few things that I miss about being in school. Some of them are a given and some of them surprised me that I did miss them. Some of them are from college, some from high school, and some even from way back when in elementary. (I don't think that there is much I miss about Jr. High) So here are some of the things that I miss from being in school:

*First day of school photo (this one surprises me. As much as I hated getting the photos taken growing up, it is one thing I miss having.)
*Eating lunch with friends and laughing until you absolutely had to drag yourself off to class
*sleeping in the sun between classes
*seeing friends everyday
*attending football games with fellow students
*free food at the institute
*recess and playgrounds (do you think they could install these in work areas?)
*Being in Choir
*A class just to do art
*Learning new and interesting things
*peanut butter bars
*funny teacher stories
*socializing with people my age (when you teach kids that doesn't happen very often)

You see, I was one of those people who loved being in school. I loved learning and I loved to be with people, I loved going to school. So even though I am glad to be done and I am grateful to have my college degree, a part of me wants to be back in school. A part of me misses it and everything that it brings with it. Foe me, school is what always marked fall. It is what always marked a new year of life and new opportunities to come with it. I guess this year I will just have to find something else to mark. For I have found that life is there and it is always new with many new opportunities around the corner. All you have to do is look for them.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Remembering

Its funny how certain things you can remember forever. You can remember the details of an event, the feelings of a moment, even the smell of something that crossed your path. It is also funny how some things you can't seem to remember at all. You can't remember exactly what was said or what happened on a given day or a persons name that was once in your life. And then there are those memories that you can just never forget.

It is said that a persons memory can hold every memory that that person has ever made. It can remember anything that that person has put into their long term memory. Anything that they have studied, anything they have learned, anything that they have seen. The thing that is hard for the person is actaully recalling that memory. Some memories are recalled by something that you associate them with...a song, a smell, a picture, an action. Others are recalled by events that occur that are similar to them or the feelings you have towards someone. Then there are those memories that are recalled by someone else and what they say or do. Most of these start with the phrase "do you remember when..."

It is also interesting how one memory can be shared by so many different people. A memory can be shared by one person or a million persons. A moment can be remembered by anyone who was a part of it, anyone who saw it, or anyone who heard about it. What intrigues me the most though is that every one of those people who remembers that event will remember it differently. For you see, each person is going to remember the even based on their experiences of it. Their memory will be based on what they saw, what they heard, and what they felt. Even though it is just one moment or one vent in time, it can be remember a thousand different ways even though the facts remain the same.

One event that can be remembered by thousand is the day of 9/11. The facts are that two planes crashed into the World Trade towers, one plane crashed into the Pentagon, the towers crumbled to the ground, many people died, and a nation went to war. Many other facts could be added such as people came to help, people where in shock, and people were hurt. It could also be said that hero's were made that day, a nation was united, and a great loss was felt. This one event is remembered by so many people. It is remembered by those who saw it, those who watched it, and those who have heard about. But it is also remembered by those who lived it. It is remembered by so many different people in so many different ways because it is a memory that you can never forget. Here is how some people have chosen to remember it.

The Binch by Rob Suggs

Every U down in Uville liked the U.S. a lot,
But the Binch, who lived Far East of U-ville, did not.
The Binch hated U.S! The whole U.S. way!
Now don't ask me why, for nobody can say,

It could be his turban was screwed on too tight.
Or the sun from the desert had beaten too bright
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

But, Whatever the reason, his heart or his turban,
He stood facing U-ville, the part that was urban.
"They're doing their business," he snarled from his perch.
"They're raising their families! They're going to church!
They're leading the world, and their empire is thriving,
I MUST keep the S's and U's from surviving!"

Tomorrow, he knew, all the U's and the S's,
Would put on their pants and their shirts and their dresses,
They'd go to their offices, playgrounds and schools,
And abide by their U and S values and rules.
And then they'd do something he liked least of all,
Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small,
Would stand all united, each U and each S,
And they'd sing U-ville's anthem, "God bless us! God bless!"
All around their Twin Towers of Uville, they'd stand,
And their voices would drown every sound in the land.

"I must stop that singing," Binch said with a smirk,
And he had an idea -- an idea that might work!
The Binch stole some U airplanes in U morning hours,
And crashed them right into the Uville Twin Towers.
"They'll wake to disaster!" he snickered, so sour,
"And how can they sing when they can't find a tower?"

The Binch cocked his ear as they woke from their sleeping,
All set to enjoy their U-wailing and weeping,
Instead he heard something that started quite low,
And it built up quite slow, but it started to grow—
And the Binch heard the most unpredictable thing...
And he couldn't believe it--they started to sing!

He stared down at U-ville, not trusting his eyes,
What he saw was a shocking, disgusting surprise!
Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any towers at all!

He HADN'T stopped U-Ville from singing! It sung!
For down deep in the hearts of the old and the young
Those Twin Towers were standing, called Hope and called Pride,
And you can't smash the towers we hold deep inside.

So we circle the sites where our heroes did fall,
With a hand in each hand of the tall and the small,
And we mourn for our losses while knowing we'll cope,
For we still have inside that U-Pride and U-Hope.

For America means a bit more than tall towers,
It means more than wealth or political powers,
It's more than our enemies ever could guess,
So may God bless America! Bless us! God bless!


Yellowcard - Believe

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Little Things that make Me SMILE

No matter what is going on in life, there are always some things that just make me smile. It doesn't matter if other things in life are not so good, or even if some things just suck; there are still those simple things that make me happy and just make me smile. You know...those things that no matter how good or bad the day has been they just seem to make you feel better. Whether it is something that is new or something that is old and just brings comfort. Somedays it is those little things that make it all worth while. Those little things that make you grateful for living the life you lead. Those things that just make living worth it. Here are some of my little things that just make me smile:

*Driving with the windows down
*Sunsets

*The smell of clean clothes right out of the wash
*Dancing in the rain
*When your favorite song comes on the radio
*Seeing the temple lit up on the hill
*Going on vacations no matter how big or small
*My brothers letters and pictures from his mission

*Reading books that I relate too
*Thinking of my friends and our many adventures


*Clean sheets
*Finding what I was looking for
*Baseballs games in the park
*U of U football

*Waking up to the sun shining in through the window
*Late night ice cream
*A full moon and the stars
*Songs played on the guitar