Something feels fishy

Have you ever had one of those times where you just feel like something is going to happen? You don't know what it is, or when it is going to happen, or if it's good or bad . . . just that something relatively big is going to happen soon?

Well, even if you haven't, today that happened to me.

And I don't like it. 

Hoy mi hermanito y madre y yo fuimos a la banco. (I'm trying to better my Spanish, so I will be incorporating it into my blogs at random points throughout posts. Probably just one random sentence, because I like writing in English more. Don't worry, I'll provide a translation for the Spanish-illiterate. Which is usually me, so don't feel bad)

Today my brother and and mom and I went to the bank. As I was walking in, the strangest feeling came over me. I honestly cannot even explain it. For the next hour, I just felt like something is about to happen in my life. The feeling wasn't negative or positive, and it was just weird. Like I said, I didn't like it. I don't know why. I mentioned it to my mom and she's like "It's the anticipation for something that's about to happen." Whatever that means. Nothing is about to happen to me, that I know of. Since I got home, the intense feeling has passed, but I still feel weird. My head kind of hurts too.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? Or am I just crazy? It was just an interesting phenomenon. 

Oh, and I'm obsessed with these boots that I got for Christmas: 

(And yes, those are my super attractive legs modeling them)

I wear them everywhere. They are so stinkin' comfortable, and I'm not sure how I lived without them so long. I have even set out to find a cute dress to go with them, just so I can wear them to Church rather than the shoes I typically sport, which make me feet really cold. I suggest everyone go and buy a pair of these. Mine are from Target. Unless you're a boy. Please don't wear them. 

Oh, and quick survey: Do you guys like my new layout and the music I have up? I was bored today and decided to do a bit of a blog makeover. It's not the greatest, but it's a start, right?

And one last thing. Anyone that wants to write for the BYUSA blog, let me know. I'm trying to get all my writers so we can get it started soon! :)


Quote of the day: 
Me: "It's okay if I call her weird. I'm pretty weird myself."
Mom: "Let's not call ourselves weird. Let's call ourselves quirky"
Thanks Mom. I'll keep that in mind.

Chipmunks!

Today, I officially have found my new favorite movie.

No, not Avatar. I've never been one to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to movies, music, and life in general. The fact that everyone is so obsessed with it has deterred my interest in seeing that movie. And I just have a feeling I would hate it. Mainly because I don't like most movies.

Anyways. This is my new favorite movie:

Ha Ha. I know. Feel free to laugh all you want. But I found this movie to be particularly endearing and incredibly cute. There's just something about singing chipmunks that make me smile. Growing up, I always watched the TV show, and enjoyed listening to classics like the Hula Hoop Christmas song (whatever it's called. Not a big deal.) So imagine my delight when the first movie came out a few years ago. I was totally taken in by their voices (probably because I have been compared to sounding like a chipmunk when I am either being a) fake or b) on the phone) and the cute plot line of the movie. I felt it was incredibly well done. And let's just say I have been obsessed with some of their versions of songs since. Like "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter? Love it. It always turns my bad days right around! I even have some of the songs on my playlist. Some of my lovely roommates don't overly enjoy the sounds of those cute little creatures, but it doesn't stop me from playing it.

Anyways, I was so excited when I heard a sequel (squeakuel!) was coming out. Especially because the preview had them singing Right Round by Flo Rida. I love that song. I asked my mom if we could go see it over break, and she obliged. So tonight I went with my parents, my little brother Michael, and Diana and her kiddos. It was so great. I think I laughed the entire time. And, as much as I loved the first one, this was even better. That was definitely a relief, as sometimes (as in, 9 times out of 10), sequels aren't so wonderful. I loved the guy who played Toby. It made me want to go watch both seasons of Chuck. I kind of have a little crush on that guy (what can I say...I like the nerdy ones.) And the chipettes? Adorable! I just can't get over how much I loved the movie. And, in true Katie fashion, I got a little teary eyed at a few different times. Especially when (spoiler alert) Toby sang his little song to the girl he loved in high school, went out in the crowd, attempted to give her a hand shake, and she just gave him a big hug. I just found it so sweet for some reason. And was surprisingly happy that they didn't kiss, as most movies would have had them do. It was precious. And I found the little crushes that were developed between the chipmunks and the chipettes were adorable. Especially Theodore and Eleanor. What a cute, chubby, chipmunk love that was. Sigh.

So pretty much, I just had to tell everyone how much I loved this movie. I don't typically buy movies, ever, but this one I will likely splurge on when it comes out. And you'd better believe I downloaded the songs from the movie. Have no fear, roommates. You will be hearing more Alvin and the Chipmunks in the future.  Get excited, because I know I am.

Oh, and I've watched more movies in the past 2  days than I have in like 3 months. Which would be three movies. It's a big deal. And I loved all of them. Megan and I red boxed The Accidental Husband. It was way adorable. And surprisingly, not really raunchy like most chick flicks are. It was just a really cute, predictable movie. It made me happy. Everyone should watch it. Then yesterday for Family Home Evening, we went to The Christmas Carol. Although I have seen this classic tale done in so many different fashions (Flinstones, Jetsons, Donald Duck....you know, all the cartoon versions), I still enjoyed it. The beginning was rather slow, but besides that, I thought it was really well done. The animation was great, and all the voices portrayed the characters very well. My momma and I particularly enjoyed the ending. Gotta love Tiny Tim. After watching this, I have felt motivated to actually read the book. I have a new goal to read more, since I never do it anymore. Good idea, eh?

Oh and no sweets for a month (I don't have enough willpower for a year), starting January 1st. You'd better believe I'm indulging myself before then.

Music :)

About a month before I was to head back to Provo, I decided that I needed to start reading The Ensign. I had been an avid reader of the New Era and Friend while growing up, but as I started college, I kind of got out of the habit and never really read the Ensign. Well, after deciding I wanted to read it more, I went ahead and ordered my own subscription. I figured my Bishopric would order one copy per apartment (and I was right!), but I figured it'd be best to have my own copy, as I tend to write comments and notes throughout talks and articles. Over the past few months, I have come to love The Ensign. Every article has a lot of interesting and wonderful insights, and I always find something that I needed to hear that month. However, I have found it's not the best thing to read while I'm at the gym. Over this Christmas break, I lost my headphones for awhile, so I decided to bring the Ensign to read. Not smart. I forgot that I tend to have an overactive tear gland, and whenever I read something that touches me, I tend to tear up. This happened while I was on the eliptical, and I felt a little embarassed. Heh. In my defense, it was a very good article. In fact, my friend Seneca wrote a little about it in her most recent post. Read it. I bet you cry (or maybe you won't).

Anyways. Back to the point. In the December issue, there was an awesome article by Elder Russell M Nelson called "The Power and Protection of Worthy Music". It is probably one of my favorite articles as of late. If you know me, you probably know that I love music. While I wasn't overly blessed in the music department beyond vocal, as I have a terrible sense of rhythm, I love and appreciate most types of music. This semester, as a result of my Music class, I have even come to love classical, baroque, opera and the such. I am pretty much always listening to music. Whether I am cooking, working out, walking to class, doing homework, taking a shower, blow drying my hair (even though I can't really hear it) or just sitting around, I am almost always listening to music. I love reading the lyrics to songs. Whenever I hear a new song that I like, I will look up the lyrics and read them as I listen to the song. I just love finding meaning in every song. Pretty much, I have some song that I have "assigned" to a person, any situation, etc. and will forever remind me of that for years to come. I just love music.

This article references so many scriptures that refer to music. In my opinion, that just shows how important music is, and that Heavenly Father has given people certain talents in order to create this music for us to enjoy. I think one of the most quoted verses among LDS-folk is D&C 25:12 where it says "For my soul deligtheth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a pray unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their head." (scripture mastery, anyone?). Every time I hear this verse, I can't help but remember how singing can be considered a prayer. How neat is that? There have been so many times in my life where I have heard a hymn, an efy song, or even just a lyric to a song on the radio that has been an answer to something I had been praying about, or that I just needed to hear. Isn't it awesome to know that music has the power to do that?

Another part of this article that really stood out to me was how Elder Nelson mentioned that music can be a source of protection, but also has the power to destroy and degrade. He mentions something that was in a first presidency message along time ago that said, "Music can be used to exalt and inspire or to carry messages of degradation and destruction. It is therefore important that as Latter-day Saints we at all times apply the principles of the gospel and seek the guidance of the Spirit in selecting the music with which we surround ourselves." Kind of makes you want to re-examine the songs in your iTunes, eh? I know I did when I read where Elder Nelson said, "Do not degrade yourself with numbing shabbiness and irreverence of music that is not worthy of you. Delete the rubbish from your minds and your MP3 players. Protect your personal standards! Be selective! Be  Wise!" It's just amazing to me, when I sit and think about it, just how much power music has.

Personally, my favorite part of Church is hymns and special musical numbers. I am so grateful to be a member of a Church that incorporates so many beautiful songs into our worship. Sure we don't have any drums and electric guitars like other churches, but some of the most spiritual experiences I have, have been through music at Church, and the simple words of a hymn.  Even when I'm sick, I always try and sing the hymns (probably much to the dismay of the people surrounding me). I love hearing other people sing too, especially those that sing so loud and with so much vigor, when they can't carry a tune in a bucket. I think it takes some guts and devotion to do that, and it just makes me happy.

Anyways, this was kind of long, I should probably be assigned a talk in church on music and just read this, and no one probably actually read this, but I just wanted to write about my love for music, especially after reading this article! I always wish I had learned to play the piano or some other instrument, but I'm glad others know how so everyone can enjoy it! Is it selfish to say that I really hope I marry someone who is musically talented, by way of the piano or something of the sort, in hopes that my children may possibly have talents? Heh. I hope not!

I love music :-) And really, read the article by Elder Nelson.

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And...here's my What Not To Wear moment of the day! At least I'm representin' the Y!

At last, I belong in Utah County

While I got some wonderful gifts for Christmas, I couldn't help but covet my sister, Diana, when she texted me on Christmas morning with this text:

Diana: "Brandon got me a bumpit for Christmas! lol!"

After I responded, she said she was gonna bring it over so we could play around with it. And. She did.

Just a little background. For some reason, many of my friends and roommates believe that I really want a bumpit. I'm not sure where the idea that I love the "utah poof" came from, but apparently I do. And as much as I do make fun of the huge utah poof, I am secretly amazed by the volume some woman can get from teasing their hair. And I will neither confirm nor deny that I have tried (and failed) to see just how poofy I can get my hair. Theoretically, if I had ever tried this, it was an epic fail. My hair just isn't very teasable. Oh well.

Anyways, I've secretly always wanted to try the bumpit. Just to see what it looked like in my hair. Even though Cortney has told me many times she would no longer be my friend if I used one. Granted, I would never actually wear one out in public, because really, I make fun of the Utah Poof and I think it looks silly, but yeah.

So Diana brought her's over. And we tried it out on her hair. Look how cute (in a i-wish-i-was-the-star-of-hairspray kind of way), she looked!

We ended up doing other things the rest of Christmas, so I unfortunately did not get the chance to try it out, much to my disappointment. However, Diana, being the smart cookie she is, decided to bring it the next day. So, since I feel the need to document everything I do, here's a play-by-play of my experience with the Bumpit. Be excited. But please ignore the messiness of my  hair. I had blow dryed it that day, and didn't really feel like straightening it. Just sayin'



The beginning. Can you tell how nervous I was. For one thing, I was a bit concerned that I may just love my hair in the Utah Poof, and I would want to wear it every day. Which would result in Cortney and I no longer being friends. And then my hair would have endless split ends from all the teasing (because, much to my dismay, you still have to tease your hair to use the bumpit). Which would be terrible, as I have gone to quite a few measures to make sure I don't get split ends. But. I sucked it up and took one for the team.

Here, Diana has finally brushed my hair enough, and is placing the first bumpit in. It was very exciting.

In the process of still putting it. It's a lot harder than you think to put a piece of cheap (but awesome) plastic in hair. And apparently having a bumpit in your hair gives you license to look like you're hopped up on something. Or maybe the sugarload from all the cookies I had eaten was finally starting to settle in . . .

After Diana put the bumpit in, I was not impressed. It just looked so silly. Then she realized that she had used too much hair. Thank goodness. My faith in As Seen On TV things almost was diminished. This is my "Wow Michael, please stop taking pictures of me as I look like a polygamist wife"

Sweet Tori. Even she was disgusted.

As Diana decided to try again, Tori felt that I needed to have my eyes covered until the moment of truth. Since we were in a bathroom, she felt that a piece of tissue was the best option. It was hard not to look, but I was tough, bit my tongue, and went forward with faith that Diana would not lead my hair astray. Again.

The Moment of truth. Beautiful. I know. And you know what they say, the higher your hair, the closer you are to heaven.

This doesn't have much to do with anything, but I just thought it was a funny picture. Star trek?

Finally, we put a headband on, just to accentuate the poof, and make the look more polished. I feel like I'm a mix of someone from the Brady Bunch, my mom when she was in high school, and the mom from the Adams family. But in a really cute way.

Look at that height. And can you even see the bumpit?! I think not! I most definitely will never be featured in the facebook group "Spot the Bumpit!" Thank goodness for having super thick hair. It may be killer to wash, blow dry, straighten, and curl...but it sure can cover a bumpit!

So the final verdict? I'm embarrassed to admit I slightly enjoyed the time I had with the bumpit and was slightly tempted to borrow Diana's to wear to Church, but I decided against it. I do have an image to uphold.

But now I know that I can successfully pull of big hair, and if I'm ever feeling left out when I'm in Provo, I can just go get one of these, and I'm sure my self-esteem will soar. Brandon and Diana did seem to think it looked good. But they may just be trying to make sure I detract any attention males might give me so I forever will babysit on New Years Eve for them. Any boys out there wanna date me even more after seeing how cute I look with big hair?

Maybe I'll go buy one. And wear it. Just because I'm sure it would ensure me a place on What Not To Wear...They do pay attention to what your hair looks like, you know. Then again, I really don't have 10 dollars to spare. Hint. Hint.

But in the mean time, I think I'll go with an Iteeze. They seem a little more natural. And you don't have to spend forever making a tease mess out of your hair. As the commercial shows.

I love As Seen On TV items.

Ho, Ho, Ho...Merry Christmas!

"This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more

Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your leave and then speak it again . . . Christmas is a celebration, and there is no celebration that compares with the realization of the true meaning of Christmas -- with the sudden stirring of the heart that has extended itself unselfishly in the things that matter most."

--President Howard W. Hunter 

First Presidency Christmas Devotional 

December 1994

Merry Christmas, everyone! I love this quote from President Hunter and I am going to definitely try my hardest to heed its advice. What a beautiful time of year it is, and I know I personally have so much to be grateful for. Most of my family is here (except for Daniel and Charbel...Let's all pray for a Christmas miracle that Charbel can come soon), and I couldn't ask for much more. Even though I usually despise the snow, I'm so happy we'll have a White Christmas this year! I hope we can all remember the true meaning of Christmas and spend time with those we love the most. I know I am :) 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his should: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

© David Lindsley

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And just for a little bit of holiday cheer, since we all know you all will see a lot of these in the future, here's the pajamas the elves left me.**

**Every year, we go out and look at Christmas lights as a family . . . and when we come back, the elves have mysteriously left us pajamas! Don't be jealous that my fam has an in with Santa and his elves. Not everyone can be that cool. :)

Oh, you're supposed to park BETWEEN the lines?

Need I say more?


Probably. I can't park a car. No matter how big the parking space, or small the car, I always come out crooked. Sometimes I wonder how I passed my drivers test. Not only did I park crooked that day, but I did the entire test with my e-brake on. The person who gave me the test didn't even mention either of those things. Fail.

I won't even mention how many times I got a note on my car in high school telling me to "park in my own spot" or "learn how to park." I cherish those notes. They make me laugh. Don't get me wrong, I try and park correctly. It just never happens. I seriously am scared to death that I am going to hit the cars next to me. Especially when I'm driving our family van. The other day I was driving around at Target (which, I am proud to say, I have been to about 6 times since I've been home), and I started to pull into a spot, only to immediately pull out because I was convinced I was about to hit one of the cars next to me. Let's just say I parked at the very back of the parking lot. Next to no cars. I think I should get an award for worst parker of the year. So, along with What Not To Wear, feel free to nominate.

Honestly, I find it hilarious. Even though I know it makes it harder for people to park around me when I park all crookedly, it makes me laugh. I've never had much coordination, so I guess I'll blame my issues with parking on that. Even though they probably have nothing to do with each other.

All I have to say is that I will never try to parallel park. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

Ode to a Ammonian

Sorry I look like I'm high in this picture. I wasn't. I was just holding back the tears. haha. 

This is Ammon. He is basically my BFF. And one of my most loyal blog readers. I told him I was gonna write a blog dedicated to him. He may not have thought I was serious, but, being the integrityful person I am, am following through. I don't want to be the blog writer who cried wolf. That would be terrible. Ammon has been the inspiration for a few of my blogs, so I figure he is worthy of his own post. So, without further adieu.

I met Ammon at the end of October. Though I should have met him several different times before that, to which I'm bummed I didn't. Because he is AWESOME. Even though I haven't known him all that long, he's really become one of my very dearest friends. 

Ammon is probably one of the most legitimate people I know. Just for the fact that he says legitimate when he's around me, since he obviously knows how much "legit" annoys me. What a pal. 


Why is Ammon so awesome? Well. For one thing, he's super nice. After meeting him, it has given me faith that there are some decent, gentlemen out there. He's an awesome listener; he looks you in the eye when you are talking to him, which really impresses me. Some people find it creepy when people do that, but I think it's awesome. It drives me crazy when people refuse to look you in the eyes. Makes me feel like they aren't listening. And they probably aren't. Looking a person in the eyes at least makes it seem like you are listening.


Ammon loves his family, and it's pretty darn apparent right when you meet him. I remember that the one thing which stood out to me the first time I hung out with him (besides his dashingly good looks ;-) was how he talked about his sisters. It was so sweet, and you can tell he loves them very much. And he's gonna be a kick butt dad someday. I'm just sayin'. 


Ammon is one of those people that just makes you want to smile. There were a few times last semester where I was feeling pretty down, and then I hung out with Ammon, and I just couldn't help but smile the whole time! He's just got one of the most amiable personalities. Seriously, whenever we were gonna hang out, I was always so excited because I knew I'd be happy afterwards. 


Ammon loves the Gospel. He's not all show-offy about it but you can just see in his eyes (as cheesy as that sounds), and by the way he talks and lives his life. I want to be a better person when I'm around him. 


Ammon is funny. And he thinks I'm funny. Or at least he acts like it. At first, I'm pretty sure he didn't, but after awhile he caught onto my very dry sarcasm, and for that, he gets a gold star. Anyone who finds what I say to be humorous automatically is awesome. He's so fun to joke around with. 


Ammon can cook. Or so I'm told. I've just eaten brownies/cookies made by him. Oh and some epic mashed potatoes.  But from what I've been told by him and others....he can cook. Hence why Hilary and I made him an apron. Every awesome cook deserves and awesome Apron. He especially loves recipes that involve veal ;-)


Ammon scraped the ice of my windows once. Ain't he nice? And that same night, he trusted me to drive him home even though it was icy and snowy. Then again, he didn't realize I hadn't driven in the snow for about 2 1/2 years. I left that part out ;-) 


Ammon is extremely easy to talk to and be yourself around. Right when I met him, I felt comfortable around him. Which can sometimes be rare. Believe it or not, I can be really shy before I warm up to a person. But not with Ammon. He's just such a nice guy! I could talk to him for hours and not get bored. And he'll listen to me, and act like he's not bored (even though he probably is). 


Ammon is talented. He can sing. He can dance. He can play the piano. He can play other instruments that I can't think of. He definitely doesn't hide his talents under a bushel. 


Ammon likes country music. 'nuff said. 


He introduced me to an awesome song tonight. Anyone who tells me about a song that I end up putting on repeat several times is automatically cool in my book. Because they obviously have awesome taste in music. 


Ammon has tons more great qualities and I'm sure I could go on forever. But a) it's late b) this post may be borderline weird/creepy if I go on much longer and c) You just gotta get to know him to find out more. 


He's leaving on a mission to Brazil in March, and all I can say is that I'm very jealous of the Brazillian people who are about to be blessed by him. Ammon is awesome, and I feel extremely grateful to have gotten to know him over the past few months.  Ammon...you're an amazing guy and have so much potential...don't ever forget it! God speed brotha.


"A faithful friend is a strong defense: and he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure.” --Ecclesiastics 

TLC, here I come!

What do all these pictures have in common?

Well. If you guessed "Wow, Katie is the most ridiculously good looking person I have ever seen." You'd be wrong. Well, technically you would be right, since I am, but that's not the point of the pictures.

Pretty much, I have a (not so) secret goal in life to be on What Not To Wear. I was obsessed with that show for awhile. My mom and I would watch the new episode on Friday nights (I was so popular, and everyone wanted to hang out with me, so I felt that I should be fair and hang out with no one on Friday nights. Aren't I so nice?), and would be so excited whenever a marathon came on. You'd think after watching all those episodes I would most definitely know "what not to wear."

Believe me, I do. I know it's not socially acceptable to wear pajamas to the store, nice shirts with pajama pants, pink and orange together, certain types of shoes with certain outfits, aprons while going to get the mail, etc. So why do I still do it? Well, reason #1 . . . I think it's funny. I get a kick out of some of the looks I get. Reason #2--I just really like sweat pants and pajamas. Reason #3--Sometimes it's just more convenient. I mean, if I'm going to the gym, and I need to go the gym, why not wear my gym clothes? I mean. It's not like they are immodest. It's just a t-shirt and knee length gym shorts. I'm not about to waste gas and make two trips out, when I can kill two birds with one stone. Reason #4--Mainly, I just really want to get on what not to wear. In case you were wondering, I have no money. At all. I may work 20 hours a week at school, but after rent is paid, tithing paid, and groceries are bought, I have about 10 dollars left. That leaves about..zero dollars for clothes. A 5,000$ wardrobe and a new hairstyle would be so nice. If I had a ton of money, I would totally have a better wardrobe. But alas, I don't. So I have to just buy one thing every few months, or when school starts or it's Christmas time, I get new clothes from my mom and what not. Which is nice. and Reason #5--TLC...Seriously, who wouldn't want to be in that channel? I mean, I'll never get on for having 75,000 kids, for for being a midget, owning a tattoo shop, or not knowing I was pregnant (since seriously....Those are the only shows they have these days), so I have to go for the most in reach show.

And I tend to wear clothes during the wrong season. I'll wear skirts and flats when it's negative degrees outside and a foot of snow. I wear bright colors during the winter. Just the other day, I was showing my mom the church outfits I brought. She was absolutely appalled. Apparently she didn't think a short sleeved, yellow dress was appropriate for Christmas Sunday, or a flowery short sleeved dress. She looked at me and was like "And you think I have no fashion sense....". Thanks mom. Thanks.

And I love shoes, right? I think they are fun. But I don't have enough money to buy all the ones I want. And for some reason, I always seem to lose one of everyone of my shoes. It is so super sad. So when I am running out of the house, I just grab the first pair of matching shoes I can find. Usually they don't really match my outfit. Example:

Yesterday I went with my dad to the airport to get Cindy and AJ. I wasn't aware I was going until my dad was running out the door, so I didn't have the chance to change into normal clothes, and find normal shoes. So I threw on the heels I had worn to Church. I figured I wouldn't be going inside. Imagine my surprise when I get a text from AJ telling me and Michael to come in and help them with their bags. For some reason, I was just way self conscious about my outfit choice (complete with a tye dye shirt and my coat), but I sucked it up and went inside. It was okay. No one made fun of me, out loud...except for maybe Cindy.

And, sometimes I wear clothes that are too big for me. I lost some weight over the past few years (and continue to do so...yay!). Which is good/awesome, but I can't buy a new wardrobe with every 5 pounds I lose. So my clothes don't always fit that great. That's a problem as well

But, even if I intentionally wear mismatched, silly clothes sometime, on occasion I do wear a fashion disaster, not on purpose. Like last summer at work, I woke up, put on a bright orange shirt, and then my bright red flats. That just does not go together. In my defense, I had to get up at 530 every day. And I'm not a morning person in any respect. And I will wear my apron for hours at a time without realizing it. I have accidently walked out to my car with it on, driven places, or just sat around in it for hours. I get that from my mom, because she does it too. She was just telling me how she's dropped kids off at school, gone to the post office, etc. with her apron on. I guess we just love to cook so much, we just have to be ready at the drop of a hat.

So, if you are reading this, I'm pretty sure you should nominate me. If I ever get on that show, I swear I will never wear weird clothes again. My goal will be complete. And I'm pretty sure a 5,000$ wardrobe will have me set for awhile.


(Okay I have to clarify. I don't ALWAYS dress like this. Truly, I do like looking nice. I LOVE doing my hair and putting on cute clothes. Epsecially for like Chuch, and School, and work. But if it's after 8 at night, I will likely be wearing sweat pants and won't change out of them to go somewhere, unless it's completely necessary. I apologize especially to Kristian and Ammon and the rest of their apartmenet, since I am pretty sure I have worn sweat pants to your apartment more often than not and given the impression that I don't wear anything else. That's what you get for hanging out after 10 o clock. I have tried to fix that though, and look nicer when we hung out towards the end of the semester. I hope that effort has been appreciated. I really don't like changing out of my comfy clothes once their on for just anyone!)

Qdoba. No other words are necessary

But since I can't ever do something without saying words (I don't know how people do wordless Wednesdays on their blogs. Blows my mind away), I will now recount the epic adventure I had today. To Qdoba.

For anyone that has never had Qdoba: I feel very sad for you. Words cannot explain how delicious this place is. I would choose it over Costa Vida, Chipotle, Cafe Rio, or any other Mexican-style place. All those places are good, yes....but they just don't have the same deliciousness that Qdoba emits. And none of them have the three cheese queso that I find myself craving on a regular basis while I'm in Utah. Rumor has it Provo used to have Qdoba, but it went out of business. Why? Because the world hates me.

Before I leave for Utah, I always make sure to hit up Qdoba. And you'd better believe it's the first place I go out to eat when I get back. A few days before I got back, I texted my friend Megan and we decided we would go to Qdoba on Saturday. I anxiously awaited this trip. I didn't even eat breakfast, so I didn't feel as bad eating the highly caloric meals they have. Such a sacrifice, I know (it also helped that I didn't wake up til about noon thirty).

So Megan shows up. Comes in my house. We are pretty much wearing the exact some sweater. I didn't take any pictures (shock, yes). But I really felt the need to document this with a photo, so, this is basically what we looked like:

This looks exactly like us, by the way. Like Megan really has no hands

We both felt really silly. And that we probably looked like we were on a date and matching when we went to Qdoba and then ate our food at the lake. Awkward. I mentioned boys as much as possible as we sat. But then again, I would do that anyways. This is just more proof of our twinageness. If she was born two years sooner, looked like me, and had the same mother, I would really think we were twins. It's pretty uncanny how similar we are. When she's having a bad day, so am I. She's messy and piles her clothes up her room, and so do I (sorry Mom. I still haven't learned how to hang my clothes up very well). She's awesome, and I'm awesome(er). And there's a lot of other things, but it's late and I don't feel like thinking of them. Just take my word on it. The only thing we really differ in is taste in boys. I like those nerdish, tall skinny ones with green or blue eyes that I described in a few posts ago. She likes kind of chubby/buffer ones with brown eyes. Today we took a survey of something we were discussing. All my guy friends seemed to have similar views to me, and her's to her. Interesting. Anyways. We both realized we decided last night we were gonna wear the similar outfit. It's like our minds are connected.

Anyways. Qdoba was delicious. I wish I could go there everyday. Part of me would like to work there, just so I could get free food. But then I realize that I really don't speak much Spanish, and the people who work there would probably just talk in Spanish about that crazy white girl who keeps eating all the food. My self-confidence would be lowering without me even knowing it. It just wouldn't work. Too bad Qdoba is dang expensive, and I'm a poor college student. Speaking of, I'm about to start looking like a heroine addict. Plasma selling begins in my life as soon as I get back. Yeah  baby.

If you haven't had Qdoba. Eat it. Love it. Crave it. You're life will never be the same.

I just thought everyone should know that.

(And today Hannah and I practiced our song for Church on Sunday. I'm pretty sure whoever decided that we should sing together was hopped up on something crazy. Oh, that was our mother's. We can barely make it through without laughing. And both of us are too lazy to actually look at the notes and rhythm. Heh.  Sorry Cortney. I'm sure your life was miserable for that hour we "practiced".)

It'll be a miracle . . .

If I don't gain 50 pounds this break.

(Let's ignore the fact that I look like I'm 5 years old and have no neck in this picture. No wonder i get asked if I want the kiddie menu at restaurants.)

The ingredients. For all the holiday cookies/awesome treats I've volunteered to make.

That would be...several bags of milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet, and butterscotch chips, Mint M&M's, candy canes, german chocolate cake mix, peanut butter, andes mints, coconut, oats, white chocolate chips, white chocolate bark, nuts, hershey kisses, pretzals, jam, and a few other things I can't recall right now . . . hehe

Thumbprint cookies.

German Chocolate Cookies (my personal favorite. The recipes on my cooking blog :)

No bake cookies

Chocolate chip with Hershey Kisses

The finished products for the day

I'm just saying...I would most definitely want to be friends with the Barker family this Christmas season.

And I don't think that this helps convince anyone that I'm not addicted to cookies, eh? In my defense, I really didn't eat that many. And I'm gonna be hitting up the gym every day that I can. There's just something about having any cooking supplies I want to make anything I want, a big kitchen, and a mother who's more than willing to turn the cooking reins over to me, that makes me just want to spend as much time in the kitchen as possible. Oh how I love being home.

Round two begins soon. Right after I go to Qdoba with Megan. Can I just say how long I've been waiting for this. Qdoba = Love.

I saw Julie and Julia last night for the first time. Loved it. I mean, it combined two of my favorite things. Cooking and Blogging. It made me wish I could do an awesome blog like that. Suggestions? I actually just found that Julie girl's actual blog...Yay! And can I just say my favorite part of that movie was that Chloe from 24 was in it? Love her.

Naps. I hate them.

As I've previously mentioned, I love to sleep. I have been looking forward to Winter Break especially because I finally feel like I might be able to catch up on my sleep. For some reason, whenever I leave Provo, my night owl tendencies disappear and I get extremely tired extremely early. Just like last year, right when I got home, I came and sat down in a chair, and zonked out.

Okay, this was from last year, but Michael fortunately wasn't on top of things and didn't capture another silly one of me asleep. But I just like having pictures on my posts. okay?

I woke up about 3 hours later, and I was reminded of something. I hate naps. Especially unintentional ones. I'm pretty sure I am the only person who doesn't like naps. People always talk about how refreshing they are. And power naps. I don't understand them. How can I person just fall asleep for 10 minutes and then wake up. It. Doesn't. Make. Sense. I've tried it. And no matter how hard I try to, after ten minutes, I just can't wake up. So I don't do it. Whenever I wake up for a nap, I feel sick, to the point that I feel like I'm going to throw up. I feel more tired than I was before. There's a nasty taste in my mouth. Usually, I'm either grumpy, and completely incoherent for about 30-40 minutes. And every time I accidentally take a nap, I swear that it won't happen again. Just because I hate them so much. I'm much more into the deep sleep deal. It's weird though, because sometimes I'll accidentally fall asleep for 5 hours during the day, and I have all those after-effects, but quite often I'll only get 5 hours of sleep at night, and I feel perfectly fine the next day. Doesn't make sense. So if someone could enlighten me with some idea of how naps are so awesome, that'd be great. Maybe I just don't take them right!

I just googled "Naps make me sick". I was relieved to find out other people have this problem too. Yay! I'm not as weird as I thought!

Speaking of sleep, here's some more awesome stories that have come from the lack of it (or at least I'm just gonna blame it on that, and not that I'm just dumb). The other day, I was walking from work the class. There was a a stop light, and I got to it as it was still on the walking sign. I stopped. And didn't go across. And then as soon as the red hand thing came up, I started walking across. As I stepped into the street, I noticed there were cars coming towards me. I must have looked like an idiot as I scurried back to the sidewalk. It was almost as awesome as the time I stopped at a green light.

Then today on the plane, I fell asleep right as we were about to land. I didn't think I had fallen asleep, but all the sudden I woke to a huge thud and loud noises. I was so startled, and was like "What the heck just happened?" I honestly thought we had crashed. The lady next to me just started laughing. I guess I had fallen asleep, and the landing was just not very smooth. I felt like an idiot.

And...I'm home! Since being here I've eaten at Panera Bread, gone to Costco, played Mario Kart, and I'm about to make Chicken Pesto Pizza. Ah. I love being home. Especially because I have good food here. And because nothing is better than being in my own house with my familia :)

I suck at Mario Kart on the Wii now though. Seriously, it's so sad. I was probably the best ever before I left for BYU this fall. And now I get in last place almost every time. Seriously, it's a big deal. Good thing I have 3 weeks to brush up on my skills. And playing it reminded me how much I wish life was really like Mario Kart. I mean seriously, don't you ever just wish you could throw a blue shell at the person in front of you, or have magic sparkly stars surround you so you can go super fast and run into things and it not affect you? Or drive off a cliff and have a magic cloud turtle thing just come pick you up like nothing happened. Maybe when I have my own world someday...Yeah.

And, I did not realize how much my vocal ability has decreased. Even since the summer. I'm supposed to sing a song in Relief Society on Sunday (oh the joy of having my mother as the president :P), and I figured it'd be pretty easy to just sight read and do it. Epic fail. My mom played it today, and my voice sounded terrible. It's like, I forgot how to sing. I really thought that the fact that I was an avid car singer would preserve my voice, and that my skills from all 4 years of voice lessons and like 389238 years of choir would just stick with me forever. Mr. Andres probably wouldn't even let me near the choir room with how I was singing today. Maybe I mean, it's not like I was amazing before, but hey, I was pretty good. I'm just gonna blame it on the fact that I'd been in a plane all day (well. 50 minutes), and I had no water at all. Seriously, it's really sad. There's another thing I'll be working on this break...Good thing my mommy loves to play songs on the piano for me to sing along with :-)

Oh, and I decided I'm going back to Mexico. That's the only place my skin is completely perfect. And I swear, it got worse when I came back to Colorado from Utah. Like, literally. The second I got off the plane. Utah and Colorado aren't even that different. And I sound really shallow. Oh well.

So I love quotes, as you may have noticed....I came across this one of the other day and I can't help but share it. :)

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in the God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us . . . If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." -- President Gordon B. Hinckley

Awesome, right! I think I will be putting this quote somewhere in my room next semester. I definitely need reminders quite often that everything works out in the end, if I just put my trust in the Lord. This quote reminds me of "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble. haha.

I'm free, free fallin'

The other day, I finally got around to uploading my Skydiving video to my computer from this last August, and it dawned on me that I never wrote about it. Seeing as this was probably the most awesome/exciting thing I have ever done, I feel like it's better late than never to document it.

So, why did I go skydiving?

Well at the beginning of the summer, I was chatting for awhile with my brother-in-law, Brandon. He was telling me how this is the time in my life that I should do anything I want too and for myself, as in a few years, things will be different. He brought up skydiving, amidst a few other things, and said that we should most definitely go by the end of the summer. I agreed, not really believing that we would actually do it. I have learned something since then. Don't tell Brandon you are going to do something with the idea that it probably won't happen. Chances are, it will. Like at Lava Hot Springs. Brandon was like "okay you're gonna jump off that 50 foot tall platform right?" I was like, Psh of course. Even though I was really thinking, Yeah. Maybe when pigs fly. Let's just say Diana and I jumped off that thing into water. Painful. Very painful. So I did it twice. Who doesn't love pain? It became very obvious to me why they have you sign a waiver. Anyways, after this experience, I knew that, if Brandon remembered, I would be going skydiving.

And oh, he remembered.

About the end of August, he brought it up again, and we started looking into it. Apparently his buddy had gone, and recommend a place near Boulder that was pretty legitimate. So we started making plans to go. Well, Brandon did. I just kind of waited for him to tell me, secretly hoping it wouldn't happen. About 5 days before I was to leave for Mexico for Daniel and Charbel's wedding, Brandon was like "hey! I just made an appointment for you, me, Kevin (his friend) and AJ (one of my other brother in laws) to go on Monday!" Well, luck have it, that was supposed to be my last day of work. I very easily could have called into work sick, and they wouldn't have suspected a thing, as I had been early to work every day since I worked there, stayed late, and never missed a day. However, after thinking about this dilemma and my mom enforcing her suggestions into my head, I decided that I had better go to my last day, as this job had treated me so well. I was a little bummed, because I did kind of want to go skydiving, but I figured it was the best option. Well, Brandon still wanted me to go, so he said he could go again the next week with me. I was scared, but I decided that there may not be another time in the near future where I will have the funds to go, so I might as well do it.

So the next week, the Friday before I was going to head back to Provo for school, Brandon and I, as well as his friend Mikey, drove to Boulder. As we were driving there. I wasn't nervous. I was elated. So excited to be doing something that would the most intense thing I've ever done. I mentioned this to Brandon, and he was like "you just wait til we get there and you start to see those planes flying overhead." Well, we got there, and even after seeing that, I wasn't scared. We got suited up, and sat around for about an hour. While we were waiting, people filtered in and out, everyone telling me how it was the coolest and most amazing thing ever. I was getting SO excited. Well, finally they called our names. They did a little video interview, and took some preliminary pictures. Just because I might as well put my pictures to use, I'll illustrate the rest of this story with pictures :)

This is right before we went outside to wait for the trailer that would take us to where the planes were at. Mikey is on the left, and Brandon is on the right. Obviously, I'm in the middle. hehe. Coincidently, I'm wearing that same shirt today . . .

We had to wait a few minutes for the trailer. This is about where I started getting a tad bit nervous. I really wasn't crying, or praying, like I look like I am, they just caught me at a bad moment ;-)

This was right after I got off the trailer and about to board the plane. I wasn't having second thoughts yet, but I was wondering what I got myself into. Especially when I saw the plane . . .

Finally getting on the plane. The nerves started kicking in as I climbed in. And can I just mention that I was feeling a bit iffy, because my tandem instructor guy was shorter than me. For some reason I didn't feel like that was safe. I was hoping for the tall, buff one that I had seen earlier. But fate was not on my side.

Here I am, probably a little bit after take off. I most definitely left my stomach on the ground. I won't lie, I started freaking out a little bit out this point. Especially when all the sudden, people just started jumping out. My brother in law thought I was going to back out, and start crying. Well, I wasn't. I was just freaking out a little bit (they got a little bit of the freak out on the video, but unfortunately not the best part)

We had quite a few people on our plane. Everyone but Brandon, Mikey, and I were in the training school to become certified or just jumping by themselves. It was intense.

Once we reached a safe altitude (don't remember what it was), we were told to take off our seatbelts. At that point, we had to go sit on our instructors lap, and get strapped to them. Honestly, I felt a whole lot safer at this point. You are secured VERY tightly to the person, you can't even move. It finally was my turn (I went before Brandon and Mikey....It's like the thought I'd back out if I went last!). We scooted to the front of the plane, and got to the opening. I don't even know what I was thinking. Probably praying that I wouldn't die or anything.

The Moment of Truth. I absolutely refused to look down. I probably would have thrown up. So I just looked up at the cameraman on the side of the plane and tried to convince myself this was completely normal. Before I knew it, we jumped, and the free fall began. It was the most exhilarating feeling I have ever experienced. The free fall lasted about 60 seconds, which was way too short. I'll admit, at first I could not breathe (or at least I felt like I couldn't), but that only lasted a few seconds. It was amazing.

And here are just a bunch of pictures from the ride down :)

So the pulling of the parachute....Kind of hurt. Not gonna lie. But that's okay. It was cool to have a nice leisurely ride down to hard ground

The landing.

And I survived!

So, this was definitely one of the most awesomest things I've ever done. If money permitted, I would love to go again. There's just no other feeling like it. I am definitely grateful that my job during the summer allowed me to have enough money to do this! If any of you are considering skydiving, do it. You definitely will not regret it, at all.



And, here is my video. I was hesitant about posting it, mainly because I look like a really big idiot at the beginning, but I decided I might as well. Let me just explain. When you jump out, you are supposed to arch your back, and keep your arms to your chest. Well, I forgot, and did neither. So it looks like I'm trying to get away from my instructor. It's kind of silly, but that's okay. Most of the video is pretty intense. I'm glad I spent the extra money to get the video and the pictures...Nothing could ever recreate it :)