Snow in Idaho!

Merry Christmas everyone! Here's a White Christmas North Idaho Style!

Times with the Taylors

Over the last few months, I've had the chance to get to know my boyfriend's family and it has been amazing. We've had some great times, and some pretty funny ones!

I went to see Twilight first with Mat's sisters for the midnight showing...

Then again with Mat, and his brother Kimball and his sister-in-law Aubrey. Mat and I decided that it would be fun to make T-shirts for the occasion. Mine read: "Hasn't Read the Books," Mat's said, "Eduardo Marry Me"; Kimball decided that he wanted to get in on the action and made a shirt that said: "Eddie or Jake: I Can't Decide!" The shirts were pretty hilarious, but the best part about it was that Mat and Kimball got stuck walking in together, one of them handing over the tickets as if they were a couple...classic. Something I won't forget.

Mat's nephew's Ross, Rogan, Tad and Peter have decided that I'm okay (after much persuasion and coaxing with treats and playdates). We've bonded through raisins, tickling and, as my family calls it, "The Holey-Doley Store" (kids game). They'll even come and sit on my lap at Mat's volleyball games!

We went to a Kurt Bestor concert and had some fun. Mat got the chance to talk to some people who had served in Slovenia, which seemed to elate him. I imagine that doesn't happen very often. This is Kimball on an important call at dinner that night...so important that he hadn't realized he'd stuck broccoli in his ear...

Other fun experiences: We went to a Ward Christmas Party in Mat's Family's Ward and I think the whole world was shocked to see Mat holding hands with a girl. My wonders were solidified when the man sitting in front of us leaned back and exclaimed, "Mat! I didn't even know you LIKED girls!" Ha ha ha, I am so entertained when Mat is embarrassed.

When Mat's family found out he was coming to meet my family over break, I had a hay-day answering questions about my family. My favorites came from Dave however. It was so entertaining to watch as I explained how cold it is, that not only was my Dad an Obstetrician, but that he rides a motorcycle to work; also, that there are Aryan Nations in Northern Idaho, that we have a gun cabinet from everything from a shotgun to a pistol inside, that I know how to shoot them, the list goes on. Again, experiences that make Mat squirm are so entertaining to me.

It has been amazing to get to know his family, and hopefully the experiences will continue!

Thanksgiving..a little late...

I've been meaning to post pictures from my vacation in Kentucky for about a month now. But i guess better late than never, right?

When I got there, Mom and I spent the first evening watching my niece Millie sing and dance to "Good Morning Baltimore" and "He Touched Me" from the movie Hairspray. Literally folks, this girl can even do the little booty shake...she's 3, mind you... it's utterly hilarious...

While in Kentucky (I went to see my brother who is in residency and U of K) we took the kids to a Shaker community. Has anyone ever learned about Shaker's before? They have some....interesting...beliefs. The kids stay in one part of the house (hmm....i'm liking this idea...), the men in one room and the women in another (wait...not liking this anymore...) they don't use technology (no blowdryer? cellphone? laptop? not cool...) but here's the one that threw us all for a loop: they live a life of celebacy. hmmm... I wonder what God thinks about that one? I think they missed the "multiply and replenish the earth" part in the bible... but that kinda makes you wonder though. How does a community like that thrive?

At the village, there were some farm animals. Here we are staring down a goat...

and charging a bull...

We

stopped to swing on an old swing...

Saw my brother's work, and a few of us got our eye's checked!

Shawn and I had a good time together. When i was little, he used to love to fling me around and use me as a personal weight set. We thought it would be fun if he tried it aga in .

All in all, it was a great vacation. The best part however, was being able to chat and help the missionaries. They came over for Thanksgiving Dinner and one of them happened to be a greenie from Mexico. He we elated to find out that my brother, Dad and I all spoke spanish. On Sunday we saw them again and i saw him speaking to the spanish elders. when i asked him in passing about speaking with them, he gave me this very concerned look and said, "yeah, but i don't know what they were speaking...i didn't understand that. You i understand, and i'm even learning Puerto Rican, but them...wow, i have no idea." I had a good laugh about that. It brought back good memories of greenies learning spanish. Good times....good times, in Kentucky.

Finals Week

Things that make finals week bearable:
1) being introduced as "Amber" by my boss
2) BYU catering brownies with nuts
3) the sun
4) knowing I'll be home in 2 days!
5) not ever having to name another bird again!
6) Christmas shopping
7) bundling under a blanket
8) Not having to plan study groups for at least a month!
9) helping women with strollers get through big puddles
10) temple sealings with family
11) watching my boyfriend get teased because of me (i mean, really, did i need the rest of the list?)

The Memorable Brother Bott

I think anyone who has been a student at BYU has probably heard of or taken a class from Brother Randy Bott. Just wanted to let you all in on a little news. Check out the following article. (This is just pieces of it, but you can check it out on the BYU webpage: www.byu.edu
Randy Bott doesn't sugarcoat the challenges his Brigham Young University students will face when they serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He tells it like it is during the missionary preparation courses he teaches, with a mixture of wit and wisdom, and they love him for it. They love him so much that Bott is the highest-rated professor in America in 2008 at RateMyProfessors.com.

"Everyone says before you leave BYU, you have to take a class from Brother Bott," said psychology major Cassandra Lawyer, a 22-year-old senior from San Diego...This year alone, 3,149 have taken Bott's classes. That's a full 10 percent of BYU's student body.

"It's ruined my life," Bott said with customary deadpan humor. "My colleagues ask me if they should bow or curtsey. I am by no stretch of the imagination the top professor in the United States."

BYU ranked seventh on the Web site's list of highest-rated faculties, but Bott's place at the top isn't a surprise...Students consider him a mission coach and self-help guru. At the start of his mission prep class on Monday night, Bott asked which of a couple hundred students had received mission calls in the prior week. One woman stood to announce she will be going to Portugal in February. A man was called to go to Brazil in April. Bott also asked if anyone got engaged during the week. None had. "Huh," Bott said, shaking his head in sadness at a sorry group. "Anybody manage a date?"

Short, stout and 63, Bott wore a white, long-sleeved shirt and tie. A low-lying crown of white hair circled his head topped by a wisp of white on top. The packaging made him wonder at the RateMyProfessors.com rankings. "I'm a bland person," he said. "I'm not audio-visually friendly." The smile came after the joke.

To his students, Bott is like a cool older uncle or grandfather who makes you laugh, makes you feel good about yourself and sometimes tells a family secret when parents won't, but only to teach you and help you love the family more. He peppers his teaching with highly relevant stories drawn from those sources and his own mission to Samoa.

"Those lessons stick, said Ken Alford, who joined BYU's religion faculty this fall after nearly 30 years as an Army officer. "I have a son on a mission in Fiji who took a class from Brother Bott," he said. "He raved about him then, and he's raved about him even from the mission field."

Bott's ministry extends beyond the classroom. He spends four to six hours a day responding to e-mails from students and former students who ask him for help with life problems. The issues range from the silly — an Armenian woman was told by missionaries he could help her prepare a Relief Society lesson — to the heartbreaking, like handling the divorce of parents and moral trouble. "You get known for that type of stuff," Bott said. "Now I get e-mails from parents and friends of students, too."

Getting an "A" from Bott is easy, according to the ratings on RateMyProfessors.com. Lawyer said tests are open-note, open-book. "It doesn't have to be a hard class to be a good class," she said. "Missionaries all over the world will tell you they are using things he taught them."

I love food!

Hey all! I was blog-hopping and found a cool blog that has tons of great recipes! Check it out: dinnerdoldrumsnomore.blogspot.com or click on the link in my favorites. Thanks Aubrey!

Funny Conversations

Mat and I had a funny conversation the other day that still has me laughing. It went something like this:

Me: "que dijo el?" (asking about a movie...)
Mat: "He said that...."
Me: "You know, Mat, you always say that you don't speak Spanish, but every time I speak it to you you answer accordingly."
Mat: "Well, that's because I only understand BAD spanish..."
Me: "Ha ha, Uh, thanks Mat..."
Mat: "Wait, I uh, (laughing)...I'm not getting myself out of that am I?"
Me: "Ha ha...nope....."

Tag...you're it!

So I just got tagged by a friend to do a picture blog post (had no idea what this was, but loving Gina knew my inner thoughts and decided to post the rules for me... thanks Gina!), which means that I have to post a random picture on my blog then explain it. Then I'm supposed to tag four others to follow suit. So for them (I Tag: Kelly, Kyrsten, Michelle, and Tiffanie) here are the directions:


1) Post the fourth picture in the fourth folder of the pictures on your computer.
2) Tell everyone what is happening in the picture, stories, etc.
3) Tag four others to do the same.

Good Luck to you four!
Here's my picture and explanation:This is a picture of about 2 weeks after I got home from my mission. Eric Berglund, one of my very good friends from High School, and I went to Elk River Falls and swam in the freezing cold water falls (come to think of it, it probably wasn't that cold, but I'd just come home of a tropical island...so everything was cold...). At the second falls i almost fell in the water and Eric saved me (my hero!). This was taken at the lower falls. Notice our amazing fashion. That's right, I'm wearing my tennis shoes with a swimming suit and you can't see this, but Eric has one sandal and one shoe on. Those are the Falls behind us. It was beautiful!

So that's my story! Good luck to all those that take the challenge!

A Thanksgiving Story

This story made me laugh...hope it does you too!

Ahhhhh ..... The joys of having girls. My mother taught me to read when I was four years old (her first mistake). One day, I was in the bathroom and noticed one of the cabinet doors was ajar. I read the boxin the cabinet. I then asked my mother why she was keeping 'napkins' in the bathroom. Didn't they belong in the kitchen? Not wanting to burden me with unnecessary facts, she told me that those were for 'special occasions' (her second mistake). Now fast forward a few months......It's Thanksgiving Day, and my folks are leaving to pick up my uncle and his wife for dinner. Mom had assignments for all of us while they were gone. Mine was to set the table. When they returned, my uncle came in first and immediately burst into laughter. Next came his wife who gasped, then began giggling. Next came my father, who roared with laughter. Then came Mom, who almost died of embarrassment when she saw each place setting on the table with a 'special occasion' Kotex napkin at each plate, with the fork carefully arranged on top. I had even tucked the little tail in so they didn't hang off the edge!! My mother asked me why I used these and, of course, my response sent the other adults into further fits of laughter. “Mom, you said they were for special occasions!!!” Life is too short for drama and petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly........and for heaven’s sake, use the good napkins whenever you can!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It's a small world...

So my cousin is dating a kid from my mission...it's a small world after all... aren't they cute?

Halloween, Birthday, and Stuff

It's been a while since I posted, but I really haven't had too much to say...so here's the update:

I turned 23 a few weeks ago, and had an incredibly relaxing birthday, which I loved, and halloween was a blast. Mat and I dressed up as Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

We also carved pumpkins another day. If you look closely at the pumpkin, we (and when i say we, I mean Mat) carved Shia Lebouf's name into the mouth...Mat has a man-crush on him...

Mat left me this last week to go to Hawaii (but i'm not bitter...grrr), so I decided to celebrate, by catching up on my studies...hiding from the snow...Man, it's cold! This is me with 2 shirts, a sweatshirt, pants, two pairs of socks and a blanket...and I was still cold!

Ode to T9Word and Language Follies

So I have this really bad habit of not reading what I text before I send it, which makes texting rather entertaining for my friends. On top of that, I just discovered this whole T9word concept (I know, welcome to the 21st century Manda.) I'm starting to learn which words I need to check, but I think my phone has a mind of it's own sometimes. For example, no matter how many times I type the word 'sounds,' my phone brings up the letters 'pmtmdp'...which, in case you were wondering, isn't a word...yet, somehow in Amanda-language it's more common...and did you know that the word 'dummies' is more common than 'funnier'? What is the world coming to?

I got to thinking about language though, and I shouldn't be surprised that this happens to me. I often find myself making funny word choices, thinking that it clearly makes sense to me, only to see the receiver of my rhetoric tilt their head and say, "What?" Then as I repeat it, have them ask me to repeat it...again...oh, dear...

Or the many times I get so excited about what I am saying that my brain working faster than my mouth, literally causing my words to make NO SENSE...

Or when I quote movies, that's just a disaster, mostly because 90% of the people I talk to have no idea how my brain used such transductive reasoning to come to the phrase that I said.

Or the time when I told everyone in Spanish that I loved underwear...yeah, not my finest moment.

Or how about every time I'm walking somewhere and people watch my hands as I compulsively "handspell" my own thoughts...yes, even when I run I do it...strange, I know...

So I write this post in hopes that others have had such blunders and would be so kind as to share them with me, and the rest of the world, thus easing my tongue-twister woes...

Come Thou Fount

Hey everyone! My boss showed me this video and I wanted to share it. It was done from the Mesa Temple Pageant. The photos are fantastic! I couldn't get the video to add in for some reason, but here's the link:

http://mabrystudios.typepad.com/reflections_of_christ/2008/03/reflections-sli.html

My Grandmother's Name

I went to the temple this morning and received an interesting surprise. Before i came down to college, I asked Grandpa Zirker if he had any family names that I could do, and he ended up giving me tons of names to do, mostly sealings, but a few endowments. I have been in the process of finishing the women's endowments.

As I sat in the temple waiting for the session to start, I began to gaze over the card from Grandpa I had chosen to do today. I looked at the name, Mary Barber, and said a prayer in my heart for her, hoping and praying she would accept this last piece of her temple work (she had already been sealed to her parents). Looking over the card, I was randomly drawn to the extractors name. To my surprise, this time it didn't day "Kenneth Eugene Zirker" as the hundreds of other cards I've done for Grandpa. This time it said: Leona Sagers Shields Zirker. Completely taken aback and confused, I looked at the dates on the card. This woman's ordinances had been started back in February of 1999. Grandma passed away a year later, and never had the chance to finish them. Mary had been waiting 9 years for someone to finish it. 9 years! Can you imagine that?! All i could think was, "All this time..."

I learned a good lesson from that. I had been so nonchalant in doing her work, and she'd been waiting nine years, knowing full well that her name was ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM! What a humbling experience it was for me to be reminded of my part in genealogy. I may not be as amazing as Grandpa on Family Search (come to think of it, I'm not even sure I know how to use it, sadly), but I can do my small part. I'm so excited to meet Mary Barber someday and ask her about her side of the experience. Waiting for NINE years -- what a lesson of patience! I wonder if she and Grandma are friends...

Celebrity Siting!

Just to keep you all informed, the caddy from Happy Gilmore is still alive and well. We saw him at the BYU game and he has decided to broaden his career to include photography as well...however, I'm sure he still spends the weekends on the green for old times sake.

Kids Have More Fun

I was at the BYU football game today and there were some cute little girls in front of us who could not seem to keep themselves in one place at the same time. Ironically enough, they were actually watching the game from time to time. One was so enthralled that she went to great lengths to be able to see better. here she is:

Yes, that's right. She just couldn't see through that sign...so she flipped it over her head and watched from there. Boy and I thought I was a dedicated fan!

Well, that got me to thinking...is it just kids that do these things? I don't seem to think so.
Take exhibit A for example....
Yes, that is a 19-year-old girl with underwear on her head....

Or maybe we all just go to great lengths to be a kid again.

We shove ourselves inside the same underwear as someone else...

Drink out of our children's sippy-cups...

We even shove ourselves into remotely small locations..."just for laughs"..yeah, it's all fun until we can't get out!

But despite our efforts, we all just seem to be getting older and older, faster and faster...i mean, take a look at this kid...he grew up so fast that his beard turned green!

It seems to be unanimous...kids do have more fun. Now all I need to do is figure out how to stay young...

Sources of Living Water

Last night I was approached by a girl that I barely knew and had an interesting experience. She came up to me after ward prayer and just stood there, waiting for me. I looked at her and said, “Hey Ashley! How are you?” As I said it though, I just looked at her and was startled by my own emotions, and responded quickly, “Would you like to talk?” Stifling tears, she just nodded, so we got in my car and drove up to the temple. As we drove, she unloaded to me, sobbing, expressing her frustration with life. There seemed to be an overpowering theme to her frustrations. You see, she is amazing; although I don’t know her incredibly well, I could and can feel and tell that she is amazingly charitable, and always reaching out to others. (After meeting her once, and showing interest in her life, she made me a pie…Yeah, that’s how sweet this girl is.) But last night she had had enough. Over the last few weeks she had given and given, and had been taken advantage of as a friend one too many times.
As I listened to her, my favorite analogy that I learned on my mission came to mind, and I had the opportunity to share it with her. This analogy has changed my life. And I wish to share it with each of you as well. The analogy goes something like this:
Each of us in this life has a bucket, full of water, which we carry with us everywhere. The water represents happiness, compliments, and energy that we have, or rather in a gospel perspective, the love of God. as we go throughout life, we have the ability to give water to others through service, compliments, etc. and people have the opportunity to do the same to us. Thus, in healthy living, your bucket should stay neutral - as you give to another, you dip out of your own bucket and give to theirs. Similarly, another can do the same and fill your bucket. This process keeps one emotionally stable as he passes through the difficulties and trials of this earth life. But what happens if someone is always giving, always dipping the water out of their bucket to give to others, and never receiving? Sooner or later, his bucket runs dry, he can give no more, and he either gives up, breaks down, or becomes bitter.
This is exactly what happened to Ashley. She had completely emptied her bucket, without receiving anything in return. Her bucket ran dry and she could give no more, causing her to resort to frustration and tears.
This analogy causes one to think: Are you a giver or a taker? And how is your bucket doing? Are you running dry? If so, what is the formula to fill your bucket again?
Naturally, the easiest way to fill your bucket would be to seek compliments from others, or surround yourself with good friends. I would be a fool to not admit that this is an excellent tactic. I believe that this is why Heavenly Father has given us families, so that we can lift each other up, or fill each other's bucket. Similarly, good friends can be a source to receive the love of God daily. Is there any doubt why the leaders of the church counsel us to surround ourselves with good friends?
Let us not forget, however, that there is a greater source of water, living water that we can receive whenever we need it: the light and love of our Savior. Jesus counseled the Samaritan woman, saying, "If thou knewest...who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee LIVING WATER." Confused the woman asked where she could find such water. Jesus answers humbly, helping us to understand the HE himself is the living water. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give shall never thirst." (John 4:10-15)
Our Savior is the living source of water from which we can and should fill our bucket. We can dip from his bucket freely, for His is the only one that never runs dry. His water is a source that leads to everlasting life.
May we each be conscious of two things in our lives: that we daily drink from the living water of the Savior, and that we also remember to fill the buckets of those around us. There are those, like Ashley, who ache for their bucket to be filled. The spirit gave me a chance to fill her bucket; and I believe that he grants these opportunities to each of us. May we be in tune enough to act on them.
One last thing: For those of you who feel like your bucket might be a little empty at the moment: know how much I love you, appreciate you and pray for you. You mean the world to me and make a difference in my life. I’m so grateful I know you. Your Savior is mindful of you and can help you fill your bucket, so that you can reach out to others. He’s done it a million times for me, when I’ve felt completely empty. I know He can do it for you.

Understanding about Understanding

I had an interesting experience at the broadcast this last weekend that I wanted to share with you. I learned a really good lesson that didn’t come from anything that the speakers said. As the broadcast began, the girls in front of me began to whisper back and forth and laugh…and it was so distracting. On first impulse, I was annoyed, wanting to listen to our leaders who were and are called of God to help us here on earth. It was so bad that I seriously considered moving seats. As I sat there annoyed for a couple seconds because I couldn’t focus with these girls chattering and laughing in front of me, I had an inspired thought that called me to repentance. I looked at them, and wondered how often I had been on the other side. How often had I been the distraction to the people around me? How often had someone been trying to feel the spirit, had maybe been going through a hard time, and because of me, they were denied the opportunity to feel the spirit and receive answers. I felt sick, ashamed at my many faults, for the many times that I had restricted the revelation of others. The only thing I could think to do was bow my head and ask for forgiveness for the many times that I had been an interference for the spirit. I found myself pleading for these girls in front of me, who just happened to be in my ward, asking Heavenly Father to touch their hearts so that they would receive the answers and peace that they needed, and to help them calm down, then pleading that if that wasn’t his will, that I would be able to focus so that I could receive answers.
How often are we, myself included, so quick to judge? Christ teaches that we should remove the beam in our own eyes before removing the mote in someone else’s. I learned a great lesson that day. As I closed my prayer, i felt a greater love for these girls in my ward, hoping that they would be able to receive answers as well. And I WAS able to focus after that because of the greater love that I had for them. What a blessing it was to partake of the blessings of the atoning sacrifice of our Savior. I’m so grateful that I can be forgiven for all the times I was a deterrent from the spirit. May we each be able to feel greater love for those around us, even when they cause us frustration and pain.

Blood and Bruises

Hey friends! I love volleyball! Just wanted to prove it…

P.S. That's my knee in case you didn't know...so worth it...

Wedding Bells

No, no. Not MY wedding bells. Sorry to disappoint you all. I had the chance to go to cousin Skyler’s wedding this last weekend and I saw a bunch of family members that I hadn’t seen in years….seriously, I saw one cousin and I asked her if she was a friend of the bride…only to have her say, “uh, I don’t know if you remember me…I’m Sara Kay.” Boy, did I feel sheepish…but we laughed about it later. Here are some pictures for everyone so they can participate in the fun.

Here are four of my dad’s siblings and their spouses…and me. I’m the young one in the middle.

And some of the girls (that’s Sara Kay standing next to me…yeah, now you see why I didn’t recognize her…I think the last time I saw her she was like 11 or 12…)
Some more of the girls…

And the bride and groom. Aren't they cute?

Close to Glory

So, it usually pays off to have friends in high places. That was almost true for me last weekend. Because I know someone who is in ROTC, I was offered the chance to fire off George Q. Cannon. Yeah, I know! That’s like a dream, huh? Anywho, I was supposed to fire off touchdown number four. Long story short: got pushed back in the list and was standing down by the cannon…as the game ended. I was so close to doing it! Sad…oh, well. I got some good pictures though. Maybe someday I’ll get to live my dream…

"This one time, on my mission..."

So, has it ever made you laugh how often RM's use the phrase "So, this one time, on my mission...?" Yeah, i thought it was really funny too...that is until i served a mission! Then i found myself eating my words...so, to completely ruin myself, i thought I'd have a little fun and write a few funny stories from my mission. So.....

this one time, on my mission...

~ I ate Iguana
~ I accidentally slide tackled an elder playing soccer in the rain
~ I got clotheslined by my Trainer playing football
~ We did a mission-wide fast to turn a hurricane...and it worked!
~ I transposed an entire piano piece...by ear, from a CD!
~ I had to play the piano every week for a year in sacrament meeting
~ We tracted in the rain for 4 hours...really fun!!
~ The last day of the mission, i found the best investigator in the world -- she approached us and is now a faithful member!
~ Ran the car through a puddle...more like a lake...and blew out the radiator
~ Was called, "gordita", "llenita", and "gorda"... meaning "the fat one"...good titles to have! :)
~ Used Cholesterol in my hair, a foot scrubber on my face, and hydrogen peroxide to "beautify"
~ Convinced my companion to use Ex-lax because she was sick
~ Watched the sun rise in the rain
~ Was almost given a priesthood blessing by a woman (apostasy! she really tried!)
~ Was asked if my companion was my daughter
~ Developed Hypoglycemia (don't ask...it's a long story)
~ Ate four dinners in one night. After the 3rd, we had to come home and throw up just so the 4th would fit...
~ Got *punked* by all the elders in our Zone -- they told us that we were getting whitewashed instead of actually telling us what was happening at transfers...i wanted to kill them!

Hope you enjoyed that as much as i did! Aren't mission experiences fun?

"The Adjustment"

I’ve successfully been back from the mission for…9 weeks I think (it makes it hurt less to count by weeks…that means I can justify still being weird. By the way, at what point do I have to switch over and start saying months? Or even years!? Maybe I’ll wait till I get to like….4,598 or something…when I’ve fully adjusted…)…needless to say, life has been interesting. Everyone takes the adjustment differently. There are some adjustments that were easier for me like: hugging little children,
or wearing a swimming suit (although I do apologize to all those that are still going through eye therapy from the whiteness of my legs. Really sorry about that.).

The whole not have to wear a dress thing is just delightful, as I can now wear sweats to school, wear the cutest heels in the world, and not shower, just because I don’t want to! However, some adjustments just still make the world laugh…causing me to wonder how long it takes to adjust to:
~Not studying your scriptures all the time

~Being in the same room as a guy without your companion…
~Or, dare I say…date!?
~Doing your hair….AND makeup….on the same day! Or at all!
~Or what about getting used to styles? Since when did side ponytails come back in? does it make it not so 80’s if it’s a side bun?
Needless to say, I’m still trying to find out who this “new me is”, and apparently so is the rest of the world! Every time I see someone they say something like, “wow! You look so….different!” which I’m starting to wonder what the pause means before they say different… but still get a good laugh when people tilt their heads as if it were a better view of my face… I guess I shouldn’t mock it, I’ve never seen my own face from a head tilted view…maybe I should try it…

Who came up with the Word Blog?

So I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and start my own blog. Since I’m the type of person that it is way faster to contact me by computer than by phone and since we have such a big family consequently needing me to tell the same story 15 times in the same week, blogging my life seems to be the way to go. Although I’m not sure I will ever come anywhere near the hilarity of Michelle’s blogs, hopefully this will save us all some time…and in a strange way bring us all closer together. So here’s a few entries to make you laugh and give you an inside to my life! Luv you all!