Val's Adventures

Patriotic Duty :)

2011-02-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

When Steven and I first started dating, we joked that my motivation for dating him was based solely on feelings of Patriotic Duty. While this is not entirely true, (Steven has many amazing qualities that would have been attractive to me whether or not he was serving in the military) I must admit that it has been fascinating to me to follow the events of the war in Afghanistan with a more personal interest. Learning about Afghanistan and why our military is fighting there has helped me develop more appreciation for the rights and freedoms that I enjoy on a daily basis and have taken for granted. I am so thankful for Steven and the hundreds of thousands of other military members that are fighting to protect our freedom and provide assistance to governments all around the world that are trying to improve their societies and establish basic human rights for their people.

When I first thought of Afghanistan, I imagined it being some small, insignificant, barren wasteland, sparsely populated, and without any remarkable amount of interest or beauty. I imagined it as always having a history of backwards views and oppression towards women and I assumed it was a country full of uneducated people living in huts. However, as I have listened to Steven's description and after doing some more personal investigation, I have found some rather interesting and surprising facts about this country:

-Afghanistan has a population of about 29 million, about 4 million more than the population of Texas.

-Afghanistan covers an area of 652,230 sq km (251,760 sq mi). The country could fit easily inside the Eastern half of the United States.

-Afghanistan actually has some really pretty areas. Steven is stationed at Forward Operating Base Wright (FOB Wright or Camp Wright) which is located in the Kunar Province in the Eastern part of Afghanistan at the base of the Hindu Kush mountain range. I looked it up on google and found some photos of this area that are really quite beautiful. I think it is somewhat similar to Utah's terrain with lots of mountains and valleys, although I'm pretty sure the mountains there are much bigger.

-Women in Afghanistan were not always oppressed as they are now. In the early part of the 20th century, Afghanistan's government made efforts to modernize the country and grant equal rights to women, abolishing the muslim veil and establishing co-educational schools. (And yes, I do get much of my information from the all-wise and possibly completely incorrect wikipedia) However, through many years of war and political upheavals, many of these progressive efforts have failed. It has only been since 1998 when the Taliban imposed restrictions on women's rights that the treatment of women and children has seriously declined. It is my opinion that many of the problems associated with young men joining the Taliban and becoming a part of insurgent groups would be alleviated if women were allowed equal rights and could have access to health care and education that would improve the stability of their families, and therefore the stability of the country as a whole. I believe that the family is the fundamental unit of society. Women are an integral part of the family, therefore they are an integral part of society. If the women of a society are not allowed to enjoy basic human rights, the family will disintegrate and the society will fail, which is exactly what has happened in Afghanistan. I can't imagine what it must have been like for a woman my age to have grown up in that country, to be able to go wherever I pleased without restrictions, and then all of a sudden, in 1998 ( I would have been 16 years old then) to be required to wear a burqa whenever I needed to go out in public, and to be accompanied by a male relative everywhere I go.

I found this photo album on facebook that has pictures of the people in the Kunar region. I look at the faces of these adorable children and wonder- what does the future hold for them? I hope and pray that our military will be successful so these people can enjoy peace and these children can grow up to have happy and fulfilling lives. Perhaps I am being too naive and idealistic for having this hope, but how can I look at these faces and hope otherwise? I know that it is a sacrifice for our military, and for us as the American people who are paying taxes to pay for this war, but how can we, who have been given so much, stand by and NOT do something to help these people?

Anyway, maybe I should either get off my soapbox now or go and join a humanitarian organization to do something more than just talk about what I think should be done. What this all boils down to is that I am very thankful for Steven being willing to do what he is doing and I love him all the more for it. It is really hard being separated from him and not being able to talk with him very frequently, but I fully support what he is doing.

For those of you who are not up-to-date on your current events, here are some links to help you out. I am extremely surprised and, frankly, quite disappointed with how many Americans have no idea why our military is even there.

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-08-29/world/analysis.afghanistan.military_1_al-qaeda-terror-network-afghanistan?_s=PM:WORLD

This video explains why not helping Afghanistan establish a stable government would be a threat to America. The most pertinent info is towards the end of this clip, so be sure to watch the whole thing. (Although this lady's hair really bugs me, I can't figure out why it looks straight on one side and curly on the other. Did she look in a mirror before she went on air?)

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/politics/2010/11/23/jk.afghan.people.us.military.cnn.html

I don't want this to sound morbid (because the title of this website is a bit disturbing), but I check this website pretty frequently because it keeps a good running synopsis of current news and recent events happening in Afghanistan. I look at the casualty numbers occasionally, but I figure that if anything ever happened to Steven, hopefully I would know about it before his name showed up on this website. :-S

http://icasualties.org/OEF/index.aspx

2010 Year in Review

2011-01-05T20:12:00.001-08:00

For those of you who didn't get a mailed copy of my Christmas letter, here is an electronic version:

December, 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

As I look back on the events of 2010, I have much to be thankful for and many reasons to smile. It has been a fun and eventful year and I am thankful for the goals that I have accomplished, the people I have met, the places I have been, and the precious moments I have enjoyed. As I look forward to next year, I am excited for the many adventures that 2011 will bring.

I am currently living in Provo in a Condo that I purchased a couple of years ago and had been renting out. I have a wonderful roommate, Laura Rivera, who is an excellent cook and a great friend. I also live with my dog, Buster, who constantly entertains me, and who really is a nice dog once he stops barking at strangers! ;-) I am serving as the secretary in the Relief Society Presidency of my singles ward and enjoy the friendships I have developed with the people in my neighborhood.

I began the year working in Real Estate part-time while finishing up my last few classes at BYU. The last home stretch seemed to drag on, but I FINALLY finished my courses and graduated in August! Wahoo! It feels so nice to finally be done with my Bachelor’s degree! I have learned a lot from my degree in Humanities with an Art History emphasis, and I am thankful for the way it has broadened my horizons and challenged the way I view the world. I feel that I am much more understanding, tolerant, and culturally aware because of my degree. I have increased confidence in forming and defending my own opinions, rather than relying on others to create an opinion for me.

With my schooling out of the way, I joined the ranks of many recent college graduates with the question of “What now?” Though my degree in Humanities has little direct relation to the Real Estate industry, since I have had a background in Real Estate for several years now, I decided I would continue with that profession. I transferred my license to Coldwell Banker, where I am currently working as an assistant for a team of Real Estate agents and where I have more resources and education to help me build my business and provide better service to clients. I hope to be able to implement some of the skills I am learning to have a productive and successful year in 2011. Despite the economy being what it is, I am noticing that those who are committed to their job and their clients have continued to be successful despite what market reports may predict. I am looking forward to the many challenges, successes, and learning opportunities this next year will bring.

I was able to go on a family vacation to Idaho in July where we had all sorts of fun boating, hiking, and playing on a home-made water slide. I enjoyed spending time with my adorable nieces and nephews. In September I visited a good friend, Noelle Temple, in Michigan. While I was there, I was also able to visit my Great-Aunt Ruth and Great-Uncle Neil who also live in Michigan who were in their nineties and whom I hadn’t visited since I was an infant. I’m very glad I took the opportunity to do so, because Aunt Ruth passed away earlier this month. Her passing has reminded me that life is so short and fleeting. We must seize opportunities to do things like meet people, visit places, dance to our favorite song, fall in love, and enjoy precious moments, because tomorrow is promised to no one, and some chances may never pass our way again.

As many of you know, I enjoy social dancing very much. I had the opportunity to attend several dance “events” this year where I was able to meet new dancers and improve my dance skills. In January I attended the Utah Lindy Exchange which was a 3-day long dance event full of all sorts of fun Lindy-Hop, West Coast Swing, and Blues dancing. In February I went to Sacramento with a bunch of friends to the “Capital City Swing Dance Convention” which was a weekend full of West Coast Swing classes, competitions, and social dancing. I also enjoyed lots of dancing at local venues throughout the year including the Murray Arts Center, Ballroom Utah, and Blue Tango in Provo.

It happened to be at Blue Tango that one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments came to pass! One night in July, I met a handsome, friendly fellow named Steven Kinkead. When we first met, he told me he would soon be leaving to California for some specialized training for the Army. I thought he was a really nice guy, but with him leaving, I didn’t think there was a chance for anything to really develop between us. However, when he returned and I saw him dancing again, I was once again intrigued by him, he asked me to go to dinner the next evening, and then we dated for a few weeks before he left again to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin for more training. We continued our relationship long distance and were able to talk on the phone almost every day while he was gone. When he came home for Thanksgiving, he asked me to marry him and I gladly accepted! He is a wonderful man who treats me like a princess, and I am very thankful to have him in my life. He is a member of the 744th Engineering Company from Ogden, Utah, and is currently serving in the Kunar province of Afghanistan until November 11th of next year. Having a long-distance relationship has been hard, and the next 11 months are going to be tough, but as Thomas Paine once said “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value.” The rewards of loving and being loved by an amazing person are worth whatever price must be paid. I fully support Steven’s decision to do his part to help keep our country safe, despite the sacrifices that are required. Steven and I are excited to be married when his deployment is over and look forward to the adventures life will bring to us. I pray for him constantly and for the rest of our troops that are fighting for our country and to promote principles of freedom around the world. I am thankful for the precious moments he has brought into my life and for the sweet and gentle way he has encouraged my heart to open, in spite of the wounds life has given it in the past.

It is my hope that your holiday season and the coming year is filled with many precious moments for you and yours. May we all open our hearts a little wider to accept the love that is offered us in both big and little packages each day.

With Love this Holiday Season,

Valerie Shoemaker

Thanksgiving Surprise!!

2010-11-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

If anyone had told me back in September that I would be engaged by Thanksgiving, I would have rolled my eyes, shaken my head, and with an appalled tone of voice would have replied "What-EVER!! I would NEVER do something that ridiculous, and I would NEVER get engaged to anyone I hadn't dated for at LEAST 6 months!!"

Well... I have now learned to

NEVER say NEVER!

On Friday, November 26, 2010 at approximately 3:30 pm, just over 2 months since our first date, Steven Kinkead knelt down on one knee in a beautiful grove of pine trees (aka a Christmas Tree lot) in Mountain Green, Utah. A fresh layer of snow covered the ground, the sun was low in the horizon, the air was crisp, clean and quiet. He asked me to marry him. I enthusiastically said "YES!!"

He slipped a sparkly ring on my finger, we kissed and hugged, I jumped up and down with excitement and proclaimed with delight, "We're gonna get married!!!"

As I stood there wrapped in the arms of this sweet, loving, brave, strong, amazing man, I marvelled, as I often have, at how quickly life can change. I am so thankful that this time it has changed for the better. :)

How We Met

As many of you know, I enjoy dancing a lot. Since I moved back into my condo in Provo, I have been frequently visiting a little dance venue just a few blocks from where I live called "Blue Tango" where they have Blues dancing on Thursday nights.

One night, back in July, I danced a couple of times with this nice, handsome guy named Steve. He told me he was in the army and had a couple weeks off before he was leaving to do some training in California. Then he would have a couple more weeks off before he would be deployed to go to Afghanistan. Maybe it was due to an over-zealous sense of patriotic duty, or maybe it was fate prompting me to action, but initially, I thought, "That's kind of cool that he's going to Afghanistan. Maybe I can get to know him a little bit so I can send him an email once in a while and find out how things really are out there from a soldier's perspective." Romance didn't really cross my mind, and I didn't really think there was enough time to allow any chance for anything more than a casual friendship to develop anyway. He seemed like a really good guy though, so that night I asked him to give me a ride home so I wouldn't have to walk the few blocks home in the dark. We chatted a little more in his car, then I wished him well with his training and told him that I hoped I would be able to see him again before he left for Afghanistan. That night I added him as a friend on facebook, (although Steve insists that HE was the one that added ME as a friend, I distinctly remember that I was the first to send him a friend request ;-p) but we didn't really have much communication for a while after that.

A few months later, on September 23, I once again went to Blue Tango and-lo and behold-Steven was there again! I was excited to see him and I asked him how his training went and how much time he had before leaving for Afghanistan. We chatted for quite a while, and he asked me to dance several times. I admit, I was feeling quite flirtatious that night, and it was nice to have someone reciprocate my flirtations. :) At one point in the evening, Steven asked me if I would like to go to dinner with him sometime. I told him I would love to. That night I asked him again to give me a ride home, and we made plans to meet in Salt Lake the following evening for dinner and dancing.

Our First Date

Since Steve lives in Mountain Green, which is about a 1.5-2 hour drive from Provo, though he was willing to drive all that way, I felt bad making him drive that far to pick me up which is why I agreed to meet him in Salt Lake. It turns out that traffic in Provo on Friday nights is HORRIBLE! So though I had planned to meet Steve at a certain time up in Salt Lake, it ended up working out better for him to meet me at Thanksgiving Point where we had dinner. I remember that the dinner I had wasn't as impressive as I hoped it would be, but the conversation was great! I learned a lot about Steve and I began to recognize that he is a very good-hearted man. We had planned to go dancing after dinner, but I had had a long day at work, and that added to the horrible drive in Construction-ridden traffic had given me a headache, so we decided that maybe we should watch a movie instead.

It was a really good first date and I was surprised at how comfortable I felt with him. We seemed to have a lot in common, having both grown up most of our lives in Utah. We had similar interests in dancing, movies, and music. Overall, I was impressed with his ability to keep an interesting conversation going and with his variety life of experience. He was intelligent, humorous, and most importantly of all, he was just a REALLY NICE guy! I felt that he really appreciated having me as company. At this point I still didn't think we would ever be more than just good friends because of the timing of everything, but I was definitely intrigued and was bummed that he was going to be leaving soon.

We had a pseudo-second date the next day. We met each other in Salt Lake at Ballroom Utah for more dancing and then made crepes and watched another movie. Then Steve left for a couple of days to visit family in Washington state. He ended his trip a little early just so he could come see me a few more times before he left. We went on several more dates including watching General Conference together, going to his best friend's kid's soccer game, dinner with the Poll family in Mountain Green, a Halloween Cruise on the Provo River, dinner at the Blue Iguana, and of course, more dancing. :-)

By the time it was time for him to deploy on October 10, we had spent the majority of the last 2 weeks together. Like the words of a certain really cheesy country song, "As the days got shorter, our talks got longer, the kisses got sweeter and the feelings got stronger..." and before I knew it, I was in love!! I couldn't believe that this had happened so quickly! I was really concerned about the fact that it had happened so quickly and I was still nervous about what the future would bring. I was worried that what I felt was just infatuation or the result of feeling that time was passing me by and I just wanted to be married again.

Though I had a lot of questions and concerns, one thing that I did know was that Steven treated me like a queen and that I was always happy to be with him. He is so thoughtful and caring. One example that shows the sweet thoughtfulness that this man is capable of happened the day after we had been watching a movie called "Stranger Than Fiction." Mr. Crick, the male character in the movie brings Miss Pascal, the baker, a dozen "flours" and tells her "I want you.... In no uncertain terms." Later, Miss Pascal brings Mr. Crick "Bavarian Sugar Cookies." While we were watching, I just made the small comment, "I don't know what Bavarian Sugar cookies are, but that sounds really good right now!" The next day, Steven showed up at my door with a bouquet of red rose flowers and a huge batch of Bavarian sugar cookies that he had made and frosted himself! He gave me a big hug and said, "I want you. In no uncertain terms." It was SO cute!! Steven continues to do sweet little things that let me know that he is thinking of me. (Some of these cute little things he says and does also pretty much make him the King of Sappy, but don't tell him I let his secret out!)

Deployment

On October 10th, Steven left for Fort McCoy in Wisconsin for 6 weeks of specialized training as part of his deployment. I went to the Browning Reserve Center to see him off.

Steven warned me then that when he came back for Thanksgiving, that he just might be asking me some crazy questions, so to be prepared for it. Though part of me was excited at the thought of marrying this man, the more sensible part of me was telling me that this was way too crazy, way too fast. I had a lot of strong feelings for Steven, but would they be strong enough to last through a long-term, long-distance relationship? After he left, I thought and prayed a lot about this relationship. I also went through several periods of doubts and concerns, at one point telling him that I thought we should just be friends, and that if I was still available when he got back after his 14 month deployment, I would be happy to pursue a relationship. The night after I told him that, I felt absolutely sick to my stomach and wondered if I had done the right thing. After I had been on a couple of first dates with some other guys that turned out to not be nearly as great as my first date with Steven, I realized that despite my concerns, if there was even a remote possibility that things could work out with him, I wanted to give it a chance. During this whole time, Steven never faltered in his feelings for me. He continued to call me and we would talk for at least an hour almost every day. He continued to tell me how much he cared about me and I knew that he would be willing to do whatever it took to make this relationship work despite the odds being stacked against us. I was really impressed at how much our relationship was able to deepen and grow stronger despite the physical distance between us. Every week or two, I get a CD in the mail that has little videos Steven has made just for me. His willingness to take time out of his day to show me what is going on helps me to feel included as an important part of his life and helps bridge the distance between us. (Also, the fact that he is willing to endure ridicule from his army buddies while he makes these little videos for me makes them that much more sweet to me. ;)

Stay tuned for more information about Steve, the wedding, etc.

Graduation!!!!

2010-11-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

It's official!! In August, I finally finished my last class at BYU and satisfied all the requirements for graduation. A few weeks later, in September I opened up my mailbox to find a nice big envelope with my Diploma in it! YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! It feels great to finally be done with this goal of getting a Bachelor's degree that I started 4 years ago! I can't believe it took me so long to finish, but I have learned a lot of valuable lessons that I wouldn't trade for anything.

My degree in Humanities with an emphasis in Art History has been a very fulfilling and rewarding field of study. I was able to travel to Europe to study the works of the masters in person, and get college credit for it! Who could frown at that? I have improved my reading, writing, and critical thinking skills and have learned to appreciate the beauty that is all around me. I have also become much more open to different schools of thought, and have learned to appreciate differing opinions that allow me to see the world from a new perspective.

My favorite teacher at BYU was Carl Sederholm. He taught several of my American Humanities classes and one of my capstone courses. He is a very humorous, caring and thoughtful instructor. Some of the works of art and literature that I now consider some of my favorites were ones that I studied in his classes. We read a book called "The Coquette" which was very entertaining and helped me to look at my own dating habits from a more cautious point of view. We studied paintings by Joseph William Mallord Turner, which exposed me to what is now one of my favorite paintings, "Dido Building Carthage."

I like this painting not necessarily because of its visual appeal, but because of the story behind it. Dido was a widow who was able to overcome many obstacles to build a great city. I guess I like it because I can identify with her character and hope that I can also do great things with my life despite my challenges. We also studied Thomas Cole and his "Course of Empire" series which I also really enjoy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Course_of_Empire.

In one of my other classes, we were assigned to write a formal analysis of a work of art chosen from the "Beholding Salvation: Images of Christ" exhibit that was then on display at the BYU museum of art. http://monet.byu.edu/emuseum/code/emuseum.asp?style=single&currentrecord=5&page=seealso&profile=objects&searchdesc=Related%20to%20RON%20RICHMOND&newvalues=1&rawsearch=Exhibition/,/is/,/Beholding%20Salvation:%20Images%20of%20Christ/,/false/,/true&newstyle=browse&newprofile=objects&newsearchdesc=Exhibition%20is%20Beholding%20Salvation:%20Images%20of%20Christ&newcurrentrecord=1&module=objects

I really enjoyed this exhibit because it was interesting to see the development of different artistic styles and movements and how the Savior has been a common theme as a subject of art through all these changes. I was really struck by some of the paintings by Ron Richmond, and I chose to write about Exchange No. 8. I liked the representational idea behind this painting, how it represents Christ without showing an actual image of him. It calls to mind the verse in Isaiah 1:18- "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow." I would post excerpts from my paper here, but I can't seem to find the file. If anyone has actually read through this post long enough to reach this point, 10 points for not getting bored out of your mind. If you care enough to read what I actually wrote for this assignment, send me an email and I'll find the copy. :p

So basically what I am saying is that my major totally ROCKED and I loved the opportunities I had to study amazing works of art by amazing people.

The End. :)

I like hiking

2010-09-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is a post I started back in August, but I didn't post it until now because I wasn't quite finished with it. It is interesting to me to see that a lot of the things we talked about on this hike have actually been accomplished! Yay for setting goals and hiking! We did this hike on August 24, 2010.

"I have a new goal to go on at least one hike every week until it gets too cold. We have been having such gorgeous weather here these last couple of weeks, it pains me to let a perfect, cloudless, late summer/early fall blissful day go by without taking a chance to head up to the mountains and enjoy nature's beauty.

Last week, I dragged my two brothers down to Payson canyon. I had never been hiking there, and I've heard some good things about it, so I found some trails online and decided to check one of them out. We didn't have tons of time, and it takes a while just to get down to Payson, so I chose a short "hike" called Grotto Falls. It turns out that it took us a whole lot longer to even find the trailhead marker from the Canyon road than it did to do the actual hike. We walked for about 10 minutes before we got to the end. It was pretty cool, though. There is a little waterfall formation where the water has carved a little "Grotto" out of the conglomerate rock (yes, 'conglomerate' is a word I am proud to say I still remember from my high-school geology class.)

It was fun to go with Ammon & Hyrum. We had some brotherly-sisterly bonding time while we walked and talked about the goals we all have set for ourselves. Hyrum's goal is to get a job, a driver's license, & do well in school. Ammon's goal was to get a better job, which he has ALREADY done! Congratulations! And he wants to go on at least one date every week. My goal is to meet 3 new people every week, and hopefully find someone I can marry."

Stay tuned to future posts to find out more details on how I am doing with my goal.... :)

Yesterday, September 3, 2010, I went hiking again. This time I was with my friend, Daniel, that I met dancing at Blue Tango (I'll post more about dancing later.) We hiked up to the Y and then went past the Y to the little canyon behind Y Mountain. It was really pretty. I wanted to go all the way behind the mountain, but we started our hike at about 4:30 in the afternoon, and it was getting dark before we could get as far as I wanted to go, so we turned around and headed back down. By the way, hiking to the Y at 4:30 on a hot, sunny, cloudless afternoon is a HORRIBLE idea! That's pretty much the worst time to start because its so dang hot. I felt really embarrassed because I was huffing and puffing all the way up. I've done that hike plenty of times before and haven't ever had a problem, but I usually start in the morning or later in the evening when its cooler. The hardest part of the whole hike is getting to the Y. After that its a lot easier and there is more shade and better scenery.

On the way back down, we almost ran over this HUGE tarantula that was just sitting in the middle of the trail. YUCK! It totally made my skin crawl. I have lived in Utah my whole life and have never seen a tarantula in the wild, which makes me think that maybe this was someones pet that escaped or something. I don't think they are natural habitants of this area.

Reflections

2010-08-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged for a while, and I do intend to repent of that soon...but I just wanted to take a moment to write down some thoughts I have been mulling over lately.

Today marks 6 years from the day that Lucien died. I look back on these years and sometimes can't believe that so many have gone by already, and other times I think "Really? Has it only been 6 years? It feels like so much longer." I think about how different my life today is from what I imagined it was going to be when Lucien and I married. We probably would have had a couple of kids by now, Lucien would have been done with his flight training and probably would be working for an airline. We might have had the kind of house I've always wanted, etc. etc. Although part of me gets a little depressed when I think of all the could'ves and should'ves and would'ves, a larger part of me is so thankful for what I DO have.

I am thankful for the calm serenity that comes from feeling the effects of the healing hands of time and God's grace after experiencing the turmoil of a shattered heart.

I am thankful for the emotional strength that comes from knowing that I have survived the intense heat and pressure of the refiner's fire, and have become more resilient and luminous because of the experience.

I am thankful for the greater sensitivity to the simple pleasures of life all around me that comes from knowing that the sweetest moments in life are also the most fleeting.

There is much more that I am thankful for that I could list here, but another thing I have come to appreciate is the opportunity to spend more time living life than blogging about it, so I will end this here and say thanks to everyone who has been a companion with me on my journey. Your love and friendship is appreciated. :-)

2009 Year in Review

2010-01-03T20:13:00.001-08:00

Every new year, as one year ends and another year begins, I always like to review the past year and evaluate what went well. For me, personally, this is more effective than setting New Year's Resolutions because I feel better and more motivated when I look back on the good things that I HAVE been able to accomplish than to think about all the things I wanted to do, but for one reason or another was not able to do. This also makes me more motivated during the year to do things that I will be excited to add to my list of accomplishments at the end of the next year. So here we go:

January-

-Began my internship at the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

-Took part in a bit of history by attending the Inauguration of President Obama

-Made lots of friends with my fellow interns at the Barlow center and at Church in the Washington DC 2nd ward.

February-

-Had lots more adventures in Washington DC-you can read my February post for more details

March-

-Celebrated my 27th birthday

April-

-Hiked "Old Rag" Mountain in Shenandoah National Park

-Enjoyed the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC

-Participated in Graduation ceremonies with my brother Ammon.

(Okay, here is one thing that I admit could have been improved upon, I still have not officially graduated because it has been really hard to stay motivated to finish my last few GE classes as soon as I had hoped. One thing I plan on reporting in my 2010 year in review is an official graduation announcement.)

May

-Showed my brother, Ammon around Washington DC, visited Thomas Jefferson's estate at Monticello, and said goodbye to the city I came to love.

-Visited my sister, Mona, in Madison Wisconsin.

June

-Went to the "Colorado Country Classic" dance event in Denver, Colorado. It was really fun to see some of the professionals dance and to learn a few more dance moves myself. I went with my friend, Jeremy Burgess and had lots of fun there.

July

-Did lots of homework, took an LSAT prep class, and thought a lot about going to Law School.

-Spent time with my family at 2 different family reunions at Bear Lake: one for the extended Johnson Family with all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. And another for just my immediate family with my parents, all my sisters and their spouses and kids, my brother Ammon (Hyrum wasn't there because he's still on his mission in CA). It was great to enjoy the sunshine, nice weather, and beautiful scenery.

August

-Did more homework

-Went to Wisconsin to babysit my nephews, Bridger and Carter while my sis, Mona and her husband Ben were out of town for Ben's job interviews.

September

-Went to "Desert City Swing" another dance event in Phoenix, AZ. This one was also really fun and really helped me improve my West Coast Swing technique. I hope I can go again next year.

-Signed up for a pre-law internship at an attorney's office in Orem. I learned a lot about what it would be like to be a lawyer.

-Started taking a "ladies only" West Coast Swing class from a great instructor, Shalay Branch. It was tons of fun and I learned a lot.

October

-Finished 2 of my Independent Study classes, studied more for the LSAT

-Went to Wisconsin again to babysit Bridger and Carter again while Mona and Ben did 2nd interviews.

November

-Decided not to take the LSAT because I wasn't going to be ready for it.

-Went to Small Claims court a couple of times and got a little taste of what work in a court room is like.

-Went horseback riding with some friends and fell off my horse because of an equipment malfunction (my cinch strap broke). Despite being sore, (and despite being a little ticked off at some people who shall remain nameless) the horseback riding actually was pretty fun and made me want to learn how to do it better.

-Celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and was reminded of how blessed I am. Life is great!

December

-Finished my pre-law internship and decided that maybe a legal career is NOT for me. At least not at this point in my life. Though I was really excited about my internship at first, as the semester wore on, I was feeling less and less interested in what I was doing and I was having a hard time imagining myself enjoying what I saw my attorney doing day in and day out. It was a great learning experience for me and was exactly what I needed to make an educated decision about whether or not law school was right for me. I have not eliminated Law School as an option altogether. At some point in my life I may reconsider it, but right now I feel that I need to be

doing something that I absolutely love and enjoy doing which right now is real estate.

-Reactivated my Real Estate license and started getting busy building a client base and doing LOTs of BPOs (Broker Price Opinion). I am excited to get back into a business that I love and hope to be very successful at it. I really love working with my Broker and am anxious to help lots of people find homes that are the right fit for them.

-Celebrated Christmas with family in Lewiston, Utah.

-Celebrated New Year's Eve the best way I know how...by DANCING!!!

Books I've read this year: (I'm a little embarrassed that there aren't that many, or else I'm forgetting some)

-The Broker by John Grisham-A fun novel to read while I was in DC.

-He's Just not That into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo -I knew the movie was coming out, so I read the book. Its an interesting, slightly exaggerated, but generally true observation about the dating culture in the US.

-To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee-its one of those classics I love reading again and again

-Resistance to Civil Government by Henry David Thoreau-This is not really a book, more a long essay or pamphlet. It was required for one of my classes but was really interesting to read and consider the huge impact this has had on societies all around the world.

Movies I saw this year:

Taken-I liked it. Good action movie.

He's Just Not That into You-I actually liked this movie. Maybe because read the book or because I can relate...;-)

Avatar-My boss said the main avatar girl reminded him of me. I'm not sure why... The animation was pretty cool, I didn't get to see it in 3D, but I liked the movie anyway.

I know I saw more movies, but I can't remember them.

Cities I visited:

Washington DC

Philadelphia, PA

Valley Forge, PA

Charlottesville, VA

Delaplane, VA

Shepherdstown, WV

Martinsburg, WV

Madison, WI

Denver, CO

Phoenix, AZ

If hanging out in an airport counts as visiting a city, I was stuck in Minneapolis MN several times for several hours between Madison and Salt Lake City. PS-if you ever have to have a layover anywhere while flying AVOID the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport AT ALL COSTS! Every experience I had there was a bad one.

Guys that I kissed:

-ha ha! Just kidding. I'm not going to post that here. But I will say that I kissed less guys this year than last year, so depending on how you look at it, that could be either an improvement or a regression. ;-*

So here's to a great 2009 and a hope that 2010 will be even better!

2009-12-13T19:06:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving...

This Thanksgiving I spent time with my family at my sister's house in Lewiston, Utah. It was a nice low-key dinner, and on the drive up there and on the way home, I began thinking about the things that I really am thankful for. Though it would take too long to list everything, here are a few of the things that came to mind:

1-My Religion-being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly a wonderful blessing in my life. Because of my religious beliefs, I feel I have a strong understanding of who I really am. This life can be so confusing sometimes, with so many different entities clamoring for our attention and trying to persuade us to define ourselves a certain way, I am thankful for an understanding that I am a daughter of God. He knows who I am, He understands what I am going through, He knows what will bring true happiness to me in my life. Though sometimes it is easy to believe what many people in the world say about what is or is not true or important, I have found that I really am happiest when I spend time pondering my relationship with my Father in Heaven. Yes, there are some lifestyle restrictions associated with my religion. I don't drink alcohol. I don't have sexual relationships outside of marriage. I go to church almost every Sunday, I pray, I read the Bible and other revelations from God including the Book of Mormon. I live a lifestyle that is different than a lot of people my age throughout the world. But I am happy. I am confident. I know what to expect when this life is over, which makes me cherish and value the time I have here on earth. I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that he is my Savior, that he can help me overcome my mistakes, and help me through any trial or hardship I may have to face, and this belief has made all the difference in my life.

2-My husband- I dated Lucien for one year and was only married to him for 8 months before he died, but the short time I was blessed to spend with him taught me so many things about life and love that continue to have a profound influence on me even now, more than 5 years after his death. Our 6 year wedding anniversary came and went about a week ago. Though I missed him terribly, I couldn't help but feel so thankful that I had the opportunity to experience with him some of the sweetest moments life has to offer. Before I met him it was as if I had been living life in grayscale, and when Lucien entered my life, suddenly his personality and his presence illuminated the world around me in such a way that I was able to see the vivid, bright colors that had been surrounding me all along, but were now enhanced and seemed so much more beautiful than before. There were so many things I experienced for the first time with him: Sushi, Virginia, Betos, a really good kiss, doing donuts in the church parking lot. After he passed away, part of me felt that all of those things had passed away with him. As more time has passed, and as I reflect more upon why it is that I loved him so much, and what it was that I loved, I realized that though I thought I was falling in love with him, he was really showing me how to fall in love with life. He showed me that life should be lived on purpose, that dreams can and should be achieved. When you long to soar above the clouds, you grab a plane by the yoke, spread your wings, and learn how to fly. There might be some strong headwinds. Your engine may stall. You may be forced to make a few bumpy landings. But all those things are part of what makes the moment that you break through the clouds that much more thrilling. When you look down below at all the things you've risen above, you realize that with enough persistence and the right equipment, life's gravity has had little power to hold you down. Though our dreams may not always play out exactly as we expect, we can still choose to make this life a unique and wonderful experience.

Though I sometimes wonder how I can ever love anyone as much as I loved Lucien, I know that there are still many more "firsts" to experience in life. Among other things, I've still never walked along a white sands beach, visited New York City, or held my own newborn baby. And there are plenty of sweet moments I would love to experience again, like waking up next to someone I truly love, laughing until my face hurts from smiling, and of course, a really really good kiss! ;-) Though I am sad that I can't experience all of these things with Lucien (at least in this life), I know that he wouldn't want me to not be able to experience these living jewels because of his absence. When the time is right and with the right person, I believe I will be able to open up my heart again to give and receive the kind of love that Lucien and I shared. But even if that never happens, I will consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world to have already had so many treasured moments. Many people go throughout their whole lives never knowing what it is like to really be loved. Now THAT would be a real tragedy.

3-My family-Though none of us are perfect by any definition, I must say that I do have a pretty good group of folks to call my own. We all have our own little quirks, but in all, I'm glad to be a part of this family. My parents are two of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. My brothers and sisters are all pretty well educated and pretty successful. We all have different personalities and different interests, but growing up and working together on our family farm has given us an understanding of each other that nobody else quite gets. And when I talk about loving my family, its not just my blood relatives either. My in-laws are pretty great too. I hear a lot of people complaining about their in-laws, but my sisters-in-law are two of my best friends, and my mother-in-law is one of the most caring people I know. Even though I don't get to see them as often as they or I would like, I'm thankful that we have been able to stay as close as we have even after Lucien's death. I read a quote recently that sums this all up pretty well: "Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts!"

Anyway, there are plenty of other things I am thankful for and which I could expound upon, like my job, education, the country I live in, my dog, and chocolate, but even if I had nothing else than what I have listed above, I would consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world! Life is beautiful, isn't it?!

Fun In Wisconsin

2009-11-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from my trip to Wisconsin. I had a lot of fun with Bridger and Carter and learned a lot about kids. I learned that there are a few things you just learn to get used to when children are involved. For example....

With 2 kids under age 3, it doesn't take very long for a house to go from looking like this....

to looking like this!

Although I'm not a huge fan of kids watching a lot of tv, after all the ideas you have to keep them entertained were met with failure, and it's only 10:00 am, sometimes a 20 minute dvd can be your best friend! Look how captivated they are! Sometimes I used Charlie Brown to buy a few minutes to actually get myself dressed and cleaned up for the day. I no longer wonder why some moms look like they didn't look at themselves in the mirror before they walked out of the house. Who has time for indulgences like showers and makeup?

Despite all your efforts to please, kids can always find a way to be unsatisfied. After watching "Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving Dinner" Bridger wanted to make pumpkin pie like Snoopy. Thinking that he actually wanted to eat it too, I found all the ingredients and we went to work. Bridger had fun smashing the dough and stirring ingredients together.

However, although Bridger had seen all the orangy pumpkin stuff we put in the pie, when it was finally done and it was time to eat it, he took one look at the pie, stuck his finger in it, stared at his finger with a disgusted look on his face and said, "I don't like this orange stuff. Its yucky!" and then refused to eat it.

Carter, on the other hand, wolfed down the pie like it was going out of style! He probably ate more of the pie over the course of 3 days than I did!

On another note, one night right before heading to the neighbor's house for dinner, I quickly ran downstairs to check on some laundry. Bridger and Carter were playing in the big room downstairs when Bridger said "Hey! Its wet!" At about that same moment, I looked down at the carpet and saw a shallow but large puddle of water that covered about half of the basement. Being a little panicked, I looked around to see where it was coming from while I frantically called Mona and said "Your basement is flooding!!" I found out that the water heater was leaking and was soon getting directions from Ben on how to remedy the situation. I brought the kids over to the neighbors where they could be watched while I took care of the mess. (Thanks Jamie!)

Luckily, some of Ben & Mona's friends were able to come over that night to help clean up the water and get some fans going to dry out the carpet. A plumber came the next day to replace the broken water heater.

Here are some photos of Halloween. We had a great time! Carter was dressed as Elmo, and Bridger was a fireman. I took them to the mall to go trick-or-treating, and a bunch of Japanese people saw Carter and started pointing and laughing and taking pictures of him. He just stared at them wondering why they were talking funny and what all the commotion was for. Bridger got scared of the people dressed in funny clothes, so we didn't stay for long. When Ben and Mona got home that night, we went trick or treating again down the street they live on with the neighbors and their kids. I couldn't have picked a better way to spend Halloween. I didn't really want to come home, and I guess I could have stayed, since my wallet got stolen while I was there and I didn't have any ID. But after a series of questions and some extra screening by airport security, they finally let me board my plane and I had to fly home and get back to life as a student. I miss my nephews and all the fun we had and can't wait to see them again!

Precious Moments….Mostly!

2009-10-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

While my sister and brother-in-law, Mona and Ben have been away doing second interviews for Ben’s job, they have entrusted me again with the care of their two precious little kiddoes, Bridger and Carter. I must be getting used to this nannying business, because last time I was here at the end of August, I was completely exhausted by noon and would crash on the couch as soon as I had put the boys down for their naps while praying they would stay asleep for a long time. This time around, when its naptime, I still have energy to clean the house, check email, and even get in a little bit of LSAT studying time. Also, last time I was here, my back would be aching so bad at the end of the day, I would have trouble sleeping even though I was so tired, and I had to rely on Ibuprofen to get me through to the next morning. This time, I prepared myself by doing some back exercises starting a couple of weeks before I came, and I also learned some great stretches to do that help relieve the tension in my back. It also helps that Carter is walking now, so he doesn’t have to be carried everywhere, although he still wants to be held and carried every once in awhile.

Being around these two little angels has definitely had a variety of moments ranging from those filled with laughter to those filled with frustration, from thinking this is the greatest job in the world to wondering how the heck parents do this every day. Here are a few examples:

-After banging Carter on the head with bath toys, and then having Carter return the favor, then both of them bursting into giggles and hugging, Bridger proudly smiled up at me and exclaimed “We be’d not kind to eachother, Aunt Val! We be’d MEAN! And now we’re kind again!!”

-Carter’s favorite thing to do is to blow “berzerts” on any amount of bare skin he can find. This surprised me the first time it happened because after watching him running around giggling and playing with toys for a few minutes, he looked at me with his shy little smile, walked up to me quietly and opened up his arms as if he wanted a hug. I proudly picked him up and held him close, thinking it was a kind guesture of his affection. I snuggled him in my arms, he buried his head in my neck, and the next thing I knew he was blowing loudly on my bare neck! This caught me completely off guard, and set me off laughing, which in turn made Carter giggle hysterically and then he repeated it over and over again. Now, any time he sees any bare skin (i.e. the skin of my lower back that happened to be exposed while I was bending over picking up toys!) he tries to blow as loudly as he can on it and then bursts into giggles. He even tried to do it on my legs through my nylons as he sat on the floor beneath the bench at church.

-While naptime usually proceeds without much more than the normal weak protests, today was especially chaotic. About 20 minutes after putting Bridger down, I heard him bawling and sobbing and screaming. I opened the door, worried, and asked him what was wrong. He looked at me with huge tears running down his little cheeks and sobbed “I WANT MY DADDY!!” and then continued to be unconsolable. I sat down on his bed next to him and hugged him and tried to calm him down, telling him that Mommy and Daddy would be home on Halloween, that they loved him, that Daddy was busy talking to people at the hospitals. I asked Bridger if he loved his Daddy, and he said “Yes.” Then I asked “What does your Daddy do for you that you love?” and he answered “He paints the door.” Surprised at his answer, and trying not to laugh, I asked “What else does he do?” Bridger replied, “He…(sniffle)..mows (sniffle) da yawn.” Then, I heard Carter screaming from his room. I got up from Bridger’s bed, went to Carter’s room and opened the door to see one of his legs sticking through the slats of his crib, jerking violently. Somehow he had stuck his foot through the slats then turned his leg so he was unable to get it back out again, so he was stuck all the way up to his thigh. I gently maneuvered his foot out, and of course, as soon as it was free, Carter jumped up and held up his arms while sobbing. I picked him up and hugged him, tried to calm him down, picked up his bottle and carried them both to the kitchen so I could fill up his bottle again and put him back down. After doing that, I heard Bridger crying for his daddy again. I went back to his opened door, peeked in, and he looked up at me and sobbed, “Wet!” I looked at the puddle on the sheets beneath him and then remembered that I had forgotten to make him go potty before giving him his nap. With both children still sobbing and screaming I decided to abort the naptime mission. We got Bridger cleaned up, changed his sheets, and then decided to go to the store instead, which wasn't necessarily a less chaotic activity, but it cheered us all up anyway.

-Carter can’t talk yet, but he is learning a little bit of sign language. Over the last few days, Carter has learned how to say “dog,” “All done,” “baby” and “fish” in sign language. It is adorable to see him proudly smile each time he successfully makes a sign that I can recognize.

And most rewarding of all…

-After playing with some pots and pans on the kitchen floor, Bridger stood up, smiled at me and then said “I love you!” then began dancing around the kitchen while repeating it over and over in his sweet, musical, sing-song voice “I love you! I love you! I love you!” Suddenly, wet beds and aborted naptimes don’t seem so bad anymore, and I understand why parents do what they do day in and day out. :-)

Mommy for the Weekend

2009-09-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Last week, my sister, Mona, and her husband, Ben had to take a trip to Spokane, Washington for a job interview. While they were gone, I had the lovely opportunity to babysit my adorable nephews, Bridger, (2 1/2) and Carter (1 year) at their home in Madison, Wisconsin.

I arrived in Madison on Tuesday, August 25th and stayed there for a few days while Mona and Ben were still around. They left on Saturday and returned the next Tuesday. Though I was only

on my own with the kids for about 4 days, it was definitely long enough for me to gain a new appreciation for motherhood and what moms do every day.

I thoroughly enjoyed what Mona's neighbor, Jamie, described as "Moments of fun surrounded by chaos!" The little moments of giggles and laughter, singing, jumping, and playing were definitely worth getting through the just as numerous periods of crying, pooping, whining, daiper changing, and endless questions like "Can we go pick up Mommy and Daddy from the 'Olport' (airport) now?"

Bridger is at that adorable stage where he is fascinated with the world around him, and his favorite question is "Why?" which he repeats thousands of times a day. Though the endless

"Why?"s did get old after a while, it did force me to get a little creative with my answers:

Bridger: "What is that man doing with his dog?"

Aunt Val: "He's taking it for a walk."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "So his dog can get some exercise."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "So his dog doesn't get too fat."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "Because if his dog doesn't get exercise, it will get so fat it won't be able to leave the house."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "Um.... Because.... he will get SO big from eating his food and not exercising that he won't be able to fit through the door anymore."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "Because they don't make doors big enough for fat dogs that don't get exercise."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "Um...(sigh of annoyance and slight frustration)...Because.... Oh wow! Look at that!"

Bridger: "What? Where?"

Aunt Val: "I don't know, did you see something?"

Bridger: "Why is that dog pooping?"

Aunt Val: "Oh dear."

In all, I was actually quite impressed with how well the kids behaved while their parents were

away. Mona has spent a lot of time and energy helping them become accustomed to a regular schedule and it really paid off while she and Ben were away. Whenever it was time for naps, as long as I made sure to go through the regular routine before naptime, the kids went right to sleep without any more than the usual protests or requests to "read just one more book?"

We had a lot of fun making popsicles, finger painting, going to the park, kicking the soccer ball, playing with bubbles, eating, singing songs, watching Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang, and what Bridger enjoyed most of all was "playing airplane" where we would "fly" to Spokane, Washington and then fly back to Wisconsin.

It wasn't all fun and games, though. Bridger kept wanting to play with his dad's golf club and would swing it all over the place, making me worried that he would whack Carter in the head or break something. I finally decided to put his interest to good use, and told him to beat out the rug with the golf club, which he was more than happy to do. :-)

Needless to say, Bridger was very excited to go to the "Olport" to pick up Mommy and Daddy on Tuesday night. Carter, on the other hand, hardly recognized Mona and turned away his shy little face every time she would look at him. After a few minutes he finally warmed back up to her.

It really was a fun experience and I'm so thankful I was available to do this for my sister. The enjoyment I got out of my time spent with these two little boys was probably worth more to me than what my sister would have had to pay for a babysitter. Though my back was very sore by the end of the 4 days from lifting 25 pound blobs of squirming little people, picking up toys, and wrestling Carter into his car seat, I must admit, that I missed being with them as soon as I got on my plane to leave. I am a little envious of mothers who get to spend all their time with little angels like these. I am looking forward to the day (someday) when I can have a few little munchkins of my own to keep me busy, tired, and thoroughly happy.

Takin' it Easy.... sort of!

2009-06-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't updated my blog recently, mostly because there are not too many exciting things going on. Well, I guess that could be an understatement. Mostly there are not a lot of things going on that I take pictures of. Since I got home from Washington DC, my days mostly consist of working out in the yard, doing homework, studying for the LSAT, and dancing.

I am trying to finish my last few classes at BYU so I can officially graduate. I am doing all my remaining classes through Independent Study, which is nice because I can go at my own pace and I don't have to go to campus unless I really want to. However, it is taking me longer than I expected to finish my classes. I have one completely finished, I'm about 1/3 of the way done with another, and then I will have 3 more. I am also taking an LSAT preparation class. Yes, I am thinking about going to Law School. Although when I really think about having 3 more years of school to go through, part of me wants to vomit, but another part of me thinks it would be a very rewarding challenge. We'll see how things go.

One of my other goals this summer was to learn how to dance better. I absolutely LOVE dancing! I started doing country swing dancing when I was about 16 years old. Between the ages of 19-21 I took some dance classes at UVSC and went dancing frequently on the weekends. Over the last couple of years I have dabbled in it a bit more, but now I want to get more serious. My favorite dance so far is West Coast Swing and I go at least once a week, if its a good week I can go three times on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. There are some really good dance clubs around here that teach great lessons and I feel like I am improving, though I am not nearly as good as I want to be. I also started going to the BYU Swing Kids Club, which is also really fun, but they do more Lindy-Hop, which is actually becoming a very close second in my preference to West Coast Swing. I will be attending a dance competition/workshop weekend in Denver this month which I hope will help me improve my skills, and it will be fun to watch the pros dance in person.

Thats about it for now. Sorry I don't have photos. I'll work on that for next time!

Graduation!!

2009-05-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Although I am technically not graduated yet (I still have 4 more classes to finish) I was able to participate in Commencement ceremonies on April 23rd with my brother, Ammon who graduated in Mechanical Engineering.

Graduation was a fun experience. A lot of my family members were able to be there and we were able to get a photo of all the 5 BYU graduates in our family.

Dressing up in the cap and gown, walking through the Marriott center and across the stage at convocation, and listening to the wonderful speakers who gave great counsel, all helped me realize what a blessing it has been to be a student at Brigham Young University. Reflecting back on the last 3 years, I have definitely learned a lot, and not just academically speaking. I have been able to develop some wonderful friendships, I have learned more about myself, my talents, my likes and dislikes, and I have learned to appreciate each moment of this phase of my life with all of its ups and downs. I have absolutely loved studying Humanities which has allowed me to be exposed to some of the greatest minds this world has seen. I have learned to look for and appreciate the beauty that is apparent everywhere and I have been able to develop and strengthen my own opinions about various topics.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and one whom we revere as someone who recieves revelation from God, was the speaker at our Commencement exercises. He encouraged us to do the following as we continue our journey through life:
1- Use time wisely
2- Continue to Learn
3- Always Seek inspiration from the Spirit of God

Elder Russel M. Nelson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of our church, also spoke to us and gave us this wise counsel:

"The end for which you should strive is to be the person that you can become — the person that God wants you to be.

"Much more important than what you have done for a living is what kind of person you have become. On your final graduation day … what you have become will matter most."

(To see what else we were told at graduation exercises, please see this link: :-)http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705299300/6192-at-BYU-celebrate-graduation.html )

As I finish up this last semester of my undergraduate degree, I am considering what my next steps should be to help me become the kind of person God wants me to be, the kind of person I want me to be, and what paths I need to take to reach that goal. I have always pondered upon this question when I reach certain points in my life that require decisions about my future, and when it comes to a career, for the last several years there has been something in the back of my mind that has told me that Law School is an option that I should consider. So, as I finish up my classes, I am also going to have to make time to study for the LSAT. Depending on how well that goes, I'll let you all know where I go from there.

Goodbye Barlow...Hello Shenandoah!

2009-04-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

After almost 4 months in Washington DC, my internship is almost over, and my days at the Barlow Center have come to an end. My internship technically doesn't end until April 30, but the Washington Seminar program is over and it was time for me and my friends to move out so the new students could move in. Between now and May 7th when I head back to Utah, I am staying with my grandmother-in-law, Stasia (Thank you!!). On one hand, I am excited to have my own room again (Yipee! No offense, Ruth), but on the other hand, I am sad to leave the friends I have made and I will miss being conveniently located in the city close to the metro, shopping, and beautiful, picturesque Georgetown.

My last weekend before moving out was spent with some friends hiking "Old Rag" mountain in Shenandoah National Park. My father-in-law, John (whom my friends and I came to refer to as "Papa John") was kind enough to let us stay at his place overnight and let us borrow his jeep so we could go hiking. John and I have had an ongoing disagreement about which mountains are "better:" The Rocky Mountains or the Appalachians? John thinks the Rocky Mountains are big and menacing, and I have argued that the Appalachians are small and wimpy. Well, after hiking Old Rag, I have conceded that though the Appalachians might be older and lower in elevation, they are definitely not wimpy, and they have a certain mystery, beauty, and romance about them that is equally as impressive as the height and majesty of the Rockies. I was hiking with 3 of my good guy friends, and several times I had to ask them to slow down a bit because I was having a hard time keeping up.

Though it was cool and cloudy all day, the hike was actually really enjoyable. There is a "rock scramble" section of the hike where you have to climb over and around a bunch of big boulders, and there are natural staircases carved into the granite from erosion. Though our views of the valley from the top were partially blocked because of the weather, the clouds near the summit of the mountain created a foggy effect that added extra mystery and intrigue to the hike. Before and after our hike, we drove through Shenandoah National Park along skyline drive on the top ridge of the mountain range. On the way up, the clouds didn't permit much of a view of anything, but on the way back down, we were able to see the beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains and fertile farm valleys in between. We even had a close encounter with two friendly and curious deer! As much as I love Washington DC, it was really nice to get away from the city for awhile, become reacquainted with nature and wide-open spaces, and breathe in the clean, fresh mountain air.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2009-04-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

My inner flower-child has blossomed!

One of the main reasons I decided to come to Washington DC during the spring is so I could be here during Cherry Blossom Festival, and I'm so glad I did! It was so beautiful to walk around the Tidal Basin when the trees were at their peak. The Magnolia trees around the Smithsonian Castle were also at their peak around the same time. I also was able to take a "wildflower tour" on Theodore Roosevelt Island where I learned about the native and non-native species in the area. Springtime in Washington DC is beautiful! The weather has been typical of springtime anywhere: cold and rain one day, warm and sunny the next.

If you want to learn more about the history of the Cherry trees in DC, check out this link:
http://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=574

One of the funnest parts of the festival was going to the Parade on Saturday morning. My friends and I found a great spot by one of the museums right at the beginning of the parade where all the participants line up before turning onto Constitution avenue for the official start of the parade. Alex Trebec was the Grand Marshall, and I was able to get my picture with him! I know, I look like a five-year-old on my birthday, but it was pretty exciting stuff!

After watching the pretty horses trot on by, I decided that one of my goals in life is to ride a horse in a parade at least once before I die. Despite my ability to adapt to an urban lifestyle, the truth is, I've always been a cowgirl at heart. :-)

Adventures of the Week

2009-03-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief photo recap of my adventures from the last couple of weeks:

Became a true American by purchasing food from a street vendor. Yes, to be a TRUE American, I should have bought a hot dog, but I just couldn't bring myself to eat what looked like a slightly warmed over stick o' mystery meat slathered with room temperature mustard, ketchup, and relish.... so I bought a pretzel instead! :-)

Experienced Jackson Pollock in person at the National Gallery of Art's east wing.

Rocked out Irish style at a St. Patty's Day party. I also cooked Corned Beef and Cabbage for the first time.

Visited the National Zoo and was convinced that though apes DO have very human-like attributes, there is no way I could have descended from an Orang-utan or Gorilla!

Oooed and Aaawed at the perty flowers at the Botanical Gardens.

Took a tour of the capitol building....

and snapped a photo with good ol' Brother Brigham Young

Learned more about our Judicial system by listening to an Oral Argument at the Supreme Court.

Shed a tear or two and pondered on the meaning of the thousands of lives lost in the Civil War during a visit to the Gettysburg battlefields.

Spent the weekend with the in-laws for my birthday weekend. Rebecca, Taia, and Baby Marleigh even got to be there!!! What a great family I have!

Learned about early American architecture and new trends to build more environmentally friendly communities during a visit to the National Building Museum.

For those of you who care to read and have the time, interest, and attention span, here is a longer more detailed journal of this week (March 15-21, 2009):

This week was another one full of adventures. On Sunday I spoke in Church about trusting in the Lord during our trials. I shared some of the things I have learned from being a widow. I was a little nervous about being too personal in sacrament meeting, but many people told me that they really appreciated what I said. I am very thankful for the lessons I have learned from my experiences, and I hope that I can use what I have learned to help others.

St. Patricks day began with my front tooth breaking when I took off my retainer that morning. Actually, it wasn't my tooth, it was the cosmetic veneer on the top of my front tooth that my dentist put on a few years ago after I got my tooth knocked out. Luckily, my supervisor at work knows a good dentist that was able to get me in right away and fix it up. Later that evening I had an Irish feast of Corned beef and Cabbage with my friends. It was my first time making it, but it turned out pretty good.

On Wednesday I saw a show about planets and galaxies in the Einstein Planetarium at the Air and Space museum.

On Thursday I had a tour of the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art. I saw some famous works by Jackson Pollock and Jasper Johns.

On Friday we had 3 great lectures in the Washington Seminar class that I am taking. Elder Hardy from the Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke to us about his experiences in Washington DC and how his membership in the church has been a great blessing in his life. (For those of you who are not a member of the LDS faith, "Elder" is a title that is given to men who hold a certain office in our church. A Quorum is an organization within our church. Click here to learn more: http://www.mormon.org/ )

We also had a lecture from the Syrian Ambassador who gave us a different perspective on the conflict in Israel and the Gaza strip than what we usually hear from our media. I have a lot more sympathy for the Palestinians because of the crimes against Humanity that have been committed against them by Israel. As the Ambassador said, no country should have the right to dominate the lives of citizens in another nation. Right now the Palestinians in the Gaza strip and the West bank are being held captive in their own neighborhoods. Israeli soldiers often occupy the homes of the Palestinians, prevent them from traveling between checkpoints even within their own neighborhoods, and have cut them off from outside resources. The Palestinians have been driven to despair by the suffocation of Israel's control. It is no wonder that they have been driven to extreme measures to the point of firing makeshift rockets into Israel as a sign of protest. Hearing the atrocities that are going on in places around the world like this makes me so thankful that I live in the country that I do. The United States is not perfect by any means. There are many problems here that need to be addressed. However, I am thankful that we are able to enjoy the basic freedoms of life. I think this is something that we all take for granted.

The third lecture we heard was given at the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia by Judge Griffiths. We were able to sit in his courtroom and learn more about what he does and about the opportunities there are for us if we want to go into a legal career. I am always amazed at the talent and intelligence of many of the people that I get to listen to. Being here has totally opened my eyes to how many opportunities there are to make a significant difference in this world.

On Friday night I went to another performance of the National Symphony Orchestra with my friend Jason. He has a sweet hookup where he can get free tickets to NSO performances. I love being able to participate in amazing cultural experiences without having to pay a dime!! Later a bunch of us went to Hard Rock cafe, where I had a less than favorable experience with my beef fajitas. I have been to Hard Rock a couple of times before, and I am always disappointed with their food. For some reason I forget how bad it is until after I'm already there and my plate is sitting in front of me waiting to be eaten and I am again disappointed. oh well.

On Saturday I had a tour of the Capitol building. I re-learned a lot about our system of government and once again was amazed at the genius of our Founding Fathers. I picked up a copy of the Constitution on my way out and have been reading it. I am embarrassed to say that I think this is the first time I have actually read the whole Constitution. I used to not be able to understand the language and would lose interest soon after the famous preamble of "We the people...." Now that I am in DC and have actually seen the buildings where much of the work of our government takes place and have listened to senators, congressmen, judges, and lobbyists who actually do a lot of that work, I understand it a lot better.

After the Capitol I had a tour of the National Building Museum. Its a really cool building inside, but theres not that much to see.

Thats about all for this week. I know I've missed a few weeks of blogging, but with so many adventures to be had, who has time to blog?

So much to do!!!

2009-02-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

So, I have to apologize because I keep telling people that I will update my blog, but I haven't gotten around to actually doing it until now. I have been having so much fun here in DC! I am falling in love with this city one adventure at a time. This is such a perfect place for me to be, I mean, really, where else could I begin the day with a briefing from an expert discussing the foreign relations and nuclear policies between US and North Korea, then meet at the national headquarters of the American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC), then stroll through a museum filled with amazing works of art by the likes of Da Vinci, Francisco de Goya, and Thomas Cole, then watch an IMAX movie about Dinosaurs in 3D, then see the Hope Diamond, and top it all off with an amazing performance of Dusapin's "Apex," Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major followed by Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique by the National Symphony Orchestra!! And the best part of all of this: IT WAS ALL FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does life get better than this?

There are so many diverse cultural and educational opportunities here. It would take way too long to give details about everything I have done over the last few weeks, but here is a short list of what I've done to recap:

-Wandered through Gothic hallways and Creepy Crypts at the National Cathedral

-Enjoyed a 7 course dinner at a Morrocan restaurant with a belly dancer for entertainment

-Devoured Devilishly Delightful Desserts at Chocolate Festival in Fairfax, Va.

-Wondered in awe at the amount of knowledge contained in the books at the Library of Congress

-Basked in the Golden Glow of James McNeil Whistler's Peacock Room

-Perused Presidential Portraits (including the new one of Obama) at the National Portrait Gallery

-Wondered if I was the only Mormon on campus while taking a test for my independent study class at Catholic University of America

-TOTALLY rocked out at the Ben Folds/Jason Mraz concert at GWU

-Spent WAY too much money getting my hair done, but man, do I look good!! (;-p)

-Laughed at watching my life unfold on the silver screen in "He's just not that into you"

-Lived it up wild style dancing at a bar in Adams Morgan. A creepy drunk guy tried to touch me, but my friend slapped his hand away. (Thanks Ashley!)

-Paid my penance for the night at the bar by going to church and becoming spiritually enlightened at a "Why I believe" Fireside at the DC temple visitor's center.

(Okay, this photo isn't from the visitor's center, its from the national cathedral, but I thought it was funny and just had to include it)

-Learned about one of the most amazing men in history at George Washington's Mt. Vernon estate.

-Found a room made just for me at Mt. Vernon-It even has my name on it!

Now, I don't want to give the wrong impression that its all fun and games here. There have been lots of non-adventures in between, like getting sick, doing homework, actually going to work to do my internship, etc. But overall, I am enjoying myself thoroughly and I'm so glad I decided to come.

I love all y'all and hope life is treating you just as well as its been treating me!

Peace out!

Inauguration

2009-01-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, the long awaited post about my experiences at the Inauguration is finally here! Yay! I guess I'll just begin by saying that being here during this historic time of our nation's history was FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

I began the day on January 20, 2009 by walking from the Barlow center down Pennsylvania Avenue and then down to the National Mall. My friends and I left at around 9:00 in the morning and joined the thousands of other people who were excitedly making their way down to the mall in eager anticipation of witnessing our next President be sworn in. My friends and I had plans to watch the inauguration at the reception being held by the Utah Delegation in the Senate Building which is actually behind the Capitol building, but before we went there, we wanted to at least see a little bit of all the craziness that was happening down on the mall. So we joined the other hoards of people making their way in that direction.

If I was looking to be a part of a crowd, I definitely found it. The streets were pretty much filled, but still moving steadily with plenty of space between people, and at that time the south end of the Mall was very busy, but still quite open. As soon as we got near the Washington Monument, however, the crowd quickly thickened into a sea of people that was difficult to navigate through. We had to change directions several times because we frequently found ourselves in spots that were so crowded that there was absolutely no way to move forward, and if we didn't turn around quickly, we would have been swallowed up in the ocean of bodies and would have been stuck out in the cold for the next 3-4 hours with the rest of the crazies.

Luckily, we were able to find loopholes and work our way through the crowd until we found ourselves on the far east end of the mall. From there we worked our way around the city until we could finally get up behind the capitol building. At about 11:15 we found the senate building, and made our way inside, went through security, up to the top floor, and found ourselves warm, comfortable, and happily enjoying cookies and hot chocolate with a nice view of some big screen tvs with a few minutes to spare before the inauguration took place.

Here is a map: you can see my route in Black. :-)

The atmosphere throughout the whole city was one of excitement and anticipation. People were cheering and clapping all the way to the mall. When President Obama took the Oath of Office, everyone was shouting and applauding and spirits were high. I do have to admit that I got warm tingly feelings all over me when I heard Obama give his inaugural address. I wasn't much of an Obama fan before I came to DC, but my opinion of him is quickly changing to one of favor. I think he will definitely bring changes to our country, and I do believe that many of them will be constructive changes that will have a favorable impact not only in our country, but also in many countries around the world that have suffered from hasty and mis-informed decisions made by the Bush administration. From our location at the top of the Hart Senate building, we were able to see President Bush's helicopter lift off from behind the Capitol and fly over the mall as a departing salute as the mantle of power was transferred to our new President.

After the inauguration a few of us decided we would try to make our way towards Pennsylvania avenue to see the parade. However, once we reached the parade route which was completely blocked off with caged barricades and check points, we saw that there were huge lines of people waiting to go through security to get into the parade area. I was tired and sore from having walked probably 6 to 7 miles that day, so I decided to head back to the Barlow Center to watch the parade on TV. I was glad that I made that decision because the parade didn't start until a couple hours after I got back home. I was able to see part of it on TV after I had eaten a nice warm lunch and had changed into comfortable clothes. I saw the Presidential motorcade make it almost to the White House, I saw Obama and Michelle get out and walk part of the parade route, but that is the last thing I remember because the next thing I knew I was waking up after having fallen asleep on the couch and the parade was almost over.

Later that evening, a few of my friends and I walked down to Georgetown to see if we could see any movie stars because we are only a block or two away from the Four Seasons Hotel where many famous people stay and then go shopping in Georgetown. But apparently all those fancy people were already attending exclusive inaugural Balls somewhere else because we didn't see anyone. So we went to this cute little french cafe and had hot chocolate.

I am so glad that I was able to be here for this event. I think I picked a great semester to be here in Washington. A lot of people on the news remarked on how "cold" it was during the inauguration, but I didn't think it was really that bad. It was probably in the low 30's, which is cold, but not as cold as many other parts of the country. And I didnt' really have to stay out in the cold that long because I watched it inside the senate building. Considering that many people who had tickets to get into the areas close to the capitol were never able to get in because they were stuck in a tunnel near the mall through the whole thing, even though what I saw of it was on a tv screen that wasn't much different than what someone in San Diego would have seen on their tv, the fact that I actually got to see what was happening as it was happening and only a block or so away from where it was happening is still pretty cool. The only bad thing about what happened is that I think I got tendonitis from walking around all day in boots that were actually pretty warm and comfortable, but were probably not made for walking around all day in. My achilles tendon in both legs have been throbbing since Wednesday morning and it hurts to walk and go up and down stairs. I guess I should have stretched my legs before and after making such a trek around the city.

Anyway, even in the few short days since the inauguration, Obama has already made some huge decisions that are definitely going to enact a lot of changes throughout the world, so I am excited to see what else will happen under the new administration.

Orientation

2009-01-06T17:16:00.000-08:00

I am really blessed to be able to be part of BYU's Washington Seminar Program. Every day I realize even more what a fabulous opportunity this is. I have been surprised at the positive responses I have heard from people when they find out I am from Utah. One of the first things a couple people have asked when they find I am from Utah is if I go to BYU. Apparently we are well known in this city and people always have good things to say about others they have known from BYU. I am blessed to have a nice place to stay that is probably the cheapest housing in town. It is called "the Barlow Center" and it is owned by BYU specifically for the purpose of housing Washington Seminar interns. The building is also used for LDS Institute of Religion classes and for the LDS Church's government affairs offices. I have nice accomodations, even if it is a bit small, it has just enough storage and is certainly a well kept property. I am in a great location located conveniently close to a metro station, and I'm surrounded by other great interns from BYU. My roomate, Ruth, is great and we are getting along famously.

This was our first ride on the metro on our way to church.

If you would like to know more about the Washington Seminar program, check out this link:

http://washingtonseminar.byu.edu/ProspectiveStudents/information.aspx

I have had a busy first couple of days getting oriented to the city and learning more about my internship. I have learned a few interesting things about Washington DC. One humorous fact is that people here tend to freak out about the smallest chance of inclement winter weather. At my internship they said that if there is any threat of snow or ice, often the federal government will call a "delay" where they notify people coming into the city to delay their commute by 2 hours or more so people arent rushing to get through traffic, or if there really is a storm, they will shut down altogether. Now, for someone coming from Utah where we have heavy snow storms on a regular basis, this all seems a little silly, but I guess people here consider themselves more important than the weather.

Anyway, yesterday we spent the day becoming familiar with the metro system and finding our internships. I saw my first motorcade parading down Pennsylvania avenue. I'm not sure who was in the big black suburban, but they must have been pretty important because they shut down all the side streets and the suburban was accompanied by a parade of motorcycle police, an ambulance, a firetruck, and several other big black suburbans with serious looking dudes with guns looking out the windows. It might even have been the President!!

I walked by the Capitol building, bought a metro card with a commemorative photo of Barack Obama, and almost got stuck in the metro doors because they don't wait for you to move before they close. :-\

I found the place where I will be interning which is in an office 3 floors underground beneath the Smithsonian Castle. The entrance to the building is a little structure that has a roof that looks like an upside down tulip. The great thing about my location is that its one of the safest places to be if there was any kind of attack or anything. The bad thing is, that if there was an attack, I would likely be stuck underground for 3-4 days with the rest of my co-workers. So they advise us to pack an emergency bag to keep at our desks with food and water to last for a few days. Also, since I am so far underground, I get absolutely no cell phone reception, so if anyone wants to contact me while I'm working, sending me an email is probably the best way to get in touch. I am located right on the national mall, so sight-seeing after work or during lunch will be quite convenient for me.

This is the inside entrance to my office at "The Smithsonian Associates." The entrance is nice, my cubicle is okay, but my computer makes a strange sound that makes me think it is going to self-destruct in 4.5 seconds. ;-)

I learned a little bit about what I'm going to be doing, but didn't have much time to do a lot today, so I'll save the details for another post!

Visit with Family and the Battlefields at Antietam

2009-01-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

Before beginning my internship in Washington DC, I decided to visit my family members that live in the DC area. Just before New Year's I flew in and spent some time with my in-laws who live in Virginia and West Virginia. I love this area of the country! It is so beautiful with the gentle rolling hills and trees everywhere. Right now everything is kind of brown and icky, but it is still a beautiful landscape. My father-in-law and I have an ongoing debate about whether or not the "mountains" out here on the east coast are "better" than the rocky mountains back home in Utah. I think we have agreed that though both landscapes are very different, they both have very admirable qualities that make them beautiful in their own right.

My father-in-law lives on a beautiful farm in Delaplane, Virginia. He recently acquired a flock of turkeys, chickens, and guinea hens that make all sorts of noises. Our favorite thing was to interpret what they were saying like "Who's that?! Who's That?! Who's That?!" or "Hi, Val! Hi, Val! Hi, Val!" or "Hey Frank! Hey Frank! Hey Frank!"

I love visiting this farm for many reasons. The first reason is because it is absolutely beautiful. The quaint farmhouse is so unique and has all the charm you would expect of a century-old Virginia homestead. The rolling hills are covered with trees and everywhere you look is as picturesque as a postcard. The second reason is because I love the people there. My father-in-law, John, is a great man. He always tells entertaining stories that make us laugh. Sometimes he doesn't say a lot, but what he does say is always either packed with a punch line, or very meaningful in other ways. Uncle Robert and Aunt Sally and Cousin Megan live just up the lane on the farm and I like to catch up with them whenever I stop by. I am very blessed to have married into such a wonderful family. And the third reason why I love this place so much is because it reminds me of my husband. I remember the first time he brought me to the farm and he showed me all his favorite places. I knew I was in love with him before he brought me there, but I quickly fell even more in love with him and in love with the landscape after being here a short time with him.

They say Virginia is for Lovers, and I agree. Even though Lucien is no longer here with me physically, I sense his presence here in these places that he loved so much. With that being said, though I will always love Lucien and know that he loves me, I also recognize that I need to move forward with my life and allow myself to love again. So one of the hopes that many of my family have mentioned to me is that I can find another wonderful young man who I can continue to build dreams and make memories with. Who knows... maybe he will be here in Washington DC! ;-)

Antietam, Maryland:

I found out that my mother-in-law lives just a few miles from the Antietam battlefields in Maryland, so we decided to make a little visit. If I had realized sooner that she lived so close, I would have visited before! Oh well, now I know where it is and can visit again.

For those of you who aren't U.S. History buffs, Antietam is where one of the worst battles of the Civil War was fought. It is the place where the bloodiest single day of the war took place. There were over 23,000 soldiers killed there. Other battles had more deaths, but those battles were longer in duration. The majority of these soldiers were killed in less than 12 hours. It is very sobering to see so many graves and think about what these people died for. There are a lot of graves for unknown soldiers.

To learn more about what happened here, visit the official website:

http://www.nps.gov/anti/

2008-12-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008

This year was a fabulous Christmas. On the morning of Christmas Eve, my sister-in-law, Rebecca gave birth to her first baby, a sweet little 7 lb 6 oz girl named Marleigh Jane Fuga. Since I am leaving to go to Washington DC for my internship on Monday, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to meet my new niece before I left because she actually wasn't due until after January 1st. But luckily, she gave me my first gift of the season by coming early enough for me to meet her.

This year for Christmas my parents, my brother Ammon, and I went to our sister Marian's house in Lewiston, Utah. We left on Christmas Eve and arrived at Marian's right before a huge blizzard pounded the whole state of Utah. We spent Christmas Eve playing Cranium and eating lots of yummy food.

On Christmas morning we drove a treacherous 2 blocks to my other sister Rachael's house to eat a delicious breakfast and to open presents. We had a lot of fun with my neice, Taylor, and nephew, Johnathan. Christmas is just so much more fun with little kids around. Mom and Dad got a digital camera (yes, we are forcing them to become part of the 21st century digital world) Marian and Rachael got new Bosch kitchen mixers, I got a pizza baking stone and some drinking glasses, Ammon got some new shirts, and Taylor and Johnathon got loads of toys, including a John Deere tractor set that both Johnny and Grandpa were pretty excited about.

After breakfast we went back to Marian's house where her step-children had arrived to open their presents. With six kids ages 17 to 7, and with Taylor wanting to "help" EVERYONE open their presents, it was chaos for a while.

After all the commotion, Marian and Vern and their kids left to go to Idaho to have dinner with Vern's family, we went back to Rachael and Clay's house, and then we watched movies and took a nap. It was a great day. The kids had lots of fun chasing and being chased by the "Grandpa Monster."

Rachael and Clay then argued about who knew how to make dinner better, but eventually dinner got made and we had delicious pork roast, ribs, rolls and green beans. Clay's sister, Tarin and her son Treyson came over to join in on the fun.

In all it was a fantastic Christmas. We were all glad we could be here to spend time with the kids.

Merry Christmas to all!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-12-06T22:38:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I made a batch of Chocolate Chip cookies that I had originally intended to bring to some of my friends. Well, I got busy and wasn't able to bring them to my friends when I had planned, so I had all these cookies just sitting out looking really delicious.

So, as I was rushing out to school, I would eat a couple for breakfast. When I came home for lunch I had a couple more. And then dinner time came and I just had to have another.

So the next day as I was driving to school (while eating a chocolate chip cookie, of course) I started thinking about how often I had eaten chocolate chip cookies, and my thoughts ended up in a rhyme. (They do that sometimes. I often think in rhymed couplets. It must be attributed to too much Dr. Suess as a child or something.) And then I even added a tune, but I don't now how to include the tune on my blog. Anyway, this was the by product of a bored mind with chocolate chip cookies on the brain:

I like chocolate chip cookies for breakfast,
I like chocolate chip cookies for lunch,
I like chocolate chip cookies for dinner,
and I eat 'em on Sunday for brunch.

I like chocolate chip cookies at midnight
I like chocolate chip cookies at noon
I like chocolate chip cookies in broad daylight
or under the light of the moon.

I like chocolate chip cookies with ice cream
I like chocolate chip cookies with milk
I like chocolate chip cookies in my flannel pajamas
or a nightgown made of silk!

Chocolate chip cookies! Chocolate chip cookies!
Chocolate chip cookies! I love you so! Yes I do!
Chocolate chip cookies! Chocolate chip cookies!
Oh chocolate chip cookies! To you I'm true!

Ode To Donut

2008-11-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

So, for my ward Family Home Evening tonight we made donuts and wrote donut poetry. These two poems were my contributions:

Ode to Donut

O Donut, Dear donut
ring of goodness with a hole
with sprinkles or with nuts
your yummy goodness fills my soul

Filled with creme or frosted
or sugared powd'ry white
from Krispie Kreme or Albertsons,
You fill me with delight.

The Paradox of Donut

Though you are empty
in the center
I do not find you
hollow

Favorite Quotes of the Week

2008-10-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about being a humanities major is being "assigned" to read some of the most wonderful works of literature ever written. I often come across certain quotes in my reading that are so beautiful or so thought-provoking that I want to share them with everyone and exclaim, "Isn't that amazing!" Well, the beautiful thing about having a blog is that I can talk about whatever I want to, and then if people want to read it, they can. If not, then I don't have to bore them with my passion that might not be as interesting to them.

Anyway, so these are my quotes for the week:

This one is from My Antonia, by Willa Cather. I thought this was just a beautiful passage particularly appropriate for this time of year:

"All those fall afternoons were the same, but I never got used to them. As far as we could see, the miles of copper-red grass were drenched in sunlight that was stronger and fiercer than at any other time of the day. The blond cornfields were red gold, the haystacks turned rosy and threw long shadows. The whole prairie was like the bush that burned with fire and was not consumed. That hour always had the exultation of victory, of triumphant ending, like a hero's death-heroes who died young and gloriously. It was a sudden transfiguration, a lifting-up of day."

My next quote comes from Mark Twain's "The War Prayer." I thought this was particularly thought provoking during this time of economic and political unrest because it requires us to really think about what we pray for and why. The story is about a congregation that meets to pray for their soldiers who are going off to war. The minister prays for the safety and success of the soldiers. Then an old man in the congregation walks to the front and tells everyone that he is a messenger from God and that God has heard the minister's prayer. This is what the messenger tells the people:

" He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such shall be your desire after I[...]have explained its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of-except he pause and think.

"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two- one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this- keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can by injured by it.

"You have heard your servant's prayer-The uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it-that part which the pastor-and also you in your hearts- fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. The whole of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. [...]When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory.... Upon the listening spirit of God the Father fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!

'O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle-be Thou near them! With them-in spirit-we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.'

(After a pause) 'Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits."

Now, I'm not really trying to make a political statement about the war in Iraq. Despite its cynicism, I like this quote because it really makes us think about what consequences others must suffer if we recieve all the things we pray for. So when you pray, be careful what you pray for because you just might get it-all of it, whether you really wanted it or not. (by the way, these images are courtesy of http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/)

My third favorite quote of the week is also attributed to Mark Twain, but I haven't been able to find an actual verifiable source that guarantees that he really said it. But whoever said or wrote it was very inspiring:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

This quote has had quite an impact on me. I have been thinking for a long while now about going to Washington DC to do an internship. Since I will be graduating soon, I thought now would be a great time to try to do it. So taking that Mark Twain quote to heart, I applied to BYU's Washington Seminar knowing that it was something I would regret not taking advantage of if I let it pass me by without even trying to get accepted. So I filled out the application, completed the interview, and what do you know?! I got accepted! Now I just need to finish my applications for internships. I am really interested in doing something at the Smithsonian in one of their MANY museums in DC. So keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll keep everyone posted on what I hear back from them. As it is right now, it looks like I'll be leaving for DC in January, and I won't be back until April. That means I have to find someone to rent my condo for a few months and figure out what to do with Buster.

Well, thats all for now, folks! Until next time, au revoir!

Fall Fun

2008-10-11T19:42:00.001-07:00

I love Fall! There's nothing quite like those fresh, crisp fall mornings, hazy afternoons when the leaves are ablaze with color, cheering at a football game, or biting into a sweet crunchy apple. These are the things I love about this season.

Ammon has been kind enough to share his friends with me, and we've all had a lot of fun going on hikes together and watching the football games (GO COUGARS). In the midst of the research papers and essays I am working on for my classes, these diversions have been quite welcome.

A couple of weeks ago we hiked all the way from Rock Canyon, behind Y mountain through some beautiful meadows, and then came out at the Y. It ended up being about a 6 hour hike because the trail forked several times and sometimes we chose the wrong path and ended up having to back track. One of the detours we took was well worth it, however, because we got to see a beautiful valley with gorgeous fall colored leaves all around that we would have missed if we had taken the other route.

Trip to Madison & Chicago

2008-09-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

So at the end of August I was able to visit my sister, Mona, her husband, Ben, and my two adorable nephews, Bridger & Carter. It was perfect weather in Madison. We had a great time seeing downtown Madison with its awesome farmers market, the capitol building, the museum of contemporary art, and of course the University of Wisconsin campus where we had hamburgers and hot dogs, and watched Bridger feed the ducks. Well, actually, Bridger didn't feed the ducks because he was scared of them, and after getting slimed when he accidently put his hand in a big pile of duck poop, Bridger decided to eat the bread himself (after we thoroughly sanitized his hands, of course) instead of giving it to those stinky old birds. He also decided it was safer behind his dad's legs than out in front closer to the ducks.

I also was able to go to Spring Green, Wisconsin where one of the homes of Frank Lloyd Wright was built. For those of you who are not art history nerds like I am, Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most influential architects ever to come out of America. He is famous world wide for his innovative, if sometimes eccentric, ideas. His home there is called Taliesin, and it is definitely an interesting building. It has a tragic history though. The home was re-built 3 times because it kept getting burned down. The first fire was started by one of Wright's servants who was mentally deranged. In that fire, Mamah Cheney, Wright's mistress and 2 of her children were killed. The second fire was started by lightning. You would think after that, he wouldn't want to rebuild it again, but Wright was very determined. The home is now slowly deteriorating due to lack of funds to keep it maintained, but it is still pretty cool to see.

To get to Madison I flew into Chicago and then drove to Madison. I was able to spend a little bit of time in Chicago where I saw Wicked with my friend, Jeff. It was SO good! I highly recommend it to anyone. Jeff and his family were kind enough to let me stay at their house overnight, then Jeff drove me to Janesville Wisconsin where Mona picked me up.

On the way back home, Mona and Ben wanted to go to the temple in Chicago, so I babysat the boys while they went to the temple, then we all went together to explore the wonders of downtown chicago before I had to fly back home. Since we had a limited amount of time, the only thing we really got to see was the Hancock building. The views from the top were amazing, even if we did have to sneak past the grouchy security guards to get to the top. :-)

In all, it was a really fun trip. It was so nice to have a vacation from school and work, and it was even better to be able to spend time with Mona and her adorable family!!

St. George Trip

2008-08-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went with Ammon and his roommates down to St. George. We Hiked Angel's Landing in Zion's National Park, and then we went to the Tuacahn outdoor theater to see Les Miserables. It was SO good!!

The hike was really fun, and not as hard as I thought it would be. Its paved almost the whole way up until you get to the really steep parts where you have to hold onto chains to help you up. The view from the top was amazing! We had a lot of fun getting to the top where we took all sorts of silly photos like pretending we were falling off the cliffs, etc. Don't worry, we all survived!

Somehow I was miraculously saved from plunging thousands of feet to the treacherous rocks below.

That was the last anyone saw of Ammon.....

"Can you hear me now?" This is me demonstrating how the Angels land.

Luckily it wasn't too hot. We started in the morning around 7:30 or 8:00 and got to the top around 11:00-ish and then it only took us about an hour to get back down where we cooled our feet in the river then headed back to town.

Home Sweet Home

2008-08-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

So I am finally moved into my new condo in Provo, and I have to say that I really do love it here so far. I am just one block away from a really nice park in Provo where Buster loves to take walks and where he is always a big hit with all the little kids. It takes me approximately 147 seconds to walk from my front door to the front door of the Smith's grocery store that is just 2 blocks away. I am 4 blocks from downtown Provo and 8 blocks from campus, so its a great location. Its also really easy to get to work, since all I have to do is go one block to state street and then follow that all the way up to my office. I am also just a few blocks away from the Provo River trail where me and Buster go running when I'm feeling ambitious.

My ward is pretty good too. I've only been there twice, but its probably the friendliest singles ward I've ever been in. My neighbors are really nice too. There are 4 units in my building, 2 of them are occupied by married couples, and the other by a really nice older lady named Peggy. My downstairs neighbors welcomed me to the building by bringing me cookies, and they also made these cute little doggy biscuits for Buster, which he loved and quickly devoured.

So for those of you who want my address, its 414 W 400 N #3, Provo, UT 84601.

My condo is 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and about 870 sq. ft. so its nothing big or fancy, but it suits my needs just fine. Right now its just me and Buster here, but I may end up getting a roommate, because, lets face it, there are only so many conversations you can have with a dog before you start going crazy. :-P

Learning How to Blog

2008-07-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

So i just opened this new blog account and will be adding to it in the near future