I'm Proud to Be an American

Sometimes I wish I wasn't a blasted chicken.  I wish I could share what I believe without being nervous.  I can get up and be a fool and comedian anytime, but when it comes to being serious and expressing things that are near and dear to my heart I chicken out.
I am LDS (Latter-Day Saint) and every month we have a sabbath day set aside to fast and bare our testimonies.  I love this Sunday.  I love being lifted up by others and by knowing I believe exactly what they believe.  I just wish I could share my experiences and my love for my Savior vocally just like they can.
When I lived in Virginia I went to a singles branch there and there was a lady who had an accident that left her disabled and unable to move or speak.  She did however have eye movement and could communicate that way.  On my first fast Sunday at this branch a girl got up with this note book and said the girl in the wheel chair (I forgot her name) wanted to share her testimony.  She read from this book where her testimony of what she believed and felt was written down in.  It made me want to cry because it was so tender.  So tender that someone took the time to watch her eye movement to figure out what each letter to each word for each sentence she wanted to share with us was.  To have someone be her voice when she didn't have one.  Years later and still able to communicate with my voice, fear comes into play and I just say maybe next time I'll get up and be brave?  Someday it will happen, but today I'm going to blog a simple testimony.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July.  It's one of my most favorite holidays.  I love this country and the freedoms we are provided.  I love being in a country where we can free to believe what we will.  I love my church, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love my Savior, I know Jesus Christ lives and I'm grateful that he atoned for me and died on the cross that I might have the opportunity to live with my Heavenly Father again someday.  I am grateful for the temple and for the peace and knowledge it brings to me.  I'm grateful that I can have an eternal family and can eventually be sealed to a spouse of my own and raise my children in a home that will be filled with the spirit and love.  I know that we have a living prophet that leads and directs this church today.  I believe that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I believe the Bible to be the word of God. 
Some say faith cannot exist where fear is.  It makes sense, but I am one to fear and I am also one to feel like I am faithful.  One of my fears is this country and the things that are going on with it.  The economy, the leaders, the war, and people not doing what is right.  I read a quote often to remember how great this nation is and it helps take away some of my fears.  I may have shared this before, but it's a favorite so I will share it again.

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the new Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. This is the favored land in all the world. Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail. I have faith in America ; you and I must have faith in America , if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.

I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through."
...Harold B. Lee

I love this Country and I am so grateful for those who fight to keep us safe.
I have two brothers fighting for this country and I pray daily they and all the men and women over there will be safe and be able to his love surround them.  I know this country will not fail and we need to have faith in that.

I don't feel my words ever come out clearly, but I hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July.

The Law is REAL...

I may have mentioned this before, but I believe in the Law of Attraction.  Basically meaning that if you think positively good things will happen.  It has changed my life...when I do it ;).  Anyway, right before I turned 30 I got this small tack board in the dollar section of  Target and I thought this would be a great vision board...just something small and something I can pass on the way out of my room.  I haven't put much on it other than; a letter my dear friend Jana wrote me the day before I moved (it says some amazingly sweet things like how she sees me, so I want to see in myself all those qualities listed), the note I wrote myself the night before I turned 30 to try to make myself feel better about aging, a saying I cut from a magazine, and a dollar bill.

This last weekend my cousin Jaime got married and what a great reason for family to come into town.  I had to stop by my apartment and in came my mom, sister, and little brother.  I ran to the bathroom and when I came back Patrick said I added to your board and had put another dollar on there.  The reason why I put the single dollar was to represent that I'll always have money.  I thought he was being funny by putting the money up there and didn't think about it.  Today I looked at the extra dollar and thought...I totally doubled that money.  Those boards really work, thinking positive really works, therefore, the Law if REAL.
I have another board on the inside of my closet door.  Don't think I'm letting all my wants known ;).

If you need to know, take a road trip with the guy...you'll know.

I was talking to my sister...or rather texting about an up-coming wedding of our cousin Jaime.  Lindsey is planning on coming up for the special occasion (as well as other great family members that I miss sooooo much, but my sister was unplanned) and I'm so excited!  She is going to be driving up from Arizona with her boyfriend who I have never met.  I referenced when I drove down to Arizona to be with her for Christmas and I said, "At least you won't be with that fool I did the drive with."  She responded saying how she felt bad.  Then I said how I think road trips are a good way to know someone.  Even though I already wanted nothing to do with him...but had I and knowing how awful he is to road trip with  it would have ended because of how often he had to pee. 
You see I grew up with a Dad that was pretty serious to be around.  I remember being trained by a young age that needing to pee often on a road trip wasn't acceptable.  I can't say the guy was wrong.  I think it is too!  I mean you are stuck sitting down for hours already and I say lets get to the destination as fast as we can.  If you want a slow, laxed vacation go on a cruise!  I do think peeing is important to not get any infections, but DO NOT CHUG THE BEVERAGES while on a long car ride.  I've said my peace about that, but I'm sure it will come up again in this story. 
I went to Arizona to spend Christmas with my sister.  Remember how a while ago I posted something about how I will survive because I found a job.  It was false hope and they let me go right away.  It think I was just a temp and well...they can kiss my butt.  I have no clue why still so I'm a bit butt hurt.  I do have a way better job now though.  Life is good.  Anyway, I didn't want to be alone for Christmas and a guy I had dated was driving down and I said I would chip in for gas if I could go.  He had no problem taking me along.  There were 3 of us on this drive.  We started the 11 hour drive late into the evening, but didn't make it far due to him stopping and peeing every hour (not joking)/eating while sitting in a place vs. the car...but then the  the snow became the issue.  We were stuck staying the night in some Chief Joseph decorated scary motel.  In the morning we looked for snow chains and could not find any in this town of 500 people, but we pressed on.  Again stopping and peeing every hour (not me) we didn't make it to my destination till 5pm.  This ended up taking about 24 hours to get there. 
Once I was there I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my sister.  Scottsdale was all nice and hot.  I could drive my sisters car with the window down, wear short sleeves.  I even took myself on a tour of Frank Lloyd Wrights house.  I was stoked because I studied him in school.  I had seen photos of the place, but in person everything looked so cheap.  I know plywood was a modern material back then, but material doesn't have to mean cheap quality.  Frank...you were right in so many ways, but I see you were just wrong in others.  Still a great thing for me to see in person though.  Christmas was also great.  My sister and I just did our own thing, we opened up our presents, made a great meal, relaxed... it was just nice being with her.
Arizona didn't last too long because the next day we were back on the road.  We didn't get along too well, but I wont get into that because this is already getting too long of a blog and I have to gross you out in a bit.  We went through Vegas on the way home.  Again him inhaling the beverages and having to pee at any opportunity.  I saw signs for the Hoover Dam and I had never seen it before.  I asked if we could stop and see it and actually this time I had to pee as well.  We pull over, find a parking space and I run to the long line of people waiting to use one of the 4 outhouses.  There I stood having no of fear doing the potty dance in front of all these strangers.  I was about to die!  Finally it is my turn,  a door opens up and I peed my pants.  Ok I didn't, but I ran like a fool into the lieu.  After locking the door I turned around and I was horrified.  I was standing in at least half an inch of liquid???  I thought what am I supposed to do?  After hiking up the legs of my pants I walked carefully to the hole, realized it was about full and there was pee all over the seat.  I looked  to my right and saw there was no toilet paper.  I am only 5'5'' and I'd say this seat was at least mid thigh height.  What was I going to do!!!?  I prayed really hard and then said I will pee my pants if I don't just suck it up and do something.  I turned around...stood on my tip toes as high as I could leaning the heal against the plastic wall doing a squat/stand I leaned over the toilet and started to pee.  I lost balance immediately, but stopped my naked bum from touching the drenched toilet seat by grabbing the side...which happened to be a urinal!  I almost died.  I was so grossed out and I just didn't know how it could get worse.  I continued to pee with my face flipped upside down to watch, making sure I wasn't touching anything.  Then I realized I too was peeing all over the place. lol.  I was too short to do a hover and it wasn't all making it in the hole.  So I tapped myself off.  I pulled up my pants and one side of my leg was wet.  I about puked again.  It got worse like when I saved my balance by grabbing the urinal!  I think I not only had my pee on me, but a nasty combination of strangers pee.  I was diseased by now.  My pants weren't visibly wet so I rushed to see a corner of the dam and I was good to go.  I found my purse and I got my sanitizing liquid out and I did what I had to do to survive.  I curse you Hoover Dam bathroom maintenance people!  You suck at your job!
I don't even think I can go on writing this post...I'm just too grossed out.
All in all....worst road trip ever, but mainly because of the company....for many reasons.
Amen.

I love me some BLOSSOMS!!!

Today is a beautiful day.  It's quite the contrast in comparison to this last week of snow/rain, but mostly snow.  Who would have thought that in April we would continue to get snow?  It is still a  very cold day in Salt Lake City, but it is beautiful...or at least I was able to see the beauty.  I really just love Sundays.  I appreciate what Sundays do for me.  I get to go be spiritually feed, but most of all I love this day of rest. 
This morning I woke up from a really annoying noise of one of my roommates playing Fruit Slice on her phone.  It sounded like someone was breaking glass and no way could I sleep through that.  I walked out of my room with one eye open (that's how I roll in the mornings before my eyes adjust) to go check it out.  There she was laughing on her bed playing this silly game where you slide your finger in spastic motion to slice flying fruit.  Then she asked me if I wanted to go watch The Spokane Word down on Temple Square.  We only had an hour till we needed to be seated, but I got ready fast and we were on our way.  It's just a 30 minute presentation, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  After we walked around the temple for a bit and saw the new, or new to me, model of the Salt Lake City Temple.  It was great.  I saw it a few weeks ago with my dad when he was in town, but she had not seen it yet.  It is done perfectly and shows sections of the interior and then videos of the actual space. 
While walking around Temple Square I noticed many of the trees have blossomed.  I love me some Blossoms!  I think it's one of my favorite times of the year.  I love when the trees come to life with the pretty little flowers and when I come upon a large area with blossoms I get really excited.  I better have plenty of trees that blossom in my future yard. 
Happy Sunday All!

I Endured Turning 30!!!

I'm such a blogger slacker.  I have thought of many great posts or had random thoughts, but have yet to make the time to blog.  While I avoid getting out of bed this Saturday (i have already showered though) I thought it would be an appropriate time to just share a little thought.  It's not profound or anything special, but I just didn't want to be silent anymore.
I was such a basket case leading up to my birthday.  I think I have slight case of Fragapane Phobia...fear of Birthdays (if that is the wrong term then just go with it still).  Ever since I turned 20 I have seriously hated birthdays.  I get all weird and after the first of the year I basically start to age myself and say I'm almost whatever year I am about to turn.  Who does that?  Why the heck do I start to age myself before it's time?  Anyway, I try to avoid talking about my birthday, I cry, I get this internal panic like I haven't accomplished what someone my age should...I know I'm crazy huh.
I am always pleased when the day is done.  Done because I don't have to think about it for another year, but mainly because I always have such great things happen.  I have so many people who love me and make sure it's my special day (or week this year).  I love presents too!  I got some really great and thoughtful presents and birthday wishes this year and it just makes me appreciate life so much more.  I am 30.  It's a new age group where you think more things are expected of you, but I will show this year what I am made of and I'm going to be a better and hotter 30 year old than I was a 29 year old.
Don't hate me if I start to say I'm twenty ten though. ;)

I will Survive!

I got a job, took me one month...but I think I have my foot in the door finally for design.  It's just a secretary job, but it's an aspect of design I can learn about and eventually help design. :)  I think I'll still have to get a night job to get enough money to survive, but I will Survive!

Giga Pet

Remember the days when little girls like my sister had Giga pets, you know the key chain that was a virtual pet?  I never got into them.  I thought they were stupid.  This little 1 inch screen with a pixelated creature that needed attention.  I guess there was a way to feed it when it was hungry, play with it when it was bored, watch it sleep, and they could even die if you ignored it (tell me if I'm wrong).  Kinda creepy if you ask me...that's why I don't think we see them around anymore. 
Last night I got the feeling like my smart phone needed too much attention from me.  I still don't know what the heck I'm doing with that thing.  It would take 5 steps for me to even dial 911 so I pray I will never be in an emergency because I would be too flustered to know how to get to the dial pad.  Anyway, last night and many other times it informs me of my possible updates.  I usually ignore them, but I guess it is important for the functionality of my apps to be updated.
I just get the feeling that those who played with such things like virtual pets were more prepared to take on a smart phone than me.  My sister knows so much more and it shows.
Yeah well I'm way better at taking care of a real animal than her ;).
Love you Lindsey!