Dance like nobody's watching

new recipe anyone???

2011-09-05T19:18:00.002-06:00

Well guys, I just don't have much free time as of late... SORRY! But, I did discover one fantastic recipe that MUST be shared. Literally, to die for. And semi-healthy (as brownies go). Anyway, it's zucchini brownies. I can't take the credit for the recipe, but here's the link:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-brownies/detail.aspx

Also, if you shred the zucchini, the batter will be super dry. Don't worry! The zucchini will make it moist. Yes, there are no eggs in the recipe. Also, if you puree the zucchini, you won't be able to tell there are vegetables in these brownies at all. They'll be super fudgy, chocolatey, and yummy!

well, I tried...

2011-08-04T19:08:00.001-06:00

To anyone who reads this blog...sorry! I haven't posted much lately. However, I will get back into it. Soon. Right now, I have a MILLION projects to get caught up on. So, just sit tight, and I'll get more posted in a few weeks! :-)

Sunday Suppers #6

2011-07-25T22:00:00.007-06:00

I've been composing this blog post in my head all evening, and boy do I have a lot to say! Maybe with Clayton being at scout camp, I feel like I have no one to talk to. I mean, obviously he rarely talks back when I am talking (sometimes I am just sure he's not listening, but then he can spit back what I just said word for word), but it's nice to know that there is someone there capable of conversation. :-) Anyway, on to the food, because that is really what everyone wants to hear about! This week, since I'm alone, I figured I'd try some new, smaller things. With Clayton gone, I can have fruit and yogurt for dinner and not think twice, and I don't need to pack up leftovers for lunches because I get free lunches at work. So here are a few things I've tried so far. If anything else goes over really well, maybe I'll post it.

Disclaimer: Experimentation with me usually means throw stuff together till it looks good. In other words, these "recipes" are very loose measurements.

Philly Chicken Flatbread Sandwiches

I went to the store on Saturday and chicken drumsticks were on sale ridiculously cheap. So I grabbed some and we had bbq chicken for dinner. However, we had leftovers, and I'm not big on eating meat by itself. I like it better surrounded by pasta or a taco or something. So, to get rid of the extra, I pulled the chicken off the bone and made flatbread sandwiches (on the flatbread that was on clearance in the bakery!).

Butter

1/3 c. Sliced Onion

1/2 c. Sliced Green Bell Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 c. Shredded, cooked chicken

3 Tbsp. cream cheese

2 deli slices Pepperjack or Provolone Cheese

Sandwich spread*

2 pieces of flatbread

Toppings: Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, etc.

*So this could be as simple as mayonnaise, but if you like a little extra flavor look in the dairy section of the grocery store. There are lots of flavors of cream cheese spreads. We have a spread that is actually a "chip dip" but it is a roasted red pepper flavor with a sour cream base. We really like it.

Sautee the onion and bell pepper in butter until tender. Add chicken, salt and pepper. Cook until heated through. Add cream cheese and sliced cheese and stir until melted. Prepare flat bread by warming for a few seconds in the microwave. Add sandwich spread and any toppings, then the philly mixture!

Spinach and Ham Omelet

Clayton asked for a snack, and I decided to make him an omelet. I've realized that there are a couple secrets to omelets that took me a while to figure out:

1. Use a pan that is the size you'd like your omelet to be. (You can't contain your egg in half of the pan).

2. Be PATIENT!

Grease the pan with a little butter or cooking oil and heat over medium-high. Scramble 2 eggs and add 1-2 Tbsp of milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour eggs in skillet. Allow them to cook without stirring until the bottom is completely set. Using a rubber spatula, lift up part of the egg and tilt the pan to that side to allow the liquid egg still on top to run down underneath the cooked egg. Continue until all liquid egg is now underneath the cooked egg. Wait about 30 seconds-1 minute and flip the omelet over with a spatula. Add toppings. I used a handful of spinach, torn up deli sliced ham, and a small handful of mozzarella. Let sit for about 30 seconds, then slide onto a plate and fold in half.

Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Burgers

My goal for these was to have something a little better than a regular old burger. And I got it! YUM!

Sprinkle basil and your favorite chicken seasoning (mine is a garlic/red pepper/sea salt blend) onto turkey patties and incorporate by rolling into a ball and re-forming the patties. I read in a Rachel Ray cook book that if you make the patties thicker on the edges, when it cooks, it will become a flat burger instead of puffed in the middle. Cook the patties in a greased skillet for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Cook until no longer pink in the middle. Add a slice of your favorite cheese (I put on mozzarella) and heat until melted.

For the chutney topping, cook 1/3 c. onions and 1 Tbsp garlic in butter until carmelized (about 15-20 minutes on medium heat). Add 1 roasted red pepper and cook until heated through.

Put your favorite toppings on a hamburger bun (we used potato buns with lettuce and bbq sauce), then add the burgers and chutney.

Smoothies

I feel like you can never go wrong with a smoothie unless you put ingredients in that don't taste good, but expect them to magically taste great when mixed together. Otherwise, go crazy! My smoothie this morning had roughly:
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1 banana

1/2 c. frozen strawberries

1/4 c. mixed berry juice

small handful of spinach (for extra nutrients -- mix it well and you won't taste it).

It was surprisingly sweet!

Well, there's my blog for the week. I'll let you know if I come up with any more great single serving style meals!

Sunday Suppers #5

2011-07-12T19:40:00.008-06:00

Well, Sunday Suppers are being blogged about on Tuesday this week. Oh well, it’s been a busy week already. And I’m now on a plane headed to Texas for a dance conference. Saturday I’ll fly to Tennessee to spend a few days with my family!

It seems like some weeks I make to completely different dishes, and other weeks I make things that are very similar… Well, this week I wanted to make pasta primavera, and Clayton asked for Turkey Tetrazzini. He didn’t know what it was, but he saw it at work, in the freeze dried meal cans. So, when I asked for suggestions, he said that’s what he wanted. I ended up going to the grocery store and deciding that I didn’t want to buy a whole turkey, and turkey breasts are just too expensive. So, we had chicken tetrazzini instead. I just took a turkey tetrazzini recipe I found online and modified it for chicken instead. It turned out SOOOO good! It is a little longer than many of my recipes, but it is basically just a regular white sauce with cheese and seasonings.

Chicken Tetrazzini

½ sweet onion, diced

¼ c. butter

¼ c. flour

1 c. milk

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. ground mustard

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 red bell pepper, diced

2/3 c. shredded cheddar

1 pound cooked chicken, diced

1 box thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

1/3 c. shredded cheddar

Cook pasta to package directions and drain. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender. Slowly add flour, stirring with a whisk. The mixture should become very thick and have a grainy appearance. Slowly add the milk, stirring briskly so that no lumps form. Add can of soup and cook until heated through. Add seasonings, red bell pepper, and 2/3 cup of cheddar. In casserole dish, layer ½ pasta, ½ chicken, and ½ sauce then repeat. Top with 1/3 cup of shredded cheddar and bake for 25 minutes.

The other dish we made was pasta primavera. Clayton and I make it frequently, and it is different every time. I don’t think that it really matters what kind of pasta or veggies you use, and you can add meat or leave it vegetarian! My goal for this time was A LOT of vegetables!

Pasta Primavera

SAUCE:

¼ c. butter

½ sweet onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

¼ c. flour

1 ¼ c. milk

½ c. parmesan

½ -1 c. shredded mozzarella

½ tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

PASTA:
One box of pasta of your choice (I like fettucini or rotini), cooked and drained

VEGGIES:
About 1 pound of veggies of your choice (I cooked ½ pound of carrots and ½ pound of sugar snap peas)

Melt butter over medium heat in sauce pan and cook onion and bell pepper until tender. Add flour to make a thick rue. Slowly whisk in milk and cook until mixture thickens. Add parmesan and mozzarella, adding more or less to taste. Add seasonings, more or less to taste. Toss with cooked pasta and vegetables. YUM!

My last dish of the day was fish. We really like fish, but it gets so expensive… This week “Wahoo” fish fillets were on sale. They were thick filets, almost more like the cut of a tuna steak. For these, I heated up my large skillet with olive oil and cooked minced garlic until browned. I added the fish and sprinkled each filet with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and cooked for about 5 minutes on each side (sprinkling both sides with the seasoning. They were really yummy, but you could add a little more flavor with a good sauce. Maybe a spicy hollandaise…I’ll keep experimenting with that one and get back to you!

Fresh Lemons!

2011-07-09T22:38:00.002-06:00

Clayton really likes milkshakes. I feel like they are not the best choice because you drink WAY more ice cream than you would eat if it was in a bowl. Milk shakes are really just ice cream with about 1-2 Tablespoons of milk for every cup of ice cream! So, we came up with an alternative. Also I had a bunch of fresh lemons!

First, we made a lemon syrup -- equal parts lemon juice, water, and sugar and heated until the sugar was dissolved. Cool the syrup off and add water to taste and you have lemonade! Or if you want to get fancy, try this:

Lemon Julius

3/4 c. lemon syrup

1 c. milk

1 c. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. sugar

10-12 ice cubes

1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional)

Mix the first five ingredients together in a blender. Add ice cubes one at a time through the whole at the top. If you want a creamier, more decadent dessert, add the ice cream. Pour and serve! (Makes 3-4 servings)

Want to make it easier? (Although fresh lemons are better...)

You could tweak the recipe by using 1 3/4 c. of already prepared lemonade and omitting the water. Then you'd need to add 1-2 Tbsp. each of bottled lemon juice and sugar to get the lemonade to have the potency of the lemon syrup.

It tastes a lot like a orange julius, but has that refreshing taste that you only get from lemonade! YUMMY!

Sunday Suppers #4

2011-07-03T20:35:00.008-06:00

Before I get started on Sunday suppers, here's me showing off the pound cake I made yesterday. We brought it to a Fourth of July party and it all got eaten but one little slice -- just enough for an after church snack for Clayton and I today! I always use the same recipe when making pound cake, because I have never tasted a pound cake better than my Grandma Odom made. I have a tendency to undercook it, making it slightly doughy in the middle, but this time, it was PERFECT! The decorations were not that great, but I was using leftover icing from Clayton's cake (I just died the orange to a reddish, more patriotic color) and I had a half hour to make it work. So, not my best, but still delicious!

Oops...looks like I didn't quite get one of the strawberry slices stuck down.

I was thinking to myself today, well, what happens if I make something that I've already made and put on my blog??? And then I realized, well, life will go on. And maybe, just maybe, I'll even spend less time blogging because I won't have to describe a dish twice in a row! After all, I am not trying to do one of those crazy blogs where they make something different every single week. So, here's my warning: I may in the near future make something that I've already made and recorded on this blog. And when that happens, well we can all smile and think to ourselves, "Well, maybe she is human after all..." :-)

This week I got a produce basket from a co-op called bountiful baskets. I really enjoy it because I get a variety of produce for pretty cheap. So, I thought today I'd start off with the before picture -- all the stuff on my counter that would soon be made into delicious dinners.

We're going to make fresh lemonade tomorrow! And most of the fruit we just eat plain. I just wash it and put it in the dish rack to dry.

However, sometimes I get items in my produce basket that are more of a challenge for me. Exhibit A:

Swiss chard. To me, it's a close relative of lettuce and spinach, both of which I am not a big fan of, except on sandwiches. What to do, what to do...???

Exhibit B:

Iceberg lettuce. Now how is that hard? All you do is throw on some tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese, and you've got a salad. Right? Wrong. I really don't like green salads much. It feels like such a waste of chewing. :-) And Clayton is not a big lettuce eater either.

Well, I tackled the chard first. This is a cooked chard dish that is supposed to go over couscous or brown rice. I just liked it plain. It tastes WAY better than spinach.

Chard with Beans and Roasted Tomatoes

Olive oil

One Tomato, sliced

One small bunch of Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves torn

1/4 c. raisins

1/4 c. craisins

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp water

salt and pepper to taste

1 15-ounce can kidney beans

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until browned -- about 3-5 minutes. Turn and cook for one more minute and remove from the pan. Reduce heat to medium and add the chard, raisins, craisins, garlic, water, salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the chard wilts. Return the tomatoes to the skillet and add the beans and lemon juice. Cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes.

Next, to tackle the lettuce. I decided to try some lettuce wraps. Asian foods is one of the kinds of foods that I often use shortcuts for. It's just expensive to buy hoisin sauce, sesame oil, fresh ginger, and teriyaki sauce, and then store them in your cabinet for several months before you pull them out again. So, I buy a "seasoning mix" packet at the store for $.75. I made General Tso's Chicken just as the packet instructed, but added diced onions, asparagus, celery, and edamame. Once it is cooked through, just place in lettuce leaves and roll. It's not really a great picture, but there are several wraps on that plate (it was our dinner), and I wanted you to see the inside of one.

And last but certainly not least, Moroccan Tangine. This is one of Clayton and my absolute FAVORITES! And it is very different from almost anything else we eat. For this one, I actually follow a recipe -- surprise! So, below is a link to the recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moroccan-tagine/detail.aspx

The only change I make is that I always cook chicken in batches. I bought five pounds of chicken yesterday. I used some for the lettuce wraps and marinated the rest in a greek dressing and grilled it all. I diced it and put a third of it in the pan for the tangine and put the rest in two bags and froze it. Cooked chicken for two more meals!

Above is some tri-colored couscous. I just put it in my rice cooker and it takes about five minutes!

And there's my Sunday Suppers for this week!

For my mom

2011-07-01T15:08:00.002-06:00

All right-y! Here are the recipes I used from last Sunday. Remember the measurements are quite rough!

Mexican Lasagna

12 small corn tortillas

1 can refried black beans

1 pound of ground beef

1 pouch of taco seasoning (or make your own from the below recipe)

2 cup sour cream

2 cup salsa (I added black beans and corn to mine)

2 cups shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning and heat until well incorporated. Add refried beans and cook until heated through. Layer ingredients in the following pattern in a greased 13x9 pan: tortillas, beef mixture, salsa, sour cream, cheese, REPEAT. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.

Taco Seasoning

4 tsp dried minced onion

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Makes equivalent of 1 packet of taco seasoning.

Baked Gnocchi

2 small bags frozen gnocchi pasta

1 jar pasta sauce

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1-2 roasted red peppers, diced

1/2 c. diced turkey pepperoni

1-2 c. shredded mozzarella

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add pasta sauce and red peppers and cook until heated through. Cook gnocchi pasta in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain. Pour gnocci into casserole dish. Sprinkle pepperonis over pasta. Pour on the sauce mixture and sprinkle mozzarella over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven 30-45 minutes.

GOOD LUCK!

Sunday Suppers #3

2011-06-26T21:26:00.008-06:00

I'm on a roll! Number 3! Here goes...

Since we are now working on really saving money after our very significant car expenses, I'm trying to work more with what we have at home. This week's theme happened to be ground beef (I had about four pounds of it in the freezer). Today I didn't have to do too much. I already had all the fruit washed so all I had to do was veggie bags and two main dishes. I made a bunch of tortillas to use in the mexican lasagna and for sweet pork tacos.

Next, I cooked up some ground beef and onions, then split it in half. One half got taco seasoning (I just learned you can make that from spices in your cabinet and you don't have to buy the packets. We'll be having Mexican much more often now), and the other half got pasta sauce and roasted red peppers.

The first dish I made was with gnocchi pasta, the pasta sauce and ground beef mixture, pepperonis, and mozzarella cheese. I layered it in a 13x9 and baked it for about 30 minutes.

Next, I made Mexican lasagna. I layered corn tortillas, salsa, seasoned ground beef, refried beans, sour cream, and cheese (then repeated all the layers) and baked it for about 45 minutes. It turned out pretty good too. And I'm really excited that I used my tortilla press sucessfully! YAY!

Also, should I put the full recipe on these things? Most of the time (like today) I either make up the recipe as I go or I look at a similar recipe and tweak it to whatever I have on hand. But I could write down what I do. Let me know!

Clayton's BIRTHDAY!

2011-06-26T12:22:00.012-06:00

SURPRISE! Clayton has lived all the way to thirty! As he put it, it's all downhill from here. On the upside of things, I've decided to take up cake decorating. So, I bought new decorating tips and made him a black cake (since he's turning 30) with orange decorations. Here are some pictures:

Pretty smooth icing, huh?

Adding a licorice border. I almost wanted to take it off because it left a pretty cool design on the icing too. I may do that another time.

And playing with all my new icing tips. Clayton had to convince me to quit -- I wanted to keep finding more ways to add icing... It was so fun!

And since I couldn't find any nice looking number candles at Hobby Lobby or Wal-Mart, I though that the pinwheels were a nice finishing touch.

And the kitchen after I finished...Don't worry. I cleaned it up.

The party animals by the pool!

We had a lot of fun. Very successful thirtieth birthday in my opinion.

Meet me on Monday!

2011-06-20T22:23:00.003-06:00

Yep, I just linked it up. I'm getting smarter!

1. What feature of the opposite sex do you notice first?

Their weight. I notice everybody's weight first. Don't worry...that includes my own too.

2. Do you talk to yourself?

Daily. I remind myself what I need to do, then I discuss with myself how I will do it. I have so many great conversations with myself, I just wish I could replicate them with someone else...

3. What is your current relationship status?

MARRIED! (and if you couldn't tell, I LOVE it!)

4. Do you have a garden?

No...we don't have any land at all - just a basement apartment. Clayton bought a potted flower for my birthday, but we gave it too much sun and water, and now it doesn't look so great. Here's what it should look like... (I'm obviously too embarrassed to put up a picture of what it really looks like :-)

5. What is your favorite licorice flavor?

Strawberry twizzlers. There's nothing better.

Sunday Suppers #2

2011-06-19T22:32:00.007-06:00

Well, here I go, trying to establish my own blogging tradition. We'll see how long it lasts... Anyway, today, I laid down with Clayton to take a nap. He got up, but let me sleep for 3 hours! This resulted in not finishing the cooking until 10:15 -- super late for me! Oh well... he really prizes sleeping and cannot grasp the concept that I WANT to be woken up, even if it looks like I need the sleep. As for our vacation, it was great! I'm going to let Clayton cover it though. He put up pictures on facebook, and maybe, just maybe, he'll blog about it, if we all ask very nicely. :-)

So, for the cooking today, I had potatoes to get rid of. I made roasted red potatoes with butter, thyme, Tony's seasoning, olive oil, salt and pepper. YUM!

Next, I made a bruschetta chicken bake. I love this recipe, and I found it on the back on the chicken stove top box! All I do is marinate and grill chicken breasts, then sprinkle with basil and mozzarella. Next you mix stuffing, diced tomatoes, water, and garlic and pour it on top. Bake it and you're done!

Next came a potato casserole that I had growing up, and Clayton and I both really like it. First, make mashed potatoes with onion and garlic (adding milk, butter, salt, and pepper when you mash them). Then, I add diced sausage, shredded cheese, and parmesan cheese and put it in a dish. Decorate the top with sliced sausage, cheese, and thyme, and bake!

Finally, I made veggie bags. I make these every week. They each include: jicama, cucumber slices, red pepper slices, and baby carrots. That way I make sure Clayton eats his vegetables even when he makes his lunch in a rush!

Well, that's it! Happy Father's day! I hope this post didn't make you too hungry...

Meet Me on Monday (a few hours early)

2011-06-12T19:40:00.002-06:00

And just to keep with my new tradition -- so that I don't miss a week after only two -- here is a quick meet me on Monday. Then I really will go and pack!

1. What is your favorite yogurt flavor?

Anything Wallaby's brand. SO YUMMY!!!!

2. Ankle or knee socks? and on the same theme, white socks or coloured??

Colored ankle socks. Except, I always wear white ankle socks because I'm hard on socks and I don't want to ruin my cute patterned socks. So, my favorite socks sit at the bottom of my drawer, unworn. Dumb.

3. How is the weather right now?

Mostly sunny. WAY too cold. Highs in the 70's. I'm still waiting for summer to come.

4. Are you a fast typer?

very. I can't remember the wpm. At least 70. I think it was 79 last time I took a typing test though. I also can't stand watching slow typers type. I just want to do it for them. Oh and when people right click to copy and paste instead of using keyboard shortcuts -- that is a huge pet peeve!

5. Red or White Wine?

I have no idea. In my year of it being legal for me to drink, I have not partaken. I'll always pick water. I guess if I am really in the mood for something other than water, it would be lemonade. I love a good lemonade with mint leaves! YUM!

Sunday Suppers

2011-06-12T19:16:00.008-06:00

So, I've decided to come up with a type of blogging I might just like...talking about the food I make! YAY! In case you didn't know, every Sunday, I make about 3 big dinners for us to eat the rest of the week. I wash and cut all the fruit and veggies and bag it in one serving size bags. Then I put all the dinners into single serving size tupperware for lunches throughout the week. I know it's a little overkill, but I really like the kitchen. I do everything in the kitchen, and Clayton can do everything else. This week we are going to be at Lake Powell on a houseboat with friends! So, the cooking was a little different. We're in charge of bringing all the food for lunches all week and two dinners.

The lunch menu includes:

sloppy joes

grilled cheese

deli sandwiches

brats and hot dogs

chips

string cheese

fruit snacks

assorted fruits and veggies

Dinner:

Pork chops, stuffing, green beans, and red potatoes

Pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, and corn on the cob

Here are some pictures:

There's pineapple, grapes, cucumbers, corn, and lettuce.

Sloppy joe filling, potato salad, jicama, and peanut butter cookies...

Chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and peanut butter cookies! (I made three separate batches -- each of those stacks is seven or eight cookies...)

Yes, everything is in ziploc bags. I can hardly believe it myself, but it will be so much more convenient to pack in an ice chest than tupperware. So, that was my weekend! That, work, and running! And I am ready to go on VACATION!!!!

***Well, not really ready at all. Now I'm going to go pack...wish me luck!

Meet Me on Monday

2011-06-06T12:49:00.002-06:00

So, I like to blog because it's fun, but I never have anything to talk about. Hence just stealing th questions off of my mother in law's blog and answering them myself. Someone needs to teach me how to link up correctly though so that I'm not plagiarizing... :-) Also, I just can't do the picture thing. Although I am a very visual person myself, I just don't have the patience.

1. What was the last piece of candy that you ate?
Yesterday, I ate a snack size york peppermint patty! YUM! But, I only ate that because I ran out of the European Kit-kats my sister brought home from England for me... sad...

2. Do you "read" in the bathroom?
Every once in a while, but not regularly at all. I rarely have something I find THAT interesting that it must accompany me to the bathroom. But I did just finish my SECOND book of the summer! First two books I've read just for fun in four years!!! Both were by Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted and Ever). I liked them both. They were just short enough to read in a couple days and very fun!

3. I can't stand when someone _________?
Leaves food on the dishes they put in the sink. Or leaves perishable food on the counter for more than an hour. GROSS!!!!

4. Do you do daily, weekly or monthly grocery shopping?
Weekly. Every Saturday. It's usually our date for the week. :-) I only get access to the car every so often. I do send Clayton down to the Creamery for milk during the week usually. They are over priced on everything in the store except for milk -- only $1.67 a gallon!

Questions for Wednesday

2011-06-01T20:24:00.007-06:00

A Capital Idea-The Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol 29

1. Have you ever been to the US capital-Washington DC? If so, what's your favorite site? If not, what would you most like to see on a visit to that city someday in the future? Is it even on your list of places to visit?

Oh yes, I have! I have been a few different times to visit my dear friend Cindy Saunders. Personally, my favorite site is the Saunders home...but if that's not an option, then the Capitol Building. There's something magical about it. It has so much history and history (good and bad) is made there every day!

2. When did you last attend a wedding? Are there any weddings on your summer calendar? Were you a summer bride? If you're single, is summer the season of your dream wedding?

I last attended my friend Julie's wedding. She was a BEAUTIFUL summer bride, and I was a bridesmaid. I don't have any more weddings on my summer calendar...but you never know! Oh wait, my friend told me today that he's getting married August 9th. Looks like I do after all. And yes, I was a summer bride! I always dreamed of getting married in springtime so that I could have tulips at my wedding. I got married at the end of summer -- hardly tulip season, but don't worry, I had my tulips anyway!

3. What is your favorite way to eat strawberries?

This is a hard question, as strawberries are basically the best type of berry. (Except for fresh picked blueberries. I miss those.) Other than all by itself, I think a strawberry is best in a strawberry trifle. Or jam.

4. What is one thing you are especially looking forward to this summer?

Going to Lake Powell with my husband and a family in our ward that we're friends with. Two weeks!

5. Do you use/like the self checker at the grocery store?

NO!!!!!!! I hate them. It always takes twice as long as a human checker. And I would rather stand in line. I get very angry at self checkers and they often ruin an otherwise perfectly delightful trip to the grocery store (which is my favorite kind of store).

6. Share a favorite piece of common sense advice.

Don't curl your eyelashes while you are walking to class on campus. That is just strange. And unnecessarily dangerous.

7. Barefoot, flip flops, tennis shoes, sassy sandals-your first choice for summertime?

Flip-flops for everyday. Tennis shoes for running!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I LOVE SUMMER! I love HOT and HUMID weather (can't wait to get back to Tennessee). I love the sun. I love not having to lug a jacket around with me everywhere. I love being warm. And most of all, I love having time to spend with my cute husband!!! All I do is work for 40 hours a week. Then I get to come home and work out, make dinner, and do other fun things with my husband! Is this what real life is like? Because it is magical. :-)

Funny thing about Mondays

2011-04-25T12:54:00.002-06:00

So, I am sitting on my lunch break at work after I tried to go run a couple errands, but half the stuff on campus is closed since there are no classes today. I thought to myself, oh! today I'll do the Meet Me on Monday thing my mother-in-law always does. I went to do so and lo and behold, there is no meet me on monday since yesterday was Easter. Figures. So, maybe next Monday.

here's my dance again!

2011-02-21T08:23:00.009-07:00

All right, here it is again! This is the dance I am choreographing for the March 2011 dancEnsemble show! It's coming together really well. I know that the videography is a far cry from professional -- especially since I, once again, did it on my phone. Also, it is in 5 parts because my phone will only film 60 seconds at a time. So you'll notice overlaps between the sections. But mostly, this is just so me and my dancers can remember what the choreography is. There is only 20 seconds left!!!

For costumes we are using some 40's style blue and green dresses -- and a khaki pant, white shirt and tie that matches for the man. The title is "The Sum of the Parts" and I'd tell you what it is about, but that would take WAAAAY too long. Just let me know -- do you see a difference between the movement in the first song and the second song. If you do, what is the difference that you notice?

Obviously it's not completely done or cleaned yet. That's why my dancers and I have three more rehearsals! Doesn't sound like much, but we've done what we have in five rehearsals, so I think adding about 30 seconds of choreography and cleaning this up a bit should be doable.

As for an update on my life -- I have officially lost it! :-) To quote the girl from Oklahoma "I jist cain't say NO!" (It's a song from the play, probably one of my favorites!) Oh and just so none of you get the wrong idea, it's not men that I "cain't say no" too. It's everything else. Every single opportunity that comes my way, I jump at. Whether or not I have time or the sanity to handle it. I'm presenting at three conferences in the next six weeks! I've been teaching 3 times a week at elementary schools for the past month! I'll continue that for the next 2 weeks. Then I'm down to once a week through April! That will be a relief. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE what I'm doing. This little (okay honestly not little at all, I might say HUGE) thesis project is ruling my life. Good thing it is super interesting and it's what I want to do the rest of my life! (in smaller amounts -- otherwise Clayton would kill me).

I'm really glad we made the decision to stay at BYU an extra year and a half because the opportunities that I've had recently and will continue to have are incredible! I've had some disappointments, but WAY more victories! Can you believe that I am going into schools and teaching dance and most of the teachers and students love it??? I feel like I just weaseled my way in -- doors just opened up to me! Here I am, constantly teaching and creating an incredible resource for Utah teachers. People ask me how I got in to all these schools to teach -- how I got this opportunity, and to be honest, I have no idea! But I'm having the time of my life (when I'm not crying about how I have no time left in my life...).

I've spent a billion hours designing the below poster. Cool though, huh?

There you go. A lengthy blog post full of information, thoughts, jokes, and giggles. Okay, maybe I'm not as funny as I think I am... But the above explanation is why I almost never blog anymore. I'm doing my best people... :-)

And here's the link to my cool website:

https://sites.google.com/site/dancingcurriculum/

Watch out...it's another blog :-)

2011-01-15T15:20:00.003-07:00

Okay, don't get excited. It's nothing much, but here is a video of the choreography I'm working on for this semester's dancEnsemble concert. I'm very happy with where it's going, and can you believe these dancers and I have only had about 4 hours of rehearsal?!?!?! They're amazing. I know the ending is a little rough, but we're working on it, and we've got another two months before we are performing. This is the first half of the piece. The second half is to swing low sweet chariot. Any ideas for costumes?

YAY!

upcoming show

2010-11-11T08:26:00.002-07:00

Friday and Saturday my dance company, dancEnsemble, has its fall performance and to promote it, Clayton made a commercial to air on the TVs in the Wilk.

This weekend!

2010-08-09T11:08:00.003-06:00

Well, here's my last report on my no-homework Sundays project. I've enjoyed it, but it sure makes my Saturdays stressful. I've decided it's worth it, though. To have a day to yourself without the homework nagging. Saturday I went and hiked "Angel's Landing" in Zion's National Park. It's ridiculously tall and you have to hold on to a chain for your dear life for the last half mile unless you want to slip off the shear cliff face to your death (all the signs tell you so). I was so scared I didn't want to finish, but the group I was with pushed and pulled me along.

Yesterday I got up and made cookies for my young women. They were fantastic!!! I'll post the recipe at the end of my post. Then I finished preparing my lesson and went to church, where I was released from my Young Women's calling and called as a choir director. I'm very sad to leave the young women and I'm very scared of going to Relief Society, but I think it will be good for me. I will have to learn how to talk to adults. The scary women in relief society kind of adults! :-) I was invited by my visiting teacher over for dinner, then talked to my grandpa on the phone, because it was his birthday. I video chatted with my family and went home and did some reading of conference talks. Then, I talked to my best friend Hollie that I haven't talked to in FOREVER until 12:30 this morning. Hence, I am tired. But it was a good day. It was ever so lonely without Clayton and I was stressed out because I didn't get laundry done or the house clean on Saturday because I was gone all day and I have homework and finals to prepare for and a project due tonight. And I'm trying to get in as many hours at work as possible. But, I just have faith that Sundays are for churching, and being with friends, and talking to your families. And it's a good day just to chill. And make cookies. Here is the fabulous recipe. (I just tweaked the quaker oat recipe you get on the bottom of the lid for a tub of oats).

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup craisins
8 oz (2/3 a package) of Hershey's dark chocolate chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats, chocolate chips, craisins, and vanilla; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. I like to roll the dough in balls and flatten them. It makes a more compact cookie.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

YUM!!!

I made these because Clayton doesn't like oats or craisins. So, it was perfect timing. At least his being gone is good for something...

Another Report

2010-08-06T15:17:00.002-06:00

Well, last Sunday I just had a major headache and felt sick all day... I had to stop fasting a few hours early... :-( Clayton and I went to church and enjoyed our day together. Nothing really exciting. I did have a Chinese test coming up the next day and it was ever so SUPER tempting to study. I managed to refrain though. And I think I did pretty well on the test after all! I'm glad I don't study on Sundays, but sometimes it makes me nuts! We also ended up asking some friends over for dinner and watched Psych with them! It was fun. We don't get friends often and I had made ribs which were yummy! Otherwise though, I went to bed early to get up early to study for my test. :-( And now Clayton is gone and I miss him. And my break is just about over. So back to work. I love you all and I'll be extra special glad when school is over next wednesday!

Report #2

2010-07-31T17:13:00.002-06:00

Well guys, last Sunday was FANTASTIC! We had a good day. Clayton and I got to relax a lot and after church, we decided that we would make cookies. We read an ensign article together about service and felt inspired, so we made cookies for all the people that had helped us with our flooding issues and went and delivered them. We though it would be a quick delivery, but every house we went to invited us in and wanted to talk and chat, and it was fun. We felt loved and with friends and we just got to casually visit with people in our ward that like us! :-) It was a fun evening. They all invited us to stay and play games, but it was already late and Clayton had to be up at 4 in the morning for his hike!

Clayton was gone until early Friday morning. It was boring not having him around, but to be honest, it wasn't bad. Not nearly so bad as last time he left. So I am hoping for a repeat performance when he leaves again next week. I was just so busy that I didn't have time to mope! And I can guarantee I can make that happen again! :-)

All in all, I am still liking the whole spend time with Clayton thing on Sundays, but Saturdays are still LOOOONG.

Marriage and Family

2010-07-24T14:48:00.002-06:00

Lol. I am using my blog once again in order to fulfill a school assignment as a way of coercing myself into blogging. I just like blogging. I do. I just have no time lately. Lots of work and lots of school guys. LOTS! Anyways, I found this incredibly awesome way to fulfill a project requirement for one of my classes. I am very excited. It's for my marriage and family class and I got to pick one thing I wanted to work on that would strengthen my marriage. WOOT! I picked spending more time with Clayton by doing all my homework on Saturdays and spending Sundays together doing Sunday-worthy activities. And how many of you can say you did a project by spending extra time with your husband? :-) It makes Saturdays VERY VERY long because I have SOOOO much to do, but I always felt guilty doing homework on Sundays anyway. This will be great.

And now...a report on last Sunday.

Let's just say, last Sunday I was in a crazy mood. One of those one moment you're ridiculously happy and the next moment you just want to curl up in a ball and cry. And I had a lesson to prepare for Young Womens. But since I didn't have school to stress about, I just planned my lesson all morning and it was on family traditions and family history work. And I just LOVE that stuff! It turned out really well. I began by drawing this rough (very rough) map of where all my family lives in Pensacola and I just drew the places that meant something to me, and I asked the girls what it was. They knew it was a map, but of what they did not know. I then talked about how it was my memories of a place. It was a drawing of a family tradition my family had growing up: going to Florida, at least twice a year. :-) I talked about other traditions: Sunday dinners, pie nights, going to little league ball games, etc. The girls then got to share some of them. Then I got to talk about family history work and how AWESOME that is. If only I could remember my password to the church family history site...but that is a battle for another day.

After church, I gave some neighbor girls a ride home since their dad and Clayton had an after church boy scout meeting, and I made something fantastic for dinner I'm sure... Oh yeah, it was honestly fantastic. It was called... well I forget. Food doesn't need a name to be wonderful. It was whole wheat spaghetti noodles with lots of veggies (brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, sugar snap peas) and homemade alfredo sauce. Pasta primevera! (I'm pretty sure that's the name).

Clayton and I got to play games together and read a conference talk together and just hang out. We always need that after a long week. (Especially with my Saturday homework marathons. Those are killer). So... in a nutshell -- I like spending time with Clayton on Sundays and it is interesting. Truly. The more time we spend together, the more we are able to be better people. The more we are inspired to choose the right! Etc.

Oh, and we had this basement flood on Tuesday night that was just spectacular. Good thing this week ended with a 3-day weekend (one of the benefits of living in Utah -- pioneer day is a state holiday!). We NEEDED it. Clayton leaves Monday for a 30-mile backpacking trip. :-( But our a/c gets fixed Monday as well! I can shut the windows and still be comfy enough to sleep at night! YAY! Okay, time to go finish my homework. I'm guessing 3 more hours. Then a nice long run, a shower, and it's game night with our friends!

Can I go home now?

2010-07-07T16:47:00.003-06:00

Well, if I were to rank my day on a scale of one to ten, I would just rank it at 11 and -1. Work was CRAZY!!!! I was manager on duty and every single store needed me and people needed to go on breaks and we were out of food and people got sick and someone didn't show up and it was just nuts. So I was helping one of the many stores needed help and I got a phone call from the ice cream store. So I ran over there and then got chastised for taking the time to put on gloves before I helped a customer. Just don't ask. Basically this guy who thinks he is too good to get a student manager to help and didn't want my help was telling me that I was not good enough to help in his store (that I have trained many hours working in). It was just so frustrating and I got so mad. But I stayed and helped, and then I left and I started crying and I was supposed to go talk to my manager because we were working out the details on my new position (that I'm about to explain), and I had red eyes and it was dumb. And then I talked to him and life got better because now I am working in the office!!! I am so excited... no more changing my clothes everyday before work. I can actually dress up! YAY! Okay, I have a class in two minutes, so I've got to go. But yay for crazy dumb and happy days.

Candy

2010-06-30T10:07:00.001-06:00

I have a Chinese language class from 8-9:50 every morning. I eat breakfast every day at seven and then at seven thirty walk down to school. Today I was falling asleep ever so badly. I was trying so hard to concentrate but I just kept zoning out. I've been staying up late the past few days. It's just been a crazy week. At nine o'clock, my teacher pulled out a byu bookstore bag that was full of full-size candy bars for us. She said it was to keep us awake. So I ate a whole bag of peanut m&m's during class today, and guess what? It did the trick. I paid attention the rest of class... but now I feel a little sick to my stomach. I definitely don't usually eat that much candy in one sitting...

For the record...

2010-06-25T16:37:00.002-06:00

Straight A's! WOOT! And it's the weekend and I'm stoked. No work tomorrow! My first Saturday in months! :-)

Wow!

2010-06-23T10:25:00.003-06:00

Sometimes life just gets a hold of you and time flies by! Well, it's been almost 2 weeks since I've blogged! I finished my finals! I've got two A's and I'm still waiting on Chinese... it's a borderline A/A- so I just don't know! I worked 40 hours last week and somehow am doing that again this week... It's going to stop though. 30 hours next week is PLENTY for my sanity (or lack thereof!).

Friday, Clayton and I had planned a date. Sound kind of funny, I know, but we were going to have a picnic in our bedroom and watch Chuck. (By the way, I am not entirely caught up and we can move on to catching me up in psych. These marathons take a long time because I rarely have more than an hour...)We made turkey burgers with homemade buns (SOOO good!) and corn on the cob, chips and dip, veggies and dip, YUM! We probably had ice cream afterwards knowing us, but who knows? I don't remember. It was really fun. And it was nice after a whole week of closing Taco Bell every night and getting home at 10. Friday I got home at 8:30! Woot!

Also, Clayton and I have been walking everywhere lately! And I totally love it. Except for those last five minutes up the hill to our house where it gets super steep...it's really fun. We get to talk together without music blaring in the car (not that music is bad, it just jumbles my thoughts and distracts me). We get to enjoy the rather chilly weather Utah has at 7:30 in the morning on the way down to school and wish we were in Tennessee where it's warm. It's fun. And I feel good about being free from the car. Not HAVING to use it. I know it's totally not possible for many people to go without a car, but my dream is to one day live close enough to places to walk, yet have a big yard to play in and a park nearby... One day! Anyways, I'm heading to work for the next five hours and then more homework and class! YAY!

Oh two more things. This semester I am taking Chinese (big surprise there) and a religion class called LDS marriage and family. I like them both a lot so far and I hope they stay fun. Seven weeks is a perfect length for a class. It doesn't drag on and on forever like in winter. And the other thing is tomorrow is Clayton's birthday. And he's begging me to let him open his present at midnight. I don't want to be up at that hour, personally. What do you think? Should I let him? Or make him wait until eight thirty at night when I get home from work tomorrow? :-)

Taco Bell

2010-06-12T21:41:00.001-06:00

Today I watched a man eat 15 soft tacos. In one sitting. It was disgusting. FIFTEEN! Who does that?

Sorry...

2010-06-11T14:52:00.003-06:00

Guys, I apologize, but I just have nothing to say. Kind of a down week, you know? Nothing wrong. Just tired. I have lots of homework and working to do. :-) But I'm alive and well and will write an incredibly engaging blog post about my ridiculously interesting life another day.

Oh, random tidbit. Yesterday we had a family of 3 come to Taco Bell (a mom and her two teenage children) and they spent $22 on Taco Bell food! Twenty-Two dollars! I packed two trays full of food. Is that just me, or is that beyond disgusting? BLECH!

Granola Bars

2010-06-05T09:44:00.003-06:00

Guess what? I saw a recipe for homemade granola bars in a cookbook a friend gave me so I decided to try them since I've quit buying them. I'm trying to no longer buy anything that comes in a single serving package since it's basically a huge waste of packaging. I've had to change my yogurt habits, but I've found one that comes in a 32 oz. tub that I really like called Stoneyfield organic yogurt. It's yummy. Anyway, long story short, I made them, they're really good and here's a picture and the recipe.

3 cups of oatmeal (I used half steel cut 1/2 rolled for a texture variety)
3 cups of anything else (raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, coconut, dry cereal)
* I put craisins and coconut in my half and chocolate chips in Clayton's. We both got bran flakes and life cereal
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix everything together in a bowl and press into a 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Then let cool for at least an hour. Cut into pieces and serve. You can also use a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan if you like thinner, crispier bars. Finally, I highly recommend using parchment paper underneath to get them out easier. I didn't have any so I just greased to pan well and they came out okay...

Also, I believe I added more than 3 cups of the extra stuff and my half of the bars are pretty soft and break easily. Clayton's are a little thinner and stick together really well, so I think you should be careful to keep it to 3 cups total so that the milk can stick everything together.

Anyways, they are good and it was exciting to make. I'll make them again sometime! I'm headed to work now. I'll be off at 9:30 tonight!

Erika

Squash Casserole

2010-06-04T09:18:00.001-06:00

Well, I promised I'd post it, so here it is! It was really good, but I can't promise these are correct amounts for the ingredients. If it looks like it needs a little more or a little less, than do so! :-)

Squash Casserole
3 medium yellow squash, washed and diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2-3/4 c. of cheese (I did about 1/3 c. of shredded pepperjack and a thick slice of provolone cut in pieces, but just about any cheese would be good).
1 large handful of crackers (I used sundried tomato triscuits, but ritz or saltines would work too).
In a large saucepan, boil the squash for 10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, sautée the pepper and onion in olive oil until tender. Drain the squash and return to saucepan. Add butter and milk and mash with a potato masher over low heat. Once it is about the consistency of chunky mashed potatoes, remove from heat and add the pepper, onion, sour cream and cheese. Add as much cheese as you prefer. Pour into greased casserole dish or 8x8 pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn oven to Broil and broil until the top is brown (3-5 minutes).

Crazy busy!

2010-06-03T16:16:00.002-06:00

Wow. This week is flying by. And I'm flying by the seat of my pants right now! YAY! :-) Oh well... I'm surviving. I'm trying to pick up a bunch of extra hours at work right now, so I'm extra busy, but I've been doing great on my exercising and that keeps me happy. Clayton did a 10 mile hike last night, but I assume he'll cover that. And I have a mass Chinese test on Monday! I'm working 19 hours in the next two days, so it's time to go study now! Love you all!

Places I've visited

2010-06-02T09:08:00.001-06:00

I know we've all seen these maps before, but I think it's kind of cool...I did not include just stopping over in the airports on mine, because that is not seeing a place. I do include driving through, though, because you can see a place that way. Anyways, I've been in the airports of California, Arizona, and Nevada, for what it's worth. I just think it's funny how I've been all over the east except for the far north, and then it's like I avoid the west like the plague or something... :-)

visited 28 states (56%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

MEMORIAL DAY!

2010-05-31T11:03:00.003-06:00

Happy day off of school everyone! Guess what I'm doing?!?!?! HOMEWORK! WOOT! Okay, so not all day. I'm just finishing up a moving picture project and learning a few Chinese characters. Then off to the park to play, maybe throw a hike in, over to a friend's house for dinner. And back home for an early bed time. Got to get well rested for the week ahead. Can you believe it? Only 16 days until spring term is over! That I am very excited about. Summer is going by quickly and it has been fun, but I'm not looking forward to fall semester in September. Too much business. Good thing I love to dance! My "moving picture" project is a movie on how to dance the Charleston, 5th grade style (definitely no couples dancing). I'll have it posted on my blog tomorrow if you want to see it. Also, I typed up my recipe for the squash casserole. Once I put it on my flash drive so that I can bring it from home to a computer with internet, I'll post it. Clayton is sitting next to me in the computer lab typing up his own blog post. Also we both journal-ed yesterday. We're pretty much being awesome little goal keepers. (Not the soccer kind). And, well, I don't even know what else. But we're having a great day so far! Can't wait to go play!

Oh yeah, Clayton is writing about our Friday night date, so I'll write about our unexpected Saturday night date! I got off work 4 1/2 hours early (4:45 instead of 9:15). Long story short, all the stores but Subway were supposed to be closed because of Memorial Day weekend, but none (absolutely zero) of the employees were informed. When we, as managers, found out on Saturday morning, after Taco Bell and Cougar Express had already opened, we had to call everyone and tell them not to come in and we shut down Taco Bell and Cougar Express early. So once Subway closed up, I headed home. Clayton and I met some friends at the park and threw a frisbee around, then ran to the grocery store for a few things. We went home and made a homemade pizza. Made the whole-wheat crust from scratch, added pizza sauce and bbq sauce for some pizzaz, then mozzarella, pepperjack, bell peppers, tomato slices, ham and pineapple, and a little parmesan on top. YUM! We ate and watched planet 51, that we rented from a redbox at the grocery store.

Yesterday was Clayton's first plan and make dinner himself adventure. I helped him make rolls from scratch and we did a roast in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots. Then he made some broccoli. Also we made monkey bread from scratch. That takes forever but it was oh so very good! If you couldn't guess, it was a teach Clayton how to use yeast kind of weekend. What should be the theme for next weekend?

The broccoli and vegetables

The roast and rolls

My lovely husband

Forgetful me...

2010-05-27T21:38:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it? I forgot a very important step in the pulled pork recipe! It is now revised below. :-)

Also, just so everyone knows, Clayton is now going to start blogging on a regular basis, (as in at least once a week...hopefully:-). So make sure to start checking out his blog again!

Life at 99 mph

2010-05-27T10:30:00.003-06:00

Do you ever have those days where you wake up and then all the sudden it's time to go back to bed. And you don't even know what happened? That's been my life for all of spring term. Can you believe we are wrapping up the 5th week here! 2 more weeks to go, then finals, and it's over. WOOHOO! I just love spring and summer. Too bad classes that I really need to take aren't offered in spring/summer. Otherwise I would never go to school in winter. We'd just find a place to hibernate. Like Tennessee, or Florida, or the Grand Canyon. Somewhere warm. I am super dooper tired today. Too tired to do more studying for my quiz in an hour and a half. What if I've already spent 1 1/2 hours studying. Should I do more, or just be okay with that inevitable B+/A-? Do I even care if I get an A or A-? No, not really. It will barely effect my GPA either way. Maybe .001 of a point. That's what happens when you go to school for too long with too many credits to get scholarships anymore. No worries though, tuition is still more than paid through next April. Then I have to get to applying for different scholarships. BLAH!

I'm looking forward to my 2 o'clock nap. I scheduled it. I've just got to fit it in today. You know, having Clayton do all the housework lately has really been ever so nice. I have more time to do homework, sleep, play games, play outside, etc. Weird how curses can become blessings. I guess that's all folks. It's all my brain can process in English right now. Back to Chinese...

The Easiest Pulled Pork in the World

2010-05-25T21:49:00.003-06:00

about 5 pound boston butt pork roast
about 1/2 c. of water
1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce (I love local flavors from Memphis, but Sweet Baby Ray's rasberry chipotle is pretty good too).

Cut all the gross fat off the outside of the roast. Cook it in your crockpot with the water on low heat for 8-10 hours. I usually do at least 10 hours since I'll put it in right before I go to bed and we'll eat it after we come home from church. I've done up to 16 hours before. About 1 hour before you want to eat your delicious homemade pulled pork, pull the pork out of the crock pot and pour out most of the juices. Shred the pork with a fork and knife (it should basically fall apart), return it to the crock pot, turn the heat to high, and pour in the bottle of bbq sauce. You can add more or less depending on your preference. I will do a whole bottle and then have extra to add on my sandwich, nachos, salad, or anything else I make to go with the pork. But I love my bbq sauce.

And that is it! Sorry I am so very exact. I won't be posting my chicken salad recipe, because there is none. And that, as Clayton said, is my problem. I just make it up as I go. :-( But go ahead and ask. I'll type something up for you to try!

Guess What?!?!?!?

2010-05-25T17:09:00.002-06:00

I figured out how to get an email every time someone posts a comment. That way I no longer have to check my blog all the time. I just check my email because I always am waiting for those comments! I'm addicted. Sorry. I just feel like I put so much effort into communicating with everyone, they should give me a little communication back. I love you all!

Personal Progress

2010-05-25T10:48:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I go on blogging streaks and other times I hate blogging. Right now I'm on a blogging streak. Why? I wish I could answer that question. But unlike many of my posts that are so witty and sarcastic (all right just let me dream here), I was kind of contemplating last night and wanted to share my thoughts.

Yesterday I was putting my jewelry away in my jewelry box (weird, I know, but I'm trying to look nice when I go to school. Clayton's trying to make me look like a lady. Nice clothes that I don't work out in, jewelry, new haircut, who knows what's next.) and I came across my personal progress medallion that I got on 4/18/2004. I just took it out and though, wow, I made it! Last week I was in the Salt Lake temple with my awesome husband and had a great experience. We made it! I don't know if that really makes sense, but your whole life in church they tell you to prepare yourself to get married in the temple/go to the temple/etc. And I just thought, I spent all that time working on my personal progression and after all is said and done, I made it that far. Not to say I don't have a long way to go, but I am ridiculously happy right now, if stressed out. I know our life is kind of in limbo right now, but you know what? It will all work out, because we are doing our part and we are so happy together. The end. I am apparently not very good at saying what I want to say.

Oh yeah, last night was the season finale of Chuck, the first t.v. series I have ever followed vigilantly. Well, there was a ward young married couples fhe at the same time. :-( So, we decided to go to the fhe (good thing because only two couples came besides the ones that planned it) and watch old episodes I hadn't seen to get me caught up. And we had an awesome time at FHE and watching Chuck and I didn't feel guilty at all. Now we get to watch the finale on Hulu tomorrow. When I have an hour and a half to spend on it.

And last thing, Clayton made chicken tortilla soup last night (I handed him a recipe and gave hints while in the other room doing my homework) and he did a great job and added a few things to make it even awesomer! He loves food so much, one day he'll be an incredible cook.

Our date...

2010-05-24T09:43:00.003-06:00

Well, last Friday Clayton and I decided to go on a date. Having planned it two weeks beforehand, we were ready to go! I got out of class at 1:50 and we were in the car at 2 pm, on our way up to Salt Lake! Five minutes into the trip, we realize we forgot the gift certificate to the restaurant we were headed to, (I hid it in a place that we wouldn't forget it...you all know how that goes). So, we went back home and were back on our way at 2:30 with snacks to help us last until dinnertime. We got up to Salt Lake and only had to circle the conference center once before figuring out how to enter the parking garage. We went in the Salt Lake Temple and did a session. It was fairly entertaining since we had no idea where we were going inside and were always asking for directions and hoping we could get back to the place we said we would meet back up. But we survived and enjoyed it and were VERY HUNGRY! So, we walked back to the car to grab the gift certificate. I changed into tennis shoes and we were on our way to the restaurant. We walked since it was only three blocks down. We arrived and, to our dismay, there was a sign on the door. Upon further inspection, we determined that we could not eat at that restaurant, as it was closed early for a private function! ARGH! So, we ran across the road to Gandolfo's deli and ate sandwiches. By the time we left it was RAINING! We walked the three blocks in the rain. No worries though, we were still on time for the play we were going to see! We got to the play, Clayton dropped me off so I could pick up the tickets at will call while he parked the car. The ticket agent proceeded to tell me that she had no tickets for "Cravath". I went to talk to a different lady, who looked it up and told me our tickets were for next Friday, the 28th! I went to tell Clayton who had just walked in, and once I told him I just started crying! It was so silly, and I wasn't upset. It was just us not paying attention to things likes dates of performances and having bad luck. But I just start crying and feel bad that I'm making Clayton feel bad, blah, blah, blah. So we get in the car and go home...

Don't worry, there is a happy ending to this story! I took a shower and calmed down,(I was mostly just stressed out in general, truly I didn't cry all evening over a play), and then my awesome husband played boggle with me! And guess what!?!?! He beat me twice! Out of probably five or six rounds. He's starting to like my favorite game, I just know it. All in all, we had an AWESOME Sunday yesterday (we just stayed home after church and made peanut butter cookies and had mahimahi and squash casserole for dinner), and now I get to laugh about how tragic our date was Friday. Plus, I have something to look forward to for this Friday!

Classroom Website

2010-05-19T10:43:00.005-06:00

So I've been working on an imaginary classroom website for my technology class. It's actually kind of cool. Go take a look!

Mrs. Cravath's Classroom Website

5 minutes

2010-05-17T13:55:00.003-06:00

I'm in the library about to leave internet for the day, so I decided I'd post for five minutes. What about though? My mind is swirling in Chinese. Wo bu shufu! I mean I'm uncomfortable. Argh. Make it stop! Okay fine, I guess thinking in Chinese isn't that bad. At least I can mostly express myself. Keshi, I mean, but, I want to speak English too. Aiya! Seriously guys, it just keeps coming. Wo you hen duo gongke. I have to do some much homework tonight. Haiyou yi ge shangwang project. I am making a website for a pretend fifth grade dance class. It's fun, but I have to go home and make a pretend syllabus and powerpoint presentation for a class. Hmm... what to teach, what to teach??? What would you teach fifth graders about dance? They are learning about WWII right now. Maybe we'll do a power point about the Charleston and I can link youtube movies and make an instructional video. Good, I've already taught that class. That'll be easy. Now for the second class lesson plan... They are learning about poetry and earthquake/volcanoes/and weather erosion. That could be fun. I'm not sure how I could tie genetics to dance... In math we've got algebraic symbols, area and volume of a 3D object, working with decimals/fractions, and probability. All righty I need ideas people! That are preferably not in Chinese. I do have two other classes I'm taking after all...

By the way, I only know how to write in chinese characters on a mac. :-( Someone should teach me how on a p.c. Then all my wildest dreams would come true.

pencils

2010-05-13T13:57:00.002-06:00

I have mentioned before how electric pencil sharpeners and I don't get along. And I refuse to be so helpless as to make Clayton do it for me. Nor do I truly appreciate mechanical pencils. You have to refill the lead! WAAAAY to much work! BUT GUESS WHAT!?!?!?! I found a real deal, just like was on the wall in my elementary school classrooms, pencil sharpener in the library. I will be frequenting it from now on. You just can't write chinese characters in pen. I mess them up way to much! And I might just have gotten a 100 on my character quiz today! YAY! Also, my class has a bunch of returned missionaries who served in Taiwan in it. So it is very intimidating. I thought I was doing terribly, but I just checked my grades and it looks like I'm doing okay. And also, just to shout it from the rooftops one more time, I got straight A's last semester! Shall we look for a repeat performance? Maybe... just maybe.

In Translation

2010-05-12T14:03:00.003-06:00

Well, you could copy and paste in google translator and mostly make sense out of my previous post. Or, I'll just translate. It really isn't exciting. It was just me rambling during class.

Look! I can write in characters on a computer!

I really like Chinese class, but we have a lot of homework. Today my Chinese class went to a Chinese restaurant to eat. Awesome!

I love you all! But I am very busy so I need to get back to class.

My Chinese name, Bai Qui Yuan

Sorry if I annoyed you. I just wanted to play with my new toy.

I got to teach Kindergarten and 4th grade today! It was lots of fun! I'm drowning in homework though, so I better get to it! have a wonderful day!

CHINESE!

2010-05-11T17:16:00.004-06:00

Look I just got taught how to type characters on a computer!!! Here's my post for the day!

你們看吧！我可以寫在電鬧！

我很喜歡中文課。可是我有很多功課。今天我的中文課去中國飯館吃飯。太幫了！

我愛你們！但是我很忙。所以我得上課。

白秋媛

No more english for me!

It's my birthday!

2010-05-07T14:23:00.003-06:00

Well, Clayton has required me to blog before we can go and get lunch and I am STARVING!!!! So, begrudgingly, I'll write this post. (I thought you got to do whatever you want on your birthday!)

Well, this morning Clayton woke me up at 3:30 in the morning to tell me what my birthday present was. (He might claim that he woke me up because I was having super crazy awful dreams where people were chasing me because they thought that I had murdered somebody and I was chasing the murderer because it wasn't my fault, but we all know that 21-year-olds don't have to be woken up to escape a nightmare).

In case you're wondering, he bought me tickets to go see a play "3 Musketeers" up in Salt Lake in a couple weeks. Yay! A real date! To be honest I don't mind our grab dinner out then watch psych or chuck at home dates, but I'm not complaining about this one either. Maybe I'll get to dress up in my new clothes... With sneakers of course -- no need to make my feet uncomfortable for the sake of matching my shirt.

After staying up for 10 minutes because I was too excited to fall asleep again (or because I wanted to make sure the dream would stay away -- take your pick), I fell back asleep until I had to get up at 6 am to get to my 6:30 meeting. They said they'd feed me a good breakfast -- and they fed us doughnuts. YUCK! I really don't like BYU's doughnuts. I like krispy kremes but byu's doughnuts leave this terrible taste in your mouth. Then I went home and pouted about the doughnuts that I didn't eat or bring home to Clayton because they're GROSS and got back in bed. :-) Got up at 9:15 (Happy birthday to me!)and ate a grape fruit and raisin bran. Then went and ran 3 miles (I did the first two miles in 16:07 -- my new record!) and did some weights, stretching, etc. Next, I went to Chinese and did a skit my group prepared. Everyone loved ours the best because it included a prince, princess, evil man, and magical cabbage. What is better than that?

Now I'm at the library typing a blog so that Clayton will feed me. The end!

P.S. As an addendum, I know I'm wacko for spending my day working out and eating grapefruit and raising bran, but I figured your birthday should be the day you feel the best on -- and I feel crappy when I eat crappy kinds of food. That's my goal lately -- to figure out what feels good. Still working on that one...

Can you believe it?

2010-05-03T11:39:00.002-06:00

I have to make a new blog for my technology class. I just have blogs coming out my ears! Oh well. I will make the best of it. Now I have to learn how to do things like add pictures, links, and videos to my blog. Yuck! Is there an instruction pamphlet in the library for blogger.com?

Technology sometimes just boggles my mind. For instance, last Wednesday I tried to sharpen my pencils with our battery powered pencil sharpener. I pushed and pushed and it made sharpening noises, but the pencils weren't getting any sharper. Yesterday, I complain to Clayton and he picks up my pencils and the sharpener and sticks them each in, pulling them out sharp as can be. How come I can't do that? I've got to learn his technique.

Anyway, in summary, I am procrastinating learning how to blog because I don't like constructive exploration style learning. I like handbooks.

Clayton would be proud

2010-04-27T09:51:00.003-06:00

I made a decision this morning, as I realized how ridiculously overloaded I felt after one half hour of my first class this term... :-) I am not going to take ballet this term. Kind of sad, but after all, I was just taking it for kicks and to do ballet since I haven't in a while. We made the whole "stay in Utah for two more years" decision so that life would be a little less crazy and we might could enjoy being around each other and seeing Utah. That won't happen with 9.5 credits (equivalent to 19 in a regular semester) and 20 hours of work every week in spring term.

Also, I had an AWESOME vacation in Tennessee. Green trees, rain, thunderstorms, a brand new haircut, talent show, faith's softball game, NFL draft (okay, not exactly my choice of entertainment), 2 free movies, birthday party, awesome carrot cake, new clothes, new bread maker, all in all pretty much AMAZING! I'm glad to be back at school because I do enjoy it, but it's ever so much easier with Clayton here. 4 more days -- the countdown has begun.

yeah!

2010-04-19T21:16:00.000-06:00

Tax refund and text book sell back all in one day... not a bad day's work! :-)

Sitting and waiting

2010-04-16T14:55:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting in the computer lab waiting for my dvd to burn so I can be DONE with this dumb technology class. HALLELUJAH! It's been good because it has forced me to get Clayton to teach me to use things like a computer, but let's be honest. I've learned WAY more from Clayton than from my teacher. Good thing Clayton's patient with me...

So, today is Taylor's birthday. I had Shannon and Taylor over this morning, so Shannon and I made Taylor french toast with cinnamon raisin bread and peach syrup. This afternoon Taylor and I are going to go running up in the canyon. Tonight we are either going to buy cupcakes from a bakery that has AMAZING cupcakes, or buy milkshakes at Sammy's. That way we don't have to eat an entire cake! :-)

I taught the Charleston to the 5th grade class I teach at the elementary school today. They are learning about pre-WWII era. It was hysterical.

Well my dvd is done. I'm heading home!

Erika

:-(

2010-04-14T18:02:00.000-06:00

Have I mentioned how much I hate technology classes that the professor gives you an assignment and on occasion hands out sheets of paper with instructions, but mostly says -- this is the program you should use. Enjoy!

I'm so upset at this.

:-) AND :-(

2010-04-13T13:13:00.003-06:00

Clayton left today. :-(
Today is my last day of CLASSES! :-)
I have a mass project to do tonight. :-(
I'm going to make muffins while I do it though! :-)
My house is a wreck. :-(
I'll have a tiny tiny bit of extra time to clean it this week, if I quit offering to do extra things. :-)-ish
I'm STARVING!!! :-(
I have dancEnsemble class time at 3 pm and we are all getting treated to free lunch at costa vida! :-)
I have to be patient for 7 days... :-(
But, THEN, I get to go to TENNESSEE!

Wo zui xihuan Tiannasi! (for the record that is a phonetic spelling of the Chinese for, "I like Tennessee the best!")

I think that's everything. I'm too hungry to think... I'll guess I'll have to go lay around somewhere and whimper that I need food right now or I will die. (In chinese you can say that really easily. Wo e si le. I'm so hungry I'm going to die). If I was a problem solver, however, I would go visit the vending machine and buy crackers. Too many choices. And my final :-), I set a new record for my self today! 2 miles in 16:45! I don't think I'll ever beat Clayton's 3 miles in 17:30, but for a girl, 2 miles in under 17 is respectable, right?

Erika

I'm really not a bad student

2010-04-08T10:13:00.002-06:00

So, I'm in the middle of my technology class. I feel like I'm so sneaky and terrible for blogging in class. But let's be honest, I can't figure out how to adequately use the programs that we have at school, and Clayton has the same or better programs on his PC at home -- so I work on my projects at home with Clayton helping me every step of the way. I really don't like the macs at school. Mac's confuse me. Also I'm super afraid my teacher will walk by. lol.

I am super incredibly afraid of the dark. It's really interesting. I'm not a real scaredy cat but whenever I'm alone and it's dark, no matter where I am, I am freaked out. I'm not looking forward to when Clayton leaves next Tuesday... But at least for the first week I am forcing Taylor and my friend Shannon to stay with me. Now to find someone who will still be around the last week of April that will come stay with me...Or let me stay on their couch. As long as I'm not alone, I don't care. Okay, I'm going to pretend to be useful again!

Saturday

2010-04-03T19:22:00.002-06:00

Clayton and I had the most awesome day today. I woke him up at eight when I wanted to go to the bathroom but couldn't because when I went earlier during the night I decided to lock the door as I walked out (I do that a lot and I have no idea why -- weird). He opened it with a screwdriver. Then we layed in bed and watched an episode of Chuck. It's my favorite tv show. (Of the two that I on occasion watch -- after they come out on dvd). Clayton's favorite is Psych. They're both awesome. Then, we went running, watched conference, and made breakfast (waffles for him, french toast for me -- I wanted french toast and he doesn't like it), watched more conference, studied Chinese and went to work. We both worked 2-7 (well he worked 2-7:30). Why was it an awesome day? I have no idea. But I didn't do any school work! YAY!

Now I'm going to go end my day with some repentance in the school work area. I find that I would much rather go to work than do my homework. Why is that? Any ideas?

5 more minutes

2010-03-30T19:16:00.002-06:00

How does five minute blogging sound? Everytime I decide I have five extra minutes when I'm at a computer (that is NOT often), I can type up a blog for all five people who read my blog to enjoy... PERFECT! So, I fixed my problems from Friday! YAY! I am so excited! Oh I haven't announced this yet to the world, so here goes... I am changing my major from Dance Performance to Dance Education. This master plan will add two additional school years to Clayton and my stay in utah. :-( However, I will have almost an entire year taking pretty minimal credits so that Clayton and I have more play time -- we're stuck because of class progression requirements and classes only being offered in the fall. But then, we are going to come back to Tennessee -- where we have decided we belong. So in the long run, more time in Utah but we get back to Tennessee faster. YAY! By the way, I love teaching dance. It is my favorite. Period. And I really miss teaching aerobics. I need to just start a class for fun on Saturday mornings at my ward building or something... I wonder if people would come? I wonder if Clayton would hate me for coming up with one more great thing to do before 9 am on a Saturday morning? Well, there's my five minutes of rambling. I'm done.

Erika

BLah!

2010-03-26T16:54:00.002-06:00

I've had such a crappy day today. I just want to hide in a corner and pretend the world doesn't exist. And once Clayton gets home he can come find me and bring me ice cream. Peanut butter flavored. Can you believe it randomly snowed for 10 minutes today right when I was trying to film a video for my class? I can't decide it that will be a blessing of added interest or a curse of the weather not matching up in all the shots. Oh well. Lame post, I know -- but I'm in 15 minute parking and I've used up 13 of those.

chemistry

2009-11-02T15:42:00.001-07:00

I really hate chemistry. Anyone want to tutor me?

I have no time left

2009-10-30T14:10:00.003-06:00

I've come to a point this semester. I am ridiculously overwhelmed but I keep eeking by okay. Anyways, I just can't figure out what to do next and I can't concentrate and I feel so behind that I am so stressed that I can't do anything, so I do nothing. Productivity at its finest. Okay, okay, so it's not nothing -- I'm just blogging and working extra hours at work. Because my physical science is so boring. Anyone who knows me well will know why I can't do my physical science. We just started a new section. Can anyone guess what it is?

P.S. I sound like I'm terribly behind, but for most normal college students, it's not behind. It's completely on top of things. I just like being at least a few days ahead in my classwork and homework, but I'm not ahead. That's what bothers me.

WOOT!

2009-10-29T12:53:00.003-06:00

So, I just got a promotion at work! I'm now a student manager! YAY! I'm excited. Now if I can just stop taking advantage of more opportunities and spend time with Clayton and call my family and friends every once in a while, I'd be doing really well! :-) Anyways, I'm super duper excited.

Also, the weirdest thing happened this morning. My usual routine is: my alarm goes off at 6, and I get up at 6:30 (Clayton really appreciates that). I get ready for school, eat breakfast, and finish up homework, then crawl back in bed for five minutes at 7:30 so that I can try to get feeling back into my freezing fingers (I'm always freezing in the morning). I drag Clayton out of bed so he can drive me to school, and I'm at my Chinese class by 8. Well, this morning I was doing homework at the kitchen table and Clayton walked out at 7:15. It was the strangest thing. I've never seen him get up just because he wanted to before 9. And you know what? He said he liked it.

Oh yeah, our date was awesome last weekend. We went to five guys and the haunted forest, and I barely got scared. (Because Clayton pushed me through everything and got in between me and the "monsters"). Anyway, a great time was had by all. We've been trying to make friends, so we had a guy I know from work bring a date. Now we're setting the same guy up with a girl from Clayton's work to play games with us on Saturday. If only we could make friends with people that were already couples... Oh well.

yay!!!

2009-10-24T09:33:00.002-06:00

I am so so so excited! I was selected as an arts bridge scholar for this winter, which means I will working with an elementary school teacher to create a project and integrate dance into her curriculum. I'll go once a week for an hour to work with the kids and I am just so excited! I never thought I'd make it. :-)

Also, Clayton is now feeling better. And that is such a blessing! I am not good at taking care of a sick husband, going to work, and getting my schoolwork done. It's just too much. But it looks like the combination of a day of laying around last sunday and taking the five medicines and vitamins I bought him at midnight Saturday did the trick. And I am so grateful I haven't caught it.

Finally, Clayton and I are going on a date tonight. After we watch the football game and go to the temple, we're going out to dinner and to the haunted forest. I am excited. I'll let you know how it goes. Probably next month when I once again find the time to blog... :-)

Bodies

2009-10-01T19:38:00.003-06:00

First of all, I'm really not sure what in Utah I'm allergic to. I've just had a stuffed up nose since the day before the wedding and got tired of it so I went to the doctor. She said it takes 1 1/2 to 2 years in a place before you develop allergies. I've been here a little over 2 years and the flonase is helping. So, it's probably something in the air -- but I am not so curious as to go get tested to figure it out.

Also, I just wanted to get on my blog and write about how thankful I am for my body. I had some auditions today and didn't make it. :-( But it got me to thinking about reasons to be happy.

1. I can still spend the little bit of time I have everyday with Clayton instead of giving up even more time to rehearsals.

2. I am a dance major! That in and of itself is a privilege!

3. I ran 2 1/4 miles today and stopped because I had to go and meet Clayton -- not because I was tired.

4. I get to keep this body forever, so now I have the opportunity to explore what incredible things my body can do and understand more fully how body and soul are one.

That's just what's currently on my mind. Musings of a dancer that uses and abuses every muscle in her body on a daily basis. However, my body is my job, my homework, and what gives me what I love. I've gathered it's not the same for everyone... :-)

Why do people hate their bodies? Our culture has a mindset of being a mind and a body. Why not love your body and learn about it and care about it? Isn't it the whole purpose of being alive in the first place? But the devil does like to put down what matters most. The obesity problem is not only a health epidemic, but a spiritual epidemic. The farther your head gets from your body, the less you'll care about taking care of this great gift.

Trust me, I know life is busy, but your body is what you live life in. Why not love it?

Still Alive and Kicking

2009-09-29T20:05:00.000-06:00

Well...my husband inspired me, and I figured I'd blog. I got married a month ago!!! :-) School started up again... :-( It's actually not too bad. I'm kind of loving all my classes. Work is a little rough, but I make it through. I've got someone to come home to every night, so it gives me something to look forward to. I don't know...that's about all that's exciting. Just thought I'd prove that I am still alive and well. And I'm going to go and do more homework now.

P.S. I found out I'm allergic to Utah. Dead serious. I've got a prescription to prove it.

I'm leaving.

2009-07-10T21:34:00.002-06:00

I'm leaving in the morning and I won't be back until Monday after next! I will be at rehearsal and a dance show up in Salt Lake tomorrow and I leave Monday morning for...HOME! YAY!!! So, I hope you don't miss me too much. I'm leaving the computer behind. And I am very excited about it. Call if you need anything. Clayton's around anyway. Love you all!

Here I go again...

2009-07-06T20:46:00.002-06:00

So, back to the mushy blog backgrounds... :-) I just wanted to let everyone know that I love Clayton! He came and saw me at work today just because and it really brightened my day. His appearance helped the final eight hours of my ten hour shift. Fortunately, I like Subway. What would life be like if I hated my job?

The Fourth of July Festivities

2009-07-05T15:16:00.005-06:00

Well, yesterday I got up at seven and left my house by seven fifteen to bring Clayton his car so that he could be at work at eight fifteen. I got less than a mile from my house, then sat at a light for a half hour, watching the runners of Provo's "Freedom Run" run past on a road that I have to cross to get to Clayton's house. I got out and asked the policeman if there was any way to get across. He said I had to wait until there was a break in the runners because it was blocked all the way from center street up to university parkway (meaning there was no way to get around. Awesome. Well, Clayton had to go to work, Freedom Run or not. So he walked the mile to where I was waiting with the car. Dumb. We turned around and he dropped me at my apartment and headed to work. It took forty-five minutes to get from my house to Staples (a 1.7 mile trek). They had the other busy north/south road blocked for the fourth of july parade. You can't get to staples any other way because it's the only road that bridges across the railroad tracks. Awesome. Clayton was not happy. Provo is "dumb" according to him (that's putting it mildly). I happen to agree that this occasion couldn't have been thought out very clearly. How can you block the two main north/south roads that run on either side of campus? (Also the east/west road that connects the two was blocked with the Freedom Carnival). My apartment complex and the several blocks surrounding it were very literally blocked in. I'm glad Provo is patriotic.

After work, which was fun, Clayton and I had a cookout at his house. We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who came, that we didn't think were coming. We had eleven people there including us. Including my roommate and her then boyfriend, who became her fiance before the night was over! YAY! We grilled steaks, brats, and hot dogs; then pineapple and bell peppers! Yummy! The guests brought some sides to share and we supplied some corn on the cob (on sale at wal-mart ten for a dollar this week!) The best part, however, was dessert...I was creative. Want to see?

These are my corn on the cob cupcakes!

My American flag brownies

And my candy cupcakes! (It's sweettarts and starbursts that I microwaved and made shapes with).

It was amazing. You should have been there. We played scene it and music catch phrase. Once everyone got tired of Clayton dominating both games, we switched to a card game. Only Clayton, Alex, and I had ever played it before. Guess who were the last three people in (and therefore the three worst players)? Yep, Clayton, Alex and I. :-) Good times. Great practice round.

We went outside to watch the fireworks and saw cars parked all up and down our road. Everyone, it seems, comes up to the top of Y mountain to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks show. Next year we are charging for parking. We sat on top of the car and on the wall by the driveway and had a terrific view. Although there was a fifteen minute break in the middle, and everyone thought the show was over and started to leave, the fireworks resumed and gave a decent show. Clayton claims the ones at Ft. Campbell are way better. I have no opinion, having never seen them.

Well, that was our fourth of july in a nutshell. Anybody else have good stories?

dumb

2009-06-26T23:15:00.000-06:00

I hate it when either Clayton or I are upset/mad/angry etc. and we don't talk about it. So, of course, the other person thinks it's all their fault, when in all honesty, it's not their fault at all. The end. It's time for bed.

engagements

2009-06-22T10:04:00.005-06:00

So, I promised I'd post these. Here are some of my favorite engagement pictures. There are 175 of them, so everyone has their own favorites...but these are mine.

School's out!

2009-06-22T09:46:00.003-06:00

So, spring term ended last week. Finals are over. I got straight A's! YEAH! That's my first time in college. And I was only stressed out for about two weeks out of the seven. I feel like that's a record.

Also, Clayton and I took a road trip down to St. George last weekend. I took my last final Thursday morning then worked two shifts (10:30-3:45 and 4:45-8). As soon as I finished at work, Clayton picked me up and we started our journey, picking up my friend Shannon (who is from St. George) on the way. After stopping briefly at Staples to pick up a work check, we left Provo at 8:45. We stopped once around 10:30 and bought a package of Spree's to keep Clayton awake. The rest of the trip was a battle of willpower -- to sleep or stay awake. Every time I got tired, I would stick a spree in Clayton's mouth and starting scratching his head or back, or squeeze his hand, or anything else I could think of to keep him going. We got there at 12:20. Clayton drove all the way. And we were quite safe, which is why I did not drive. :) We had a lovely breakfast with Shannon's family, then collected directions and ideas for where we could visit in St. George.

We took a tour of Brigham Young's winter home, took pictures at the temple, and then headed of to Rock Cliff's Recreation Site, which is like a national park on a smaller scale. We started hiking, and sometimes detoured to climb some of the rock formations. Somehow, we veered from the trail (which we though we were following) and dead ended at a mountain. We thought this meant we had to climb it, so we started up. It was an intense climb. Two-thirds or the way up, we realized it was stupid to go any farther without gear, so we made the trek down. It was quite the adventure.

the St. George temple

Hiking, climbing, etc.

The mountain that we climbed most of.

Roadtrip!!!

2009-06-18T16:21:00.001-06:00

YAY! We are leaving Provo! We're going to St. George. We'll be back very late Friday or very early Saturday. Try not to miss us too much. :-)

p.s. the indians returned our engagement pics. I will be able to post some soon!

i made dinner tonight

2009-06-14T21:40:00.004-06:00

It was good. We had company. At Clayton's house. I found two single friends that will hang out with us if bribed with food. We do what we can for friends. Most people avoid us. Rarely read our blogs. Stay in their bedrooms when we're in the kitchen. Only talk on the phone when we call them. Never comment on our blogs. Think all we do is make out. Give us unwanted marital advice. Yeah, friends are lacking in our lives. Too bad. I miss when people talked to me cuz they liked me. Now that I'm engaged I have a red sign on my forehead that says don't talk to me. I don't even wear a ring. Oh well. Good thing I have an amazing man.

Ammendment to above paragraph: my mom calls me. I talk to her way more than anybody else. And sometimes Hollie.

We worked on designing wedding invitations today. They're really cute. Expect something unique. Then again, what else could you expect from a dance major and a communications major? :-) And dinner was amazing.

I got a new mattress yesterday. The apartment brought them. They are about 18 inches tall (no lie). Sleeping was lovely. Mmmmm...Just thinking about it makes me want to close my eyes and take a little snooze. But I have to jump (literally) to get on. It took me three tries to get back in bed after I went to the bathroom at four this morning.

Wow, I'm full. Dinner was so delicious. Clayton thinks so too. Yum. Clayton's addition to this post is that he loves me. I guess he has a lot to say.

Church was good. We like the family ward a lot better than my student ward. It's a lot more like real church. Lots of personality too. 69 days till we get married... They go by really fast, right?

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: I have NOT lost my ring, nor do I dislike it. In fact, I like it so much that I am keeping it safe in its box until we can both find a time to get off our lazy butts and go get it sized. That is all. I love my man and my ring.

Engagement pictures!!!

2009-06-13T17:02:00.003-06:00

We did it!!! WE FINALLY DID IT! We took our engagement pictures -- YAY! I've been dragging my feet because I didn't have a shirt I wanted to wear. But I finally just decided enough was enough, and engagement pictures were taken. Over two hundred of them. I awoke at 5:45 this morning, got dressed, put on make-up, curled my hair, and woke Clayton with a text at 5:50. He freaked out thinking that it was an hour later than it was, then realized his alarms did not fail to ring, it was not time for them to go off yet. We picked up the photographer and went over to Bridalveil falls (appropriately named, isn't it?). We walked around while Kaylie followed us with a camera. Then she walked backwards in front of us with a camera. Then she posed us on benches and took pictures in front of, behind, next to, underneath, and hovering over us on her hovercraft. (okay, fine, there was no hovercraft. She just plain floated. Incredible.) We matched and just plain looked cute.

However, on our return from the falls, we were accosted by Indians beating drums, chanting, and stomping with their ankles covered in shells that shook as the walked. They demanded that we hand them our "soul-stealer" (camera) or we would never escape. The falls were behind us, the highway in front, and fierce Native Americans on either side. The only solution was to hand over the pictures that we worked so diligently all morning to obtain. I guess we'll have to try again next week... :-(

I wonder if we need to buy the photographer a new camera? Does insurance cover Indians?

Shopping!

2009-06-07T17:41:00.004-06:00

Have you ever looked and looked and looked for something you need, and you've needed it for a while, but can't find it ANYWHERE? Then, when you do find it you feel bad because it's not on sale but buy it anyway because you're just so plain frustrated about not being able to find anything else. Well...yeah. Clayton and I went to Kohl's. I was looking for a new swimsuit and some nice shirts I could wear to church and promised to not ruin by wearing them to dance class. All the juniors sizes were too casual and all the nice shirts in misses sizes were too big. I tried. The swimsuits were just plain ugly. So, Clayton bought new running shoes with my gift card.

The next day I went to target. Same story... nothing. So, I bought groceries with my gift card. Finally, I decided to try Wal-mart (where I did not have a gift card), and what do you know? Jack-pot! I bought a new swim suit that is so super cute! And it is not ridiculously low cut so I don't have to worry about my small chest not filling out the top! YAY! I also got three nice new shirts, a pair of dance pants, and a tank to dance in (I just couldn't resist). I spent $90...which is a lot. But I was so glad to find anything I just went ahead. I guess no more eating out for a while... :-( And I finally have nice clothes to go out in. Funny how that works.

TGIF

2009-06-05T23:14:00.002-06:00

Clayton and I went to eat at TGI Fridays today. Our first restaurant (outside of Arby's and Taco Bell) since we got engaged! YAY! It made my day...if not my weekend. And we bought him new running shoes at kohl's (They were on clearance), so we're going running tomorrow after he gets off work to celebrate. And I'm going to bed...good night!

breaking the silence

2009-06-04T19:18:00.003-06:00

Although I am rather proud of being third from the bottom on Lauren's list of "Friends and Family" (meaning only two people have not blogged more recently than me, those two being her husband and brother), I figured it was just plain time to write again. I have a goal for my blog. I'm not going to share yet though. I'm not quite committed to it, and I hate it when people make me do things just because I said I was going to without thinking it through properly.

Guess what?!?! First of all I had a bridal shower last week that was so so so fun! I know it's a little early, but it was the only time that everyone could be there that I wanted to be there. They dressed me in a toilet paper wedding dress with a toilet bouquet that I threw. :-) Second, in two weeks I will no longer be working at Freschetta! I'm back to Subway, where I'll be Lead Crew Supervisor, working thirty hours a week, and more importantly, NOT GOING TO SCHOOL UNTIL AFTER THE WEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I apologize for the excessive amount of exclamation points).

Finally, I can feel all the end of semester stresses building up inside me just waiting to burst. I will soon overflow and not be a very pleasant person. Just thought I'd give fair warning. In the mean time though, I've got to write a paper...page eleven, here I come!

Dream...or Nightmare

2009-05-03T11:46:00.005-06:00

I'm currently in a writing class where we have to turn in twenty journals by next tuesday. One of these must be the description of a dream we have. I knew this would be easy because I have ridiculously vivid nightmares at least two or three times a week. I had a great one this morning as I slept in until ten... :-) I have this recurring theme of the Joker from "The Dark Knight" tries to kill me. Anyway, here is last night's dream...

May 3, 2009
I awake to the noxious fumes of the Joker’s breath as he hovers over me with his eternal grin. My heart pounds in my ears, and I thrash to avoid his deadly kiss. Suddenly a body flies over mine and lands on Joker. As they wrestle, I run. I don’t know where to, but away.

Clayton and I had been evading the Joker for a week now. He was on a quest for a kill, and I was his target. He could kill me by either touching a “box tops for education” to my eye or by kissing me, a reverse Sleeping Beauty effect. I was exhausted from running. Clayton and I discovered the before unheard of seventh floor Book of Mormon exhibit in the Joseph Smith Building on BYU campus. We had camped out there for the night. I don’t know how the Joker found us, but he did, and here I am running again.

I run right into another trap. Tall men in grey coats swarm all around me and bring me to a line full of college-age kids like myself. We wait in the guarded line while a man assigns a color to each of us and hands us a polo in that color to wear. At the front of the line is Lauren, a friend from high school! She has a blue polo. I quickly convince the man to give me blue and sprint behind Lauren. She weaves in and out of rows and rows of school busses, yet I finally catch her, completely out of breath. She explains that we must go to the blue bus, and I follow not knowing what else to do.

I enter the bus, and to my relief, Miss Jill, the mother of my best friend Hollie, is the bus driver! However, instead of explaining what in the world is going on, she takes my cell phone from me and hands me a booklet to read. I sit down in exasperation, confused and scared. The bus was full of girls; I guess we were separated by gender. I sit next to Lauren, but before I can ask what is going on, the wheels of the bus screech as it goes from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in about two seconds flat. Suddenly, the Joker appears in the seat behind me and starts throwing box tops. I cover my face and run to the front of the bus. Baseballs aimed at my head are being thrown through the windows and, dodging them, successfully land in the front seat next to Hollie. “Where are we going? What is going on?” I scream. But everyone ignores my pleas, annoyed that I am so emotional. The anger and frustration build. I’m constantly evading Joker and flying baseballs, Clayton is continually calling my cell phone but I cannot get to it. Miss Jill answers with, “Erika is not here right now. Sorry. Goodbye.” Then she hangs up. After three long days of baseballs and box tops flying at my head with no one caring to help or listen, we stop. Hollie explains, “We are going to serve at “Jump up,” an event in London, England.”

After a bathroom break, we resume, and everyone on the bus threatens to throw me off the bus if I do not calm down. I know that if I leave the bus it will be only the Joker and me so I remain silent next to Hollie, hiding under the seat.

Upon our arrival I am assigned to serve at McDonalds, where the red vinyl seats are so short that I cannot reach the table. I get placed in the kitchen. A long wooden table next to a conveyer belt full of food awaits me. The news is on and people are screaming of swine flu. All chicken and steak is infected. I watch in dread as tray after tray of chicken and steak flood the kitchen. I grab the trays, run them to the trash, quickly mark the amount on the spoilage log, and repeat for every tray that flies down the conveyor belt. Once I clean it off, I lay on the long wooden table and try to interpret the cryptic abbreviations that fill my assignment sheet on the clipboard. I can’t understand what I need to do and cannot find help. Then I spot my help. There is a girl resting against the table, but all I can see is her legs. I realize her torso is laying on top of the table as she is bent at the waist at a ninety degree angle to her legs. She moves from the table. She cannot straighten herself, and refuses to help me in her bent state.

Miss Jill walks in, angry that I am not making progress in the kitchen. Yet what can I do? I do not understand what to do. My “help” looks like she came out of Alice and Wonderland. Quickly, I realize I must escape. I steal my cell phone from her and run. I run and run through London. I am always running. But I stop. I call home.

One More Thing...

2009-04-15T14:59:00.002-06:00

Despite the fact that it is about the most terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, in-between phase of all time, I love being engaged! I get to put up ridiculously cheesy blog backgrounds and facebook statuses, call Clayton sickeningly sweet pet names, and forget to do all kinds of things, yet everyone in the world has an excuse for me: "Oh, it's okay. She's engaged." As if being engaged is the reason why I've lost my mind... oh well, it's a nice excuse for the time being. :-)

Porque Estas?

2009-04-15T14:50:00.002-06:00

For what reason does it snow in the middle of APril? WHY? Why won't it stop? If it doesn't stop soon, CLayton is walking home from work because I am terrified of driving in the snow. Can't do it. Not by myself.

Um... I really couldn't tell you if this post is about anything or not. Wait while it develops and we'll see. I am just sitting on my couch on an exam review day. I already ate too many crackers and too much candy (it's now counting as lunch and dinner). I have a quilt to make happen for relief society. Maybe I'll start that... I really should. Truly. I'm just being a bum. Well I have written a paper and finished my choreography project today. Oh, I know what I can do! I'll write that other paper for next Tuesday! Perfect. And read that one book I need to read. Glad I could blog so I could figure out what I needed to do. I'm going to be productive now. Sorry I have nothing to write about. Maybe next time...

SCHOOL is ALMOST OVER! I get a week off starting next tuesday at 10 pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just to prove you wrong

2009-04-04T22:57:00.002-06:00

5 Things I Was Doing 5 Years Ago:
1. obsessing over ducks
2. graduating from 8th grade
3. playing softball
4. playing the bassoon
5. dancing in the play "Annie"

5 Things I'll Do Tonight:
1. homework
2. complain about my idiotic homework
3. read my scriptures and say my prayers
4. brush my teeth
5. tell Clayton how much I love him

5 Things I'd Do With A Million Dollars:
1. eat fish every day
2. lose my scholarship!!! (because I can)
3. go back to China
4. buy a yellow truck
5. pay my tithing and give the rest to my parents

5 Places I Have Lived:
1. Chicago, IL
2. Provo, Utah
3. Collierville, TN
4. Wichita, KS
5. Port Huron, MI

5 Jobs I Have Had:
1. childcare at Baron Hirsch Synagogue
2. Pink Flamingo restaurant
3. treasure towers
4. Nanny and lots of various babysitting. LOTS!
5. Subway

5 Things I Want To Be Doing In 5 Years:
1. painting my toenails
2. working on my masters
3. kissing Clayton more than once a day
4. working in a dance studio
5. starting a family

5 People I Tag:
1. I did it myself, what more can you ask?
2.
3.
4.
5.

Sticking it to the Man

2009-03-09T21:25:00.002-06:00

Oh Provo, the "dry"est town this side of Texas, where people get thrills from throwing snowballs at policemen and packing ten people into a five seated vehicle, I love you! Where people buy IBC root bear six packs and have chugging contents, where one must think creatively to find missionary opportunities, Provo, you provide endless hours of entertainment. On Friday, I looked out my window and witnessed a pack of thirty or more bikers casually biking north past my apartment with a police car following close behind. Rory opened the door and shouted, "What are you doing?" The reply came, "Just riding our bikes. Every first Friday of the month! The police can't do ANYTHING -- It's AWESOME!" Oh Provo. The end. :-)

the proposals... (yes, plural)

2009-03-08T21:23:00.002-06:00

Okay, I am determined to finish this story today. On Saturday night, at the opera, I was teasing Clayton during intermission. He responded by getting down on one knee, in the middle of the theatre, and starting “Erika (insert last name here)…” I got a little antsy and thought, this isn’t right and grabbed his arm and started to pull him up while he finished, “Do you mind if I tie my shoe?” Argh. Frustration. And very funny actually. The next day at church, in the middle of Sunday school, he took the wrapper from the Hershey’s hugs that we had gotten to keep us quiet (as is necessary for young single adults) and started to wrap it around my left ring finger. I just knew that that wasn’t right either, so I grabbed my hand away and gave him a look. You know, the look. :) Finally, after ward prayer, we were sitting on the couch. I was sad because I was figuring that he would never propose. Also, I was on my email when our love note delivery came. (Explanation: love notes are written during “munch and mingle” – the social event after ward prayer—and put in a bowl with the recipients name and apartment number on the front and are delivered upon cessation of the munch and mingle activities). Well, Mariah announced to me that I had received a love note and set it on the table in front of me. I didn’t look up for a while (poor Clayton was probably getting antsy) and finally I glanced up, noticed some rubber ducks on the table and went back to my email. Then I thought, “Wait. What are ducks doing on my table?” and picked one up. On the bottom it said “marry”. I put the ducks together and they said “Will, you, marry, me, and ?” Clayton had gotten each of my roommates to write a word (or question mark) on the bottoms. I looked at him and he handed me a duck with a ring around its neck. :) Then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Fortunately, I responded in the affirmative. Therefore, we are getting married. Yay for stories! Also, yay I don’t have to tell this again, I can just refer people to my blog!

P.S. Did I mention that I cried...a lot? And about five different completely random people (we do not often get visitors) walked into my apartment during the affair. Very strange.

Two weeks later...

2009-03-08T12:32:00.001-06:00

Oh man oh man oh man! I’m getting MARRIED!!!! YAY! Okay, so I just need to write about my weekend that I had with Clayton two weeks ago. It was just plain LOVELY! So, he came up on Friday and I had to take a Kinesiology test and I didn’t take it that morning like I wanted to so he ran some errands while I took my test. Then I had an appointment with Ron, the dance trainer, and Clayton sat and waited. I was so excited to see him though! I almost ran down the hall when he first got there, but I restrained myself to a brisk walk. Man it had been FOREVER! Anyways, we had fun Friday night. We went over to the bishop’s house for a ward social. I ate a bunch of the snack food because I was hungry then neither of us wanted dinner when we got back home. Kind of silly. I ended up making it and sticking it in the fridge for the next day. Then we cleaned my kitchen and fridge (we had cleaning checks in the morning). And, we watched the Office with my roommates and sat on the couch and talked. It was so so so nice just to see his face while I talk to him. Anyways, I felt bad because I’d made him help me make dinner and clean my kitchen all night. Oh well.

Saturday we got up and went to the dance building at six thirty in the morning so I could work on a project.  And we left to go snowboarding at eight with Cam, Russ, Ben, and some other man whose name I cannot recall. It was really fun though. After the torturous first one down the mountain that took an hour. I pretty much just sat down and cried halfway down when I was completely stuck. However, I found a little more determination and made it down. The second time I only fell two or three times and the next few runs were a lot more fun. I’ve decided snowboarding is very fun. And I will try it again. Next year.
Saturday night we were both EXHAUSTED, but managed to find the energy to make dinner, then run up on campus to buy ice cream before going to the opera that I dragged him too. He was a good sport though and stayed awake the whole time. He enjoyed a couple numbers (don’t tell anybody).

So Sunday we made pancakes (puffy oven pancakes, which were amazing) with my homemade cinnamon syrup. It was quite lovely. And we went to church and I was wondering all day if he would ever propose. I didn’t think he was going to after I’d gone to choir practice we ate chicken and dumplings for dinner (which are AMAZING) and then we went to ward prayer. All in all I was very disappointed that he hadn’t proposed yet. And, I’ve got to go make lunch and go to church…so, the good part of this story will have to continue this evening. You probably all hate me by now. Oh well, at least I started.

Dear Lauren...

2009-03-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

I will post my version of the engagement story as soon as possible. Hopefully after I type it up for my journal. And as soon as I finish this paper -- that I can't bring myself to start!

The answer to the question you are asking

2009-02-15T21:29:00.002-07:00

Because it is called Tin Roof. And my mom's favorite kind of ice cream is (or at least used to be) the Tin Roof flavor of Blue Bell. And they'd only have it in the summer time and we'd search for it during all of our midnight Saturday grocery trips to Kroger. Good times. I like ice cream.

happy sunday!!!

2009-02-15T21:05:00.005-07:00

um...I'm going to do a word vomit. I might edit some stuff though, so, five minutes of rambling...ready....set....go!!!
So, Clayton's mom tagged my blog and said I had to do something to the effect of tell all my juicy secrets and then make other bloggers do the same. I have two reasons why I cannot do this:
1) I do not have any juicy secrets.
2) I do not know anyone who blogs who was not tagged by her except for my Relief Society blog. and I don't think that counts. However, there are currently some great spotlights there on my roommates right now, so visit and read. My most excellent roommate Kylie wrote them. www.8wardrs.blogspot.com
Kylie gave a talk today. It was amazing. ALso, my roommates like to say "Di me lo" well, at least that's what it sounds like. Whenever they are frustrated, or happy, or sad, or nervous, or scared, or beyond english words. It's supposedly the spanish lyrics for that one song that goes... "Do you know what it feels like? Loving someone..." Um... yeah, don't know any more words to that song. But it's a good one. Download it. Listen to it. Love it. It's good for you.

Anyways, I was having this great idea that since Rory speaks Spanish she could still say di me lo and then Kylie speaks french so she should learn to say it in french. And Mariah speaks German so she could learn it in German. And I speak Dance. Darn. I know a few things in CHinese. I could ask my CHinese teacher. If I only knew what di me lo meant....

At our ward social after ward prayer today, somebody made homemade ice cream sandwiches. They were wonderful. I ate one. and a funsize milky way. I think it is so much nicer to call someone funsize rather than short. It just plain has a nice ring to it.

Also, there were brownies at the other one. And pretzels. I've been craving pretzels. Since last night. So I ate some. And they were wonderful. There I go with my short sentences again. If I wrote longer ones, maybe I would sound more intelligent.

Tomorrow is Heather's birthday party. Heather my sister that is. Heather my roommate's birthday is next month.

And my sister Heather is having a cooking party and they are making aprons. And food. Lots of food. It's going to be sooooo good. Because my mom is making the food. And she is sooooooo good at making food. It's the truth. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes! THey can sing! They can dance! After all miss, this is France! (Name the movie!)

And no, we don't live in France, we live in Lebanon. Close though. At least it's not across an ocean or anything.

Um...I'm running out of things to say. I want to go running tomorrow but the forecast says it will rain. I might not. That would make me sad. I so wanted to go. Oh well. I shall go tuesday for sure. I have an interview to be a sports and dance camps counselor this summer on tuesday. That will be funny. I should probably prepare with answers to the classic interview questions so I don't look like an idiot. I think it'd be a way fun job though. Also, I just found out I got a full tuition spring/summer scholarship!!! YAY! Good grades are good for soemthing after all!!!

Also, I just found out that I got into a dance show I auditioned for this summer! So, yay!!! ALso great fun. I'm so excited. And I'm tired. And it's been ten minutes. So I am done. I hope everyone is doing amazingly!!! Also, um...yeah, nevermind. And I didn't edit this. THis is pure word flow, from Erika's brain to the computer. Typos and all!

I'm going to write in my journal, call Hollie, call Clayton and go to bed. Forty-five minutes... think I can make it?

HAPPY LATE VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

P.s. Clayton sent me flowers. It made me so so so so happy. They are pink tulips. :)

37 things I've done...and 63 I haven't :-)

2009-02-07T14:48:00.002-07:00

I've done the ones highlighted in blue. Yay for traveling!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Bathed in a river
7. Been to the Taj Mahal
8. Walked on a glacier in Alaska
9. Caught and held a snake
10. Spoke in front of a big crowd
11. Bungee jumped
12. Had a whirlwind love affair that broke your heart
13. Found an arrowhead or fossil
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Rescued an animal
16. Ate sweet breads, glands or tripe
17. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hiked to base camp on Mt. Everest
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Watched an animal being born
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Learned a foreign language
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Stayed up for more than 24 hours
31. Trained a dog to do cool tricks
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Can drive a stick shift car
37. Won over $1000 in a raffle or lottery
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
42. Been serenaded
43. Visited Africa
44. Walked on a beach by moonlight
45. Broken a bone
46. Started your own business
47. Quit a job because you were totally unhappy
48. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
49. Been to the Eiffel Tower
50. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
51. Kissed in the rain passionately
52. Played in the mud
53. Gone to a drive-in
54. Been in a movie
55. Visited the Great Wall of China
56. Joined a prayer group
57. Taken a martial arts class
58. Visited Russia
59. Served at a soup kitchen
60. Gone whale watching
61. Received flowers for no reason
62. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
63. Gone sky diving
64. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
65. Bounced a check
66. Flown in a helicopter
67. Saved a favorite childhood toy
68. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
69. Eaten caviar
70. Pieced a quilt
71. Stood in Times Square
72. Toured the Everglades
73. Been fired from a job
74. Seen the changing of the guards in London
75. Broken something extremely expensive
76. Been on a speeding motorcycle
77. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
78. Published a book
79. Visited the Vatican
80. Got a tattoo
81. Been to a coffee shop in Amsterdam
82. Seen the aurora borealis in person
83. Read the entire Bible
84. Visited the White House
85. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
86. Had chickenpox
87. Saved someone’s life
88. Sat on a jury
89. Met someone famous
90. Joined a book club
91. Lost a loved one
92. Toured the UN
93. Hiked to Machu Picchu
94. Swam in the Indian Ocean
95. Conversed with someone when neither of you spoke each others language
96. Dirty danced
97. Been stung by a bee
98. Acted in a play
99. Had more than 5 surgeries
100. Threw a surprise party for someone

Mass Transit

2009-01-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

I just got home from an eight hour shift at subway...I'm tired! And I've got to clean the bathroom for cleaning checks. I realize this has nothing to do with the title -- i'll get back to that in a minute, but WHY do adults who pay rent every month -- on time -- need to go through a cleaning check once a month? Why are they so ridiculously picky? And everything must be perfect. I clean every inch of the bathroom -- literally. Including the ceiling. My bed has to be made (okay I do that everyday anyway) and my bookshelf and blinds dusted. Why does everyone in Provo (who is not married) have to go through this? Why? And if I don't do a satisfactory job on it, I get fined. If it gets messed up by someone else after I clean it and before it gets checked, too bad. I have no problem cleaning. I like a clean house. I hate messes. I have a problem with being treated with less freedom than my parents treated me with Saturday cleaning. Oh well. I can't really do anything about it. And I'll try not to get into my ranting about the byu-approved housing monopoly which pushes prices up. :-) (How does my best friend in Oklahoma pay fifty dollars more a month than me and get her own room and share a bathroom and kitchen with one other girl? What I wouldn't do for more fridge space...)

Anyways, this was all to inform everyone that I will now be spending the next two hours deep cleaning the bathroom that four girls share. Yay. And I'd rather be cleaning subway for eight hours any day. I guess I'll just turn on some music and get to work...

Candy Hearts

2009-01-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

So, I decided it was time to take off the Christmas background. So I put up the closest holiday...Valentine's DAY! Which brings me to a question for you! What's the greatest phrase/word you've ever seen on a candy heart? And, what's the best color? I've got to say yellow and orange.

On a scale of one to ten, I'd say a 12

2009-01-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I, um, well, er, uh, yeah. I'm a very lame blogger. The end. True story. Also, I have a really bad habit of writing in short sentences. I hate sentences that run on and on and on and on and on so much that I rarely write a compound sentence. My paper editing buddies are always telling me to combine my sentences. Anyways, to answer the previous question, I didn't have any exciting stories to tell I guess. Other than trying to sleep with my head jammed up against the car window and my little sister laying in my lap with no foot room because there were backpacks at my feet, the ride was uneventful. And not nearly as squished as some have been. There are seven in my family. And seven seats in the car. Therefore, we always travel squished. It's a bonding experience. :-) And be thankful for portable dvd players!!! Traveling just keeps getting easier.

My semester is going SOOOO well! I love it! I'm in all major and minor classes -- no GE's!!!! YAY! It's just so fun to have all my classes about something I actually WANT to learn about. I've changed my schedule at least twice since last times I posted, but I PROMISE it will stay the same now for the next thirteen weeks or so. So, here are the new classes: dance history, kinesiology, chinese contemporary dance, orientation to dance, back-up folk dance team, intermediate composition, and women entrepreneurs. FUN!

If I could say everything I would, but it seems really weird to me to tell so much online. I just don't really like it. So, in a nutshell...I LOVE MY LIFE! Don't worry I'm still way stressed and I still work and go to school and don't really play, but when work and school are just plain fun already, why do you need specific play time? I know it's all in the attitude, so I'm trying to have a good one.

Anyways, I'm rambling so I'll stop. I'm just excited for what this semester might bring. :)

P.S. It was brought to my attention that I forgot the best part. I'm in love. And isn't the world just better through rose colored glasses?

answers

2008-12-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am so good at answering questions...I like this a lot better. Anyways, I had a decent flight home. Okay, I'm lying, it was terrible. I got to Salt Lake right on time and boarded as soon as I got to the gate. We were a little late because of de-icing the plane and all the snow, but got to Denver just barely in time to board my next flight to Chicago. This one went off without a hitch. I even talked to the man sitting next to me (a rarity for me) and he convinced me that I should take tae kwon do. So there's another thing for my bucket list. I actually would love to though -- I think it would be fun and very good for me. I got to Chicago fifteen minutes before my roommate who lives there. She had a nonstop from Salt Lake and should have gotten there two hours before but had gotten delayed on the runway in Salt Lake. So, I ran to her gate and welcomed her back home. I then found my gate and saw my flight was delayed by an hour. Every time that I subsequently checked it was delayed ten minutes later. I saw some missionaries on their way home and shared some snacks with them. They had come from Italy and were delayed for six extra hours. And I waited. And I waited. And I waited. FINALLY, 2 gate changes later, 2 and a half hours late, we boarded for Memphis. I slept the whole way -- didn't even realize that we had taken off. I arrived back to Memphis at 1:30 in the morning to find that they had lost my luggage. Long story short, Hollie picked me up, I survived Saturday in her clothing and got my suitcase back that evening.

The other answers are not nearly as exciting. I don't carry a purse and I haven't read for enjoyment in at least a couple years. I've read the Bible and the Book of Mormon and my textbooks...do they count? I just feel too guilty when I sit down with a book because I know I have so many other things to do...maybe someday. Next semester I'm taking: Dance History, Modern Technique 3, Dance Composition Intermediate, Women Entrepeneurs, Doctrine and Covenants, and Kinesiology. I really am trying to avoid school at all costs right now though. When I think about it I start to get stressed out.

All right...any more questions?

fine.

2008-12-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, look, see? I'm blogging. YAY! I just don't have anything to say...what do you say in a blog when you no longer are required to blog? Well, I'm home (hallelujah choruses are still ringing in my ears!). Tennessee is beautiful and much warmer with A LOT less snow than Utah. The semester ended brilliantly. I did better than I thought I'd do. And...um... I've made lots of Christmas cookies. Sugar and gingerbread and pumpkin cookies. The gingerbread are adorable if I do say so myself. If Clayton will teach me how, then I'll post a picture of them up. And we've made muddy buddy's and strawberry bread, and, honestly, I've eaten much too much for my own good. Also, unless anyone has any request on what to write about I really don't know at all what to say. So, leave a comment and ask a question and I will answer in my next post. Otherwise, I have NO IDEA what to say... Sorry I'm so very very very bad at this... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Umm...I don't have to blog anymore

2008-12-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

So, it's weird not being required to blog anymore. I'm finished with that class and now I feel like I don't have anything to say. Sad...um...yeah, never mind, I don't have anything to blog about. I have FINALS!!!!!!!!!!! this week. I have one starting in nine hours... maybe I should sleep? or study? or get off the phone? or just stop blogging and concentrate on my conversation? Last year I had to spend twenty minutes twice every week typing without stopping. We called it word-vomit. It was for my english class. I should do that one day. It's very very fun. Interesting thoughts come up. They are sometimes very deep. And sometimes they are just plain weird. So, yep, I've now come to realize that I have too much studying to do to blog, but I tried!!!!

Traditions

2008-12-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

The most shocking thing to happen to me in the past couple months was to have my mom call and confirm my suspicion: we are NOT going to be in Pensacola for Christmas this year. This will be the first Christmas of my life outside of Florida. Instead we will be at our new home in Lebanon, TN. When I consider my upcoming vacation, I get a little anxious, because I have no idea what is going to happen. I mean, of course Santa will find us no matter where we are (we were always assured of this when we left our house for Florida), but will we read the same book and still have a talent show on Christmas Eve? Will we have watergate salad for Christmas dinner? We won't have all the extended family around, and we'll actually be sleeping in our own beds! (Well, I'll share Taylor's like I always do). This is quite the improvement from the pull out couch that all the girls sleep on Christmas Eve that slopes down so your head is lower than your feet no matter how many pillows you sleep on. :-) But, what will we do with ourselves all day since we won't be roaming the neighborhood seeing everyone's new presents and gathering for family meals? It will sure be different. But, I'm very excited to have a more quiet Christmas for once. I think it will be well worth the sacrifice.

Seeing how hard it is for me to break tradition about something as simple as celebrating Christmas, I can start to understand a little bit more fully what it must have been like for the Jews in Christ's day. He asked them to change their whole lifestyle! This was not just how they celebrated Passover, but how they lived and interacted everyday. He asked them to change their view of salvation! It is little wonder that Christ exclaimed so many times of their resistance to break from traditions of their fathers, the elders, and men. It may be a little bit of a stretch, but we are all resistant to change. I don't like it much myself. If you were a Jew in the time of Christ, would you be willing to change everything because of His word? It would be very difficult. I think we should all be a little more wary of judging the ancient Jews as well as people around us. Change is HARD. Especially when you've been doing something one way for a long, long time.

TENNESSEE!!!!

2008-11-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

Well, in case you didn't know, I was very privileged to go HOME for Thanksgiving. I'm still home, for the next 10 hours or so... :( But Christmas will come soon. As I was running down the road in my parents' new neighborhood, I realized that I am a much more fun person when I am at home. I get so sucked into my schoolwork out at school that I get very boring. But at home, I'm with my sisters and I get to be completely myself. I love it! I've done a very LITTLE bit of homework this week, as I was trying to maximize my time with my family and Clayton. I might be a little frustrated about that decision come next week when I'm closing four days at Subway, but it was worth it. I've also got a dance project to choreograph, a test to take, an enrichment meeting to plan and a Relief Society lesson to plan this week, but, life goes on. And I'd much rather spend time with all the people I love than have special handouts and treats for Relief Society. We've had a blast eating and shopping and baking. I've made and consumed SO MUCH FOOD this week. But I can take one for the team... :) My family is so amazing. We got up at four in the morning to go shopping yesterday and did not get home until almost noon. We made sugar cookies and studied anatomy (for Taylor) and set up our Christmas tree. Clayton got to spend the day with us on Thanksgiving. We played Scrutineyes -- we all lost miserably to Clayton (I figure I'll get him back next time we play scrabble). We played my favorite game, Taboo, where my team won (not much thanks to me though). I spent Friday afternoon going up to Clarksville with Clayton and spending a little time with his family. His dad made ribs for me. They were wonderful. Then he came home with us and helped set up the tree. It's a wonderful tree. We always have multi-colored lights with ornaments from when we were all in elementary school and brought them home to our Mom. It's really a modge-podge of decor, but it's the most beautiful tree I've ever seen. And those ornaments could tell hundreds and hundreds of stories. My family may not be very proper or politically correct, but it's just the way I like them!

The home should be the center of family and gospel activities, and I love to be home. My family has been blessed to have the gospel in our lives. We are all tied together with our beliefs, and we all believe that families are eternal and important. I'm glad and truly blessed to be able to spend forever with mine.

Thankful Thoughts

2008-11-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm thankful today for my good grades. One of the wonderful ironies of BYU (and universities everywhere I'm told, but don't know first hand) is the fact that every professor on campus will tell you that the grade doesn't matter; it's the process of learning. However, for those of us on scholarship, we have to keep a high GPA to retain the funding that is enabling our process of learning. Oh the hypocrisy! Anyways, I just thought I'd be thankful for the many times I've received excellent grades when I'm pretty sure I don't deserve them. Don't get me wrong, I put my time in. I do all my homework, and about 90% of assigned readings (come on, it's impossible to do it all). I was just amazed last night to find out I got the highest score for the entire 200 person class on our economics midterm. I've been complaining all semester about how hard it is... Anyways, not to brag or anything, but just demonstrate how blessed I've been to be able to put in a little work and understand concepts that are honestly very challenging for me.

That thought leads into my next topic of grattitude, and that is for answered prayers. I pray all the time for help with exams that I'm positive I'm not prepared for and for help to get through everything that has to happen that day. Also to stay awake in history, to enjoy work, to have the energy to dance my best -- the list goes on and on. But everytime I really need something, I've never been let down. It amazes me. I called the mom of a friend who died in a car accident this summer and just started chatting with her. A couple minutes into the conversation, she just stopped and said, "Erika, did you know you're an aswer to my prayers?" What do you say to that? I honestly didn't know, so I said so, and sat back amazed as she explained her week to me. She'd just been having a terrible week and didn't know what to do, so she prayed that someone would be able to help her. I wasn't the only one that called her that day, but knowing that the Lord can answer prayers through me is an incredible feeling. A humbling feeling. And I hope that I can continue to do that.

John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do..."

No loners in the church (hopefully)

2008-11-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

To continue with the theme of everyone's blogs this month, I'll also write about what I'm thankful for. First off, I am thankful for the gospel and consistency therein. I would like to tell the story of when I moved to Nashville. It is a common story going around Clayton's family about how they met their significant other. I won't bore you with the story again, but I will share a few thoughts on the matter.

Although my family has moved around its fair share of times and then some, I've never been one to be particularly outgoing and make friends immediately. So, I've always gone to church to make friends. We almost never had neighborhood friends and very rarely had school friends. We just went to church to socialize. Don't worry, nothing has changed. We still do that. So, while I was in China this June, my family moved from South Carolina (I had no friends or even acquaintances there anyways) to Nashville. I got there two days after I left China, and was very very tired. And lonely. Mom decided I needed to make friends, so she sent me to institute. I went. It was terrifying. I didn't talk to anyone and I left right after I got the refreshments following the lesson. The lesson, however, was wonderful, and I liked the teacher, so I determined that I would return. While there, a girl leaned over and asked if I wanted to go white-water rafting that Saturday. It sounded like a wonderful idea to me, and she could no longer go, so the spot was available and paid for, and I went. I think I tried on about ten outfits that morning before I found one to my satisfaction. Basketball shorts and a black t-shirt over my swimsuit. Yes, I am NOT very fashion concious. My Dad dropped me off Saturday morning (on time, just like I like to be) and I was TERRIFIED. As in, so scared I wanted to run and hide in the bushes and pretend this trip did not exist. I introduced myself, after everyone asked who I was, and tried to talk, but was definitely afraid that I had nothing interesting to say, so I just stood around waiting. I did find an escape to the bathroom, where I took as long as I possibly could. There was one guy there who wore dark sunglasses the whole time we were outside so I couldn't see his eyes (that bugged me). However, I thought he was really cute, so I was quite excited when he actually took the time to talk to me. He offered a ride, but I'd already been offered one by someone else, so I went with them. The whole trip up there, everyone in the car kept trying to make me say something, but I was RIDICULOUSLY quiet the entire ride (two hours). I probably said about ten words the whole trip. Mostly yes or no's. They kept asking, "Why are you so quiet?" Funny thing is, if you really knew me at all, you would not think I was very quiet.

Once we were there, I looked around for that guy again, I didn't even remember his name, but he had talked to me a couple times. I don't think I ever found him and I didn't want to be following him around, because I was sure he had friends there. I didn't figure anybody really wanted to talk to me anyways, so I just kind of hid in my corner and did what I was told. The trip down the river was very fun. I wanted to do the fun stuff like "ride the bull" (ride in front), but other people wanted to and I'd done it before, so I didn't feel the need to be assertive about it. Wait, I didn't feel the need to be assertive at all that day.

After the river, that one guy came and talked to me again. YAY! I figured out his name this time, Clayton, and he was really sweet. And a lot better at keeping conversation going than I was. I'm surprised he persisted, because I wasn't giving him anything. Turns out, however, that he can be very determined. We went to a picnic afterwards and he was throwing a football around with a guy. I must confess, I have very little talent for football (the ball is just too big) but I was bored and wanted to hang out with this guy. So, after taking LITERALLY ten minutes to muster up the courage, I walked over and asked if I could join. I was really hoping that they wouldn't be annoyed with a girl coming over and playing catch with them. Later we talked and he asked me to go water skiing with him the next weekend. I was so excited. And I was really hoping my parents would be so proud, because I was making friends. YAY!

We got back to the church late in the evening and kicked around the soccer ball. I displayed my mad skills at that… :-) It was fun. Clayton asked if I wanted to go hang out and watch a movie with him and Josh (another guy in the ward), but I was sure that my parents wouldn’t like that and I was honestly exhausted. I had only been back from

China

for a week and jet lag is BAD! Anyways, my long story does have a point, I promise.

I just wanted to say how thankful I am that the church is the same everywhere. It's really really comforting to know that wherever in the country you are going home to (or in the world, actually), you at least will have the same church, the same gospel, and the same truth. You can find people that you already have at least one thing in common with. Also, since the gospel is a lifestyle, you generaly have many things in common with them; you don't have to worry about being the different one, or the loner. Since I'm already good at being by myself, it's one less thing I have to worry about.

A Trip to the Museum

2008-11-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

This last Thursday, my New Testament class took a trip to the BYU Museum of Art, more commonly described as the "MOA". They have a collection of religious art there that is really fascinating including the painting of Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethseda. If you don't know what painting I'm talking about, trust me, you've seen it. I'm pretty sure every Christian in the world has. But it was really neat to me how I was able to identify more with the artwork once I learned about some of the symbolism used in them. I had never realized before how much more a painting will draw you in if someone in the painting seems to be looking directly at you. Also, just trying to analyze a painting. For example, why did the artist place a garden outside the window? Why not a city? Or a beach? Or a tree? For what reason are the subjects of the painting in a specific color? What does the positioning of their hands mean? What does their expression convey? When an artist only has a canvas so big, he has to maximize his space and make every aspect of the painting count. Most artists, especially religious artists, are not trying to convey one word with their painting. They are expressing a story, an emotion, or a person and his or her character. With this new outlook on art, I hope that I can more fully enjoy looking at artwork and learn to appreciate it for its beauty and meaning.

Getting to know me...getting to know all about me...

2008-10-26T22:53:00.000-06:00

1. I went to five elementary schools.
2. I broke my wrist when I was five after roller skating across a ramp I built...
3. I LOVE Disney princesses...yes, they are on my sheets, and my pillow, and my calendar, and my tupperware. Don't laugh -- it's cool.
4. My favorite candy = the mellowcreme pumpkins that only come at Halloween
5. I love musicals.
6. I love lima beans.
7. My favorite state is Tennesse.
8. I used to collect rubber ducks -- I have eighty something in boxes at home...somewhere.
9. I am terrified of foxes and sharks. And heights.
10. I hate elevators -- I'd rather take the stairs.
11. Macaroni and cheese and peanut butter and jelly and grilled cheese happen to be my favorite foods. No, I never did grow out of them.
12. Milk and chocolate are just plain gross. and cherries. yuck.
13. I hate cold. I love summer. Why did God create snow?
14. I can go past 180 degrees in my right and left splits. No, it's not painful.
15. I've worn glasses since I was five.
16. I broke my big toe and had a boot and crutches for six weeks.
17. I dance on pointe (on the tips of my toes) and I call it fun.
18. I am paler than everyone I've ever met.
19. I played wallball and ate cheetos by a lake we hiked to on my first date. Probably one of the best I've ever been on.
20. I was the girls' wallball champion in fifth grade. I beat a bunch of the boys too.
21. Favorite flower= tulips!
22. I love Chinese food!
23. First kiss: in a park by a lake...I see a pattern here?
24. My clothes rarely match.
25. I've donated my hair to locks of love twice.
26. favorite princess: cinderella
27. I used to hide in the bathroom and read all night long because I hated to put down a book I was reading.
28. I don't believe in dinosaurs.
29. favorite scripture: Omni 1:26
30. I bruise VERY easily.
31. I have a scar from when I was 10 and making pancakes. The pan slipped off the counter and I caught it -- reflex gone bad. It's still there. I guess I'll never forget to not touch hot pans.
32. I can't stand it when people make noise when they spit.
33. I can't grow my fingernails long and HATE fake fingernails.
34. I always keep my toenails painted.
35. I love to teach dance.
36. I have a hot pink digital camera.
37. I met my best friend Hollie when I was seven -- and we've been best friends ever since.
38. I've done a handstand on the great wall of China.
39. I've been seranaded to by a Chinese man.
40. I've eaten pig's ear -- GROSS. I don't recommend it.
41. To entertain myself while at the orthodontist I would make up stories about getting abducted by terrorists and living in Afghanistan.
42. I was homeschooled for four years.
43. I was private schooled for a year.
44. I was public shooled for eight years.
45. Somehow I ended up with a scholarship to BYU...
46. I love softball and baseball.
47. I can't throw a football. It's terrible.
48. I know I'm a dancer, but when I try to kick a soccer ball I miss...really.
49. I love Disney movies.
50. I never watch t.v. I don't have any idea what plays on any night of the week.
51. I can't sit down for more than about fifteen minutes without getting very, very bored.
52. I'm allergic to penecillin and ceclor -- the only antibiotic I can take is Zithromax
53. I've been to Disney world three times.
54. I sang in the Basilica San Marcos in Venice.
55. I sang for President George W. Bush at the white house with my choir. We got background checked by the FBI and got to wear badges that said "talent". I thought it was something.
56. I've never stayed out all night.
57. I've never seen Titanic.
58. I love polka dots.
59. I like to go rock climbing.
60. I climb an average of 250 stairs every day.
61. I hate mountains -- they make me feel claustrophobic.
62. I'm constantly cold.
63. I love swimming and jumping on trampolines.
64. I've played piano since I was three and taught since I was thirteen.
65. I love wearing hats but do not look good in them.
66. I decorate in pink and orange. Period. Are there any other colors?
67. My favorite position in softball is catcher.
68. My sisters are the cutest things on the planet! (well, that's kind of about me)
69. I've worked on nine different campaigns. And had lots of people yell at me.
70. I work at Subway...and LOVE it. I guess making sandwiches brings me joy.
71. I'm terrified of dying my hair.
72. I was in an earthquake this summer that was a 7.5 on the richter scale. If the ground shakes beneath me I freak out. Royally.
73. My first car was a bright yellow truck. It had no air conditioning.
74. My truck would die randomly while I was driving. As in the engine would turn off.
75. The radio would only work at speeds of 40 mph or higher.
76. The driver's seat would not move and I could BARELY reach the gas pedal. And if it said you were in drive you were really in 2nd. If it said you were in neutral you were really in drive...weird. Needless to say, people could not borrow my vehicle without a crash course.
77. My boyfriend threw a softball at my so hard that I missed it and it broke the fence -- about twenty feet behind me. He's really not violent... I promise.
78. I choose water over every other drink. Even at breakfast.
79. I love oatmeal.
80. I like writing in pencils better than pens.
81. I wore a poodle skirt to school one day in eighth grade. because I could. And it was the fiftieth day of school.
82. I played the bassoon in middle school band.
83. I like eating leftovers cold. For breakfast.
84. Peanut butter goes well on everything. That includes spaghetti noodles.
85. I used to bite my brother when we'd get in fights. I was always bigger than him (he's two years older) and still am. I always won.
86. I got every single try-it badge as a Brownie girl scout.
87. I've repelled off a 200-foot cliff.
88. I like singing at obnoxiously loud levels and playing the piano for fun.
89. My sister and I have competitions to see who can keep a straight face the longest. Believe it or not, I always win.
90. I can't wait to graduate!!! In 1 1/2 years...and counting.
91. I look forward the most to raising my own kids.
92. I make an excellent pound cake and sugar cookies. My roommates always complain I'm making them fat... but hey, I can't eat it all!
93. I've gone on three different dates (with three different boys) in one day: including breakfast in Nashville, a movie in Collierville (suburb of Memphis), and a dance in Memphis. And I was the girlfriend of the guy in Nashville...um...my bad.
94. Tennessee BBQ is the only BBQ worth eating. With banana pudding...yum!
95. I used to run laps in my backyard because I wasn't allowed to go running by myself -- all the while waiting for the guy I liked to call me... As he did every night.
96. I owned a vending machine business in high school. It paid for my whole first year of college.
97. The first time I ate a habanero sausage with cheese I squirted cheese on my boyfriends' parents' kitchen curtains. Yep. I'm that cool. I never eat spaghetti with a white shirt on and rare is the meal that I make it through without spilling on myself. My mom asks if there's a hole in my lip.
98. The first time I met Clayton I kept wondering why this incredibly attractive young man kept watching me and was really hoping that he would come talk to me. He did, so I guess he made all my wildest dreams come true... :)
99. I'm incredibly good at breaking up with guys, but incredibly bad at making the break-up last.
100. I love a man named Clayton and he makes me smile every day! He also told me to do this... but it was fun, so i guess it was worth it.

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home....er... to Provo?

2008-10-26T22:38:00.000-06:00

Isn't it wonderful how your daddy can just make you feel good? My Dad came up to Provo this weekend and I got to spend the whole weekend with him! YAY! It was so wonderful to see him and just enjoy each other's company. You never really miss your family until you can't see them. Families, I think, are taken for granted all the time. Provo gets pretty lonely on occasion, and I don't really have ANY family out here, so it's great to see them when I can. I was having a few problems with my parents and my dad came out here and listened to me and smoothed a lot of things out. I was just so sure that I would get disowned or something terrible, but I should have known better. Dad told me I was silly to think so, because he loves me way more than that. Sometimes I guess I just overreact.

So, in that context, food for thought: Matthew 7:9-11 "Or what man is there of you whom if his son asks bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish will he give him a serpent? If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

Sometimes I just hate to ask for things, even if I need them, because I want to be independent and responsible and self-sufficient. However, I really wanted to do a couple things and my dad was able to pay for it so we could do something special. It was really neat. Now then, if my dad, who isn't exactly a money tree, was able to drive me up to Salt Lake to go see a Body Worlds exhibit (very very cool, by the way), then how much can Heavenly Father do for me, if I'll just ask? Interesting thought. Also, something I'm definitely trying to learn this year: if it seems like nobody else is there, Jesus Christ is with you every step of the way.

So, even though my dad cannot come up every weekend, I can receive blessings every day from my Heavenly Father. One of those happened to be my dad coming to spend the weekend with me! Now I've got to catch up on my homework that I didn't do on Saturday... :-)

Leaves are falling all around

2008-10-13T23:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend my best friend Hollie drove the seventeen hours from Stillwater, OK, to Provo, UT. That is commitment... :-) On Saturday we drove up the canyon to see the leaves change. I was told it was something that I HAD to see. So, I took the opportunity to go. We spent about three hours up there and saw all the wonder and beauty of the fall. As much as I hate the fall, because it signifies that winter and cold are coming, the foliage is beautiful. There was a little bit of the first snowfall on the ground as well! I just couldn't help but think..."what a wonderful world!" What a creation. The Earth is amazing. What is even more amazing is knowing that the earth is not God's greatest creation; that award goes to the human body! Sometimes I have trouble thinking why I would want my body with me forever and ever. However, learning about how magnificent it really is helps me to take care of it better.

There have been so many times in my life that I've seen something in nature that simply took my breath away. Then I think about how many times I see people who do the same. To follow Jesus' example of loving everyone, I've got to learn how to not judge others -- especially by their appearance, because, the human body is just as magnificent as Niagra Falls. Jesus sent out his gospel to every human being on the planet. That gives me the example to love everybody equally. And I'm working on it.

On a second note, I'm learning what an intriguing thing the mind is. It controls your body and your emotions. In dance I've been learning how my attitude affects my movement quality. If I have confidence, I'm able to do things that I can't do otherwise.

This complex body we have is all interconnected, and the health of body, mind, and spirit affect it, just like pollution, weather, and wildlife affect nature.

ABC's about me!

2008-10-13T22:50:00.000-06:00

About me A to Z

A. Attached or Single? attached

B. Best Friend? Hollie
C. Cake or Pie? on my birthday, cake, on pie night, pie
D. Day of choice? April 15th, it's not too hot and not too cold, all you need is a light jacket!
E. Essential Item? my cell phone
F. Favorite Color? pink
G. Gummy Bears or Worms? gummy bears...my sister can sing you the theme song
H. Hometown? well, wherever I choose it to be :-)
I. Indulgence? ice cream
J. January or July? july...who likes january?
K. Kids? absolutely none
L. Life is Not Complete Without? my sisters
M. Marriage Date? ask me next year
N. Number of Brothers and Sisters? 3 wonderful sisters and a brother, all blonde
O. Oranges or Apples? Apples
P. Phobias? foxes and losing my scholarship
Q. Favorite Quotes? "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no impact on society." Mark Twain
R. Reasons to smile? Clayton, Hollie, Taylor, Mariah, Rory, Kylie, Heather, Faith
S. Season of choice? Summer. I don't need a jacket.
T. Tags? too bad I don't know any
U. Unknown Fact about me? I hate bologna.
V. Vegetable? sugar snap peas. of course.
W. Worst Habit? talking on the phone for too long
X. Xray or Ultrasound? Neither. They're both uncomfortable.
Y. Your Favorite Food? anything free that's not chocolate or spinach
Z. Zodiac Sign? Taurus