Glide

While in San Francisco we attended Glide Memorial United Methodist Church. It was so much fun. It was everything that you would think an inner city, diverse church would be. There was joyous singing, clapping, and plenty of "amen"'s. It was such an incredible experience to see this other kind of worship and at the same time, made me realize my own testimony of the Gospel. I took a little video, it's not great quality, but I think it captures the spirit of the meeting.

Best Friends

I have recently wondered why it is people come and go in our lives. Obviously the going is harder than the coming, but the whole fluctuation of people in our lives amazes me. I don't know if it is just me, but I have had the blessing of having two of the best of friends come into my life and sadly already go. Although the pain of their loses will probably never leave me, I am who I am today because of these amazing friends. I loved them both with all I had and was so lucky to have them in my life for the time that they were a part of me and my life.

Its taken me a while, but I wish both of them well in all they do in their lives and hope that they know that they will forever be a part of me.

Music

I am so amazed at the power of music. There is just something about listening to a song and the way it makes you feel. Many of you might know that I love singing along with songs in my car and one of my favorite things recently is listening to my favorite songs on my ipod and singing along and singing very loud. If anyone was in the car with me it would be one serious round of "Ultimate Karaoke." It is such an outlet to my feelings. Music has a way of saying exactly how I feel or explain the my situation in a way that I never could. I just love the what a versatile medium it is.

Today I realized this for several times:
- Driving to school, singing loud to my ipod, and loving it.
- Getting to institute and inviting the spirit with the opening hymn (they are so inspiring).
- Walking to class listening to Brandi Carlile (as many of her songs were exactly how I felt).

My favorite line of today:
"Alone is the last place I wanted to be"

Today was one of those days that I was feeling lonely and it seems like everywhere I turned there was another couple or another reminder that I was alone.

A Little Taste of Brandi

I really like this song... among all the other songs.

Brandi Carlile Addiction

I've caught the Brandi Carlile Addiction. For the longest time Lindsay and Stephanie have had a Brandi Carlile fetish, and I never really understood. They would talk about her, travel miles to see her, and were basically in love with her. I didn't really know her stuff and we would listen to her every now and then if we ever drove anywhere together. Overall, I just didn't understand their feelings. Then one fateful night, after an awful visit to Red Robin, Lindsay so graciously gave me her two Brandi Carlile CD's. I was informed that one was the CD recordings and her favorite ones at that, and the other was a compilation of live songs that "aren't the best in quality but too good not to listen to." I took the CD's and took them to work and they sad on my desk for a while until I decided to really give Brandi a try. I listened to her at work as quite back ground music and then I took a step and brought her in my car.

And then it happened....

I fell in love and everything made sense. Everything that Lindsay and Stephanie had said was true. I have been listening to her straight for about 5 days now. I move the CD from my car, to my desk, back to my car, and then to my home computer (I am working on elimination this process by downloading it to my computer and uploading it to my ipod). Every time I listen to the CD I like a new song and a new line sticks out and I love it. Some of her lyrics are so perfect and describe how I have felt or something I had thought at some point.

To sum it all up I have converted to be a believer in Brandi Carlile. I hope I have made Lindsay proud, I have her to thank for all this.

Oakley

This weekend my mom took the boys so it was just the girls at home. Friday night Trent and Amy needed to run some errands so I kept the girls. I had so much fun! There is such a different feeling and dynamic when the boys are not around. As most people know, Oakley is one of the cutest little girls and having her alone (almost) was really fun. I was going to get her ready for bed but she wanted a bath so I figured I could do that for her. She was so much fun to watch and play with and if I stepped out of the bathroom for a second, just to check on the girls, she would say "Ill, are you?" over and over. And when I would stick my head back in she would stick her little hand out and curl her fingers and say "Om on" to come back in. It was so cute.

This morning she wanted to watch "Monster House" so I got the movie started and sat on the couch and she crawled on my lap with her blanket. She sat there for a good long time, often repeating the lines from the movie and even laughing at certain parts. It was so fun to watch her. Later on in the morning she joined me in my room on my bed. She was playing on my bed so I layed next to her and then she layed down, I rolled onto my stomach and then she did. It was so cute the way she would mimic what I did.

This all made me realize how excited I am to have my own kids one day.

Realizations for the Day

1. One of the only good things that comes from driving to school early is being able to see the sunrise.
2. Singing songs out loud, as loud as you can, in your car makes the songs that much better.
3. Taking classes that you actually like makes going to school so much easier.
4. I truly only have 3 semesters left of college (I applied for graduation today!!!!)
5. I've set a goal to be patient in finding love, and I suck at it.
6. Listening to my ipod is the closest I am going to get to a soundtrack in my life.
7. Life was never made to be easy.

Rough Day in Class

Today I had school and it turned out to be a rough day. Not a rough day as in I was having a bad day, but things were just not going well for me in my classes. My day started out good in Institute, always a good start to the day, but my next class is where it went down hill. We got into groups for a discussions. Do you know the kid that doesn't read, comes late to class, and doesn't participate? Yeah, he came late and got put with our group. He didn't read or participate and that was ok, but the worst part was for the duration of the class he consistently passed gas every 5 minutes. It was like he was on some schedule. It was so disgusting I didn't know what to do. I eventually just breathed through my mouth the rest of class and probably sounded like Darth Vader.

My next class wasn't so bad, we got to watch a movie. The thing is, this is in an auditorium and so when the lights go off it is pitch black. I was suddenly overcome with Narcolepsy and fell asleep about 5 minutes into the movie. I have never fallen asleep in class before. It was so weird. Needless to say, I didn't get much out of the movie.

My last class made me feel like Terry Collins in "Bandits." "Aaauugh!! For the love! Does no one else hear that infernal ringing??!? Go ahead and laugh, play basketball, have fun. In the meantime I've got Quasimodo goin' off in my head. Bell Tower!! You understand me? I got a bell tower IN MY HEAD!" For the whole class there was a constant buzz/ringing. It was driving me insane! I must have been the only one who heard it because it didn't seem to bother anyone else.

So not a bad day at school, but a little rough.

Grilled Cheese

Tonight for dinner I had a grilled cheese sandwich. It was very good, but as I was finishing up my dinner I realized that I have had a grilled cheese sandwich for at least one meal the last 4 days. I never make grilled cheese sandwiches, but I guess it was so good on Saturday when I made one, I've needed one every day since.

I think the thing that makes them so good is the fact that we have Cafe Rio dressing to dip it in. It really is so good! I highly recommend it if you ever have left over dressing.

27 Dresses

Tonight Stephanie and I decided to venture outside our houses and to see a movie. We have both been wanting to see "27 Dresses" so we chose this as the movie to see. We went to The Gateway, did some returns, grabbed some dinner at CPK, (unsuccessfully) looked for a phone for Stephanie and then headed off to the movie. Given that we had such a bad time at the phone store we could only suspect that things were to get worse, and they did. All Stephanie wanted to make herself feel better were some Nestle Goobers. We get to the counter and what do you know? NO GOOBERS! Stephanie was less than thrilled and settled for a Diet Coke and some Reese's Pieces. I was hoping by this point that the movie was good for her sake, and boy did it deliver.

This movie is a typical chick flick and I would say a pretty predictable story line but I think that is almost what made it so good. It seems that movies try to be so creative, far fetched, and often unrealistic than relating to the movie becomes obsolete. But this movie was filled with charm from my newest addition to my "Movie Boyfriend List" James Marsden and humor from Katherine Heigl. I really enjoyed all of it and loved having that feeling you get at the end of a good movie.

I think the night ended on a good note and Stephanie was in a slightly better mood by the end. (That is until we got home and she realized that she had to shovel the walks...)

The Notebook

Tonight I took the opportunity to watch one of my favorite shows "The Notebook." Every time I watch it I remember why I like it so much. There are so many little things about the movie that I love and notice every time. Its little dumb things such as the way someone says something or the way they look at each other or the cute things they say. I just love so much about it and analyze it every time I watch it.

Tonight I was particularly in love with the quote that Noah says when he is trying to convince Allie to stay:

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day."

Now I haven't found my Noah yet, but I can only imagine the feeling that comes from knowing something is hard but also knowing that it is often times the best thing. I think this line captures how I want to look at my relationship, not that I want it to be hard, but I want it to be something that we can work on together every day.

SIDE NOTES:

The picture at the top is my favorite part of the movie. I am particularly impartial to the romance of kissing in the rain and love the build up to this moment in the movie.



Also, I know that Trent thinks I have a movie boyfriend in every show I watch, but I am adding Ryan Gosling to this list. Not only is he good looking, but I love the character he plays in "The Notebook."

Sunday Afternoon

I have to say that I am a huge fan of 9:00 church. Getting up for it isn't the funnest, but when you get home and have the rest of the day it is so nice! Its like an addition to your weekend. Coming from 1:00 church where you come home, have dinner, and then get ready for the week, it seems that your weekend ends when church begins. I love having those extra hours after church before you even have to start to think about the coming week! And the even better part about this particular Sunday afternoon, is that I don't have school or work tomorrow!

Jane Austen

I was so excited to learn that "Masterpiece" on KBYU is doing mini-series of all of Jane Austen's books. It started last Sunday with "Persuasion" and will continue for the next 5 Sunday's with a new book every week. Admittedly I haven't read all 6 books, but I have loved "Pride and Prejudice" more than any movie or book. I am excited to see all the shows and learn the stories and hopefully I will be able to complete all of the books. I just love Jane Austen.

Speaking of Jane Austen, one of my favorite movies "Becoming Jane" will be released on DVD February 12th. I hope you all mark it on your calendar (maybe if I work it well I can get a boyfriend before that and he can give it to me for Valentine's Day [realistically, highly unlikely] It's a good thought right?).

Gift

I recently received this "small" gift from Dima when he got back from Mexico. I'm not exactly sure what I will do with it, but I think I could fit right in in Mexico.

NYC

I just love New York! I was able to go for the first time the summer between my 8th and 9th grade. I remember loving so many things about it! Not only is the city fun, but traveling with my sisters is one of the best things to do! I am so lucky to have such amazing sisters and have such good friendships with them. This spring I have the opportunity to visit the Big Apple again. I get to go with my mom and Brooke for our birthdays. I am really looking forward to our trip. Jacob is back there at school and I have heard that he is an excellent host. It will be good to see where he lives and experience the life he leads.

One of the things I am looking forward to the most is finally getting to see "Wicked." I have had and loved the music for years now and I have even read the book. I am so excited to get to see it and even on Broadway!

Among the other adventures to be had, I am looking forward to treasures on Canal Street, late nights at Times Square (maybe), seeing the sights, and being able to share Brooke's experience of New York for the first time. She will love it and I am so glad we get to go together!

The Hardest Thing and The Right Thing

We have all heard some variation of the phrase that "the hardest things and the right things can be the same." I have most recently come to realize that it is so true in so many ways. I feel that I have recently had to make one of the hardest decisions in my life and do what I felt was right and walk away from a good thing. It has tried my faith in more ways than I thought and although I know that I am doing the right thing, I never realized that it's not only hard, it is also very painful. I believe the song "All at Once" by The Fray captures how I feel by saying:

"... We never know what's wrong without the pain, Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same."

I guess the pain we feel throughout our lives serves a purpose, it's just getting through it can be the hardest part of all.

New clothes

As listed to the left, new clothes are one of my favorite things! I just love them. Buying them is fun, wearing them for the first time is fun and you always feel cute in new clothes. Last Monday, my New Year's Eve celebration was sitting on the couch shopping online and now after 12 days of waiting, my purchases finally arrived. I bought four different tops and as much as I would love it if I like all of them, I am kind of glad that I didn't like two of them that I can return them. But the other two are exceptionally cute and I am excited!

Despite my recent obsession with new clothes, I did manage to take back an expensive coat and a shirt today (but was sucked into the huge clearance sale at American Eagle on my way out, but if you look at it at it this way net I saved more than I spent!)

Movie Boyfriend

After a long time coming there was finally a new Grey's Anatomy and every time I watch it fall more and more in love the McDreamy aka Derek aka Patrick Dempsey. He is just so cute! Every role he plays just makes him that much more lovable. His recent role in "Enchanted" was a dream to watch. I can only imagine he is as dreamy in real life as he is in the movies. And his wife's name is Jill so maybe we have some distant connection with each other.

(I have to get my "citing" out of the way and give credit to Stephanie who coined the term "Movie Boyfriend." It just describes it so well I had to steal it.)

Another New Start

I started school this Monday at yet another new school. I started out my college career at Utah State University, took a step back and graduated from SLCC, and now I have this strange feeling that I have finally reached my destination of attending the University of Utah. I don't know if I feel this completeness because I will be graduating in 3 semester or the fact that I have been a Utah fan my whole life and I now have a valid reason to be a fan. Regardless of the true reason, it seems like my whole life I've wanted to go to the U and now I am there. After going to two other schools I will admit that it is just school, but I love the feeling of being proud of where you go to school and have a history.

My childhood is filled of Utah football games, basketball games, strong opinions toward BYU as well as many heated arguments, disappointments, but also great excitement and pride. I have grown up bleeding RED and often have had more school spirit for the U than many of the students who go there. I've never really been involved with school activities or had much attachment to where I go to school but I have been so surprised by my excitement and real enjoyment of being at the U.

I hope my excitement gets me through this last year!

Jill's Shoes

Tonight I was online getting things ready for school tomorrow and figuring out where my classes are and such. I was pretty focused, even with the 3 kids keeping me company. They were just playing around in my room and when I looked up to see what they were doing, this is what I saw. It made me laugh really hard. I hope this helps people understand why I love living with these kids and the entertainment they provide all the time. Although after seeing this, Trent may change his mind about having me around.




I personally like the boy's naked legs and Andrews ability to color coordinate. The best came after the pictures when Andrew walked around the room for a while.

Girls Night In

Saturday night the boys went to the monster truck show, so us girls stayed in. We ordered food and then made cookies. Oakley decided that she needed to help us (at least help us finish off the dough). We spent a lot of time on her hair before our big night, if you couldn't tell.

Knight in Shining Armor

Tonight Mike and Jamie joined us for movie night and we watched "King Arthur" and I think I have developed a little bit of a crush on Clive Owen. I think that most of it is the character he plays specifically in this movie, but along with his rugged look of the messy hair and scruff, he has landed a place on my celebrity crush list. Granted he isn't always good looking, but he can defiantly pull off the scruffy look and then very nicely transform to the clean shaved look. Wouldn't you want him to be your knight in shining armor?

My Life in Pictures

Happy New Year

I have to say this New Year's was probably my most uneventful ever, but pretty enjoyable. I started the night off with a 5 Star dinner from Iceberg (cookie dough shake and all) followed by sitting on the couch with the TV on focusing on my online shopping 4 new shirts later Trent, Amy, and Jacob got home and we watched "Bridge to Terabithia" (which I really enjoyed, of course I cried for the last 10 minutes and tried to hide it). That's pretty much how I reined in the new year, I didn't even watch the clock change.

Although it was uneventful, this is the first New Year's that I have actually set some goals. I don't want to call them New Year's resolutions because those have a tendency of dying out by February. I have even categorized my goals. I have set spiritual, physical, and educational goals. I am determined to keep up on my goals the whole year, but we will see how that goes.

In setting my goals I have decided to not look at the big picture on focus on the little steps to eventually get to the big picture. At first my goals were get married, be skinny, and graduate, but decided these were to ominous and needed to break it down. I decided to not worry about getting married and just work on being a better person and decided to set my spiritual goals I want to be skinny but after a year of trying to lose weight I realize that doesn't happen over night, so I have set small weekly physical goals. And this is my last year of school (YEAH!!!) and I have decided to actually try attending school and doing my homework, so I have set small goals for that.

I never realized how good it feels to have goals and actually have something to work for.