December Photos

Random Photos

Here are some random photos of the last month:

Football Game with Nat

Sleepover with the Kids!

Aliya

I got Bangs

Moved Out!!!

It's official I moved out of my parent's house.  I know lots of you are probably saying she was 29 at home?  And yes I was.  But I can honestly say living at home is a really good deal.  I have great parents and they always made sure I was fed with the food I like.  So thank you Mom and Bob for putting up for me for the last 7 months while I figured my life out.  My first week back from DC they took me to dinner and our waiter "Bob at the Garage" was mortified that I would live at home at 29.  Ever since then I have known all good things must come to an end.

I moved in with Marissa Hyer.  Don't worry I asked around and she is perfectly normal.  She does not wear face masks around or gloves to touch things.  So I should be safe.

Race T-Shirt Quilt

I have been collecting all my race t-shirts for the last decade and did not know what to do with them.  So I decided to make a quilt with them.  It includes 5k, 10-Milers, Half-Marathons, Relays, and Marathons.  I did not dare use lots of them cause I actually like the shirts.  (and I did not use one of the Chicago Marathon shirts cause we all know how that one ended).  Thank you to all who came and cheered me on for them, I know being a spectator is not fun.  Especially if it is raining and cold.

But here it is:

Thankful

This week being Thanksgiving I have decided to list things that I am thankful for:

• My mom
• My family - I can't get enough of them. 
• Church
• Temples
• School
• Friends
• Running
• Free place to live
• Heat
• A job
• Shoes/Purses
• Reality TV
• Diet Coke
• Spray on Butter
• Skittles
• Dessert Gum
• Teachers
• Pajamas

I also gave a talk in church this past week on gratitude and to my surprise I did not get hives or throw up.  I tried not to talk like the micro machine commercial either, here it is:

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life it turns what we have into enough and more it turns denial into acceptance. Chaos into clarity, problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing and mistakes into important events.  Gratitude makes sense of our past….brings peace for today and creates vision for tomorrow.” 

Today I was asked to speak on gratitude, I am grateful for all the things such as my family, food on the table, my shoes, and so on but that is not what I want to focus on.

In my prayers I sometimes am so guilty of just listing off the things that I am grateful for and not putting genuine thought into what I am saying. 

So today I want to focus on how gratitude has helped me throughout my life build a stronger testimony in my heavenly father.   

Gratitude is our sweet acknowledgment of the Lord’s hand in our lives; it is an expression of our faith.

Mercies and blessings come in different forms—sometimes as hard things. Yet the Lord said, “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.” 5 All things means just that: good things, difficult things—not just some things. He has commanded us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy. This is another evidence of His love.

The first thing I am grateful for that I want to talk about is adversity.  I have only recently been able to find gratitude for challenging times.  Growing up things were not always easy for me.  I came from parents who got divorced and a dad that was not always around for a large portion of my life.  But through it all I had my mother, who became the rock of our family.  When I was going through some of my challenges at times I thought,  “how in the heck can God give me another thing to deal with but he knew exactly what I could handle and that is why he gave me my mom and for the second part of my life he gave me an amazing step-father.  My mom was a hidden blessing that I am forever grateful for.  She was the one who held our family together and showed us kids that we could achieve anything we wanted. 

My mother taught me what it meant to believe so strongly in something that every fiber in your being could feel it.  I am forever grateful for her and that she taught me the importance of family.  When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings, particularly when we’re in the midst of the trouble.

However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given. 

Adversity made me stronger and helped me appreciate family and the church so much more.

I am so grateful that I can pray to our heavenly father.

Prayer is something that also helped me with my testimony.  Even when my testimony is on the downward slope I have tried to always pray.  It just makes me feel better.  I am a talker and I love that Heavenly Father is always there to listen, he can’t turn me off. 

I love that we have the opportunity to pray whenever we want and he will listen to us.  The last couple of months I have made a conscious effort to not just list what I am thankful for but, truly talk to my heavenly father about why.  For me this has made my connection with my heavenly father more personal and I don’t take all my blessings for granted.   

I am so blessed in my life and when I return to live with my heavenly father I want to know that I let him know how I acknowledged his presence in my life.  The prophet Alma urged, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.”  Prayer is something that I take for granted a lot of times, cause it is something that I have always just done, but without it I would not have a testimony and for that I am grateful.  Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings but it opens the doors to heaven.

I had the opportunity to take out my endowments for the temple a couple of years ago.  I did not go on a mission or was not getting married so this was a big step for me. The night before I went through the temple my mom took me to dinner and essentially shared with me how proud she was of my convictions and about the day she first went to the temple. 

This act may have not been a big deal to her but is one of the moments I am most thankful for in my life.  She helped me confirm my decision in going to the temple and my testimony in my heavenly father and the power of the temple.  I am so grateful for temples and the opportunity we all have to go there with so many of them so close.  The temple has become a place of solace and peace for me and it is where I can feel that my family will be forever.  That feeling is one that I am so grateful for.   This is the place that I feel closest to my heavenly father.  

Most recently I was having a hard time and went to the temple on a Wednesday afternoon.  I had the opportunity to sit next to the cutest old lady, who just wanted to hold someone’s hand.  She needed the support.  So I sat through the session holding this ladies hand.  Little did she know is that I needed that same thing.  Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways and I am so grateful that he knows when we need to feel that we are not alone.

In my family I have always been known as the happy child.  I think that it is through my gratitude for life that I am this way.  Gratitude can make us happier people and change our countenance.  President Monson once said A grateful heart … comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives.  We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” I truly believe that God is shining through my eyes and a little piece of him is why I am known as the sunshine in my family. 

So how can we cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude? President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, provided an answer. Said he: “The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life.” He continued: “Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!” 

As John F. Kennedy once said “As we express our gratitude we must never forget the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

I know that through gratitude we can build a strong base for returning to our heavenly father who will welcome us with open arms.  

St. George Marathon!

I am officially done with running for awhile.  This past weekend I got to run the St. George Marathon with Brittany and her mom.  It was all so organized, the expo was not huge I only gave into buying one pair of shorts that were too cheap to pass up.  

We had to take a bus to the starting line.  Once we got to the starting line they announced that it was the warmest start on record.  I began running the race with Brittany but then was feeling it so kept on going. Our friend Laura was at mile 16 and gave me a water bottle.  But then at mile 18 it started getting really hot and I couldn't drink any water and my stomach felt like I was going to throw up.  It was like I was in Chicago all over again.  (If you are wondering that is the one marathon that did not end so well).  So I watched the 3:45 pace group pass me.  I had to walk, I ended up walking what it felt like to the end.  I ended up getting 4:10, I wanted under 4.  But it it is still one of my best times, so I can't complain.  

It was fun to see Brittany, she is doing so well which makes me so happy.  It was her first marathon so Woot woot!!!!

Torrential Rain + Hail + 26.2 Miles = 3:52 Logan Marathon

Sharley and I went to Logan and ran the Top of Utah Marathon this weekend.  It started out with both of our running watches malfunctioning.  Then when we got to the top of the canyon it started to rain.  It stopped when we started the race so we thought we would be okay.  But then at mile 8 it began to torrentially down pour and then turned into hail.  My shoes were a huge puddle that would swoosh.  I think my coat that I was wearing had 5 pounds of water in it.  At one point I needed to tie my shoes but could barely do it cause my fingers were so frozen.  Despite the weather conditions I had the best run of my life.  I never walked and kept a 8:45 pace.  I finally broke 4 hours with time to spare.  I got 3:52:23.  So I am very happy.  Sharley did awesome too it was her first Marathon and came in at 4:27.  We had great spectators along the way.  Mom, Jason, Stella and Ruby all braved the weather and cheered us on at 14, 19 and the end.  Thank you guys for coming to cheer and give us water along the way!!!  Here are some pictures of the end.  We don't have any from the race cause it was raining to hard. 

First Day of School

I officially survived my first day of school. It seemed like the longest day. I have been working from home for the past couple of years so having to get up early go running and then get dressed to go somewhere was rough. But to help me get ready I got the necessities:

Here is me going to orientation:

The first day of school started with a 3 hour Intro to Education class. Luckily we did lots of introductions then we went over our assignment that she had already sent. Yep I had a paper due on my first day. That is not considered awesome. We then had a break I sat out in the common areas of Westminster and watched all the new freshman interacting with all the new boys. They all had their "Flirt on." Being young in college is way more fun than being 29 in college. My afternoon class I am actually excited for it had good discussions.  I did meet a lot of people who I think will become really good friends or at least tolerable since I will be spending a lot of time with them.

Overall I am excited about school it will be a major adjustment but I am up for the challenge.

Napa

Last week I got to go to Napa with some of my family and here are some of the pictures from the week:

Quitting, New Job and Grad School

I have been so nervous about quitting my job and when was the right time to do it. I have really enjoyed my job and they have been really good to me. Plus I am going on vacation next week and during my vacation would technically be giving my two weeks. Which made me wonder when the time was going to be right to let them know that I was out of there.

So on Tuesday when I was on my weekly check-in with my manager she asked me if I was going to resign since I was using all of my vacation days. The phone went completely silent as my brain is moving so fast deciding what to say. So I tell her I wasn't planning on telling her but told her so soon but I was going to grad school and that I needed my last day to be August 23. I let her know I could help with the transition and all that jazz.

She then proceeds to say they are going to be in so much trouble. I am like they will be fine. Then she is like I am quitting too. So rather than going over my usual projects on my check in call she calls it a day since really it doesn't matter for either of us. Neither of us like corporate america and are going back to work with kids. Now all I need to do is write a formal email that asks for my resignation.

I also got a job offer this week which could not have come at a better time. My old boss at BGC before I left to DC offered me a job at the Special Olympics as a Volunteer Coordinator. She is super flexible with my hours and will let me work Saturdays. Timing could not be more perfect.

I will start school at Westminster to get my Masters in Education on August 24 and am so excited. Everything is starting to fall into place.

Wahoo!!!

Marathons this Fall

If anyone is looking for something to do this fall I am running two marathons and love sideliners to cheer me on. The first is Top of Utah with my sister-in-law Sharley.

Then I am going to run the St. George Marathon with Brittany and her mom.

I haven't run either of these marathons so I am excited for some new terrain.

29 Years Old!!

So I am officially in my last year of my 20s. I have actually been in it for a couple of months. But I am finally ready to embrace it. This year is a big year of changes and new adventures:

• Moved back to Utah.
• Moved in with parents at yes 29 years old - My first week home I met a guy who thought this was the death of me and couldn't believe it. Let's just say I don't eat at the Garage anymore.
• Will start Grad School for Elementary Education - Yes, I understand I wont be able to shop anymore.
• Started attending a new ward where the average age is 20 - I have become the spinster that I always thought needed to get a life. I am not considering being a Cougar at this time.
• Started biking with Jason up Emigration - I am officially not the best at everything he kicks my butt every time I ride with him.
• Realized I need to get out of my comfort zone to meet new people - Tried this week by running with a girl in my ward. I am slow but not that slow.
• Been set up on a lot of dates - Whether it was for 54 minutes of a painful dinner with someone who came to my shoulders or a run talking about ex-wives there is not a lot of options out there.
• Going to run St. George Marathon - Hopefully will be one of my better times.
• Started wearing my hair curly - Who would have known I had curl.

Thats all I got for now.

Carbs and Sugar

For those of who know me well you know that my diet consists of sugar cereal, bread and candy. I have never been a healthy eater. I would much rather run for 2 hours and eat candy then just eat healthy. Carbs and sugar really are so good. Waking up to a bowl of Lucky Charms is pretty much living. A couple of weeks ago I bought a groupon for a healthy living center. I figured I couldnt keep up my skittle days forever. I needed someone to sit me down and tell me I needed to get my act together. I figured I could give it a chance. My first week of not eating sugar or anything white I seriously thought I was dying. I began researching on the internet sugar withdrawal and they all said I would get headaches, depression and flu-like symptoms. My sister Elizabeth was so good to listen to me complain about me dying. She became my counselor for my on-set depression. I give it to people who are just healthy eaters. I think my blood just loves preservatives. I can now say it has been a month since I started doing this. Yes, I have cheated some. How could I pass up my mom's birthday cake. Well really I did pass the cake and just ate the frosting. I have noticed a huge difference in how I feel. I am a huge runner and I feel like a load has been lifted. I am not going to be psycho about not eating sugar or white but I am going to try to pass on eating 3 cookies and just keep it to 2. Who would have thought even the candy girl can "make a lifestyle choice"

NASCAR and San Fran

This past weekend I went to NASCAR. I went with Phil Townsend. Who I met through Brittany. I had only hungout with him two times before this trip. So I was super nervous of how it was going to go. I am an awkward person so I was not sure how this was all going to go. I was in DC for work so I met him in San Fransisco. On Saturday I met him around 11. I had spent the night before with my friend Kristine and being the psycho girl I am wanted to get a run in before I ate bad for the weekend. Little did I know that was not going to be the case. I met him in the park with his married friends whose house we would be staying at. They were as vintage as they come. They could be the spokersperson for hipsters. In fact Derrick even works for Apple. I was so out of place in my pink cardigan. We first went on a hike to a look out of the city and then they were like we have another look out we want to show you, so we went on another hike. We were going to go to a roller derby in Santa Cruz so we decided to head over there early and go to the beach. I had gone here the day before with Kristine. Derrick and Rebecca wanted to go to vintage shops so they dropped us off. The boardwalk made me think that I was on the Jersey Shore. I saw more tattoos and leopard prints. After the beach instead of going to get something to eat like normal people we went to the roller derby. I am an eater and had not eaten since 7 am, so I was starving. But just went with the flow. The roller derby was funny, those girls are super tough. It finally ended and we ate dinner at 9. I am a girl who eats at 5, my stomach was so hungry that I couldn't even eat very much. On Sunday morning we woke up and ate some Strawberries and then headed off to NASCAR. It was two hours away. Of course it was so hot and I went away with major farmer tans. I think to be a true NASCAR fan you have to be 300 pounds, smoke and be willing to wear a bathing suit in public. Needless to say this weekend was full of being out of place. I wanted number 14 to win the race but he crashed. So didn't finish the race. After the race instead of going to get something to eat. Rebecca and Derrick decided to walk the track. In my mind I was dying these people never just stop going. Phil and I just sat and waited for them to walk the track that took them 1.5 hours. Instead of getting dinner after the race we went on a hike to Muir Woods. I was dying once again. These people don't eat and love to go on hike/walks. Finally the park closed at 8 and I was jumping for joy inside thinking we would eat. Nope, I was wrong we went to yet another lookout point and hiked to see the city. Finally at 10 we ate. Yep I said 10 o'clock. Who would have thought I would lose weight on a trip to San Fran. On Monday morning Phil and I began our long trip home. As soon as we got in the car he said these people never stop and eat. It made me feel so much better that I was not alone. I am going to start keeping granola bars in my purse so that I have a back up. He has a convertible so we had the top down. I got yet another major farmer tan. And by the end of the car ride I couldn't brush my hair. I had to douse it in conditioner to brush it. Phil saw the best side of me. We decided we wanted to see Lake Tahoe so we took a side trip and went and saw the lake. It was so pretty. and worth going to see. We also made about 15 other stops including Bonnie and Clydes car. At 11 pm we rolled into SLC ending our long car ride. Who knows if I will ever go out with Phil again but it was a fun weekend.

Mom Turn's 60!!!

A couple of weeks ago my mom turned 60!! We had a celebration weekend in Park City. Where Rachael and Patrick came into town. The weekend was full of bike rides, pool time, food and lots of swag. We started Friday night celebrating Rachael making Partner. We all dressed up like cowboys and said "Howdy Partner" My mom's birthday celebration started on Saturday. Rachael came up with so many fun surprises which included:

• Decorated soda cans
• Matching t-shirts
• Playing cards
• Popcorn jars and bowls
• Photo boards
• Matching towels with our name on it
• Dip bowls (my mom loves dips)
• M&Ms with my moms face on it
• Customized golf balls

It was a fun weekend. I am so lucky to have a great parents, siblings, in-laws, and nieces and nephews. I love them all so much and love hanging out with them.

Howdy Partner

Rachael just officially made Partner at PWC. She deserves a shout out!!! She is pretty much amazing. I am going to brag about her for a second cause she never does. She has dedicated her life to mastering her job. She has the top accounts in her company. She got top Woman Account award of the year. She presents and meets with the top guy at PWC and doesn't get nervous. And meeting with the top guy who oversees a huge company is awesome in itself.

I want Rachael to know how much I love her and how proud I am of her. She has been a great sister, friend, travel buddy, and mentor. I am so proud to call her my sister and now Partner Rachael!!!!

CONGRATS!!!!

Life is so Confusing

Life is so confusing. I have time and time again thought I knew what I was supposed to do with my life but am at a crossroads once again. I feel like something is missing and I need to do something about it. My career is not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. Working from home has started eating at my soul. I have done really well the last couple of years in my company recently getting Outstanding Team Member. But for some reason I have never felt fulfilled with my job. I have realized making good money and getting awards does not equal happiness. So that brings me to the decision should I attend graduate school to become a teacher. I have wanted to do this since I was actually in college but never did anything about it. I am going to apply to some graduate programs and see what happens. But there are pros and cons: Pros

• Interaction with people (not just my computer)
• Working with kids
• Summer offs/winter break
• Make a difference in someones live (hopefully)

Cons

• Going back to school
• Pay cut
• Student debt
• Moving home
• No more purses :(

I wish someone would just tell me what to do. It would make my life so much easier. I guess all I can do is trust that I will make the right decision. I have to do what is best for me and not what others think I should I do. Wish me luck!!!

Running

So I have decided that I have a love/hate relationship with running. I love to run, but as soon as I have to run to train for a race I all of a sudden do not want to do it anymore. Lately I have been running more than usual and its cause I don't have to get a certain amount of miles in. So I find it somewhat enjoyable. With it being cold outside I have had to learn to like the treadmill. I am trying to get more miles in each day. So I am pulling two a days, I run 5 miles in the morning and then go back at night and do another 3 miles. I know that sounds a little extreme but I cannot do all 8 miles at the same time I would bore myself to death on the treadmill. I do have to confess if there is a trashy reality show on while I am running it does make it more enjoyable. I also have been running in Nike Frees lately. And I love them you can feel so every step you are making. I think they help with the JLo situation I have going on too. They have made me realize I have muscles that I didn't even know that I have.

My list

Lately people keep telling me you need to change what you are looking for in a boy. But I have decided I have somethings on my list that I am not willing to compromise on. This goes beyond the basics that are considered standard:

• Must be active (they don't need to run marathons but need to be able to do activities without getting winded)
• Have to be taller than 5'9"
• Have to weigh more than me
• Has to have a job or goals to how they are going to get one
• Has to love my family, cause lets be honest I am a little obsessed with them
• Good teeth (its a hygiene thing for me)
• Has to worship me ;)
• Has to let me sing, dance and be corky

My list doesn't seem so unrealistic. I am have given up somethings like:

• Makes millions
• Looks like Ryan Reynolds
• Can run marathons
• Drives a super nice car
• Can cook (I am fine with cereal)

The Gym

I think I have something written across my forehead or across my Jlo times two butt that says I am a sucker. It seems to always happen to me but I attract people at the gym. I don't have fake boobs and am not a size two so I don't get it. A girl who looks like she is going to pass out on the treadmill who is sweaty is not attractive but yet time and time again I get guys talking to me. They must have working out endorphines to blind them from what they really are seeing. Here are a few I can remember:

• Scott - He was in Utah. He started giving me free personal training sessions. Which of course I was going to take. It wasn't until his pregnant girlfriend came in and he started inviting me to go to dinner that I realized this is not a good situation.
• Rich - I actually went out with this boy. He was friends of friends so I figured he might be a good guy.
• Darius - Was two times my size in muscle weight. Having a neck bigger than my thigh is not attractive. I do have to admit I did give him my number and we did text but I ended it there.
• Melvin - Was a personal trainer at the gym and could have been my father. When he asked me to go to dinner I almost fainted. Does he not realize the age difference?
• Bob - He was just as old as Melvin. He had his own airplane and invited me to Florida. I was lucky I changed gyms so I got out of that one.
• Brian - He is the most recent, he lives in my complex. He tried to use the mail lady to get my number but I told her we are not in HS anymore. He did finally talk to me and I choked. I don't have any game.

The moral of the story is the gym is indeed a creepy place. I just want to go and mind my own business. I smile at people so they don't think I am going to throw up on the machine, I am not doing it to flirt. Why cannot a boy outside of the gym like me. Ugh!!!

Foot Binding

So I am reading Snowflake and the Secret Fan for my bookgroup on my new kindle for my book group. The girl in the book gets her feet binded. Being curious I decided to research this topic and this is what I came up with:

Was a custom practiced on young girls and women for approximately one thousand years in China, beginning in the 10th century and ending in the first half of 20th century. Binding the feet involved breaking the arch of the foot, which ultimately left a crevice approximately 5 cm (2 in) deep, which was considered most desirable. It took approximately two years for this process to achieve the desired effect; preferably a foot that measured 7–9 cm (3–3 ¹⁄₂ in) from toe to heel.

^{The whole thing totally freaks me out. But yet I am so intrigued.}

Friend Lunch

My Favorite Things

I have decided to compose a list of my favorite things. I wanted to be like Oprah.

• Coconut Frosting Lip Gloss by Philosophy - It makes me want to eat my lips
• Marc by Marc Jacob purses - Nothing is better than a good purse
• HOBO wallets - Big enough to hold everything you need
• Lucky Charms - Who wouldn't love a cereal with marshmallows
• iPhone games - Has entertained for hours on end
• Nike Frees - They have made me realize I have different muscles when running
• Body Pump classes - Who needs a trainer when you have this class
• Salted Caramels - A little sweet and a little sugar make the perfect combination
• Small crunchy ice - Makes any drink taste better
• iPhone Movies - I have become the best movie maker and I learned I can sing
• Brothers and Sisters - Best drama on tv right now
• Kindle - I haven't technically gotten mine yet, but I know I will love it

That is about it for now.

2010 in Review

I know I have not blogged in awhile so I thought I would recap what I did in 2010:

• Was the Top Performer at my company (only two of us exceeded our quotas)
• Went to Costa Rica - Met Gustavo ;)
• Moved to Arlington, VA
• Went to Boston, Dallas, New York City, LA, Atlanta, Duck Beach, New Jersey and of course I went to Utah
• Realized Williamsburg is not as cool as the American Girl doll magazine makes it
• Went to an NFL Game
• Said goodbye to Oprah's Show

I guess my year was not super eventful but it was good. I am super excited what 2011 holds. I can feel it is going to be lucky.