Teaser for a Future Post

Disney Cruise!!!!!! Here is our ship, The Disney Wonder, in the bay of Cabo San Lucas Mexico. As a Disney Fan(atic), I loved every single second of the trip. The Disney music playing the halls, seeing Characters everywhere, the Disney service and attention to detail, the food, the complimentary soda and ice cream 24 hours a day- it was The Happiest Place on Earth but at Sea!!!!
So stay tuned and I'll have a detailed post coming soon to a computer near you.
Btw: I'm blogging from 32,000 feet (hooray for free Wi-Fi on airplanes!!)

I Kissed a Storm Trooper

And I liked it!!

If "C" is for Cookie...

...Then "S" is for Stress.

AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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What If?

What if everyone in the church was like me? That was the topic of the talks in sacrament meeting today in my singles ward.
That got me thinking. If everyone in the church was like me, then everyone would do their callings (albeit begrudgingly) and everyone would comment in RS and Sunday School.
On a more serious note, if everyone in the church was like me, then church would be pretty boring. The whole point of "going to church" is to meet with other saints and be edified and uplifted by each other by the fact that everyone is different and has different strengths and weaknesses. The speaker quoted Elder Uchtdorf's latest conference address when he quoted a bumper sticker that said, "Don't judge me because I sin different than you" and isn't that the beauty of gathering the saints? We can help one another become the people the Lord needs us to become. Together, we can fulfill the three fold mission of the Church: to proclaim the gospel, redeem the dead, and perfect the saints.
I'm glad everyone in the church is not like me. I'm a lazy, know-it-all, brat who thinks she's smarter than she really is. Church opens my eyes to things I do not know and reminds me that there are nice people in the world and I need to be nice too.

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Saturday Seething (part 43 of 444 part series)

First off, let me say that I love teachers and I know their job is very hard.

I am SO annoyed when my Facebook friends who are teachers complain that they don't get any time off. Umm... June, July, and August?!! Half day Fridays and 3 day weekends every other weekend?!! Spring break?!! Christmas break?!!

I want to tell them to suck it up and see what it's like for those of us that actually work 40 plus hours a week, without any breaks, of any kind, at any time.

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Happy Easter 2012

Saturday Seething (part 42 of a 444 part series)

We survived another Ladies Night!!!! Our feet may be sore but not our hearts :)

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The Story of Friends, a film

Happy Hunger Games!!

The Best

It's funny because it's true (and a little sad)

Desert Paradise

I've had such a great weekend here in Yuma!! We went to Mexico the first day we got here, then a delicious seafood buffet (hello All You Can Eat Crab!!) at the Q casino. Saturday we hit up some local farmers markets, Dillard's, Marshall's, Kirkland's Home, indoor swap meet, then the yummiest slow cooked pork roast dinner with fresh asparagus and sweet potato pasta. Is there anything better than Grandma's cooking?!! No, no there is not.
Sunday was a different experience. We had to leave the house at 7:00 AM in order to get a seat at church which starts at 7:45 AM. The snow bird ward is very much like my singles ward except instead of talking about marriage all the time, they talk about death- but other than that it is eerily similar. They have branch FHE, the RS meets in the chapel, and Sacrament meeting always goes into the over flow. It's really fun!! After church, we followed the Sunday tradition and went to Home Town Buffet. It was delish and we all ate so much we didn't need to eat the rest of the day. Then we went home and took a Sunday nap and watched golf. That night we played Five Crowns and had a blast. Now I'm sitting on the front porch, enjoying this gorgeous morning. Grandma made the most delicious biscuits and gravy this morning that I will be dreaming about for weeks. I'm so sad to leave- a weekend is just too short. Thank You Grandma and Grandpa!!!!

South of the Border

I'm so excited I get to visit my grandparents this weekend!!!! My mom and I are flying down to Yuma, AZ and we'll go to the swap meet, a date farm for date shakes, Algadones Mexico for shrimp tacos and knock-off designer sunglasses, and I'll get to see what a snow bird ward is like- yay!!!!!! My grandparents are my two most favorite people in the universe and I'm so happy I get to spend the weekend with them. Plus my mom is coming and I love spending time with her since she has been extremely busy these past few years. Hooray for mini-breaks!!!

A SAD Confession

Today is St. Valentine's Day. Some people call this day Single Awareness Day or SAD, I for one have a slight issue with this title. I don't need a day to remind me that I am single; I have that already every day of the year. I wish it was only one day a year that I'm aware of my lack of marital status then I could go on for 364 days and be completely oblivious :)

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I'm going to watch a couple of books before I go to bed tonight

The Onion reported:

"According to a report from the U.S. Department of Education released Thursday, watching a single episode of the British TV series Downton Abbey is the cultural and educational equivalent of reading an entire book. "It's a period piece with British accents and drama that hinges on each character's place within an aristocratic peerage system, so needless to say, viewing one show from beginning to end is basically the same as reading a book," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. "Also you really have to pay attention to the storylines, so it's also like reading in that respect. And it's not as if you can stop watching Downton Abbey for a while, come back to it, and remember exactly what's going on. You'd probably have to start over from the very beginning, just like you do with a book." Duncan then excused himself from the press conference so he could go home and watch a couple books before he went to bed"

Nevermind about literacy, kids- The US Department of Education says you can just watch BBC production of Jane Eyre rather than reading it since it is the "education equivalent" to reading.

I love Downton Abbey!! It is such better television than anything we have seen recently (well incomparision to all the reality show crap that I am also addicted to, ahem Kardashians and The Bachelor) but I would NEVER suggest that watching an episode would replace reading a book. Reading creates the image and events in your mind which encourages creativity and imagination. Watching a movie puts is on the screen for you- no imagination required.

This is a really good argument for private or home schooling- these are the idots that determine what our kids are taught and apparently it is OKAY to watch the 6 hour Pride and Prejudice (which is awesome!!) rather than read one of the best books ever written. It brings new meaning to "I'll wait for the movie to come out"

Stuff you find on Pintrest

I'm Elmo and I Know It

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fzw5VjnOHk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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Saturday Seething (part 41 of a 444 part series)

Seriously- How dumb do you have to be to NOT know that George Washington was the first president of the United States of America?
A middle-aged woman was in the gallery with her young grandson and she was talking to him about the art. When they saw "Prayer at Valley Forge" by Arnold Friberg, she at first told him the picture was of Captain Moroni, but quickly realized her error and said "Oh, that's George Washington.... (pause for thinking) one of our presidents." Really?!!! She couldn't remember that he was our 1st president?!! It's un-American to not know who our first president was.

On a side note- I understand it must be hard to have a kid throw a tantrum when you're in a store, but I am SO sick of hearing toddlers scream and watching them throw themselves on the floor. I have seen 7 temper tantrums today alone over at Mormon Handicraft. One was by a 7 year old- I thought they were too old to pull that stunt.

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Duality

I have been thinking a lot about goals and the future, as I am sure many are at this time of year. I have been thinking about where I see myself in 5 years and the type of person I am now and who I want to be. I have also been thinking about the past (my 10 year high school reunion is coming up this summer!!!) and where I thought I’d be in life at 28. I am about to be brutally honest and I hope I have the courage to leave this post up rather than be a coward and delete it right after I publish it.

Let me start by stating I really enjoy my life right now. I have high job satisfaction, even though it can be stressful at times. I love living with my twin sister. I have quality friends that are drama free and we all support one another. I have a church calling that isn’t too difficult or time consuming. Of course there are always things that I need to work on and nothing is ever perfect, but I don’t have much to complain about in general.

Then there is this other side of me that nags, “This is not what you wanted nor is it where you saw your self 10 years ago.” This other side of me is miserable and lonely. I follow lots of blogs (shocker!!) and I am so happy for my friends and truly love hearing about their lives, most of whom are wives and mothers. I know that everyone has their own trials and challenges, but this other side of me can’t help but be jealous when they write about play dates and birthday parties and post pictures of their cutie-pies doing something funny. I want that. I see my sisters and I know how difficult motherhood is, but I was taught from a very young age that to be a wife and mother in Zion is the best way we could serve the Lord and our purpose on this Earth.

I never thought I’d be single at 27. I thought I’d get married to my college sweetheart (after graduation of course), work for a couple of years, and then have kids in my late twenties. I was not prepared to be perpetually single. I blame Young Womens- all my leaders said that it would be a challenge to NOT get married in college. They didn’t prepare us for the possibility that we’d be single, though President Hinckley mentioned several times that not all of us would get married in this life (RS General Meeting September 2002 or 2003).

So basically I am struggling with this duality in my life. One side is content and fulfilled while the other is mad, bitter, and frustrated. I am sure duality in desires is common place, “we always want what we can’t have” kind of deal, but I am wondering how I can suppress the other side of me so I’m not constantly reminded of what I lack.  I guess I can pray about it, prayer works miracles.  

Disco Night, courtesy of Comcast

I'll miss the perks of being Lesley's "plus 1" at her work parties.