I'M STARTING TO WONDER

So should I be worried about my dog?!?!

JUSTIN BIEBER

Remember how at the ripe old age of 13 Justin Bieber has a bodyguard AND backup dancers?! I feel like I should invest in my own backup dancers. That really shows you're going places.

I'VE SEEN THAT ONE BEFORE

Sometimes I feel like my life is like the movies, but not in a glamorous kind of way. Tonight I found myself at home on Saturday night, hanging out with my dog, watching Lifetime Television shows, and staring at my phone, waiting for it to ring. Seemingly pathetic, I know! When did I become this version of me? The one who spends as much time as possible doing my calling, and not just because I'm dedicated to it, but because other than work, it's the only thing that I have in my life that makes me feel meaningful. When did I start cringing when coworkers asked me what I was doing this weekend, because I knew I would have to make it sound like my life is so busy so I'm 'taking it easy' this time? I'm stuck in a transition that seems wrong, but that unfortunately has become a comfort level. I don't know how I got here! The irony in all of this is that I'm not even feeling sorry for myself. I'm just acutely aware of reality right now.

But I know I've seen this movie before. I remember it ending well - I just don't remember how it got to that point. And I don't remember if the lead character voiced the same frustrations that I'm feeling tonight. I imagine she did. And I imagine she got all sorts of supportive feedback from others around her, telling her what she needed to do to change things. But did she do it, or did she let life take its course? Either way, I know it ends well. I'm going to hang on to that....

BUCKET LIST

Going to this gentleman's concert has been on my 'bucket list' since the fall of 1998 when I walked into a cement casita in Chile and heard his heart-warming singing coming from the television. Thanks to Vegas PBS and their fabulously discounted tickets, I'll finally accomplish my long awaited goal on December 11th. Oh, Andrea Bocelli....you are good to me....

QUIETLY WISHING

I have always been secretly envious of creative people. People that can knit scarves and 'throw together' a meal from scratch. A goal that I've had for YEARS is to be able to make a homemade quilt. I picture a fun, bright one, with lots of exciting patterns and designs. On my quest to be able to accomplish this, I practiced my skills at the LDS distribution center some time ago. After proudly displaying the work I had done the darling sister missionary patted me on the arm and quietly said 'it's okay. We'll fix it later.' Sigh........

One day, I'll defeat you, quilt (I shout into the night with my fist waving into the air). One day!

TODAY I LOVE.....

....how it feels when the weather starts to cool down at night
....eating lunch with a large group of people
....my new job
....how my hair looks the day after I get it highlighted
....being able to work with the young women
....having a large, colorful flower to put in my hair
....new clothes
....when it's crisp at night and you bundle up, but your face is still cold
....seeing good things happen to good people
....sleeping all the way through the night without waking up
....looking forward to seeing old friends
....when I come home and the house is clean
....repeating good songs over and over again
....the fact that I have so many things to be grateful for

RECENT MODGE PODGE OF LIFE

The end of summer has been BUSY, BUSY but here's a recap of my last month:

Last weekend was our Mia Maid sleepover. We swam, watched movies outside, played games, ate junk food, and got almost no sleep!! Robyn and I woke up to toothpaste on our face and giggles coming from behind us. I seriously love working with the YW! Playing truth or dare while we were swimming
Jenga - Jenga - Jenga

Camping out back! It was nice and cool....the perfect (and unusual) summer night!

So on to the next.....My friend, Wayne, and I took a 9 day trip to Oahu, Hawaii at the end of July. It was a much needed break for both of us and probably one of my funnest trips I've been on! Here are some highlights:

Everyone always talks about how great the food is, and, according to Wayne, I guess the Sushi there is pretty spectacular. We would go get Sushi for Wayne and then a hamburger somewhere else for me. We both agreed on the shaved ice though - it was pretty good! Hawaii's got some pretty amazing beaches and we spent time going around the island, exploring a lot of them. I had my favorite beach (with almost no waves) and Wayne had his favorite (it was pretty much a death trap). Admittedly, Wayne sacraficed his fun beach so we could go back to my calm one over and over again. You can't find a better friend than that!

We went on a movie tour on the island that showed where different movies and shows were filmed, including LOST!!!!! I love that show!!

This was Hawaii's version of sea word, and also the setting for '50 First Dates.' Both Wayne and I had been to Sea World in San Diego this year, so this version was super boring!

They had an indoor 3D golf course that was really fun. At the end if your ball goes in the hole the volcano goes off. Wayne's did...mine didn't.... I sort of suck at miniature golf.

Exploring the Polynesian Cultural Center: You'll notice I was wearing pants. Remember how I thought that it was mainly an indoor event?! Pants in Hawaii is a no-no!!

Eating at the Luau at the PCC: My favorite part was the darling dancer with the big teeth. I wanted to put him in my pocket and bring him home...sigh...

Ha: Breath of Life - This is the night show at the PCC

The catamaran boatride around the island was SO MUCH FUN!!! It was also the beginning of a pretty painful sunburn....totally worth it!
Dole Plantation: They have the world's largest maze that you can walk through and follow a map to find stations, and the Pineapple Ice-cream was delicious.

Jonas teaching me how to make Sushi. He's a chef up in Salt Lake City and teaches classes at the college on how to make Sushi and other dishes. Pearl Harbor

Exploring the USS Missouri: This was one of the my favorite parts...it's the Battle Ship that they signed the peace treaty on when World War II ended: I became a little bit emotional listening to the stories of it

Exploring Waimea Valley: You can't see it, but I was swimming under the waterfall!

Hiking up Diamond Head Crater: It was hot, humid, and steep! My smile at the top is sort of fake!

So that was our Hawaii trip. We don't have pictures of our kayaking because the boat was tipped, my sandals broke, and my camara was ruined. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have looked that happy in the pictures anyways. The ocean scares me, the water was rough that day, and I was freaked out. Again...thank you Wayne for being such a good friend :)

So then our family took a trip up to the cabin outside of Yellowstone at the beginning of August. It was nice to get away from the heat and especially nice to have everyone together. That rarely happens.....

Me with my nieces Maci and Chloe - aren't they darling?!
This is what you do when you're from Wyoming. Chloe, the two-year-old, loved it!
It rained at night, so we had to do mid-afternoon s'mores. It wasn't the same when you're sort of hot, but they were delicious! Crystal was pretty good at making the perfect roasted marshmallows!
All of us stopped and took this picture before going into YellowstoneWe went to fishing bridge, saw some scenery, and then had a picnic outside. It was cold and windy that day, so the girls went back to the cabin and the guys and little kids rented a boat and went fishing. To each their own.....

We went ot the night Rodeo in Cody, Wyoming and Benjamin was one of the audience participants! Chloe and McKay also chased a calf, but you can't really see the pictures that good.

We went down to Lovell, WY to go to church with G and G Wilkerson, and then had lunch after. Since we've never all been together when them we decided we should take some pictures.

Here we are all together after church. I love short little family get-togethers!

As you can see, it's been a busy month....but a good one...and the perfect way to end the summer! Bring on fall.....