Snuggie

Several years ago, this beauty was introduced to the world. It makes perfect sense. Who hasn't been cold while reading a book, but didn't want your entire arms to be freezing cold while holding the book? Or didn't want to put your arm out of the blanket to change the channel on the tv?

Well, this product speaks to me.

For my birthday, I got a snuggie. Brown. Then, a few weeks later, my friend John made me one - imagine that! A homemade snuggie! Today, at my work's gift exchange, I got a "Fuzzie Wuzzie." I was so excited...even though I really wanted that Belgian Waffle Maker. But how great is my life? I am now the proud owner of 3 snuggies! The newest version even has Velcro on the back AND 2 pockets!

I am a happy girl.

But I quickly want to be mad about something for a second. Originally, with this gift exchange, I had received the waffle maker. Then a co-worker wanted it for his wife, so on his turn he took my present, and I in turn took the "fuzzie wuzzie" from another co-worker.

My complaint is that I need household items. I just barely bought my first blender. My pots came from DI and I only have 2. I don't think it's entirely fair that just because I haven't been married yet, I have to establish my entire household all on my own. I don't think it's fair that 18 year old girls get every appliance handed to them, and I have to budget in when I get my next appliance so I can function as an "adult." Is it okay for me to go register at Target?

That's all. It's just a bit annoying. That's all. And I really don't need anything for my kitchen...I'd feel compelled to have to make food.

Maybe if I collected men instead of snuggies I wouldn't have this problem :0)

Concert

On Friday night, I was on a date. We ended up at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square and listened to an A Capella choir from a local high school. They rocked the show. The first number was a version of jingle bells sung to "O Fortuna" from "Carmina Burana." (a little shout-out to junior high school when the band played it with the choir) That song starts out loud, and this A Capella group busted out all sorts of instruments. Apparently it was a bit loud for one of the guys that was with us. He pulled out his earplugs and enjoyed the muted performance. Turns out he always has a pair of earplugs with him. Life is sometimes just a bit loud for him.

I'm still highly amused.

Friends

Thanks to my real life friend Mel, I now have 6 really good fake friends.

Last night I finished watching season 10 of "Friends." I watched all the seasons - except for the first 2, but that's okay. Turns out, I had watched a lot of the episodes before. I didn't realize that I was home a lot on Thursday night to watch that show when they were originally aired, and that the reruns are always to easy to watch. My first year of college, I remember walking home past all the apartments in the complex and seeing "Friends" on every single tv. So classic.

It is quite fulfilling to know how they all ended up, the last episode was always a mystery to me. It made me very happy for all of them, except Joey. And I'm excited to know that I can reclaim my life...unless someone has another tv series they'd like me to watch...I still need to watch the last season of LOST. Overall, it's been a good experience and I'm grateful for those friends :0)

Rooster Tail

I have a lovely cowlick that causes me to have rooster tails every night. I didn't want to put my hair in a ponytail this morning and it actually looked like my hair was going to cooperate with no rooster tail...wrong. After just coming back from the bathroom, I have some volume on the back of my head. The hair is now in a ponytail.

Monday

I want to just recap my Thanksgiving holiday with a few highlights.

1. Snow. I like driving in the snow. Mostly. And this snow got me to leave work early on Wednesday and drive to Idaho. The drive was nice, a bit slow (there & back) and I thought I had a huge talent for driving in the snow...until I got stuck in my parent's driveway. How lame is that? Made me laugh though.

2. Lisps - I love them. And I love that my family does them, too. My 9 year old niece wrote me a note and signed it "love, Grath" (Grace)

3. Watching movies as soon as you wake up. Every one's a little greasy, but it's the best.

4. Having a grandma that is 95 and can still joke. Incredible woman.

5. Missionaries. My nephew, Will, leaves for his mission on Wednesday, so we had a party for him on Thursday night. So much fun. He gave a great little presentation on Belgium/the Netherlands and his sister made a video of him, and then we gave advice/thoughts. He's going to be a stellar missionary. And even that he's able to go right now is a miracle (he broke his arm and had some bad stuff happen to his arm about 2 months ago and is fully healed). This time of year makes me remember the last bit of my mission - which I cherish. It makes me miss my other nephews that are out right now. It reminds me of how grateful I am for the Gospel that gives me direction and clarity and full happiness.

6. Stellar family in general. They make me laugh. They help me feel safe and secure. And even though we're not smart (driving to American Falls even though church was cancelled just to say good-bye), they're still a good time. My cute nephew Mitch texted me before I left "be safe and say a prayer before you leave." Made me cry...in a grateful way. I learned that my really good friend's mom passed away on Sunday...breaks my heart. I am grateful for the eternal nature of families and the capacity we have to make them ours for that eternity. And grateful for the atonement that heals our hearts, and comforts us when things are less than ideal.

I'll stop there. It was a good weekend and I'm grateful that I had a few days off from work...even though I still wish I wasn't here :0)

Sister Time

This last weekend, my sister Suzanne came to town to visit. She is a riot. As soon as we start talking, we do this stupid voice that lasts the entire time. We don't use it with anyone else. It just happens. I had a slight vision of us sitting around when we're older using this voice, and our children would be so confused with the oddity of it all.

She's my "therapist", so I took Friday afternoon off and had some therapy time. It was sleep therapy. We're getting old, and slept the entire afternoon!

I love that everything turns into a comedy fest and an adventure whenever she's around. And yes, she's my hero. That's probably why I look like her and sound like her. In fact, I do remember in the 3rd grade, we were supposed to dress like our hero. I wore her spandex shorts, sweatshirt and mickey mouse watch. I thought I was pretty cool, because she is cool.

She even made me lunch and paid for a lot of my food. She is so generous.

I firmly declare that everyone is a better person for having Suzanne in your life, even if it's just for a second, it will leave a positive lasting effect. :0)

Networking

Life is all about networking, right?

Well, I've come to the conclusion that in the search for the perfect job, someone is going to have to help me out.

Here's the sitch:

I want to be a snowbird....live north in the summer, live south in the winter.
I want to have fun at work, ala, not waiting for 5:00 for the fun to start, not living for the weekends, etc. I do enjoy all the activities I participate in, but at least 8 hours every day fall under the non-enjoyment time. Not a fan. That's a lot of time.

And while I'm here, I want a Toyota Tacoma. Or at least to date a boy with a Toyota Tacoma.

Or maybe compromise the both: Find a sugar-daddy with said truck and be his appointment scheduler, and activities director, a personal assistant. Hmmm.

Does anyone know any old men?

Garth

This past weekend, and few friends and I went down to Vegas. The main purpose: to see Garth Brooks, live. It was INCREDIBLE. I'm still on a concert high. He sounds good on the radio and CD, and since he's been retired, you'd think it wouldn't be that good. But WOW, it was waaaaaay better in person that I could have ever even hoped for. His sound is perfect. He is a true performer and entertainer. We were eating out of his hands. Oh yeah! His wife, Trisha Yearwood came out. WOW. She rocked 2 songs, one with him, the other a solo "She's in Love With the Boy." Love that song! He ended with "The Dance" and I was in love...and then highly surprised that 2 hours went by so quickly. Definitely one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. I am grateful for Garth Brooks.

ShopKo

I love shopping at ShopKo. I easily spent 1.5 hours there last night, just browsing. No, everything isn't the highest quality, but they have really good deals. No one is hardly ever there, and so it's a good shopping experience. It's like the store is yours...your life, your style.

Changes

1. My job - no more data entry that I have been doing, but more data privacy - which is actually kind of fun and I'm enjoying it...even with the huge learning curve. But this changes my want to change my job.
2. Before this change, I got moved to another floor. I really enjoy having a different space, and having it be really quiet. Now I'm on 20, instead of 18. Well, it's the same floor as a weirdy. He just barely found out today - almost 2 months later - that I'm on the same floor as him. It was so nice to be off his radar. Now I'm back on. Curse my co-worker for not lying.
3. A cherry stem has been on one of the stairs that I take in between my floors since I started. I came back from my trip, and it was missing. Phew! They do clean! Actually, they don't...it was on a stair a little lower. That's an interesting change.
4. I hate being cold. I don't like that change. But the trees are so pretty and the sweaters are always so appealing.
5. My bed is in my front room.
6. Probably the worst change is Hawaiian Haystacks aren't being served at work any longer. It's devastating. So every Thursday is now Potato Bar instead. Now, a girl from Idaho might be all about this....not so. Heartbroken. My dad is heartbroken that I'd prefer rice to potatoes. I just don't know what to do anymore. I hope I can cope with this. :0)
7. One thing that hasn't changed is freaky texts. Don't worry. A doosy came the other day from "your pretty". "I don't believe you are married." What the heck?

Obviously, changes happen all the time. And this is good.

Chicago

Several months ago, I attended a huge speed dating event. Well, I chatted with a kid whose name is Chicago. I gave him my name tag with my phone number on it and left for the night. We texted a bit, scheduled to get together, but it never happened. I was actually quite relieved. He was WAY too friendly with what he thought about my looks. And I don't respond well to things like that.

Last Sunday, I got a text from him. I thought it was a blessing for my endeavor to be more obedient to the counsel of my Priesthood Leaders. He wanted to do something. Great! I forgot why I didn't really want to go out with him. I made mention to him that I was surprised he remembered who I was. He responded:

I remember your cute.

SERIOUSLY!?!?! Why do I have to attract the guys that have so sense of possession?
Why do I have to be so particular about grammatically correct texts?
(now I'm super paranoid about getting all my commas in, etc.)

But wait...here's the kicker:

Oh thanks for textin me back...Your fun... Would it be ok to get a pic of ya? :)

Let's just say that I wasn't heartbroken when he never texted me back later in the week once he "figured out" his schedule.

It was very grateful that he texted me and remembered me. It was a blessing for my endeavor to be obedient. Looks like I get to be a bit more proactive in getting those blessings :0)

Tissue

I have been dealing with a runny nose for a little while. The other day, I walked into the other Julie's office, and announced my runny nose. She handed me her box of Kleenex which was a really cute box. Apparently my manager had bought a box earlier that day and was feeling pretty good about it until he saw hers, to which he commented that hers was cuter than his more functional looking box. Yes, he did claim that it was cute. Although, later, he told a man that it was a cool box.

Everyone pulled out their boxes and a small parade was held. The other Julie wins with her box.

Well, another co-worker joined in on the fun and told us that he husband doesn't like using tissue, but prefers toilet paper. So he always has toilet paper with him. And not just a few squares here and there, but the squares with the cardboard. He just keeps his eye out for the last bit of the toilet paper and then takes it. Makes sense, right? It stays contained, and you know when you're going to run out.

At anytime he may have up to 3 rolls with him. And the family always has to check to make sure he's not trailing any paper out his pocket.

Now that's functional.

It Happened Again

Yes, it's true, I got another random text. It came yesterday morning:

Them: "Hey julie. How R U? how is work?"
(thought from me, OH GREAT, it happened again, and this one uses dumb texting language. So, trying to play it cool...)
Me: "Hey! Good, I'm just heading into a meeting. How are you?"
(a while later I get this)
Them: "Sorry i did not text you back, i was in the middle of an eye appointment. Me, cami, chad, and sade just went2 QdOBA 4 lunch."

Aha!! It's my nephew! I'd WAAAY prefer these kinds of texts :0) We texted for the next little while, and it was so fun.

But really, I have THE cutest nieces and nephews in the entire world. The day before I had a huge texting conversation with another nephew about how he dunked the ball over a girl. I was so proud of him. Today is the birthday of a niece, whom I adore. Monday, a nephew flew to Australia as a missionary. Yesterday I got emails from the other 2 that are on missions. They all are doing such good things with their lives, it's incredible. This aunt has a lot of pride.

Remember Who You Are

On Saturday night, I received a text from a boy who has given me my more than a fair share of headaches. He asked me what I was up to and so I let him know that I was just leaving for a party. He jokingly replied "Remember who you are." To which I responded "A desperate single woman?" He didn't really believe that I was desperate, and I told him the pickins are pretty slim in the valley. I think that scared him a bit, but it made me think...and reconsider...my dating life. No, I'm not desperate, but usually I think my dating pool is comparable to the Great Salt Lake. It's gross, shallow and shrinking. Apparently Salt Lake City has a higher number of men than women. I guess they count the gay community and the Bluffdale Correctional Facility in that number :0)

BUT, since I don't get to pick which commandments to follow - namely, dating - marriage, I've been asking for a change of heart so I'm not so bitter about the situation. Oddly, I haven't even been this bitter about dating, ever. That's a lot of time. Yesterday, I was reading in the Book of Mormon, Ether 4:13 "Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things." These are the words of Christ, speaking to the Brother of Jared. Contextually, it's saying that we need to come to God and repent. Personally, it's saying that if I seek to come to God and trust in Him and His Servants, it will be a greater thing. No need for bitterness. So I will have trust to keep going and avoid the bitterness. Nothing good ever comes from that.

And then, upon getting to work today, I heard about the Camp Williams fire that got out of control yesterday and nearly destroyed a lot of homes and lives. My co-worker's brother lives right on the edge of where the fire came, and after hearing the story of evacuating the family, etc., I am humbled. I really don't have much to complain about.

Ultimately, remember who you are - you are a Child of God. Remember that relationship, develop that relationship, cherish it, and you will be happy and blessed.

His Name is Kevin

Let me tell you a little bit about Kevin. He's married to my dear friend Megan. He entered my life in 2009 when he brought Meg some Gerber daisies. I really didn't even know that he existed until those flowers showed up. They had met on eHarmony - thank you Dr. Phil.

Since he first entered my life, I have spent a lot of time with this kid. He is so chill and knows something about EVERYTHING. I would dare say he's the master on random facts. So much so that I even saw a book he was reading that claimed to be the book of random facts.

He is so much fun to be around and has always been so incredibly nice to me. He even tells his wife to play with me. Which I completely appreciate. Many of my fun trips have been enabled by him, thanks to his job at Sky West. Totally generous. He is a hard worker, a dedicated father, a fast reader, a movie enthusiast, a happy camper, Canadian, not my cousin, and mostly, he makes Megan happier than I knew was possible. Thanks for being who you are Kev, you've been a blessing in my life.

I even got to share a bed with him a few weeks ago.

S M R T

Last night, I'm leaving institute and I learned that I had locked my keys in my car. Sometimes, rather than take my keys with me, I'll just leave them in my car. That's safe, right?

LUCKILY, my friend was with me, so she called our other friend who just left. She came back and we went to my complex to find the on-site manager. That should be easy right? Oh no, not really. No information was available. LUCKILY, my friends used to live there and randomly knew where the maintenance guy lives. So we drove there, which was close, looked like COMPLETE stalkers and got yelled at by the wife. LUCKILY, Jason was super nice and made the phone call to the manager and sent us on our way. The managers wife came to unlock my door (she always tries to lock the pool at 9:45, when it's open until 10). She wasn't very good at unlocking doors. But she totally bailed me out. She's in apartment 163 for future reference.

I'm afraid I might be going brain dead. Any suggestions so I don't?

Boots

Yesterday, I was watching "Confessions of a Shopaholic." Such a cute show & a highly enjoyable book. In the movie, she starts to describe how shopping makes her feel and how the world is just right when her credit card is approved, etc. I strongly believe that my last week has been so brilliant because of the cutest pair of cowgirl boots that I bought. I have been wanting a pair for such a long time...oddly enough. And I walked into DSW and I think I heard the heavenly choir singing as I saw the pair. Not this pair:





I don't feel bad that I find joy in shopping.

Text From An Unknown Source

I know, this sounds like a typical Julie story already, right? It probably is, but it's more of a vent.

2 weeks ago, after accidentally texting an old boyfriend, whoops!, I deleted his number...just to make it easier on my brain that stops working more and more frequently.

Tuesday, I am sitting at work, actually doing work, when my phone starts to buzz...and buzz...and buzz. 5 text messages later, it stops. I open the messages and figure out that no name is associated with the number. What? Well, it is a huge message from an old boyfriend saying how sorry he was for the way he ended our relationship.

Oh, that's right, he just stopped talking to me. Yeah. My dating life actually does suck...a lot.

I am so curious as to how he finally got around to doing this "apologizing." It's been since JANUARY. Seems a little lengthy, right?

But the good news is that I'm not mad. Yes, a lot of the hurt feelings came back, but I'm happy to report that the atonement works and that my heart is healed. I'm glad that he's at a place where he can say something...even if it is via text. Thank goodness for restitution! I really do wish him well in life and that next time he breaks up with a girl, he doesn't wait so long to text her :0)

Meanwhile, I am not saving the number again.

Clock

The clock at work stops working every 2-3 weeks. Yesterday, we were noticing it was running slow, and then this morning it a little bit slower. So my manager put in a new battery. It didn't do anything. One more try...yes, it worked. But 2 minutes later it had stopped. My co-worker thinks it's the wall. What? Really? Well, we put it on a different wall with the stopped battery and it's been working just great all day long.

Having the clock moved has thrown off my groove. Apparently I check the time a lot.

Gifts

Matthew 7: 7-11
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and he shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask 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?

Last Friday, I got to drive my dad from Salt Lake back to Idaho Falls. He was noticing that my car was making a thumping noise, and informed me that it was because of my tires.

"When was the last time you rotated your tires?"

Is that a legitimate question to ask? I have no idea. Probably never. I did get a flat tire 2 years ago and actually got 2 new tires...maybe 4, I can't remember. Since then, I can guarantee I have done nothing with my tires. I just keep my radio on so I don't have to hear things that may be going wrong.

So I told him I'd get that taken care of when I got my car serviced when I returned to Utah. That wasn't going to work for him. On Sunday, I was summoned into the front room by Bill and he asked if he could take my car to get new tires the next day while I went on a rockin' hike with some family members. Sure, just let me know what I owe.

Well, he took my car and got new tires and filled my tank with gas. He just told me to save money for the next time I have to buy tires. As I pulled away from the homestead on Tuesday morning, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my parents, especially my dad. He didn't need to get my car fixed, I would take care of it, and obviously, it was doing just fine. Yet, it was a need that I had. Not a want. If my earthy father can take that good of care of me, how much more can my Heavenly Father take care of me!! It was something so simple, but I learned so much about how God works in blessing our lives. How many blessings am I not noticing because I don't think of them as my needs...only looking for my wants.

God lives and loves each one of us. He gives us what we need. I am deeply grateful for that and hope that I can be more aware of the blessings He constantly is sending my way.

....

Just a few notes:

1. Why is it easiest to break the Sabbath with a family member?
2. Yesterday, I was in the bathroom as the same person twice at work. Neither time did this said person wash their hands. What?
3. Upon leaving work, I heard the janitor whistling the Harry Potter theme song.
4. I really like my parents.
5. And I really like all my family.
6. Blind dates are fun.
7. Not as fun as Lava Hot Springs or reading Percy Jackson.

:0)

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com

I figure this has been around for a while, but recently, it has really made me laugh so hard.

4th Verbal Recap

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Excerpt from The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson

I really do love America.

Almost every single year since I can remember, I have attended a flag raising ceremony at the church building. Turns out my mom started this tradition. I didn't even know. Most of the ward shows up and members of the community. It starts with the flag being raised, the Pledge of Allegiance being said, musical numbers, and somebody talking about how wonderful America is. Usually it's someone who has served in the armed forces. It's really special.

The thing I learned this year is how lucky we are to have a fair trial. In so many countries, this actually isn't the case. My parents told me that so far in Kenya, 9 people have been burned for being witches. What? That actually still happens? This is a right that we are guaranteed. Even if we're guilty. I can't help but draw conclusions to our Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, who pleads for us and has enabled us to be free from the sins we have committed and provided a way for us to be perfect and whole.

Also, we have to learn to be good citizens. We have to have opportunities for that to develop. Being able to attend these flag raising ceremonies has made a huge difference in my life. I'm grateful for the example of others and their love for their country that has instilled in me the desire to keep this country free.

Later that night, we watched the fireworks. All the kids loaded up and most of them ended up on top of the suburban. I climbed up there and really enjoyed the chance to hear their commentary. It was sobering to hear my two 19 year-old nephews talking about how they won't be around next year for the 4th. I am proud of them for serving missions and teaching the power of repentance. I'll miss them for sure.

As I was sitting on top of the suburban, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for this country and all the opportunities that are afforded to me. I know that this country has been built with the hand of God. I hope that it will continue to be a blessed & promised land.

How's that for a little bit of rambling? :0)

Phones

The first benefit of my parents being home:

I got to talk to my mom during lunch. I didn't have to worry about having enough minutes on my calling card, feedback or hoping that the call would even go through. Best thing ever! I haven't been able to do that for 3 years. I think I just found a new past time. I guess I didn't realize what I was missing out on. Sure, I'd call my sisters every once in a while, but there's something about talking to your mom whenever you want. Wow.

Music for the Season

I really love this song. It was on repeat this morning on my way to work.

And what's great is she isn't even American :0)

It's What Fun Is!

I really do like Lagoon. I got a season pass with several friends and we've been going pretty frequently - which for me, is anything more than 1 time a year.

Something that is noticeable at Lagoon is the employees - running around in their polo shirts and khaki pants, carrying the biggest mug filled with who knows what, but hopefully they don't get dehydrated while operating the rides. And of course, their ethnicity. Yes. I said it. None of them are from America. Okay, maybe that isn't really true, but there are so many of them from different countries. My favorite is Svetlana. Just because I like her name.

A friend of mine that comes worked for the census this past spring. Oddly enough, she canvased my apartment complex and found out that there were a lot of people living there from not America. And they all worked at Lagoon. What? I was told that they have a bus that takes them back and forth. It's only 15 minutes away.

Well, the other night, the myth was busted. I was driving home and saw some Lagoon workers walking by my complex, and then, that night, I saw the bus and all the Lagoon workers get off. They are my neighbors! The fable is true! It was kind of creepy to see a bus stopped in front of my apartment complex at 10:45 at night and see a bunch of blue polo shirted people getting off.

I wish I would've taken a picture. I might start a stake-out so I can prove it.

But, I did find some excellent employee benefits online. I don't know if they have a work program or anything, or if they target a specific culture, that wasn't listed:

• Seasonal Employee Benefits
  Free entrance to Lagoon
  End of season bonus*
  Family Days, when your family can come to Lagoon at an incredible discount
  Discount coupons for friends and family
  Earn high school credit through the School to Careers program
  Excellent incentives and employee recognition programs
  Employee parties throughout the season
  Discounts on park merchandise
  Meet new friends
  Competitive wages
  Opportunity to advance and gain supervisor experience
  College scholarships through the Robert E. Freed Foundation

Oh, and I found the cool pictures from Sarah Ackerman, Flickr

And I'm super bugged that my post is not spacing correctly. Sorry!

You're Not My Boss

A few years ago, I pulled that line on my sister. I don't know where it came from, or even what the context was, but we laughed for such a long time about it.

Lately, I've had issues with authority figures in my life.

Mostly it's this: who decided that 8:00 was an appropriate time for life to start? Why does my job have to start at this time? Why did school always start at this time? And WHO decided that 40 hours of work a week was necessary and essential to life? And when all this was decided by who ever this chump was, why didn't anyone oppose it and say "actually, sir, 40 hours is not going to work, nor is 8:00 going to allow the most productivity"?
The powers that be were probably all in this early morning meeting and the people that I identify with, were probably still sleeping or doing something better to do with their time, and the silly vote took place. Grr.

Deep down, I know this is a good thing, but I am also wanting a different job with less hours and maybe something that requires not so much sitting.

Getting Inside

This is a really old video, but luckily I just found it. Sometimes we see interesting things at work.

2 Continents Later...

My vacation was delicious.

Even though the plane rides were eternal....I got to stop unexpectedly in Paris - which may or may not be the highlight of my trip :0) It was so cool. I really could not stop smiling.

Eventually, we made it to Kenya. One of the top 3 hugs from my mom (when she picked me up from my mission and when I went to Kenya the first time being the other 2). We got showered and began a trip to Kitale for a branch reorganization. The road was typical Kenya - bumpy as bumpy could be. There are so many potholes, it's kind of ridiculous, but it makes me laugh so hard. We even got to visit the equator - I didn't "see" it, but I did see a demonstration that shows the different ways water drains, north & south and right at the equator. Interesting.

Kitale was nice, the bathroom at the church building there was just a hole in the floor. I am amazed with my mom - she dealt with this for 3 years. Wonderwoman?

Monday we went to Lake Nakuru - saw a lot of beautiful wildlife, and Russ kept hitting his head on the handle above the window. Ha ha... Oh, and randomly I got a phone call on my dad's phone from my branch president, extending a calling to me. That was nice ?

My mom is putting together a collection of testimonies from the Kenyan women. It is incredible. Every conversion is a miracle, and the love and depth they have is inspiring. Luckily, I got to help with compiling these books.

One day, we did some souvenir shopping - I got the ring I've wanted for 2.5 years. Ahhhh. Not a wedding ring, please. It has elephants on it.

Sister Dalton the General Young Women President came and did some trainings in Nairobi. It was really fun to listen to her, and it made me want to be in Young Women's so badly.

I read roughly 4 books on this trip. Love it.

Ultimately, the best part of this trip was just being with my parents. They make it so easy to feel loved, and in turn, accepted in every way. It was part of my soul that I needed to be filled, and I didn't realize it. Yes, technology has made it easier, but being with them was more than words could express. I can't help but draw conclusions to how our relationship with our Heavenly Father should and actually is. He loves us deeply and we need to be with Him again. It's a really good thing there is a veil that keeps us from remembering exactly how it was to be in His presence.

Anyway, that's a bit of a recap of my trip. Feel free to ask questions :0)

Oh, and God Bless the U.S.A.

Reasons

This is just a quick list of reasons why I need to go on vacation:

1. I have a hang nail on my thumb and it KILLS to use the space bar.
2. 2 paper cuts in the exact same place. What are the chances?
3. I can't sleep because I'm so excited to go...so if I go, I can get some sleep, right?

I AM SO EXCITED TO GO TO KENYA!!!
I leave Thursday, at 10:55
Yay for seeing parents and the Paris airport!

To Chrisanna (others may read)

This is the current state of my bed. I would like to point out that it's about 4 outfits deep in some places. I conveniently didn't capture the entire bedroom. :0)

Oh, and I got a random text stalker the other night. It was magical. His name is Brent, and he never let me know how he got my number. And he sent a picture. Interesting. He wanted to go for a walk on Temple Square. "Do you like to walk around the temple?" I answered with "I like to go for walks with my husband." That was kind of the end of that conversation. Still a mystery, but really, why am I such an easy target for these texting stalkers?

Sleeping Habits

Every once in a while, I feel compelled to sleep somewhere besides my bed. I don't know why.

After my parents moved to Africa, I slept in every single bedroom - why not? I was the only one there! Eventually, I moved a bed into the front room where I fell asleep watching movies for a good 2 weeks.

For the last 5 nights, I have slept on the floor. I wake up feeling really refreshed, too. I like that.

Meanwhile, my bed keeps acquiring more and more clothes on top of it. And then that just gives me more incentive to keep sleeping on the floor.

When I'm rich, I'm going to pay someone to put my clothes away at night.



Note: this is not my actual bed. I don't own boys clothes :0)

Hi. This is Crew William Taylor. He was born on 11 May 2010. He is such a cute little man. His proud parents are Rob & Tara.

Of all the nieces & nephews I have, I've only been around for 3 births. So, this was a treat that he was born in Utah, and not in Maine. Thanks for making that feasible parents :0)

On Sunday, I got to go to Tara's parents house for a little mother's day celebration. We of course tried to convince Tara of what she should name the little man. She had a list of what she wanted, but didn't know what it would be until he came.

Luckily he got named before the birth certificate was signed. I left the hospital as Baby Taylor.

BUT, with all this talk about names, it made me remember a really cool devotional I had at work where we talked about the names of Christ. I am grateful for the way that he magnifies each name that He has. That I am able to be a participant in who He is.

And I'm grateful for little bodies that get to come to my family for me to love.

Grand Prize

At my local Smith's, I noticed a car parked in front, directly in front of the 2 entrances, which are about 7 feet apart. What is going on? Then I see a sign that reads "Enter to win a 1998 Mazda Protege" Oooo!! Just $2. I think this is a great incentive.

Turns out 1998 really doesn't seem that old to me. But then I realize it's 2010. That's a 12 year old car, not a pretty new car. My paradigm needs to shift, just a tad.

Reminds me of Spring

I really hope this video works. It's my favorite. And it makes me think about spring, which it's beautiful today...so Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

RIP

We just got the menu for the week at work.
The Hawaiian Haystack Bar has been replaced by the fruit bar.
:0(
At least the haystacks made it further than they did last year - when the bar was discontinued on my birthday. I think the angry email I sent the cafeteria people really made a difference.
I'll be okay though. I just won't eat for the next 5 months, when they hopefully bring it back.
So here's to you, Hawaiian Haystack Bar - thanks for bringing me joy and happiness every Thursday. Thanks for providing deliciousness and all the perfect toppings. You light up my life.
Cheers!

A History Lesson

It all started last week when a co-worker offered me tickets to "Celebrate Family History." Sure, why not, it couldn't hurt, right? Now, I understand the importance of Family History, but that's about as much as I care about. I go to the temple weekly, so I'm involved in the work.

Many years ago, the National Genealogy Society was established for all the wonders of genealogy (and really, I'm just going to use these names interchangeably, because I don't know the difference). Every year they have a conference, and this year, it was in Salt Lake City. So this "Celebrate Family History" was a pretty big event - little did I know.

President Eyring from the First Presidency of the Church spoke, along with David McCullough, an acclaimed author of some great books that I have yet to read. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang and some videos were shown that reflected some family history stories.

One of my favorite things happened with the showing of the film "Clan McCloud." It was a story that a father was telling of his 7 year-old son wanting to learn to play the bagpipes. The scenes that ensued were hilarious - this young kid making horrible noise with the bagpipes, the family leaving the room, ceramic figurines breaking, the neighbors staring. Along the way, the entire family caught the spark of learning about their heritage. They learned highland dances and the young boy, Jared, became quite the bagpiper. And it showed him teaching his daughter about the different tartans, and how this heritage seeking is shaping who they are. Cut to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir - bagpipes are sounding that starting note of the air entering the belly of the bagpipe, and Amazing Grace beginning. The camera moves to the bagpipe players, and focuses on one man, Jared. The boy! It was incredible. The crowd went wild - as much as a bunch of genealogical lovers can. It was beyond touching. I shed a few tears. It was incredible to think about the change that this one little boy made in the lives of his family, the connection that he forged, and the living history that he showed so fully in his talent. And the words and music to "Amazing Grace" I love.

Then David McCullough shared some thoughts - a lot, actually - some things that were poignant to me were:
~ to understand the past, we have to understand their present. read the books they read, the poems they memorized, the verbiage they used.
~ journals are essential. it shows the humanity of who the person really is, in a way that someone else couldn't show. Also, it's a great way to process through feelings and thoughts.
~ Margaret McFarland, a mentor to the famous Mister Rogers, of Neighborhood fame, said that there are always teaching moments, and it's all about attitude. Attitude isn't taught, it's caught. And in relation to history, this is vital. He encouraged the audience to garner a habit of excitement about history and share that with the younger generation, because history is what makes a great education and changes lives.

Ultimately, I left feeling great and encouraged, and the feeling is in me once again to be a teacher. Something to think about!

Half

Here I am at the end of the race with Natalie & Michael & all the delicious food. Would've been nice to have a bag to put it all in, but I'm not the chairman of the race...maybe next year.

It was so fun running. The day was PERFECT and the company was so fun. I'm glad they committed to doing this with me.

Here I am pre-race day with Little Lucy. She is so much fun to be around. We jumped over every patch of stones on that sidewalk. She also insists on walking up and down stairs 2 at a time. Watching those little legs in cowgirl boots was entertaining.

After running the race, I felt fantastic for like 4 days. It was worth it.

And quickly - my nephew Logan is a doll. He was blessed on Sunday. It was a great day.

Tulip Tree

I made a brilliant discovery this weekend. It's a tulip tree. I'm sure there's a more scientific term for it, but "tulip tree" was enough to pull it up on a google search. Thanks to www.refalo.com/blog for this beauty! My brother-in-law told me where there are some in SLC, so I'm going to do a little family home evening activity tonight and find them and photograph them. I'm excited. Oh, and this website that I found, has a killer recipe for Thai Mango Sorbet. I'm going to try it. Mmm!

Last weekend was the Salt Lake Half-Marathon. It was totally fun. My rockin' sister and her husband came and ran with me. And I'm not even that sore. I was nervous going in to it - I didn't exercise at all last week, and conveniently gained 4 pounds. Whoops! But it was great. The morning was BEAUTIFUL and the company was FANTASTIC. I'll probably do it again.

And I want a pair of cowgirl boots. Like my niece. She's 2.

Trail Mix

A few weeks ago I found a nice deal on a package of trail mix at Smith's. I was quite excited for this little snack to take to work. Well, I forgot that I had it and I busted it out this morning to eat at work for breakfast. We don't need to really discuss my eating habits at this point.

The first few bites were great, and then I realized that I didn't like it - at all. The m&m's (cheap brand) are gross. The raisins are so plump, and not appetizing. The sunflower seeds are soft. The almonds are soft and leave a really weird taste in my mouth. What a sucky snack!

I do however, prefer the deliciousness of this trail mix:

And if I have to, I'll eat this:

Trail Mix is the best. And I am slightly heartbroken by the feeble attempts of the first brand. Lesson learned: it's not worth it to try other brands when you already like one.

Rejuvenation

I am in love with this flower: hyacinth. I'm not totally confident in the pronunciation, but all shades of this flower make my day.

I walked outside to go to lunch with my friend today and the wonderful wind brought the most delicious smell. And then I looked and saw so many wonderful flowers and the blossoms on the trees. Incredible!

As I was walking back through Temple Square, I saw the grounds crew digging up some dirt and doing their thing. I got so jealous of their job. During winter, I have zero jealousy, but right now until it snows again - in the fall time, not next week - I have intense jealousy. Me and my co-worker decided that we should have 3 days of inside jobs, 3 days of outside jobs. There's something about digging in the dirt and pulling weeds and cutting grass that just makes me feel so alive and productive.

Which reminds me - the other day, the grounds crew was cutting grass on my walk to work. Such a glorious smell! Rejuvenating.

Outer Space

Do you ever feel like you just are not that smart?

Last night I went to a lecture at the University of Utah about "The Search for Earth-like Planets Around Other Stars." It was given by Ronald Walsworth, who is the Senior Physicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

I was a little apprehensive about going. Especially with really smart people that actually know words or phrases like "16 Cygni B" or "hot planet" or "5jun" or "nuclear fission" or "femtosecond." Those things are just not in my vocabulary. If I come across stuff like that in a book, I just skip until I find familiar words and make up the rest in my head.

Ron did a fabulous job communicating and presenting on this subject. I was in awe. That is true genius, to make things so complex seem so understandable to the weak ones. Basically, there are planets out there in space, and the Kepler telescope is taking pictures. But in order to get better pictures, they invented the "astro-comb" that takes a lot of interference out of the pictures, cleans it up. And from there, they are trying to find planets that have similar properties to Earth. Obviously, the big planets, or gas-giants are found first because of sheer size, and that's important, because if there's a big planet, there might be a smaller planet nearby, like in our solar system.

That is just skimming the surface I'm sure of what he was really talking about. That's what I caught. I'm amazed that there are laws that these Scientists trust and believe in to find greater things out there. Gravity, biochemistry, orbits, etc. Scientific laws are unchanged throughout the galaxies. There really are patterns to things. All things denote there is a God.

I have a lot to learn. I feel like I live far below my privilege or brain capacity.

Fulfilling Weekend

One of my greatest blessings in life is that my birthday is always so close to General Conference. I didn't think it was great when I was younger - friends always had to go home early after a sleep-over, didn't get to play, etc. But there was always delicious candy.

Another blessing is that my mom loves candy. Treats were a standard accessory to a lot of my life, but especially at General Conference time.

As I've gotten older, I've loved General Conference more and more. It is so fulfilling. So much speaks to my soul and gives me the energy and determination to be better. What a great way to launch into another year, older and wiser. I'm grateful for the testimonies that witness of the living reality of the Savior. He lives! And combining all the wonderful men that have the express privilege of being His witnesses, we got to celebrate Easter this year. How wonderful it is! I was able to attend the Sunday Afternoon Session with my niece and a friend. During the intermediate hymn, "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" I was in awe of these testimonies being shared. The last line "Oh Sweet, the Joy this sentence gives, I know that My Redeemer Lives" I saw Elder Holland singing so resolutely and with such passion---I lost it. It was such a powerful witness to me that these Apostles really are witnesses of Christ and I can trust them. President Monson left no doubt in my mind that he knows these things.

Besides being spiritually edified and fulfilled, I did a lot of fun things as well. A great birthday party happened on Friday night, talking to family and friends throughout that day and the next, and fondue and finishing Hunger Games. It's great to be 27 and a member of the only true and living church on the earth!

April 1

Last night I got a text from "you're pretty" - I had to correct the grammar.

"How is everything?" followed by "Wrong number I may have it mixed up with the other Julie."

WHAT? There's more than one Julie that he is freakily texting?

So I wrote back and let him know that he could just delete my number, since I don't live in Murray any more and we never do anything (I tried to soften the blow somehow, but whatever)

"I would like to do something," Please notice that he used a comma, instead of a period. When did I become such a grammar snob? I know I don't use it perfectly. Maybe I just like the drama I can create from such a silly little thing.

I didn't write anything back. Hopefully he does delete my number. That would be a brilliant gift.

Other than that, life has been super busy at work, and full of training for this half-marathon. I think I'm getting further away from where I need to be. I read "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" on Sunday. I read it back in the 6th grade and loved it, and decided I should read it again. Yes, the love is still there. Now I'm working my way through "Hunger Games" and trying to balance my reading life with finishing the Book of Mormon before Conference starts on Saturday.

Innocence

Funny story about my co-worker. She'd probably die if she knew I was blogging about her, but there's not much she can do :0)

She's about 60 and always has the funniest things to say. It doesn't always make sense, but she's from Idaho, so it's all good. This story stems from what is called the 3 Finger Salute. When I heard it, I was thinking somewhere along the lines of "peel the banana" or "read between the lines" or just showing your tall man. Apparently, according to wikipedia, it's "Ctrl+Alt+Delete". It's what you do when your computer is being dumb, you give it a 3 finger Salute. We all thought she meant something else with the finger. So, to show her innocence, she told this story.

"Many years ago, I was driving back from Idaho with the kids. There was a driver who wasn't being very nice. Knowing that there was something that I could do to show that I was mad, I looked down at my hand, trying to figure out what finger to use. It must have worked, because when I put the finger up, the guy got really mad."

Might be the Last One

This might be my last post about Harry Potter. I finished book 7 last night. Sure, I stayed up until 2:30, but it really was worth it. Those last 200 pages were really good. And I totally cried while reading it. As I said my prayers last night, I was filled with gratitude for the happiness that has consumed my life. Oh, and that I have goodness and truth and don't have to fight so explicitly for it. Excuse the tangent for a bit....

Recently I found on facebook a dear friend from the mission. It was incredible to catch up with her and find out all the good that she is doing, her husband is even a bishop. Wow. The verse from Alma in the Book of Mormon came to mind that says Alma was so happy to see his brethren, but more happy to see that they were still his brethren in the Lord. Alma 17:2. I always think of my brother when I read that verse too, in the few letters he wrote to me as a missionary, he always stated that he was being true to his covenants. Pretty great older brother I have. Sometimes there is a little wondering of "am I the only one who believes." I know I'm not, I work in a 28 floor building that proves that I'm not. And it was such a sweet affirmation that righteousness continues in so many lives, especially in the lives of my friends. If we were to rally the troops, we would win. We fight battles of good and evil all the time, constantly, and we will come off victorious. (General Conference is coming up!!)

Make any connections to Harry & Co. that you want. That's where I went. That was the conclusion that was impressed on me as I read last night. It's been a fun ride. I'm excited to have a small portion of my life back. I just have to watch all the movies now. Any one up for a marathon?

Grown Up

I have grown up a lot since I bought that vacuum a few months ago.

I went to Bed Bath & Beyond and made some kitchen purchases. All by myself. I didn't even call anyone to consult, I just bought what I wanted.

Oh, and it turns out I've been the free-loading roommate for almost 10 years. Whoops. How did I let that happen? My freshman year of college, I had ugly plates & cups and pots. And everyone else had cuter ones. And did we really need 6 sets of dishes? Nope. So I gladly put mine away, and I really have no idea where I put them. The next year, I may have contributed, but I think it was mostly cheap plastic stuff from the dollar store or wal*mart. As a missionary, I didn't need anything. Living in retirement at my parents home, Genie took care of it all. My Utah Chapter has left me with well established roommates who have everything. So I've had to purchase my womanhood in the last little bit. Luckily, my friend donated an old microwave, and another friend bought me my first crock-pot. I am so lucky and blessed to have such generosity in my life. Sure, it would be nice to register and send out announcements so others can help me set up shop, but right now I'm loving this nesting business.

So I apologize to all past roommates - all 28 of you (missionary companions or family not included) for not providing any kitchen ware. And thanks for letting me use your stuff to make my cookies and ramen noodles.

The Unluck of the Irish

Turns out I don't have much luck, but I sure have fun...

Last year, as I was heading to my Hawaiian Vacation, I got this text from an unknown number that said, "your pretty." How flattering, yet how grammatically incorrect...negates any flattery in my book. Throughout the vacation, I tried to be Nancy Drew and figure out who this kid was. He claimed he got my number at church - him and everyone else. It's not too hard to get my number, especially when we have name tags and I put my number right under my name.

I didn't get much information, so I figured I'd invite him to do something so I could at least figure out who he was, in person. I was okay with that risk. The day that I was to get back to the mainland, I was going to go to the Bee's Baseball Game. I invited him to attend. "That's a little fast for me." Really? How? And then I got stuck in Hawaii for 2 extra days. I texted him and said I wasn't going to be able to make it back in time for the game, sorry. He slightly freaked out on me, saying I was a liar, etc.

About this time, I had someone on the mainland call his number, just to figure out who it was. The person obliged and discovered that he was indeed in the ward and that he had stalker tendencies and to stay far far away from him. Easy enough.

Since then, I get a lot of random texts from him, reminding me that I'm pretty, Happy Valentine's Day, suggesting we do stuff because we live so close, etc. The fun thing is that when I see him in real life, and I say "hi" he acts like he's never met me before or seen me. That's cool.

Last night I got a text from him, "Remember when we were going to go to the bees game? That was the most exciting thing in my life. I still think of how lucky I would have been to go have a good time." Apparently time heals wounds and he has forgotten that I "lied" to him. Interesting. It makes me sad that he's trying so hard. And makes me really happy that I have moved :0)

Happy St. Patrick's Day...may you have more luck than I have :0)

Irish-ness

I have never been one to really celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Sure, I MIGHT wear green that day, but probably not. Really, who's going to pinch me as an adult?

Last night for fhe we had an Irish night. The highlight was by far the dancing. The mother of some stellar people in my ward came and demonstrated her amazing skill and then taught us a little jig. It was so much fun. There's something about just jumping around in a little bit of order that is so pleasing to me. I found myself just giggling.

So here's my hurrah to the Irish and their totally fun dancing.

ALSO...on a bit of Kenyan news, my parents got their flight plans for coming back to America. I am so excited, and so is every single member of my family. They fly into Idaho Falls on July 2. I might try and get on the flight from Salt Lake to Idaho Falls with them :0)

Handwriting

As much time as I spend on the computer, it's fantastic that I still get to use pens and paper. In fact, I replace my pens fairly frequently. I love the idea of having something physical in front of my that I can take and pack away.

The other day, I was stuck on a report that was poorly documented, and so I was filling in a lot of information. A letter that I was writing a lot was "G". I realized I don't like writing the letter G. So I changed how I write it. And luckily I had plenty of practice on this silly report. It still isn't stellar, and sometimes just looks like a 6.

And apparently I can't download pdf's to this blog post. Lame.

I do feel like a new woman with my new letter, and I always hope that I'm going to get to use it.

Movin' On Up

I'm moving.
Not far, just to a different county.
Actually, it's North Salt Lake. It only takes 10 minutes to get to work...I'm slightly in heaven. Kind of pathetic that I am so excited about that.
After a series of events and just having the need, I'm moving. I turned to KSL.com and looked. Monday I went to look at a property and totally dug it. I paid the money today and am moving tomorrow. It seems really fast, but I have to just not think about it :0)
As I locked up my new apartment tonight, it was a totally surreal experience. Am I really doing this? What am I thinking? And then to add to it, some punk made a comment on my facebook profile saying, "About time" to my status update of moving. Ew. I can see the hilarity behind it, yet, it still kind of hurt. Why not happiness? I'm facing a lot of feelings right now, and I don't really like that. But sometimes we get to walk step into the dark and see if the light will follow.
This will be a fun adventure. I'm living on my own. I just had a full background check done. I feel like an adult. I wish I was sharing it with someone else, but I have chosen to not have anyone do it with me. I'll grow. I can see a lot of good coming from this.
Looks like I get to buy my first real set of dishes! Turns out I always just use my roommates' stuff. Happy Birthday to me :0)

The Man I'm Supposed to Marry

First off, I'm not getting married (not ever, just right now, the pool is dry)
Secondly, Harry Potter & Ginny got together! I did a full on cheer - arms in the air and a little hooray! Yes, I am a nerd and have been waiting for this to happen for a long time.

Okay, back to the first.
Most marriage advice will say that you meet the person you marry doing the things you like to do. Sure, I like to do a lot of things, but nothing that I think would ever merit a marriage option. I did, however, realize that I love to attend the temple. It's something that I do once a week. It is built into my schedule and hardly gets bumped. It's nice to have consistency. So wouldn't it be great to meet someone at the temple?

Three experiences for you:

1. Me and a friend decided to join lds singles. So, we created a fake profile, of course, and one of the first "looks" came from a kid with a John Deere hat and the comment that he loved to go to the temple. Done. I had no desire to meet anyone via the temple again.

2. Last year, there was a really cute kid who had the same schedule in the temple as me. Wait, wouldn't it be great to meet someone this way? We even had the same institute class, but I was far too chicken to say anything to him ever. Chance missed. My focus was off. I had no desire to meet anyone via the temple again.

3. In the same session that I attend and the boy mentioned above, there is a man. Probably in his late 40s. He also works in my building. Yeah, you notice consistent faces. I'd see him at work and at the temple and he'd usually say hello. It started to get awkward, especially when he started calling me by name. How did he figure that out? I've probably emailed him unknowingly, but that's not enough information to identify who someone is. So this old man started to make me nervous, that he was the man that I was supposed to marry, mostly because of my "idea" that we meet our spouse doing something we like to do. Really, nervous. So I changed what day I go to the temple to avoid it. I have no desire to meet anyone via the temple.

Oh, the joys of life :0)

My Head is in May

Last week, I decided it was time to turn my calendar from January from February. Big step, I know. I don't understand why I always struggle to make that change, but I do. That was always my grandma's excuse for missing my birthday. Totally understandable as the years progress for me :0) Right after I pinned the calendar back into the wall, it fell down. Grr. So I pick it up and push a little harder with the pin. The next morning I happened to look at the calendar, it was May, not February. Whoops! Apparently the pictures looked a lot alike. I'm not blaming myself for anything, I'm just realizing that my head is in May.

I'm going to KENYA!!! Me and my oldest brother, Russ, are going to visit my parents. I am so excited. We've been trying to figure the details out for the last 2 weeks and yesterday the tickets were purchased. We even have a small layover in PARIS!! I keep getting closer and closer to touring that city. Russ is 17 years older than I am. I have never spent time with just him, it's always been with his kids or with his wife. What a treat for me! Oh, and getting to see my parents - yeah, it's going to be good. I haven't seen my parents in over 2 years, which is a really long time. I will probably help them pack a little, but hopefully give them one last hurrah before they come back to America.

I need to remember to keep my head here in February and take care of my running responsibilities - I get to run 4 miles tonight - and hope that the next 12 weeks really fly by :0)

Pita Chips

I enjoy pita chips and humus. It's a delicious meal. Yes, it is a meal. Just like Chips & Salsa is a meal (which I had about 3 times this week)

To save money, I learned how to make pita chips. It's so reasonable. You buy the pita bread, rip it into pieces, place it on a cookie sheet, spray with PAM - Olive Oil, then put a little salt on it, and put it in the oven at 325 degrees for several minutes - 20? when the chips are hard and brown (not black). Then you dip!

My favorite humus right now is roaster red pepper. Yum.

And I do purchase pita chips occasionaly. I'm not that good at saving money. :0)

Treat Drawer

Last week, I got a magical Valentine's package from one of my sisters, that contained a little baggie of candy bars. A little piece of heaven. So I took it to work for breakfast, and lunch, and had a great day.

Not finishing the bag, I left it in a drawer at my desk, and left for the weekend.

On Monday, I was feeling a little hungry. Needing something work related, I opened a drawer and to my great surprise, there were my magical treats! I truly had forgotten that they were there. How could I do such a thing?

But I can't put any more candy there, because I will remember from now on my plan of "forgetting" the candy and being "surprised" when I see it again.

Right now, I'm wishing I didn't eat it all :0)

Flowers

Why are flowers so magical?

This morning, when my roommate was leaving the house, she found some flowers on the doorstep:

To: Julie Taylor & Roomies
May these brighten your home this Valentine's Day! ;)

How precious is that?
I honestly have no idea who left these flowers, but I am just flattered. I wish I knew it was so I could thank them. Whoever it is has a little chunk of my heart.
And it's okay that it wasn't just for me, but for the roommates, too.
Very kind and sweet.

That combined with the text at 7:00 from my brother in Maine who must have forgotten that he's a few hours ahead of me AND the great lessons in Church about Christ & love, it's been a good day. Not to mention the delicious leftovers from last night's party. Yum. A big hip hip hooray to all those who came!

Loves!!

Valentine's Day

Love This

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Binder Clips?

My friend has lost a TON of weight while on the HCG Diet. And although I don't approve of this method of losing weight, I am happy that she's getting where she wants to be. Anyway...with all this losing of weight, it seems all her clothes are just falling off her. So much so that her skirts no longer fit. Instead of buying a new skirt, what does she do? She uses binder clips! Apparently they work as a nice belt, except for the huge pleat that I'm sure was created. Luckily she had some laying around the house! Why not suspenders? Why not safety pins?

We went to Ross Dress for Less. We remedied the situation.

Appeal

I feel okay about sharing this.
At work, we get a lot of weird emails. This is the most recent one that we have been laughing about all day. The title of this post is the subject line of this email:

I am church member in Pakistan and I am find any church member in Australian girl get marriage with me if any church member girl in Australia is ready to marry with me plz contact with me in my e :mail naeemjamesjames@ymail.com
I demand only church member girl.
I know book of morman is to be the word of god and prophet Thomas s monsom is living prophet .
my name is james
cell : 00923212510182

Please do not call or email :0)
I'm just proud of this kid for knowing what he wants. I'm going to more specific in my prayers.

Harry might have a little bit of competition. His name is Jack Bauer.

Dating Update

I'm home from the first date of the evening, now I'm getting ready for my second one...that Harry Potter is SUCH a CHARMER!! Yes, I'm pathetic :0)

Vacuum

I bought a vacuum. I assembled it (all 3 steps, thank goodness for my handy screwdriver). I used it. The floor was beyond nasty. I think this is why I keep getting sick. Either that, or my landlord is putting something in the vents that is making me sick. Interesting theory, eh?

As I was in Target, trying to figure out my purchase, I was lost. I've never bought a vacuum before. I don't know what the heck I'm looking for. Sure, I've seen plenty of commercials telling me what the best choice would be, but that was before I could fully spell vacuum, let alone afford one. So I called my sister for some advice. We reasoned it out, quickly said no to the bright yellow one, and settled on the cheaper Dirt Devil. I'm grateful she knows a little about the business to help me out. As I proceeded to the check out line, I realized I kind of hate being an adult. No, I don't hate the income. I do hate the responsibility. The having to make big purchases by myself. I never envisioned myself buying a vacuum on my own. A friend of mine just bought a condo. Yippee for her! Yet, she was still shy about doing it because she didn't ever want to buy a house by herself. I think I get how she was feeling. There is really no comparison to a house & a vacuum, but a small principle applies.

Maybe I just shouldn't go shopping by myself.

But at least I have a very clean floor :0)

Another Addiction

I find it irrestible to say no to a vacation of some sort. In about the last year, I have been to 2 foreign countries (England & The Dominican Republic), 9 states (Hawaii, California, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York & Maine), have seen all 8 siblings and all 28 neices & nephews (I hope that's the right number). And I have loved every minute of it.

My latest adventure took me to Colorado to visit my sister Natalie and her family in their new house. It was so much fun. We just hung around, ate some good food, played the wii, shopped (Natalie is one of the best shoppers that I know of), and did a lot of gabbing. One of my highlights was when I was in the bathroom and I heard Lucy ask where I was. She found her way to the bathroom and then just talked to me for the time that I was in there. Every once in a while her fingers would come under the door, probably just to let me know that she was still there. It was the cutest things. The whole experience was quite enjoyable. And I felt honored that she just wanted to be with me, even though the door was shut.

And on the flight home, I pretty close to a gentleman who lost his chicken on the aisle. I have never been more grateful for coffee before in my life. It masked the smell quite nicely. But, Ew.

Men in Black

I recently discovered an online radio station that just pleases me in so many ways. I get to it from aol radio and I think it's simply called "Movie Tracks." Easy enough. It plays music from movies. From "Little Mermaid" to "Indiana Jones" to "Footloose" to "Transformers". All genres are satisfied. It's like being at the movies all day, yet, it leaves me craving to actually watch all of those movies. I'm down with that set up.

Well, the favorite song right now, and maybe always, just happens to be "Men in Black." I am singing it quite frequently throughout the day...in fact, I am right now, hence the post. I found the video to show my co-worker. She refused to watch it because she didn't want the song stuck in her head. So I called her and just put the phone up to my speakers. I win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyUrQRYAiLQ

I struggle to get links to work, so just copy & paste it, you'll be good to go!

Confession

Recently, I have found a new addiction.

It's called amazon.com

I decided I wanted to buy a few books for some people, and the google search pulled up amazon.com. Well, I was fully satisfied. I ordered what I needed, got nice emails from them telling me my order was processed, etc. I just felt so cared for.

Oddly, I have found a lot of things that I absolutely need.
~lash stylist mascara
~ping pong instructional video
~thermal guard - for styling with heat
~etc.

I don't know what I did before this. It is so magical.
And, they are so easy to work with! And it keeps my hope for mail at an all time high, except for when I was a missionary.