It's been a while!

I realize it has been a very, very long time since I last posted and a lot has happened in my life since then. I'm not going to go into details right now. I'll most likely do each event in it's own detailed post (hopefully with pictures!) and catch up that way. Just be aware that very soon, in the near future, everyone will know where I've been the last couple of months!

Tagged by... Me!

I just visited my friend's website, and she had this fabulous "tag" on her blog. I love it because it is a "tag yourself if you want to be tagged" so no pressure for anyone who doesn't want to do it!! How great is that?!So here are the rules: The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it's going to be.

The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!!!So there you have it! If you want me to make something for you...hmm, what could it be? A new toilet paper dispenser? just leave me a message.

My Family

I very much appreciate my parents for teaching me to be a good person (don't laugh, mom). I was brought up to know that I should do all I can to help someone when they really need me. I have always tried to really help as much as I can when one of my friends or family members is in a bind. There may have been times when I couldn't help out, but I do when I can.
As much as I appreciate the way I was brought up, it severely screwed me up...
As much as we may try to help, we should refrain because most of the time, those you are helping wouldn't do the same in return. If we help someone by picking them up if they are stranded or trying to make them happy when they are sad or chewing out a guy when he's hurt our best friend... none of that matters when we need the help.
Don't get me wrong, I know there are a few exceptions to everything. There are a few people who are willing to help... my parents for example (hence the way I learned to help friends). However, when I am in desperate need of doing something, a certification video for example, the people I try to help blow me off.
Now, I know I'm very frustrated right now and I know I will most likely feel at least a little different in the morning, but if I didn't at least write how I'm feeling I would probably explode as I try to sleep tonight.
For those of you who are and have been willing to help me, I am very grateful and I will always be there for you when you need me.
For those of you who choose frivolous activities with others when I really need you... well, I may not be available if you call.
When I have a family of my own, I may just teach my kids to count on themselves and no one else. That way they won't get disappointed as much!

ALL CLEAR!!!

No, I'm not talking about the snow (obviously) or my face (tragically) or guys, although I do have a date on friday :)

I'm talking about GRADUATION!!! About a week and a half ago I had a meeting with my Comm advisor just after I paid $30 for my graduation application. She put the notes in my file that, barring any incompletes I may get from my classes this semester, my major is all clear for a graduation on May 1st! This did not mean I was ready by any means... I won't be "ready" until I know I've passed all my classes. However, I met with my minor advisor today and, save an incomplete from my independent study this semester, I will be TOTALLY set to graduate! I'm so overly excited about this, as anyone who has attended college for more than 4 years would know! Yes, I'm only getting a Bachelor's degree and I've been at the school for 7 years. That is completely beside the point.
The fact is, I am FINALLY graduating and it feels AMA-ZA-ZING!!! I am completely stoked and can't wait until that day actually comes! But, until then, I will keep doing what I need to do to get there.
Hallelujah!!!

Catching up...

It's been way, way, WAY too long since I've blogged and I feel really bad about that. I was actually going to try and be really good this year and, well, January flew by with only one post... so I blew it. But I can always start now, right?
So much has happened since Jan. 4th... I started my (hopefully) very last semester of school FOREVER! I still can't believe I've been there for so long and it's going to be over in about three months. Things are going really well, I guess. I procrastinate A LOT but I just get in moods when I really don't want to do school work. In fact, I have to wake up really early tomorrow so I can write a storyboard for a music video that's due tomorrow. I'll hopefully get it done before 7:30ish so I can go to the gym and get a run in.
I've been slacking a lot there, too. I'm all signed up to run the Ogden half marathon in May and I'm only at 3 miles consistently. I might be able to do more, but when I do go running I only have time to run 3 miles. I am teaching Body Jam tuesdays and thursday, so that's giving me a little extra cardio exercise, plus I practice almost every day. I have to make a video of my class to send to the corporate Les Mills so I can be certified which means I will be able to teach Jam in any facility that is licensed for it. I'm really stoked, but really nervous. I plan on making a few different videos so I can send the absolute best I have! That's about the extent of my physical activity which needs to change if I going to contribute anything to the family weight loss challenge. I'm not doing so well with any sort of diet... I blow it about every three days or so. I'm going to reach my goals if it kills me, so I'll keep working at it.
I am still in choir this semester, my very last one. I was going to not go back, but when I found out that within my 18 credit hours I still somehow had 11 free every day, that was a sign that I needed to be there. So far this year, we gotten to sing for the Prophet (way cool), and member of the 70 and one ward. A week from today, we'll sing for two more wards. It really is fun, and I am actually making more friends this semester, although for some reason I'm losing some, too. Just a side note... boys are stupid.
Anyway, one more thing that has changed this year is my social life. Surprisingly, quitting my job didn't give me as much free time as I'd hoped. I can't even imagine how much more exhausted and burnt out I would be if I were still working. Anyway, a few friends and I started having date nights about every other week. The first was kind of a bust, not exactly what we had planned but still kinda fun. I was a little preoccupied because it was during my BJ training and I had a routine to learn that night after everyone left, but it turned out ok in the end. The second one, just about a week ago, was actually really fun. I took an old friend who I hadn't seen in a while and all six of us had a lot of fun just playing games. This weekend, we're going to do pretty much the same thing, only we are all going to make dinner together. It should be pretty fun... I hope!
Last, but not least, I just wanted to post some pictures. They are all pretty old, but I don't remember writing about any of them, so I thought I'd make this very LONG post a little more interesting (because that's what pictures do... make things more interesting). ENJOY!!!
This is from when my ward went to Temple Square at Christmas time... a little old but it's such a generic picture, I had to share mine!
Ha this is a present my sister's family gave my dad for his birthday. It's for when we go camping so everyone can find our spot!
This is my super cute Bo Man playing with his new toy on Christmas. He didn't really know how to use it, he was just trying to copy his older cousins :)
Oh yeah! We painted my room... It's not exactly put together yet, so there will be a whole story later when it is... hopefully BEFORE the end of the semester!
This is from our first date night... my date Jonathan and the other Lisa.
This is from a LONG time ago. I stole Alexis and took her to do baptisms and to get ice cream. We went to the WSU football game afterward, then to take some engagement pictures, and then to dinner at Rumbi Island Grill where I think they gave me fish instead of chicken because I started getting itchy. Gross! P.S. the guy behind us is my date this friday...
This precious photo is from yesterday :) Amber came up after work because we were having a girls' night and she came early to help me practice BJ. I didn't want to jam right after I ate so while we waited, she "watched" t.v. with dad. They were both asleep after about 20 minutes and I had to take a picture. Tender!
Ok, that's all :)

Nervousness

Tomorrow I start my last semester of school... my very last forever. Of course I'm excited to be finishing up. Getting through school has been really, really hard for me, though. I've never really liked school, except for the occasional classes that I'm passionate about. But this semester is a little different. I will be taking 18 credit hours, plus two Institute classes, equalling seven classes and an internship. Luckily, I saved enough money last semester that I don't have to work, which is a great blessing! I quit my job (another, more thorough post about that after my last day...) but I will get to do a couple weddings during the semester, which I absolutely love! I will also get to teach a class at my gym, which will only be maybe one day a week.
This whole experience will be so different, and I'm very nervous. I haven't been jobless in six and a half years, and that scares me a little bit. I'm praying that no major expenses come up within the next four months and that I will be able to make it through.
Another thing that makes me nervous (now please, don't laugh) is a few of my friends and I have decided that we want to have date nights at least twice a month. I haven't been on a date since I started working my job last August. So pathetic, I know, but there just isn't much time when you work nights! Now that that job is over with (or will be on tuesday) I will have a lot more time to spend with family and friends and meeting new people.

Lots of changes, lots of drama (in my eyes) and a lot of unknown... but hopefully a lot of good will come out of the next few months!

P.S. If anyone has ideas on FREE dates (seeing as how my funds are pretty much non existent) I would be very grateful for input!

Hallelujah!

So, the semester is FINALLY over and I feel so free! It's been really nice not having homework to worry about, just getting up and going to work every day. It's kind of terrible because my internship has me working in a completely different department where I'm not learning anything but at least they are paying me the money they promised very soon. That means I get to quit my job and just do school full time for my last semester! I'm so excited! not that working at the restaurant has been absolutely terrible, I did meet a lot of really nice people and made some good friends, but this is just something that will be very good for me to do. I'll have all the time I need to get my school work done. I will hopefully be working as a staff writer for the school's newspaper and that will give me money up front. The advisor for the paper actually asked me to apply for the job! I didn't think I was that good at writing stories... cool! And I told her I would be interested in taking photographs for the paper as well, which would be really awesome to have more of my photos published! I also got a call from the class director at Gold's gym. She wants to put me through their training program to be a body jam instructor! Things just work out so well sometimes! And, this way I'll have a lot more free time to do photography, which is what I really want to do full time someday if I ever get the chance.

Anyway, I hadn't posted for a while, so that's what everyone gets! I added a couple of photos from a trip I took a while ago to Bridal Veil and Stewart Falls just for the fun of it. Let me know what you think! There are six total, the rest will be on the side of my blog.

I just love the clouds in this picture... that's why I took it.
This is because of my obsession with water and its movement. This photo doesn't fit with my original series, but I still like it :)
Also, check out Stewart Falls Hike, Alone, Fall Grove, and Fall Morning

Sick :(

I've been sick for the last... oh... week I guess. It came on very slowly, stuffy nose, headaches, then the full-blown cold. I haven't been this sick in a very long time... the kind of sick where you don't want to even get out of bed, you don't want to move at all, you don't sleep much at night either. I just want to stay in my pajamas all day and not do a single thing. It's really hard right now, being the very end of the semester and the weekend of the Institute Christmas show and all. I tried to sing my small group song last night at dress rehearsal... it was so sad! Hardly anything came out of my mouth and what did actually come out was less than appealing.
I just decided to write about it because, well, I'm home in the middle of the afternoon and I haven't posted for a little bit. For those of you who are sick as well, I sympathize. For those of you who aren't... I'm totally jealous!