My favorite sister

My sister Jacie-

She knows everything about me and somehow she still loves me, which says a lot. I love talking on the phone for "a couple minutes"  (hours) about anything and everything. I love laughing with her until I'm gasping for breath and my eyes are watering.  I couldn't have asked for a better sister and can't imagine what life would be like without her. She is a spunky, spirited and loving girl. We are different in many ways but it's amazing how those differences are irrelevant because we're sisters. 

And they say I'm the crazy one in the family?

Just Thinking

I don't know if I could have a job where I do the same thing every day. I want a job where there is variety and problems to solve. However, the past few days I've been working as a lab rat doing rather monotonous tests (see pictures below).

It's the solvent retention capacity test. Exciting...I know.

But Moses and I were as fast as lightning testing our samples.

But it's given me a lot of time to think. I've enjoyed having time to think because sometimes it seems as though I need another brain to think about everything I should be thinking about. One of my topics of thought was a quote from Socrates, who said, "the unexamined life is not worth living" and I agree. I think self-evaluation is important and essential to growth and improvement. I love how the gospel is designed to help us improve and become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We are given commandments, covenants, families, prophets, scriptures and the word of God to help us. It's simply amazing. 

Let the quest begin

I can't believe this semester is already over. It's amazing how much I have learned in 4 months. In August I didn't even know what a wheat kernel looked like and now I could draw its anatomical parts with my eyes closed. I love learning! Being a student is wonderful. Stressful and busy and crazy, but wonderful. Now that classes are done, I can devote my energy to choosing the topic of my master's research, which is a daunting and intimidating task. Unlike choosing a topic for a research paper or a speech, with research you have to choose something that you won't get tired of working on for 2 years. That's a really long time! I'm sure there is some area or topic out there in the world of cereal science that will capture my interest. Let the quest begin.

My mom

I am so grateful for my mom. Sometimes we drive each other crazy, but deep inside I have to admit I am who I am partly because of her. She is an example of someone who selflessly sacrifices for those she loves. She manages to find time to talk to me when I need a listening ear. She can make me laugh until I can't breath. She can make me bright red with embarrassment. She can make me smile even when I'm upset. She's a blessing in my life. She's my mom.

tHaNkFuL

I would like to express my gratitude for all God has given me in my life. First I will begin with my family. I would not be half the person I am today without my family (mom, dad, jacie, jaden and tucker). They love me no matter how happy, sad, upset or goofy I may be. I have learned so much from them and I anticipate more learning experiences in the future. I am so thankful for a healthy body and capable mind that God has given me to serve others and better myself. I am grateful for small, anonymous acts of kindness that others perform for me. Those people will never know how much my spirit was lifted because of a simple act. I am thankful for Heavenly Father who loves me and hears and answers my prayers. To end with, I am thankful for Jesus Christ who is my Redeemer and Savior.

Never doubt I love

Doubt thou the stars are fire,

Doubt that the sun doth move,
Doubt truth to be a liar,

But never doubt I love.

Master Carpenter

I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father created the plan of salvation for all of us. It truly is a plan of happiness. Yes, unpleasant and sometimes terrible things happen to us in our lives. But everything that we go through will make us the type of person God intends for us to be. As we draw closer to Him, He will show us where we need to improve ourselves, and He has given us the gift of repentance so we can change and become like Him. It's like Heavenly Father is a carpenter who is showing me where my rough edges are and giving me the sandpaper to do it. The sandpaper is abrasive and it hurts, but if I keep using it I'll end up smooth and it will be worth every pain. I'm so grateful for the atonement and the ability to change and be forgiven. I know that Jesus Christ is God's son and that He loves us, and He suffered for our sins, felt our pains, and ultimately died for us so we could become like Him and live with Him again.

Geocaching is so much fun!

Who knew that following a GPS along trails to find boxes of hidden trinkets could be so fun? It was even better because it was the geocaching app was free. Sam and I picked a perfect day, and we found 3 sites! Next time we'll bring something to add to the boxes (maybe a bouncy ball?). 

We were geocaching pros!

It's autumn time, it's autumn time!

There is just something about fall that I love.
When the wind catches the leaves in a whirlwind
The chilly mornings where you snuggle deeper into your covers
Moist pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream
Wearing comfy cardigans, sweaters, scarves and jeans
Squirrels scurrying about collecting acorns for winter

A Ten

A few days ago I was walking to the library on campus and took this picture! It basically made my day, until..

I ate purple califlower for dinner!

If I could rate that day on a scale of 1-10, it would definitely be a 10!

My collection

Everyone grows up collecting things. Some of my collections are a little out of the ordinary, such as holiday Barbie dolls, erasers, coins, rocks and most recently pictures of signs. In the world there are some pretty weird/odd/funny/unique signs. So lately I've been taking pictures of them. So here is my first installment of my sign collection. 

Expectations

I came to grad school at K-State having many expectations. But the thing with expectations is that often you find that things aren't they way you expected them to be, and you have the tendency to be disappointed. For me this is half-true. I am disappointed in some ways but in others I never expected them to be so wonderful. 

I've been here about a month, and I still don't feel like I'm in the flow of things at school. It's such a new experience and I still feel unsure of myself. Trying to choose my research topic is proving to be the biggest challenge. I want to choose something original, exciting and useful that can be applied to industry but great ideas like that don't come easily. 

Yet at the same time I am so happy, which I believe is stemming from the fact that I am trying with all of my strength to be an obedient and faithful disciple of Christ. I'm also happy because of the friendships I've been able to make within the branch. I love attending institute, church and I can't wait for general conference this weekend!

What's a girl to do?

Follow my though process for a sec:

Moments That Matter Most

InGrain Yourself

The first week of grad school is behind me! I am studying grain science and will be spending the majority of my life in the Shellenberger Hall and Waters Hall. I even have my own desk to work at! I'm relishing the fact that I'm not that busy right now, but I know it won't last for too long. I'm a little nervous about getting started on my research project because I feel like I have no idea what to expect. Hopefully next week will calm my nerves and answer some questions. But for now, I'll just enjoy life.

Todo, we're not in Provo anymore...

Dear Kansas,

    Here I am-broke, car-less, stressed, nervous, and hot. Are you satisfied? I feel out of place and I'm not used to everyone having cowboy boots, huge belt buckles and pickup-trucks  I don't own any of these items (the only boots I have are rain boots).
    Whoever said modest is hottest was correct! I bet my body temperature is 15 degrees higher than those scantily clad girls on campus. Cool down please!
    Until I came to your state I had no idea what a toll highway was. What an interesting idea...
And what is up with all this humidity? I think the air in Kansas is a bit confused: the air shouldn't hold 90% of its water capacity for weeks and never rain (which makes life miserable). Kansas air should learn a lesson or two from Oregon air: if you have moisture, don't hold it in, just let it rain.

Sincerely,
             A girl who is barely hanging on

21st Century

You know it's the 21st century when you have to ask your neighbor to borrow their cheese grater because you don't have one. 

I heart food

One thing in this world that brings me joy is food. This is probably due to the fact that I am a food science major.   Foods that you will always find in my possession include: milk, salsa, tortillas, peanut butter. If I run out of any of these I declare myself in a crisis. Isn't it funny when you realize you're out of milk and suddenly you start craving it, even though you didn't want any initially? Or maybe this only happens to me, and I'm just mental. Here are some of my favorites:
Favorite snack: salsa and chips
Favorite bread: garlic bread or potato bread
Favorite juice: a glass of 1/2 grape juice and 1/2 orange juice
Favorite dessert: It must have chocolate in it and must be accompanied with either peanut butter or strawberries (but not both)
Favorite meal: this is a hard one...but who can go wrong with tamales?

A cheese

I recently had a birthday so I've been thinking quite a bit about getting older. I've just turned 23, which in my opinion, is a rather large number (almost a quarter of a century old).However, I should remember that age doesn't matter...unless your a cheese (jejeje). It almost feels weird to refer to myself as an adult because ever since I was born, I've been a kid. I'd prefer to call myself a student. But just this week, it struck me how much I've grown up. My mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and my answer was a hand crank radio for my 72-hour kit. Don't laugh...ok, you can if you want. My reasoning: I'm going to Kansas State in the fall, and it is in tornado alley (I'm pretty much freaked out about tornadoes).

Related thought: I was sitting in sacrament meeting and one of the speakers referred to Acts 10:38, which says how Jesus "went about doing good...for God was with Him." Today I set a goal that at my funeral people will be able to say that I went about doing good because God was with me.

Families

Lately I've been thinking a lot about families. I love seeing families spend time together: moms and dads out doing things with their kids. Whether they are going to see a Disney movie, swimming at the pool or hiking. One rainy day, a dad brought his kids to the outdoor pool. While he was waiting to go down the slide, he explained to me that he had promised to spend the day with his kids, and they had really wanted to go swimming (even though it was raining). I'm a softie, but that really touched my heart. Those kids are blessed with a father who loves them very much. I never want to be so busy that I can't spend time with my kids.

AC

In my mind, the fist day of summer is when you can no longer bear to be in your house without the air conditioner on. So in my books, today is the fist day of summer. I have tried to endure the heat because I have enjoyed my utility bill being less than $20. But it takes me forever to fall asleep because it's so warm. Additionally, I like to cuddle up with blankets when I sleep; and obviously this is out of the question when it is 80 or 90 degrees. So tonight I hope to fall asleep quickly wrapped in a blanket.

A random thought: I think there should be a rule that if you eat tuna from a can, you have to rinse it out before sticking it in the garbage so the house doesn't end up smelling like dead, rotting fish. Not that I have ever had this happen in my apartment before....

Free Time

As you'll soon see, I've had way to much free time on my hands. I can only watch movies and read books for so long before I get bored and need to do something with my mind and hands. These are the results:

Key hook: different, I know

Pencil holder: made entirely out of newspaper (no glue, tape or staples)

Music box: all you need is sheet music, cardboard and glue

Picture clipboard: all you need is an old frame, clothespins and string

swimmin' at the pool

After a few weeks of teaching swimming lessons I feel worn out. Some kids are adorable and behave while others are...well, use your imagination. I've seen bloody noses, bee stings and poop in the pool. I've been kicked in the head and have scratch marks from kid's fingernails. I'm probably losing my hearing from all the screaming and crying from my kids not wanting to swim. The only adequate way to sum up my experiences is to say: It's just another day at the pool.

While lifeguarding I've already had to make a few saves. Even though the kids are ok now, I'm a bit disappointed because they all could have been avoided if the kid's parents/guardians were watching their kids and staying close by. I wish parents would take more responsibility for their children at the pool. It just makes me want to be a good parent when I have kids, and to make sure they are safe.

Change

Last night I laid in bed thinking of all the people who I love and who have touched my life. As I named these precious people in my life, my list just kept growing. I have been blessed as my path has intersected theirs, even if it was only for a short while. People say that in the world, change is the only constant. Despite how frequent change occurs, it is often uncomfortable and/or painful. This time it's not as though I've lost anyone, but I know that things won't be the same again; I wonder if what's ahead is going to be better or worse than what I've had. 

But why should I be afraid? 

"The future is as bright as my faith" 

Sayonara hair

One thing I love about being a girl is getting my hair cut. I love having my hair washed (their shampoo and conditioner are amazing) and choosing what style to cut it. This week I spontaneously decided to get my hair cut. I ended up getting 9 inches cut off; there was so much hair on the floor! I don't think my hair has been this short since I was little, but I think it's a good change.

Patience

I recently finished reading the first book in the Work and the Glory series, and I'm hooked. I'm impressed that Gerald Lund can create a book that crams many of the things I love all together on the same page (history, my religion, and a love story). 

At the end of the book I had two questions. The first was: Where is a Nathan Steed in my life? Nathan is gentle, thoughtful, humble, kind to his mother and younger siblings, hardworking, and has a strong testimony. To my dismay, I haven't been able to answer this one yet. For now, patience will have to suffice. 

The second was: Where can I get the second book? I was sad to learn that all 6 copies at the Provo library are checked out, and I was the third person on the waiting list! Apparently, everyone and their mom in Provo is reading this series right now. Therefore, the answer yet again is patience. 

To keep my mind off the dismal answers to these questions, what better than making cinnamon rolls and art projects? 

Summer Days

My summer schedule and life have been ideal: (1) I wake up without an alarm clock (2) I get to do whatever my heart desires for almost the whole day (3) I have a job. 

I have recently tried my hand at a few DIY art projects. I'm not very artistic but I'm getting better.

When I wasn't trying to be crafty, I was getting certified for lifeguarding, CPR/AED and first-aid. Long story short: it was intense. I think the picture below sums up what the rest of my summer will consist of:

the countdown begins

56 days until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II comes out. I know that it's a little early to start counting but I can't help it--I'm excited! When the first Harry Potter book came out I was only 9, and it was the first book series that I got hooked on. When the first book was scheduled for release, my dad took me to the bookstore early in the morning, standing in line to get the book. I even got my picture in the newspaper! 


Every time a new HP book comes out my mom, my sister and I fight over who will get to read it first. It's quite an ordeal but my sister usually gets it first because she reads the fastest. One time my family was camping when the half blood prince book came out, and we actually drove to a town, bought the book, and drove back to our camp site. We are simply die-hard Harry Potter fans!

The Y

Before leaving Provo, I had to climb the Y Mountain. My friend Lisa and I embarked on this adventure on this warm afternoon. We didn't even cheat by driving up to the trail head--we walked all the way from our apartments. Great weather with a great friend; what more could I ask for? I could have asked for more stops along the way to rest! It was a work-out, but it was definitely worth it. Being at an elevation of  6000 ft, there is such a beautiful view. 

New Hobby

I have a problem. See, when I'm in school I am unbelievably busy with homework, jobs, callings, and when I have time--sleeping. Obviously when finals come around my 'to-do list' increases by a factor of 10. But as soon as finals are over, the whole scaffolding of my life is removed. I am left with no deadlines, no assignments, no 'to-do lists'. Others (who probably have lives and hobbies outside of school) find no trouble adjusting to summer after a tough semester. But for me, I struggle to adjust. 

When I end up doing something fun, I have to fight off this guilty feeling  (thinking that I always need to be productive, rather than enjoy whatever I'm doing). This guilt is both a blessing and a curse. When I listen to it, it helps me work hard and do well, but at the same time I sacrifice a lot of little happy moments.

 In an attempt to suppress this guilty feeling over the summer, I have taken up the hobby of crocheting. Now don't judge me--thinking this is hobby only for grandma's. I started with a simple headband and a flower. It's not the prettiest, but I think I did quite well for my first time. 

Rain

One of my favorite things in the world is the smell of rain.The scientific name for this smell is petrichor. One source of this smell is bacteria, called actinomycetes,  that live in the soil. When the weather is hot and dry, the actinomycetes produce spores. When it starts to rain, the rain drops fall on the soil, making the spores airborne. These airborne spores create an earthy, fresh smell that we associate with rain. Isn't it amazing?

Another day in the Hundred Acre Wood

The other day I was walking to work and talking to my mom on the phone. I was chatting away, not paying much attention, when I tuned around a corner and walked into a swarm of wasps. Just a note: I hate wasps and swell up like a blimp if I get stung. They were busy collecting pollen from the bushes that lined the sidewalk until they noticed an intruder (me). They were swarming all around me, buzzing angrily. My mind flashed to the Discover Channel episode of killer bees and my life flashed before my eyes. I impulsively started running, making sure to keep my mouth shut. As I was running, the wasps were bouncing off my face, hitting my arms, and sticking on my clothes. After I ran through the swarm I dropped my phone and swatted the remaining wasps off me. Through a miracle I didn't get stung one time; but I must admit this was one of the scariest things that has happened to me. I felt like Winnie the Pooh being chased by a swarm of honey bees. But I bet he is used to it, thinking it's just another day in the Hundred Acre Wood.

What do you do in the summertime?

This week I graduated from BYU! I'm relieved and excited! But now what? I have 4 months to kill before I head to Kansas State. Stay in Provo? Move back home? Choices, choices, choices...

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.
And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go."

Dr. Seuss