Life as I Know It

So it has been a really long time since I had TIME and INTERNET to update.

This summer has been very good to me. I am so very blessed.

Blessing #1 Brother and Sister Curtis have let me stay in their house. It has helped so much!

I have really enjoyed staying there. I love to have people eat my food...really thats it! This house has let me just have a large amount of people over to eat or to talk. Besides that I am constantly wishing I had a house......or even a home. :)

Fear #1 I am homeless....

basically I don't know how long I will be here and need a place to live because of Blessing #2!

Blessing #2 I know what I'm doing....for at least a while!
I AM GOING ON A MISSION!

So most people aren't surprised when I tell them this. Some are! (Just so you know I like it when people are surprised more) I am so excited and so humbled. I know that this is what I am supposed to do. When I received this answer to my, what feels like millions, of prayers I realized that this is right. Every thing is going pretty great!

Fear #2 I will never go to graduate school.

So I called the U last week to tell them I will not be making it for Fall semester of their fantastic PhD program. They seemed really hopeful that I would be able to defer for two years....Then the dreaded email saying NO. I know that everything is going to work out just fine, but I sometimes wonder if my dream will one day not be right. I have always wanted this and I wonder if the Lord is going to tell me its not right. BUT I do know one thing, He wants us to be happy and what ever he wants will allow us to be happy in the end. I'm glad that I know it most days and understand it some.

Blessing #3 Friends

I really do love these girls and so many others. They all have been a great blessing!

Fear #3 Life is scary!


I just found this band that I like:Pomplamoose- check them out!

Pomplamoose - La Vie en Rose (Edith Piaf cover) from yunusemre on Vimeo.

Denton

Hi Friends,

It has been a long time since I have posted. That is what happens when you don't have internet at home.

This weekend has been incredible....pretty much a vacation. I am in Denton for this fantastic 4th of July weekend! I have been visiting Alice, Allyse, Garrett, Sallie and other Fergusons!

Well I better go!

Lost in packing.

Its 1:30 in the morning....I have been packing. 

I really REALLY dislike packing...What to keep this summer? What to ta

ke to Utah? What to throw away? These questions can be quite a moral dilemma. 

On another note...I have been watching Lost. I remember when this show started. I watched most of the first season and then stopped. 

And now....I watch it all the time. Not because its the best show (because we all know that title is reserved for Chuck!)

I am addicted. 

YES

Addicted. 

But, watching the show has posed me with interesting life questions.

Could I survive on an island? I think I could. I think my life on an island would be more like Swiss Family Robinson. Those people made things. I think thats what I would spend my time doing. They have an axe and time. So yeah.

Also, why doesn't everyone know everyone after a month. I guess I would know who everyone was. Thats just the type of person I am. 

Its obviously late if I want to talk about Lost. 

Margaritas and Lame Sauce

Lame Sauce - That is all I will say! 

 

Margaritas - So I decided to make margaritas tonight....virgin ones incase you were wondering if I became apostate. 

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons kosher (coarse) salt 1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges 1 can (6 ounce size) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed 1/4 cup orange juice 4 cups ice cubes

 

Directions:

Place the salt in a shallow dish. Rub the rim of each of 4 margarita glasses with a lime wedge and dip the rims into the salt; set the lime wedges aside.  In a blender, blend the limeade, orange juice, and ice cubes on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well blended and the ice cubes are crushed.  Pour evenly into the glasses and garnish with the lime wedges. Serve immediately.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Frozen Virgin Margaritas serves/makes 4

They were good but a little sour. Also as far as the vote of the public (Stephen, Micah, Kyle, Stetson, and Kayla) salt on the rim of the glasses was too much and sugar was better. 

So I am searching for a newer/better recipe (let me know if you have one). Next time it will be Pina Coladas or Strawberry Daiquiris (all non-alcoholic of course)!

On another note I am a little saddened for several, well maybe only a couple. I am moving out of my home. I have lived here for three years and thats sad. 

Virgins and Tennis

I have decided to update more because its nice to look back on your life every now and then. 

Today I woke up and went to IHOP to say goodbye to one of my co-workers, Theresa.

If you knew Theresa, you would understand why this is the picture I post of her. She studies the atmosphere.  This is a picture of her in Germany. She is a really awesome person. We h

ave worked together all semester. I really like her. She is doing research in Colorado this summer and then is doing a masters degree in South Dakota starting this fall. 

Then I went to work. I am pretty sure everyone thats reads this knows what I do for a job. I study fruit flies, or scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster. I remember when I couldn't say it. My previous mentor always said the opposite Drohardia (get it?). Today I collected virgins...and to tell you how to do that here is a picture:

You can tell females / males are virgins by the black spot on their belly. 

I worked at the lab most of the day. 

Then the missionaries came over. My brother is meeting with them. That makes me super happy. 

Then a recent convert in our ward had a tennis match and we decided to go and support him. Megan made awesome T-shirts. We then finished off the night with sandwiches and frisbee at the near by park. 

It was a pretty good day. Now I am going to work on a couple of packing things before I go to bed. Next week I am moving houses. I am really going to miss the house I am in. It is home to me!

A walk in the park.

So my life is uncertain. This is how I feel about it!

That is how I have felt about it for a long time. I don't know what to do. I feel like I am walking in a lonely wilderness that is hundreds of miles long somedays. I love my life. I just don't know what the next step should be. I got a huge packet from the U of U a couple of days ago. I was excited to open it. I am excited about graduate school, but then I think about it and wonder if its the right thing. What do I do? 

So I decided to go to the golf course near my house for a run. I was feeling lame about things before that anyways and it seemed like a good idea. I see other people's life going so great, and it makes me wonder what am I doing wrong? I keep trying and it just seems I end up back in the same place.... Unsure!

This is a place I don't want to be anymore. I have no reason to complain though. I have everything that I need. I generally feel good about my day to day life. 

I really don't want to leave home. That is what Lubbock is. Lubbock is home. I love it. I know that I can love other places. I know that the Lord wants me to learn somethings. I know that not all times in our lives are a Walk in the Park!  But I can't help wishing this decision was one of those times. Tomorrow I will blog about something great and happy! So I will look for those things tomorrow.  

This is what I feel like now.  A little better. On a happier note I picked some wild flowers/weeds while walking. :)

Maynksgiving

Mankysgiving! A blessed day. A day to give thanks for May and.....more importantly an excuse to eat! I really enjoyed it.

Saturday night I made homemade rolls. It was a lot of fun. Then I worked on the turkey! I was getting really worried because it wasn't thawed! So I decided to give some time overnight.

I woke up early on Sunday and it was still somewhat frozen. I eventually got the neck out and let water run inside the turkey. I then stuffed it with garlic, onions, apples, lemon juice and rosemary. I then covered it in butter, salt, and pepper. It was delicious.

We ate at Kayla's house. Everyone brought great things. We had almost 30 people. It was a great event! Ashish came!

Doesn't that turkey look awesome! I was so proud of it. It even tasted great.

I had a great time. I really do enjoy hanging out with people and eating. I even wonder sometimes if culinary school would suit me!

I am now sitting in the same spot I sat in at the Albuquerque airport two months ago. I am really glad that it has free internet!

I am on the way to the Great Salt Lake! Jenny Jo is picking me up and we are going to make dinner for the Veatchs! I am so excited. Then off to help with my lil' sister's wedding this weekend!

Ohh and I woke up smiling today!

THE END

Decision

This is a personal blog post, just a warning.

So my life has changed a lot in the past couple of weeks. I have really felt Heavenly Father's love for me lately. He has placed amazing people in my life. You know what you talk to some one and they tell you exactly what you need to hear. I have had so many experiences lately.

It all started when I went to dinner with a guy from my ward. First of all he is one of the nicest people I have ever met. We talked about how to decide to move and he told me one thing I don't think I will ever forget. I have been feeling its my fault I don't know what to do with my life. He assured me that it wasn't and it really made a difference.

The next night I talk to a girl that just got home from her mission. I really look up to her. We talked about the decision to go on a mission. I really was glad I talked to her. She just showed me she cared. That night I went to the scriptures hungry. I needed to feel something. I read Moroni 7. It spoke to my heart. It wasn't the words. It was just the way I felt.

Last Tuesday, the next day, I was at the Institute and no one was there. I sat at the piano and played some hymns. I really do love the hymns. They give you so much insight into how the gospel actually leads your life. I felt so great about my life. Then I talked to my institute director. He just told me that I need to grow and this was my decision.

MY DECISION!

Every day after that was just another reminder that this was my decision.

That Friday, I talked to a newer girl from my ward, who is just awesome. We talked about life decisions. I learned a really important thing. "Just let me be unhappy!" The Lord knows what is right for everyone. He wants us to be happy! We have to follow His direction and not just what we want. When we go against His will it always leads to unhappiness. That thought about being unhappy has really struck a cord with me. There is something that I want very badly that would probably end in disaster.

Then Sunday and every day after!

I have made my decision. I am moving to Utah this fall. I am terrified. I must leave my family. I must leave my friends. I must leave the big Lubbock sky! I must leave - almost - everything I have ever known. But, I will be ok. I know that whatever thing I would chose would work out. I know that this will be a great adventure for me. I will grow as a person. I will become more mature! I am excited (when I'm not scared).

I have made another decision. I am going to live life to the fullest while I am still here. I really wish that one thing could happen (which I will not post)!

Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
Tis better far for us to strive our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell -
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward if we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell-
All is well! All is well!

Today I was a grown up!

So I used to think that you were a grownup when you were like 19...So untrue.

Then I thought you were a grownup when you had a Christmas tree.

A friend then told me that when you own a washer a dryer you are a grownup. 

I have these things and some times I am not sure!

However, TODAY I was a grownup!

I woke up and went to work! I made lots of phone calls. Answered emails. Made appointments. Took care of my flight info that got messed up. I went and visited someone for my calling. Came home and ate dinner. Went to my girls camp meeting and am now waiting to pick up someone from the airport. I know that sounds boring, but hey thats probably what being a grownup is all about!

*At my girls camp meeting they knew I was a leader (I guess I don't look 14 lol)

********************************************************

On another note....someone keeps mowing my lawn and I don't know who does it. Every time we decide to mow our lawn, we come home and our lawn is mown! 

Seriously! Last night Melanie borrowed a lawn mower and today our lawn was mowed! 

Phantom Mower of Lawns Thank you!

Panic

So I had an amazing weekend! Amazing!

Today...Today was not as good. 

Last night I came home and I couldn't sleep. I just kept tossing and turning. 

I basically didn't sleep most of the night and got up at 8 to talk to Melanie (because I haven't seen her in over a week).

I went back to sleep and then woke up and got to work. 

I have so much stuff to do. 

-Job

-Lab Job

-Calling

-Wedding stuff (not for me lol)

-Normal Church stuff

-Fun (I hope this fits in there somewhere). 

 I hate stress. I hate that stress gives you pimples. AND Pimples make you feel ugly. So Stress = UGLY. 

LOL

I know I have no room to complain. I am so blessed. 

 I can smile because the gospel is true.