California Creeper - Part 1

Once upon a time there was a little next door neighbor named...you guessed it, Sian Freakin' Smith. Now as stories go this one cannot really be classified into a single category. At times you may call it a comedy, sometimes a suspense, but lately it fits under the category of drama. da da da (insert creepy music here) Before the drama unfolds however, a quick background into the past adventure-filled year may shed a little light into the devious mind of the California Creeper. It all started (well for me anyways) on a quiet fall day after school. Well it wasn't quiet for long... little did we know our lives would be changed forever.
We had all heard about the mysterious girl next door, who was said to be crazy (literally certifiable). We all blame that fateful day on Hannah, yep you heard me Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus if you prefer. Because it was her picture on the front of a magazine cover that brought Sian into our apartment that day. Like a rabid mother bear protecting her young she threw herself in front of the danger that had hurt Miley... Rascal. Miley's face was torn in half that day, but it was nothing compared to the damage done to the creeper's heart.
Eventually Miley received plastic surgery in the form of scotch tape, and Sian slowly warmed up to us. Maybe that's an understatement. By the end of the year we couldn't get rid of her (not that we wanted to...most nights that is).
Even though we didn't hang out much fall semester, because of a certain redhead, after Christmas break she had plenty of stories for us about all that had ensued. (Those will not be included in this compilation so don't even ask). But we will however have stories about the swinging spring semester so stay tuned for the next installment of the California Creeper.

We may also have bonus material including stories from Sian's younger days (that's right the wild ones) hahaha

to be continued...

As I mentioned in my last post, I was going to have a very exciting weekend. Although my weekend was great, I failed to take pictures because I forgot my camera. Friday Katie, Shantell, Kelsey, Chanae, and I went shopping in SLC. We didn't really find too many things but the funny experiences made up for it. Katie not knowing how to open her gas tank. Taking a picture in front of Olive Garden. Chanae and I sitting on the floor of Target waiting for Kelsey and Katie. Shantell trying on pants in the middle of the store. Among many other things.

Saturday Rich, Katie, Brayden, and I went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. That was quite eventful. Katie and I were in charge of planning it because apparently we never plan anything and Brayden and Rich always have to. Poor kids. :) Anyway, we couldn't decide where to eat (because Katie and I both suck at making decisions) and by the time we found somewhere to eat and ordered our waitress had to put our food in to go boxes because we were going to be late. We raced to the temple and made it in the last group. The temple was amazing! The chandeliers were beautiful! We all wondered what the little stars symbolized that were cut out of the curtains. It didn't seem like the tour took very long, but it was way cool to see it. All in all, it was a great experience.

This weekend I went camping for our Lewis reunion. Camping meaning I went up in the mountains and hung out for a day then came home and slept in my own bed. :) It was so fun to see all my dad's cousins again. Lisa, Brooke, and I went on our traditional walk down the river. It was pretty chilly, but way fun. . .

Saturday I worked. It was great. :)

And, because blogger won't upload my pics, you don't get to see any. Sorry.

My summer thus far hasn't been too exciting. But, nonetheless, I am still loving it. No homework, no classes, no study groups. It's great. :) The majority of my time is spent working or reading; and although I complain about my job, I really do love it. The people I work with are great and the customers always keep things interesting. As much as I love my job, I love reading even more. Obviously. I could sit in the sunshine and read all day and be completely content. I've been reading the likes of John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and Lisa Scottoline. I occasionally read other author's works, but for the most part these are the authors that get my attention. Some of the better books I have read this summer are:

*Killer Smile
*The Firm
*The Pelican Brief (and I know half the world has read this and the afore mentioned book, but I hadn't read them until recently. If you haven't read them, are interested, and want to read them- do it!)
*Birthright
*Vanishing Acts
*Perfect Match
*The Broker
*Genuine Lies
*Second Glance
*The Rainmaker
*Courting Trouble
*The Seventh Son
*Dead Ringer

I've been trying to find My Sister's Keeper but every time I go to check it out, someone already has it. I've heard it's better than the movie, but then again, aren't all books better than the movie? The movie was pretty good by the way- and I just have to add that Flin cried harder than me when we went to see it. (Hay, Huss, Rascal, Sian, Kij, Sade, Linds, you can all shut your jaws now.) :) In fact that's the most I've seen Flin cry since I met her- which was 7 years ago. . . ANYWAY, that will be the next book on the list, and I'll let you know what I think of it...
For those of you who were completely bored to death by this (and therefore the recent activities of my summer) I do have a great weekend planned so don't even worry. I'll be sure to blog about it so you all don't think I've gone senile. . . Ta ta for now.

"It's a flag blowin' in the summer wind over some fallen hero's grave"

I went up to the cemetery yesterday to visit my grandpa's grave and to see the flowers and flags for Memorial Day. The wind was blowing pretty hard and the flags looked so awesome! I thought of these words from the Rodney Atkins song It's America, "It's a flag blowin' in the summer wind over some fallen hero's grave."

The pictures don't do it justice, it was so much cooler than it looks here.

The headstone for my grandpa's grave finally came a couple weeks ago. I think it turned out very well...

The front. . .

The back. . .

In person it looks so much better because you can see all the intricate details. If you look in the kitchen window in the house you can make out a shape. The people who put the stone in said that it was grandpa eating breakfast. The details on both the front and back are amazing.

I'm grateful for those who serve our country so I can have the freedoms and opportunities that I do. In America . . .

It's a high school prom

It's a Springsteen song

It's a ride in a Chevrolet

It's a man on the moon

And fireflies in June

Kids sellin' lemonade

It's cities and farms

And open arms

One nation under God

It's America

Cause it's a kid with a chance

It's a rock n roll band

It's a farmer cuttin' hay

It's America

Change

Once upon a time there was a girl named Nicole. She had the best cousin in the entire world, and his name was Hayden. When they were little they played night games, built hay forts, went to kindergarten together, and hung out all the time. As they grew up they were still best friends but instead of hay forts, night games, and kindergarten, they went to high school football games, movies, plays (remember Little Women?!?) and to breakfast together. . .

Hayden turned 19 in February and he decided to go on a mission. He leaves for the MTC tomorrow- my birthday-and from there he will go to Argentina. I'm going to miss him like crazy. (Even though he teases me mercilessly!) Sunday was his farewell and tons of people came to listen to him speak and he did a great job. Sunday I had to tell him goodbye because I have finals this week and had to come back up to Logan. I gave him a poem I had written for him and while he was reading it I started to cry. It is so weird to think that I won't see him for two years! I'm so proud of him for wanting to serve the Lord but that still doesn't make it any easier. I gave him a big hug before I left for Logan and we both just cried and cried. Since we were crying my mom started crying and we all had one big cry fest. I cried all the way to Brigham City and then started again when I drove into Logan. The result of my crying was a headache that is still lingering today. I also had swollen eyes Monday morning. Yeah...not pretty.

This week I am also moving back to Kamas after finals, which means I have to say goodbye to all the great people up here (luckily it's just for four months and not two years.) I'm sure the tears will start flowing again. Sian has already started crying, so I better watch out.

The moral of these two stories is that I HATE change. A lot of things can happen in two years. I'll be done with school (unless I decide to get my Masters) and who knows where I'll be living. My mom informs me that I could even be married -but I think that is highly unlikely. Things just won't be the same when he comes back. And I hate that thought. We won't be little kids with no worries ever again...It is a sad day indeed.

Countdowns

I have the best best friend in the entire world. her name is Sian N. Smith and she is just the mother-bleepin greatest person I have ever met in my life. We could all learn so much from her. I am going to be very sad in three weeks when I have to say bye to her for the summer. I shouldn't have to say bye to my best friend but I guess it's what has to be done. But I guess it'll just make things so much better when we are finally reunited in August. . .
Written by: Sian N. Smith

So...my real post (before Sian hijacked my blog) was going to be . . .

My countdowns for the rest of the school year

19 days till I am no longer a resident of Pineview Apts.
18 days till Flin is no longer my roommate :(
16 days till my birthday! :) and till Hayden leaves :(
9 school days left
5 more days of waking up at 7:30 a.m.
4 more days of stats class
4 finals
2 more papers to write
2 more weekends till summer
1 more chance to make lasting memories (Sian N. Smith's brilliant mind came up with that one.)
0 days left of snow...hopefully

P.S. I love Kij

Grandma and the Farm

I just love my grandma. She is pretty much the greatest lady that has ever walked this earth. I got to spend Saturday and Sunday watching conference with her. My family is gone to Rockville so she took me under her wing. :) She made me homemade chili- which is my absolute favorite, and called to check on me to make sure I wasn't freezing to death. Which I actually was because I can't build a fire to save my life. (My dad would have been very disappointed. He's tried and tired to teach me, but I failed miserably.)
On Friday the rest of the cows that my grandparents had were sold. Grandma came home from the temple and she was so sad. My heart broke when she told me about coming home and seeing they were all gone. She went to take pictures of the barnyard and she was crying. It was heartbreaking to see what my grandparents had worked for all their lives to be gone so fast. It will be so weird to go home and not see the baby calves out our back window, go to the barn and get milk, hear the milkers going in the morning, and seeing the cows in the field in the summer. My little brothers and cousins won't have the experience of building hayforts in the barn, eating picnics in the hay, playing in the sawdust, seeing new baby calves, moving cows down to the field, and best of all getting fresh milk from the barn. Though the farm will no longer be the farm, I'm so grateful that I have the memories that I do. . .