Tag You're It!

I agree with Shantell- these tags just aren't as fun after I read Gen's first, because she has such a funny sense of humor. It makes my post look pathetic. But here goes. . .

Eight things I did yesterday:
1. Took family pictures. (see previous post)

2. Yelled at Porter for burping repeatedly for fifteen minutes while I was trying to take a nap. He just doesn't understand why I think that's annoying???

3. Yelled at Brooke for bouncing the volleyball on our kitchen floor over. and over. and over. and over. She was also making this lovely noise while I was trying to nap.

4. Updated my blog. (Two days in row- look at me go!)

5. Talked to Sian :)

6. Saw Dave, my old co-worker from the Gateway. I miss that man.

7. Thought about going for a run, but instead. . .

8. Ate brownies and ice cream!

Eight Favorite Shows:

1. Gilmore Girls

2. Friends

3. And that's about all I watch. Besides the news and Jazz games.

Eight favorite restaurants:

1. Olive Garden

2. Firehouse

3. Iggy's

4. Hi Mountain Drug (Gen, you guys have the BEST fries. Ever.)

5. Gateway Grille

6. Pizza Hut

7. Cafe Rio

8. My mom's kitchen

Eight things I look forward to:

1. Seeing my bestie Sian in approximately 42 days

2. My new apartment!

3. Seeing all my Utah State friends again

4. Fall leaves

5. My birthday (Yes, I know that it is not for 8 more months.)

6. Haydo to come home. ( One year and 8 months left. . . Not long at all. ha ha)

7. To watch Brooke's volleyball games

8. Going to Rockville in September


Eight people I tag:

1. Kij

2. Sade

3. Sian

4. Amber

5. Michelle

6. Jess

- I only have 6. :)

Family Pictures

Family pictures are torture. Not because I don't love my family, but because it it is virtually impossible for all of us to cooperate at the exact same moment to get one decent picture. Zack and Taigen pull faces. My dad pushes me over. Alisha and Porter fight over who is touching who. Jason pulls Brooke's hair. And my poor mother yells at all of us to hold still and smile. She was so frustrated she even swore at my dad. Which gave all of us a good laugh. (When we got home Zack said "Mom, you taught me some new words tonight.") Love that kid. Anyway, our lovely photographer happened to catch one perfect moment of all of us being our true selves.











I think my dad's face is the best though. :)

After all the fun tonight, we get to do it again on Wednesday. My mom doesn't really like any of them. (I don't know why, I think they turned out great. . . Don't you??)

California Creeper - Part 2

I was going to finish the amazing story about the California Creeper that was started earlier- but the person who wrote it is now gone for two years to Guatemala. I would finish it myself, but I don't have quite the imagination that he does. Unfortunately. So, let it suffice to say that I'm going to miss Sian Freakin Smith while she is in Cali for fall semester. She was my lunch buddy- and we made the best lunches ever. She was my motivator to work out. She was the one person who I couldn't lie to- she has a sixth sense about when I'm not feeling the greatest. (It's kind of creepy. :) She was my study buddy in the library, where amazingly enough we actually did study. She stayed up late with me, and by that I mean, she made me stay up late with her :) We laughed at the same jokes- even when they weren't funny to anyone else. (Caitlin, you're such a maitlin!) Creeper, remember when I stole your pill pill? And then I gave it back but Sade and Kij stole it again before you realized it? We searched the whole blasted apartment building for that dumb thing. Ha ha. Good times. :) Long story short... She's my bestie.
Creeper I'm going to miss you this fall. If you don't come back in the spring, you know what will happen. It won't be pretty.

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