24 February 2009

3rd Night in a Row

This is the THIRD night in a row I've had trouble falling asleep!

I'm at my whitt's end, here.  It is 2 o'clock in the morning, and I just got back from dropping off my sub plans at school.  I can't believe I have to take a day off JUST TO SLEEP...who does that, anyway?  I have gotten to bed every night at 9pm (my regular time), and I have laid in bed until at least 1am every night. I have tried reading.  I have tried music.  I have tried TV.  I have tried pills.  I have tried aromatherapy lotion.  I have tried prayer. 

What's wrong w/ me?  Will this ever end?  I NEED SLEEP!

To make things worse, I've been sick with a cruddy crudd since December.  

So, tonight at 11:30, I woke Steven up.  I was a complete and utter mess.  I was balling my eyes out.  He's been there & done that (fairly recently).  He said a prayer with me, and he went off to the local Walgreens and talked to the pharmacist, who said she'd recommend Benedryl.  So, I leave you at 1:51am to try to go to bed.  Wish me luck.

Any other suggestions of something to try NEXT time this happens (which will hopefully NOT be tomorrow!!!)?

15 February 2009

My Honest Scrap


I have been called "honest" by many.  I love to throw away "scrap" immediately when it becomes non-useful.  But an award for "honest scrap"...NEVER heard of it.

Until now, thanks to my good 'ol friend Beverly.

Now, I have won several awards in my lifetime, but never have I ever received one like this.  It's an award to get me to spill out some of my juicy secrets.  Hmmmm..which do I tell?  Which will I choose to hold inside....I dunno, but here goes nothing.  

Here's the rules...

1.Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design 

2. Show the 7 winners' names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap"(the nifty icon they can display proudly on their blog). 

3. List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

Here's my scrap (for better or for worse):

1.  Steven was not the first boy I planned on marrying.  I had planned on marrying two others before him, but I never officially had accepted a ring.  The first was of course, my first love, Jared (who by the way, is also happily married to another these days).  Well...we never really were engaged, but we'd been planning on getting married not too longer after I returned from Chile.  Ya, that didn't work out so well.  Then there was love #2 from Chile, Mario (who I never even had a first date with), but apparently when I decided to finish out my college semester at BYU-I, he found another and is married with one child now.

2.  Even though I had planned on marrying these other 2 boys, I never loved them the way that I love Steven.  And the opposite is also true...I never felt quite as loved by another, until I met Steven.

3.  I never planned on serving a mission.  It was one of those moments where I swear I heard a voice and the first thought that ran through my head was..."Do I HAVE to wear a jumper?"

4.  I fear running out of money, my hubby dying before me, and not being able to continue being happy, losing my parents (especially my mom who is ALWAYS sick these days w/ one ache or another...& who btw takes WAY too many meds for me to ever keep up with!), my brother or sisters, or my nieces & nephews.

5.  I am extremely competitive, but not at sports.  I've never been slender and I hate to run.  I hated PE in school b/c I was usually only picked to be on teams b/c I had friends, but was NEVER picked in the first or second round.

6.  I have reading problems.  Seriously.  I read a page and sometimes can't remember what I just read.  Then, I have to go back and start all over again.  And I still have problems the second time through.  My eyes get cross-eyed halfway through long readings, and I'm always distracted by things around me.  The best environment for me to read would be this:  in a straight-jacket (so I can't fiddle w/ anything), in a room w/ NOTHING else but white bare walls, with the book in my lap.  Don't know who'll turn the pages, and I'm pretty sure I'd hate the environment after a second or two, but seriously....I'm at a loss.  I have made it through High School w/ a Distinguished Honors Award, I made it through College w/ a 3.7 GPA, and I'm working on my Masters.  But ask me questions about what I've learned....I admit it:  C-L-U-E-L-E-S-S.

7.  I am currently addicted to two things: FREE CELL on the computer (I have to play one round before going to bed at night, and I'm currently in the middle of a game right now), and CAFFEINE.  I take a cup of something diet every morning to work with me.  Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew are my favorites, but I'm in the DIET phrase right now, so it's all diet beverages for me!  So, I have a glass in the morning to pep me up for school, a can with my lunch, and usually one at dinner.

8.  Last week, I thought I was preggers, for REAL!  I was 3 weeks late for my period, I had been deathly sick since December and wasn't getting any better (even after a trip to the Doctor's office), I'm getting fatter by the second (I swear my belly looks like a preggo chick), and the killer:  I couldn't sleep on my tummy the other night!  I have slept in the same position for FOREVER...I'm sure I came out of my mother's womb in this position (head tilted to the left, right hand curled up over the head almost touching the wall, left hand curled up at the elbow with my fist almost up to the face, left leg hiked up, and right leg sprawled all the way out hanging off the bed).  But the other night, my tummy hurt to lay on it, so it took me forever to fall asleep.

9.  My period came the next morning at school during my planning hour, 1st period.  (ha ha...no pun intended there!)  I tried calling my hubby 3 times, with no results (btw, he was watching tv downstairs, and couldn't hear the cell phone ringing...FIGURES...he's a man!).  I had NADA with me that day...honestly, Steven had bought preggy tests the night before, and I was saving them for Valentine's weekend to do the test (awwww....ain't that cute?).  So when Mr. Nasty arrived, he was really unexpected, to say the least.  I had to ask the school nurse for emergency supplies, and I'd honestly forgotten just how BIG, LAME, CHEAP, and totally THICK their supplies are.  I felt like I was back in Jr. High fo' realls (and not just b/c I teach at one, either).

10.  I LOVE popping zits and plucking out wild hairs.  I know...it's strange!!!  It thrills me to find an ingrown hair on me, but it is even MORE fascinating when I find one on someone else and they let me deal with it.  Steven has slowly become accustomed to it.  I have a special tool that will get out the infection of a zit w/o it scarring, it hurts minimally, and it heals up oh-so-nicely.  I found it at Sally's Beauty Supply a few years ago, and I DARE someone to take it from me.  IT'S MINE (and no, I don't share....gross....sharing zit ooooozies just ain't right!)

There you go...several more of my silly quirks.  Man, since starting a blog (and having so many friends that tag me w/ these random things), you all know WAY TOO MUCH about my deepest darkest secrets.  but just you wait.....there are still things that you will NEVER know about me. (ha ha ha).

Tag, you're it!!  Amber, Kasey, Kirsti, Steven, Hna. Price :), Mary, & Tami

09 February 2009

My Friend, Michelle

Ok, so I am starting a TAG TEAM!

This one is simple, and all you have to do is upload a picture that is already saved on your computer.  My life is in the FAST LANE these days, and I LOVE simple!

Here's what you have to do:  Look in your pictures folder, and open up the fifth folder.  In the fifth folder, you have to upload the fifth picture.  (Why so many #5s????  Because what I say goes!  HA!)  It's really that simple.  Then, underneath it, explain the pic and pass it on.  And who am I to judge....really, even if you're NOT tagged...you can still do it, just b/c you can...just b/c I LOVE you!
This is a picture of two of my favorite people in the entire world!  Michelle and Trevor.  Michelle was my companion in the MTC, and she met Trevor at BYU-Idaho.  They have been married for a little over 4 years now (right, Shelly?), and are expecting the 2nd one any day now!!  YEAH!!  I took their engagement pics and they were so easy to photograph b/c they were both so in love and are so photogenic!  It just doesn't get any better than having GREAT friends!
Some great memories w/ Michelle:
  • the night when Trevor proposed to her in the middle of a football field
  • just listening to her and her faith she has
  • crying with her when she was hurting inside
  • crying with her when I was hurting inside
  • laughing at ourselves & our silly boy stories
  • Cleaning her room & hanging up her clothes when she was engaged & had NO TIME to do it herself
  • Seeing her as a beautiful bride and imagining her as a wonderful mother
  • Seeing her come down the stairs at the MTC on our way to the gym to work out, and she had forgotten to take her slip off and it was down to her knees outside of her jogging pants!
  • trying to memorize the discussions in Spanish and getting so frustrated w/ her because she was so much better at it than me

Michelle, I miss you.  We need to catch up soon!

TAGS:  Emily, Jamie, Beverly, Marlena, Beckie, Michelle, Amber, Olive, Reagan, Sha-nay-nay, Tami

05 February 2009

100 things to do

Do you think you’ve really lived so far?

*This is a list of 100 activities–some I have experienced (BLUE), some I have not (regular). See how your list matches up to mine.

  1. Started your own blog
  2. Slept under the stars
  3. Played in a band
  4. Visited Hawaii
  5. Watched a meteor shower
  6. Bathed in a river
  7. Been to the Taj Mahal
  8. Walked on a glacier in Alaska
  9. Caught and held a snake
  10. Spoke in front of a big crowd
  11. Bungee jumped
  12. Had a whirlwind love affair that broke your heart
  13. Found an arrowhead or fossil
  14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
  15. Rescued an animal
  16. Ate sweet breads, glands or tripe
  17. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
  18. Grown your own vegetables
  19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
  20. Slept on an overnight train
  21. Had a pillow fight
  22. Hiked to base camp on Mt. Everest
  23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
  24. Built a snow fort
  25. Watched an animal being born
  26. Gone skinny dipping
  27. Learned a foreign language
  28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
  29. Seen a total eclipse
  30. Stayed up for more than 24 hours
  31. Trained a dog to do cool tricks
  32. Been on a cruise
  33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
  34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
  35. Seen an Amish community
  36. Can drive a stick shift car
  37. Won over $1000 in a raffle or lottery
  38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
  39. Gone rock climbing
  40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
  41. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
  42. Been serenaded
  43. Visited Africa
  44. Walked on a beach by moonlight
  45. Broken a bone
  46. Started your own business
  47. Quit a job because you were totally unhappy
  48. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
  49. Been to the Eiffel Tower
  50. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
  51. Kissed in the rain passionately
  52. Played in the mud
  53. Gone to a drive-in
  54. Been in a movie
  55. Visited the Great Wall of China
  56. Joined a prayer group
  57. Taken a martial arts class
  58. Visited Russia
  59. Served at a soup kitchen
  60. Gone whale watching
  61. Received flowers for no reason
  62. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
  63. Gone sky diving
  64. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
  65. Bounced a check
  66. Flown in a helicopter
  67. Saved a favorite childhood toy
  68. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
  69. Eaten caviar
  70. Pieced a quilt
  71. Stood in Times Square
  72. Toured the Everglades
  73. Been fired from a job
  74. Seen the changing of the guards in London
  75. Broken something extremely expensive
  76. Been on a speeding motorcycle
  77. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
  78. Published a book
  79. Visited the Vatican
  80. Got a tattoo
  81. Been to a coffee shop in Amsterdam
  82. Seen the aurora borealis in person
  83. Read the entire Bible
  84. Visited the White House
  85. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
  86. Had chickenpox
  87. Saved someone’s life
  88. Sat on a jury
  89. Met someone famous
  90. Joined a book club
  91. Lost a loved one
  92. Toured the UN
  93. Hiked to Machu Picchu
  94. Swam in the Indian Ocean
  95. Conversed with someone when neither of you spoke each others language
  96. Dirty danced
  97. Been stung by a bee
  98. Acted in a play
  99. Had more than 5 surgeries
  100. Threw a surprise party for someone
** 40?!?!?! That's it? Man...I need to travel some more and be a bit more brave. Am I really that sheltered? **

01 February 2009

Me, Myself, & I


1. What is your occupation right now?  maestra de espaƱol!
2. What color are your socks right now?  white   matches everything
3. What are you listening to right now? my electric heater   sure is cold these days...
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Wendy's caesar salad & burger   nuttin but lettuce, tomato, pickles & onion, por favor
5. Can you drive a stick shift? on a good day however, mine has one that has a sporty knob that is sorta stick shift, but it's not the REAL deal....oh well, close enough!
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Sheila   gotta love the madre
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? nope, I  adore her (love the wedding pics,  girl)
8. How old are you today? 25 I've been 25 for the past 3 years now...life's mmm mmm good!
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? does American Idol count?
10. What is your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper or Mtn. Dew  both real gooooood
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? sure have!
12. Favorite food? pasta, salad, bread   Basically, anything that I don't have to cook or wash
13. What is the last movie you watched? Be Kind, Rewind......REAL dumb!
14. Favorite day of the year? any day I don't have school & can sleep in   When's another snow day?
15. How do you vent anger? Playing Spider Solitare on the CPU
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie or Cabbage Patch
17. What is your favorite season? Summer!
18. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries   or anything else red
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? nope, but they can put up a post, if they want! 
20. Who is the most likely to respond? hmmmmm....tag!  you're it!
21. Who is least likely to respond? hmmmmmm.....  don't let it be you.....
22. Living arrangements? Townhouse  that is old, cute, but not remodeled very carefully (tiles are coming  up off the floor, frozen pipes, etc)
23. When was the last time you cried? Just the other day
24. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes, shoes, and more shoes
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? Sister, Marlena   if she even reads my bloggy anymore
26. What did you do last night? Went to church and it was boring (goal setting...but at least I smiled!)
27. What are you most afraid of? Steven dying first, or running out of money
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? spicy  with lots of pickles!
29. Favorite dog breed? Great Dane
30. Favorite day of the week? Saturday but only when I'm not in class for 8 straight hours! 
31. How many states have you lived in? five: Kentucky, Tennessee, Idaho, Nevada, & Missouri
32. Diamonds or pearls? both, but never together
3 3. What is your favorite flower?  daisey
ps- the picture is from FOREVER ago when I went to Hollywood.  Just thought I'd add it in for some kicks n giggles.....