The Way I Am...

High Five for Friday!

2012-02-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

I'm trying out something new today... I'm linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk for High Five for Friday!

After what ended up being a not-so-great Friday, it seemed like a good idea to think of five favorites from my week (along with some great cell phone pics):

1. I signed up for a 10-week conversational Spanish class. Working in California, I interact with a lot of Spanish speakers and sometimes it is SO frustrating when I can't communicate with them. I'm excited to get more comfortable with the basics!

2. I started this DVD... I'm a little sore, but the goal is to make it all the way through February!

3. I made these delicious Breakfast Omelet Muffins (thanks Pinterest!) and froze them for quick breakfasts each day. I switched out the sausage for sliced deli turkey and the Parmesan for Monterey jack. Other than those, I had all the ingredients on hand! Super easy and tasty.

{Picture found here}

4. I bought this Polar FT4 heart rate monitor and I love that I can track calories burned while I do Ripped in 30. Even better, I had a gift card AND coupon to Best Buy, so I got it for a great deal!

5. I experimented a little with my hair this morning and it resulted in this cute wrap-around French braid into a side braid. I love how it turned out! And let me just say, it is way too difficult to take a good picture of the back of your own head (especially at 6:30 in the morning).

*******

February Resolutions

2012-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's already February?!? January flew by so fast... but it really helped having goals because I actually felt like I was getting things accomplished, not just doing the daily grind of sleep, work, church, etc.

Here are this month's goals... some are carried over from last month, some are new:

1. Lose weight.

2. Complete Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30.

3. Read Book of Mormon every day.

4. Attend the temple at least once.

5. Read one book, listen to one audiobook.

6. Do a craft project.

7. Do taxes.
8. Start to learn Spanish.

Still working on:
*Learn to play IZ's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" on the ukulele.

*Print 2011 blog into a book.

January Resolutions - Update

2012-01-31T21:44:00.000-08:00

1. Lose weight. Gaining weight (or even maintaining what I am now) is not acceptable!
Since January 8 I have lost 5 pounds and 3.5 inches! This month I exercised 34.46 miles (12.66 run/walk, 8.44 elliptical, 13.36 bike).

2. Participate in sibling weight-loss challenge.
~RULES: We each weighed in once a week and whoever lost the most percentage of weight for that week didn't have to put any money in the "pot." The person in 2nd place had to put in $2, 3rd place = $4, 4th place = $6, 5th place = $8, 6th place = $10. The winner of the whole month got ALL the money!
~WINNER: I started a week late in this, so as of right now I'm in 4th place (out of 6)... we'll see if anything changes in a week. But congrats to my sister-in-law Emilee who won!

3. Run 1 mile non-stop. I'm pretty sure I can do this now, but I haven't run in a long time, so this is more to see where I am. I hate running. But I am going to work to be better this year!
I'm a slow runner. But I run a 12:00ish mile and I'm hoping to get faster!

4. Read the illustrated Book of Mormon.

This book is meant for kids, but I wanted to read it to get more confident with the basic Book of Mormon stories and characters. I finished last night and feel like I know the stories a little better now!

5. Study & memorize the 1st and 2nd Articles of Faith.
Yeah... didn't really focus much on this one. Not that the Articles of Faith aren't great, but I decided I'm not going to make them a main resolution for this year... I'll focus on some other things for now.

6. Attend the temple at least once.
Check. Fresno, CA temple - 1/14/2012

7. Be better at saying regular morning and nightly prayers.
I worked on this, but it will probably always be something I can be better at!

8. Read one book.
I listened to Willa Cather's My Antonia:

...and read Scott Westerfield's Pretties (2nd in the Uglies series):

9. Learn to play IZ's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" on the ukulele.

I'm not quite there on this one. I didn't plan on the lack of down-time I'd have once I started work again after Christmas. I can play some more simple songs (think Twinkle Twinkle Little Star), so I'm getting there! Still working on this one.

10. Print 2011 blog into a book.
Once again... still working on it. I'm in the process of getting the book put together. I've never done this before, so I didn't realize there was so much of a process to it!

I'm a Mormon

2012-01-26T23:17:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to get this set up for months now, but I finally finished it (and it was super fast and easy). So check out my profile on mormon.org to learn a little more about who I am and why my faith is important to me!

{Click on the picture to go to my profile}

Mexican Chicken

2012-01-26T22:37:00.000-08:00

Here's what I had for dinner tonight... this is my kind of recipe! It only has 4 ingredients, it's ready to eat in 30 minutes, it's healthy, and it's tasty.

MEXICAN CHICKEN

1 package taco seasoning

4 (4 oz.) chicken breasts (<--I used chicken tenderloins)

1 c. salsa

1/4 c. nonfat sour cream

Put chicken & seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake & coat well. Place in sprayed casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes in 375 degree oven. Top with salsa 5 minutes before done, then top with sour cream. Serves 4.

{I am fully aware I am not a food photographer, so this picture doesn't do the dish justice. But trust me, it is good!}

Death of a Headband

2012-01-22T00:51:00.000-08:00

I have a big head. So comfortable headbands are very hard to come by, which is why I loved this super cute, super comfy brown leather flower headband from Target. But the other day it fell onto the floor in my bathroom and I think I stepped on it, because next thing I knew it was bent in ways a headband should not bend:

I even thought about buying the same one again the other day at Target, but then I thought maybe I could save it. So tonight I decided to do a little surgery on my poor headband. I pulled the felt backing off of the flower and cut the flower off of the band:

This next part should have been easier than it was, but like I mentioned in my makeup brush holder post, I only have super glue... if I had hot glue this step would've been done in about 2 seconds. But here I just glued on a snap clip and covered it with the felt from the picture above.

Sadly, I no longer have a headband, but at least I was able to save the cute leather flower! And try to ignore my hair in this picture... I am aware it kind of looks like a rat's nest, but this is my post-workout-hair and I know I'm staying in for the rest of the night so I don't have to impress anyone!

Makeup Brush Holder

2012-01-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

This weekend I decided it was time for a craft project... it's been way too long! This idea came from Pinterest. It is a makeup brush holder and it is basically the easiest craft I've ever made.

Supplies needed:

-Any size/shape glass container

-Colorfill vase filler (the little clear beads)

-Ribbon and/or other embellishments

-Glue (hot glue would be best but I only had super glue)

Basically all you do is glue the embellishments onto the glass and then fill it with the Colorfill. Easy stuff!

Here's my version... I love how it turned out!

{original pinned here}

Fresno Temple

2012-01-14T18:26:00.000-08:00

Today I made the hour and a half journey down south to go to the Fresno temple. It was so peaceful being there and I even got mistaken for a teenager. The lady who thought so assured me that it was a compliment, but I'm pretty sure she was trying to covering up her mistake... it didn't quite feel like a compliment to me!

I loved walking around the temple grounds to take a few pictures. Today was sunny, blue skies, and 66 degrees. Now that's my kind of winter!

Running Playlist

2012-01-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

Remember my goal to just run a mile this month? (It's a little pathetic, I know.)

I gave it a whirl today and got it, no problem. I haven't been running in a while, and my knee was giving me problems earlier this week, so I was a little nervous. But at least now I know where I stand and can move forward.

I have to give a little shout out for this Running Playlist and Pace Calculator app I found. I just put in the pace I wanted to set, and then it showed me songs I could download that had just the right beats per minute. This was SO helpful and I will definitely be using it more... too bad the songs are not free though.

Here's to becoming a faster and stronger runner!

**But first, I just have to share... I laugh every time I see it because it is just so true:

January Resolutions

2012-01-04T23:04:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months I have really put a lot of thought into New Year's Resolutions. I came to the conclusion that if I actually want to accomplish my goals and be successful, I need to make short-term goals and be accountable to someone if possible. I will post each month's goals on here and try to keep up on my progress throughout the months & year. Some of these I would rather not post for the world to see, but I'm holding myself to each goal once it is written! At first I was only going to work on one thing per month, but I (obviously) have a lot more than that! I feel really good about all of these and I'm excited to get going!

January Resolutions

1. Lose weight. Gaining weight (or even maintaining what I am now) is not acceptable!

2. Participate in sibling weight-loss challenge.

3. Run 1 mile non-stop. I'm pretty sure I can do this now, but I haven't run in a long time, so this is more to see where I am. I hate running. But I am going to work to be better this year!

4. Read the illustrated Book of Mormon.

5. Study & memorize the 1st and 2nd Articles of Faith.

6. Attend the temple at least once.

7. Be better at saying regular morning and nightly prayers.

8. Read one book.

9. Learn to play IZ's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" on the ukulele.
10. Print 2011 blog into a book.

2011 Recap

2012-01-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

January:

-Got the news that my dad fell off a ladder and broke his leg and wrist

-Began a 2-month unpaid break from my job due to a paperwork mix-up

-Drove to Utah to surprise my parents (my dad was in the rehab center from his fall)

February:

-Attended my Grandpa Dahl's funerals in both San Diego and Salt Lake City

March:

-Attended Mike & Chloe's wedding in SLC

-Jon & Emilee visited me in Chino Hills, CA (Wicked, Clippers game, Six Flags, lots of fun!)

April:

-Went to my Grandpa's house in San Diego to help sort through his things

-Spent Spring Break in Arizona

-Had a short visit from Heidi & Steve in L.A. on their way back from the Cook Islands

-Joined a hiking club with my friend Christina

May:

-Made the best of my Disneyland annual pass

June:

-Lori & Mom visited and helped me move from Chino Hills back to Sandy for the summer

-Had fun at the first annual Johnson family girls' weekend in Park City

July:

-Loved the Dahl family reunion at Zion Ponderosa resort

-Painted and re-did my parents' basement bathroom

-Bought my first car

August:

-Moved to Turlock, CA and saw northern Cali for the first time

-Started a new job

-Auditioned for the Biggest Loser (...post coming soon!)

September:

-Flew home to SLC for my birthday (but really to renew my driver's license)

-Watched Heidi run her first marathon

October:

-Called to be Relief Society president in my singles' branch

November:

-Spent a week in SLC for Thanksgiving with my family

December:

-Performed Handel's Messiah with my stake in Turlock

-Spent 2 weeks in SLC for Christmas and New Year's

Today

2011-12-17T23:29:00.000-08:00

Today was a productive lazy day. Is that possible? It is in my book!

I got to sleep in a little bit, and woke up to this:

I am quickly learning that this is a typical winter morning in central/northern California!

I made my way over to my church for a cleaning assignment. I think there were 8 of us that showed up and we finished cleaning in about 1-1/2 hours. I cleaned all the windows in the building and also worked on the kitchen... we sorted through all the cupboards and reorganized/threw away a bunch of stuff and it looks so much better now!

I got my car washed... it was desperately needed.

I went grocery shopping for enough food to last me through Wednesday, when I leave for Utah!

I watched a Christmas movie. I absolutely love Christmas movies! But let me tell you there are slim pickings on Netflix and I left my other movies at home in Utah. So today's choice was ABC Family's "Snow"... not much to get excited about and super cheesy, but it was cute.

For whatever reason I had a sudden urge to make cupcakes, so I went with it and I tried out my cake decorating set that I won from my family's Favorite Things exchange back in July! I think they turned out pretty cute, except I couldn't get the frosting to turn red. So my Christmas cupcakes are pink and green instead!

Today I also read a good chunk of my current book, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I'm only about a fourth of the way into it, but so far it has a similar feel to the Hunger Games series, which I absolutely loved. I'm excited to get into this new series!

And on a random note, type "let it snow" into Google and enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tree Lane

2011-12-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

For FHE on Monday my branch went to Christmas Tree Lane in Ceres, CA. This definitely brought the spirit of Christmas! We walked up one side of the street and down the other and loved all the houses! Here are some of my favorites:

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-12-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

It never quite feels like Christmas when I'm in California... the weather is too warm (although it is much colder here than in southern CA) and the Fall leaves are still falling from the trees! And even though I don't have a Christmas tree or lights strung up at my apartment, a few things have happened this week to make it the season feel a little more festive:

Sadly this is the only picture I have for this post, but this is the Christmas tree in the small town I where I work. It's plopped down right in the middle of the main intersection of downtown ("downtown" is a little different concept here than other places... it's basically a street 3 blocks long, lined with small shops and restaurants and not a traffic light in sight). I think the barricades are up because the big wind storm a few weeks ago knocked some ornaments off the tree. Too bad I didn't get a picture before that!

Last night I sang in our stake production of Handel's Messiah. We have been practicing for several months and our hard work paid off. I'd never heard the whole piece before, but it was so beautiful and I have to brag say we did a great job!

Last Monday I went with some friends to sing Christmas carols at a rest home. We had never rehearsed and kind of faked our way through, but the residents absolutely LOVED it. They were singing along and every time we stopped they would yell "Keep singing! More, more!"

Christmas movies on Netflix and the Christmas station on Pandora. Enough said.

At my staff meeting last week we focused on donating to the county food bank. Instead of a gift exchange, we did a challenge exchange. Our supervisor read her traditional "Right Family" story and we exchanged challenges such as Christmas Trivia and fill-in-the-blank song lyrics. It was kind of cheesy but still fun!

I was able to take a friend from church on a little shopping spree to get clothes that would be appropriate to wear to church. It was actually really fun and very successful... we found 13 clothing items for just over $50! I love that the church is there to provide for those who need it and that I got to spend quality time with her.

Christmas Tree Lane... pictures to come!

Family Pictures

2011-12-03T23:38:00.000-08:00

We took these the day after Thanksgiving and I absolutely love, love, love how they all turned out. My brother-in-law Todd took them and did an awesome job. We actually took the pictures in front of the utility shed at the park across the street from my parents' house... it was definitely convenient only having to walk about 50 yards outside of the front door. We have 17 people in our family now and it will just continue to grow! I love it.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T23:18:00.000-08:00

** So I obviously didn't finish my Month of Thanks challenge... time got away from me and even though I didn't post on my blog, I was still thankful during the month! Instead of catching up though I'm just going to move on :) **

I went home to Utah for Thanksgiving November 18-26 and I had such a great time. It was definitely a much-needed break from work! I don't have pictures of everything I did (and some are just cell phone pics), but just know lots of time was spent with family and friends and it was a great holiday!

Saturday I met up with some high school friends for a baby shower. It was good to see them again... some I hadn't seen since graduation!

Saturday night I went with my parents to Abravanel Hall for "The Childhood of Christ" performed by the Utah Symphony. It was the story of Mary and Joseph journey from Bethlehem into Egypt with baby Jesus.
The music was in French with English subtitles, and the music was so beautiful. Tamara Mumford sang the role of Mary... this was fun for us to watch her because she grew up a few streets away from my family (I grew up knowing her as Tammy Castleton).

Sunday was my new nephew Porter's baby blessing. It's weird that I never even met him until he was a month old. But he sure is cute! Here I am with my two great sisters-in-law, Chloe and Emilee:

While I was down in Provo, I got to see Lori & Todd's new house being built:

And an amazing sunset:

We had fun messing around with the smile detection setting on my camera:

Tuesday I met up with these fun girls:

Rachel, Kenzie, and Kristina were my first set of roommies clear back from freshman year of college at USU. We have been pretty good about getting together regularly since then, which is awesome! Sometimes it's not more than once a year, but it's always so fun to see them (and now some of their kids)!

This is the only picture I have from Thanksgiving day, but it sure is a cute one! I got Porter this cute little outfit, and my parents also happened to get the matching beanie. We didn't plan it, but he was all dressed up for the holiday, thanks to us:

My niece Brooklyn (who just turned 5) drew this picture for me and I absolutely love it. She is so creative that sometimes it just cracks me up:

I asked her to tell me about it. This is what she said: "We are pioneers. It's me and Bob. We love each other and we love Natalie. And we have little babies too. Bob is my husband. We met by going to the bank and eating bananas and we were driving home together. I put stars and a clock to Natalie and I can draw a '5' and I love Natalie. It was rainy and sunny and we were there." I love it!

The day after Thanksgiving we took family pictures, which I absolutely LOVE. I will put those up separately though because they deserve their own blog post!

Month of Thanks - Day 10

2011-11-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

Today I am definitely thankful for days off of work! There is no school tomorrow and this long weekend is a MUCH needed break! As I am writing this post I am sitting in the Bakersfield College gym watching my aunt's basketball team obliterate the opposing team! This time of year is always hard because I get kind of burned out at work... but there is only one more week until Thanksgiving break and I get to see my family in Utah!

Month of Thanks - Days 3-9

2011-11-09T23:06:00.000-08:00

Day 3: My job-

I love that I can play games and work with (mostly) cute kids all day long! When I focus on this and not all the paperwork, I am definitely more thankful for my job. This had me laughing today while playing Who Bingo:

Me: "Who does magic tricks? A magician."

Student: "Magician?? OHHH.... like magician and subtraction?"

Day 4: Uplifting nights-

I wasn't quite sure how to word this one... but tonight I drove out to Oakland for a devotional. Elder Richard G. Scott was supposed to speak, but was sick and couldn't make it. But there were still two great speakers and I got to see the temple lit up at night!

Day 5: Spontaneous weekends-

My aunt Paula texted me Thursday to see if I wanted to meet up with her in San Mateo for the weekend. I stayed with her basketball team Friday night and spent Saturday watching them play a few scrimmage games at San Mateo college. It was a fun break from my regular weekend plans!

Day 6: Callings-

Today I was so grateful for my calling in my church. I didn't think I'd be able to say this, but it's true. Sometimes we can feel incapable of things we are asked to do, but if we have faith and do them to the best of our abilities, we receive so many blessings! My calling has been a great way for me to meet a lot of new people and to feel like I belong!

Day 7: Electricity-

Today the power went out at my elementary school for about an hour... and of course just as I was preparing for a meeting and had to print off a bunch of papers. Whenever the power goes out I realize just how much I rely on electricity to get things accomplished!

Day 8: Goals-

I've been trying to eat better and exercise more in these last few weeks before Thanksgiving. I've definitely had some bad days, but having short-term goals keeps me in check!

Day 9: Netflix-

As I'm writing this I'm watching episodes of 30 Rock... quite possibly my favorite TV show! I love Tina Fey and I seriously laugh out loud when I watch this show. I know it is kind of lame to be thankful for Netflix, but it's awesome for catching up on TV shows when I have some down time.

Month of Thanks - Day 2

2011-11-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for the opportunity to serve others. Tonight I was able to go to the Bishops' Storehouse to help order food and other household items for a member of my church. Back in the day, during one of my high school summers, my dad made me volunteer at a Bishops' Storehouse. I really did not want to do it, but I dragged my friend Gina along so I could at least have a friend there with me. I remember that it ended up being a great experience. Now looking back on it, I'm so glad that I volunteered there 10-ish years ago! Because of it I was a little more familiar with the process of filling a food order tonight. It's funny how things come full-circle in life!

Month of Thanks - Day 1

2011-11-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

How is it already November again?? Well, since it's here and this is my favorite time of year, I've decided to take on my Month of Thanks challenge again. Last year was surprisingly hard to think of things as I got toward the end of the month (sad, I know). This time I am going to put a better effort into it and reflect on each day to find more things I am grateful for... plus pictures if possible!

Today I am thankful for shelter and and sturdy buildings (aka my school). Today was CRAZY windy at work! Of course, I didn't check the weather this morning, so I wore a lovely, very flowy skirt... which I think flew up in the wind at least 4 times today. So needless to say, I was so glad when I wasn't walking students to & from classes and could just stay inside my classroom and out of the wind!

{Ok. Maybe it's not a picture of the shelter I'm thankful for, but here is my skirt that was flying up all day!}

Life on the Farm

2011-10-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well now that I have lived here in Turlock for almost 3 months I guess I should write about it! I've had some of these pictures for months now, but just haven't gotten around to putting up on my blog. Things are so different here than any place I've ever lived, so it's taken a little while to get used to it all. In my mind, when I think of "California," I think beaches, amusement parks, etc. But this part of California is basically farms, orchards, barns, and tractors! Luckily I live in the city (I don't think I could handle living out in the country), but I work in a tiny town out in the farms so I drive through them every day. At least San Francisco, San Jose, and Monterey are all about 1.5 hours away, so I'm still within distance of some exciting city life :)

Here are some of the everyday sights around where I live:

Lots of trains. On my drive to work I think I pass over 5 or 6 train tracks. And it's no fun getting stopped by a train when you are late for work (hence the picture below!):

I say it all the time, but I've literally never seen so many farms in my life. The main crops (that I can tell) that grow around here are grapes, tomatoes, almonds, and corn. And LOTS of them! The good thing is there are lots of fruit stands around with good prices and delicious fresh fruit!

When I first moved here I couldn't get over the number of tomato trucks I saw. Every day on my way to and from work I would usually get stuck behind one loaded full of tomatoes. Tomato season must be ending because I don't see these quite as much anymore:

The speed limit on the back roads around here is 55 (but of course most people go faster), so getting stuck behind a tractor definitely slows things down! Also, notice the corn on the sides of the road? It's pretty much all cut down now, but when I moved here I could not believe ALL of the massive corn stalks! I would guess they were 10-15 feet tall... much taller than my car. I kind of felt like I was driving through a huge maze everyday to work!

Now that the corn is cut down, a lot of the fields are growing new crops. I actually had to pull over and get a picture of this one, because speeding past I couldn't tell what it was. I was shocked to see COTTON! I've never seen a cotton plant, and always though of it as growing in the South. Anyway, this field is in the little town where I work:

Forget-me-not

2011-09-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

"You may at times feel a little like the forget-me-not—insignificant, small, or tiny in comparison with others... I hope (the forget-me-not) will be a symbol of the little things that make your lives joyful and sweet."

"Forget not to be patient with yourself.

Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.

Forget not to be happy now.

Forget not the why of the Gospel.

Forget not that the Lord loves you."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Birthday Weekend

2011-09-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

Do I look another year older?

Last weekend was crazy and busy but so fun!

I realized last week that my driver's license was due to expire on September 18, so I thought "no big deal, I'll renew it online." Problem. In Utah you can ONLY renew your license in person... no more online or mail renewals... problem is, I am in California. Then I panicked and realized that if I wanted to fly home for Thanksgiving or Christmas I'd have to have a current ID. So I decided to fly home for the weekend for this main purpose... and it happened to be my birthday too!

I flew in Friday after work, and straight from the airport I went with Jon & Emilee to see the new movie Contagion. I didn't love it as much as I hoped I would, but it was good.

The next morning I woke up bright and early to drive up to Logan to cheer my sister Heidi on in the Top of Utah marathon!! We saw her at about mile 14, and then again three more times before she crossed the finish line. This was her first marathon and she finished in 4 hours flat!! And she did it in basically horrible weather conditions... downpouring rain, thunder, and hail! She is amazing. If you have not ever watched runners come in at the finish line of a race, I highly recommend it! It was very emotional for me to watch everyone come in... some finished strong, some were literally leaning on others, and some collapsed just before the finish line. But they all finished this major accomplishment!

My parents also ran the 5k that morning. I didn't get to see them cross the finish line, but they both did awesome. They each finished 3rd in their age groups!

On our way home we stopped by the Brigham City temple (still under construction). Beautiful!

That night we watched the BYU/Utah game, ready to watch the big rivalry game. Let me just say... MAJOR upset. BYU played horribly.

Sunday morning we headed up to Kaysville to watch my niece Kaitlyn and my nephew in their primary program. I always love primary programs, and they both did such a great job. I loved Michael's line... "I wuv the temple because it's a pwetty pwace." So cute!

Oh yeah, and Sunday was also my birthday!! I am now officially 26 years old... although I don't feel much different from 25. The whole fam came over to my parents' for some Cafe Rio-style pork burritos and red velvet cake. My brothers' birthday is on the 21st, so this was a combined party for all three of us! As the night went on, I was just feeling worse and worse, and by the end of the night I had a temperature of 102.7... which is why I am so red in the picture!

We were trying to get a picture of Logan's shirt, but he clearly was not too happy about it. Here's a better view of the shirt he wore in honor of my birthday!

Monday I got my license renewed, and went to Zupas for lunch with some of my family. I love that place!!

The trip home was interesting... I honestly believe I have BAD luck when it comes to flying. Almost every time I have flown, the flight has been delayed or canceled. This time was no different. My 4:40 flight was delayed and then eventually canceled and I was rebooked onto the 9:50 flight. So my dad picked me up for a few hours to have dinner back at home. By the time I flew into San Francisco and drove home it was 1:45 on Tuesday morning. I was so glad to have made it back so I could sleep!

To-Do Lists

2011-09-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

I am big on to-do lists. At work I have Post-it notes all over the place, and at home I usually have a running list going on my phone. The big things just carry over day-to-day (sometimes for weeks!), and the small things basically only go on the list because I love crossing them off (does eating lunch count as a to-do?). It's such a good feeling!

Here's my to-do list for the weekend:

Make butternut squash soup
Wedding present for H.
Turbo Jam
Put up apartment decorations
Go grocery shopping
Mail birthday presents
Lady Antebellum cd
Deposit check
Write on blog (check!)
USU license plate cover
Return Redbox game
Wii Zumba with Best Buy coupon
Get flu shot
Sephora free gift
Pay tithing
Trade in phone
Find Harry Potter audiobooks (find library?)
Unpack from weekend
Do laundry
Paint nails
Costco membership?
Passport application

Whew! That's a long one. Is it sad that I can already say that chances are really good I won't get everything done this weekend? I can accept that... it just feels good to just write it all down and clear my mind!

Today

2011-09-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

I slept in and had a bad hair day. I am definitely not a morning person. Never have been, never will be.

I drove 192 miles, all for work. I'm definitely racking up the miles on my car... but the good news is I'm almost done listening to The Help audiobook. I've read the book once, but this audiobook is so good I just can't get enough of it!

I totally judged the girl who helped me at Best Buy. She had crazy colors in her hair, a tongue piercing, and her clothes didn't fit quite right. But then we started talking and she was the most friendly and helpful girl I'd talked to in a long time. I learned my lesson on that one!

I didn't plan it, but I got a full-on makeover at Ulta. Who knew that all you have to do is ask what color powder you should use and they will do all of your makeup for you?!? Maybe my new makeup will be enough motivation to get me up on time tomorrow morning... hmm... we'll see.

San Francisco

2011-09-12T23:11:00.000-07:00

First. Check out the new look for my blog... what do you think? It was ready for a facelift.

Second. Follow my blog! (over there on the right) -------->

Ok. Now on to San Francisco! I am FINALLY almost caught up on my blog. After our last stop to the Oakland temple we crossed the bridge to San Francisco. I was so excited... this was my first time to this city!

We knew we only had the day in the city and we weren't quite sure where to spend our time, but we ended up at Pier 39. After walking along the Pier, we decided the best way to see the most in a short amount of time was to take a bus tour throughout the city.

Two lessons learned:

(1) Bring a jacket when you visit this city. I actually brought mine, but left it in the car because it was warm when we parked. But as the day went on and we got closer to the Golden Gate Bridge, it was COLD. As Mark Twain put it, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Apparently summers can be colder than winters here!

(2) Wear sunscreen. Because it was deceivingly cold outside, I didn't even think to load up on the sunscreen. Sitting on the top of our double-decker bus for two hours, I got probably one of the worst sunburns I've had in a long time. Not good.

Our bus driver compared the ride to a roller coaster ride, going up and down all of the crazy hills in this city! We saw lots of sights... Fisherman's Wharf, China Town, Union Square, Civic Center, Lombard Street, Painted Ladies, Coit Tower, Ghirardelli Square, Botanical Garden, to name a few.

We also saw lots of awesome architecture and really neat historical apartment and other buildings...

And of course we saw the Golden Gate Bridge! I was surprised to see that it's for sure NOT the biggest or longest bridge in the area, but it looks pretty awesome and definitely draws a crowd:

The bus tour was a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time, and it gave me a taste of what I want to come back and see! We unfortunately didn't get to go to Alcatraz, but next time I definitely want to go on that tour.

While waiting for our dinner reservation we walked around Pier 39 some more. We found a bunch of people gathered around and were suprised to find this sight:

They were so funny! Each sea lion was trying to just keep warm and dry off, but as you can see there wasn't a whole lot of room for them to all fit! Some starting wrestling and everyone cheered when one got pushed over the edge.

Our last stop of the night was at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for dinner. It was delicious! But by this point in the night I was miserable due to my previously-mentioned sunburn that was already in full force. But I was glad to have the sweatshirt my dad surprised me with at the Bridge!

I loved, loved, loved this city and can't wait to come back!

Oakland Temple

2011-09-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 8, we decided our next adventure would be to go to San Francisco. We were so exhausted after our trip to Monterey, but after a good night's sleep we were ready to go again!

On our way we stopped at the Oakland temple. Wow... this was an impressive sight! There was some maintenance being done on the grounds, but they were still beautiful.

Monterey

2011-09-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

On August 7 we found our way to church here in Turlock. While we were there, we started talking to the bishop, and he happened to mention that he went to high school in Kanab, UT. We were all a little stunned because that's where my mom grew up and to hear about that little town clear out in central California was unexpected! It turns out that this man moved there after my mom left for college, but his father still lives there and is good friends with my grandpa. This bishop definitely knew several members of my mom's family and had only good things to say about them. We later discovered that I plugged in my address wrong on the website to find the meetinghouse, so we didn't even go to the right ward. But because of this, my dad kept referring to this whole experience as a "tender mercy." I guess we were meant to be there!

After church we did a little more exploring and made our way down to Gustine, CA where I heard I might be working this year. Boy is that a small town. It wasn't hard to find the elementary school... and of course my parents wanted a picture!

Next we drove from Gustine to Monterey. On the way there, we stopped off at San Juan Batista. We walked around the Old Mission, founded in 1797. It was an amazing building! And the town was seriously a step back in time about 200 years... except for all the modern cars driving around!

We made it to Monterey and walked down Fisherman's Wharf. We met up with my friend Christina (my hiking buddy from last year) who is living there now. For a few months, I really thought I was going to working in Monterey this year too, but it didn't work out. So it was fun to see how things could have been! We drove along the coast and through town to get a feel for Monterey. Definitely a quaint tourist town... I liked it there, but I do have to say I'm glad I'm not living there. It seems like a fun place to visit, but not for me to live.

Our drive back was TORTURE. I think it took us a good 4 hours to get back (should only be about 2 I think). There is only one road that goes inland from the coast, and we were with the whole weekend crowd trying to get back for work on Monday. Luckily my dad happened to be driving my car for that portion of the trip!

We did pass by the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area, which is a HUGE reservoir hidden in the hills. It was really pretty!

We were so glad to make it back to Turlock for the night!

Move to Turlock - Day 2

2011-09-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

On our way out of Reno (August 6), we stopped at the Donner Memorial State Park. We walked through the Emigrant Trail Museum and saw the Pioneer Monument. This monument is 20 feet tall, to represent how deep the snow was when the Donner party got stuck on their way to California in the 1800s. It was crazy!!

Our next destination was downtown Sacramento. We didn't have enough time to actually stop, but we drove past the governor's mansion, the state capitol, and through some historical areas.

Next up was the Sacramento temple in Rancho Cordova. I always love visiting new temples (we got to see 3 on this trip) because they are always so beautiful and unique in their own ways. This was no exception!

We drove straight from Sacramento to Turlock, about an hour and a half south... and finally made it to my new apartment!

Move to Turlock - Day 1

2011-08-27T00:25:00.000-07:00

On August 5 my parents and I left Sandy to make the long drive to Turlock, California. I actually had tricep tendinitis in my left arm, so my arm was in a sling and I couldn't help much, but my parents loaded up the cars and we hit the road!

We took I-80 all the way through Nevada which was a new drive for me. And a pretty boring and desolate drive, to say the least. Yes, I took these pictures while I was driving. Don't judge.

I quickly started listening to the Harry Potter 1 to make the time pass by more quickly. The reader, Jim Dale, does an awesome, by the way.

We drove through the Salt Flats, Beverly Hills (??), and after 8 hours of driving, ended up in Reno for the night.

After settling into our hotel and eating at Macaroni Grill, we ventured out to find the temple. We also drove through the University of Nevada, Reno campus (which was beautiful) and downtown Reno. I was surprised to admit that I kind of loved this city!

Waterfall hike

2011-08-26T23:31:00.000-07:00

On August 1, Jon, Emilee, and I took this little hike up to a really pretty waterfall. I never even knew this trail existed... and it's only less than 10 minutes away from my parents' house!

New Car!!

2011-08-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

As of July 30 I am officially a car owner! Here's my new car... a 2012 Hyundai Elantra:

I feel so much better having a really reliable car on my work commute each day (...more on that adventure later). I never thought I would buy a brand-spanking-new car, but after comparing new vs. used, the prices were almost the same. Why not get a new one that's still under warranty??

When I signed the papers, my car had 17 miles on it. Today... after owning it for 27 days... it has 2572 miles on it. I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of this car!

The big bathroom project

2011-08-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

My major project over the summer was fixing up the bathroom in my parents' basement. After two weeks of working hard, I finally finished on July 25. The bathroom was just so plain before, and I absolutely love how it turned out! Too bad I don't live there to use it myself. I obviously painted all the walls, but also replaced all the wall fixtures, removed the shower door, made new window curtains... I started with the shower curtain and based everything off of that! Check it out:

Before:

After:

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After:

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After:

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After:

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After:

July Snow

2011-08-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

We headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon on July 22 and were amazed that there was still some snow at Alta Ski Resort!

Dahl Family Reunion 2011 - Zion Ponderosa

2011-08-24T22:46:00.001-07:00

During July 3-6, we had our every-other-year reunion with my Dad's side of the family. This was the first year without either of my grandparents there, but it was still so fun to see every one else! These reunions have been an awesome tradition in our family and I think they are the reason we are so close. Everyone in the whole extended family was there except for my two cousins on missions!

We rented 3 luxury cabin homes for our families at this resort near Zion National Park. We had a reunion here 5 years ago and loved it so much that we wanted to come back! We did lots of chatting and laughing, swimming, playing games, eating good food, and having a great time!

The first night we had a Favorite Things exchange with all of the girls. We each brought our favorite thing(s) under $15 and had a white elephant-style exchange. We had so much fun! I ended up with a set of cake decorating tips and some pumpkin spread.

My nieces and I had to try out our new Shatter nail polish:

We celebrated Emily's and Chloe's birthdays:

We had a talent show that included John as "Cousin Cletus," Dave on the harmonica, Ryan's kids doing karate, Matt singing a duet with himself, Mark doing stand-up comedy, Sam's family playing the bells, Emily rapping, Paula singing "Leprosy," and Steve as "Cousin Casey."

We had a Minute-to-Win-It tournament (Tanner was the ultimate champion):

And one of my favorite parts was our ATV ride! I only stalled my 4-wheeler once, but made it out alive (and SUPER dirty) and had a blast!

Farmer's Market and A.C. Slater

2011-08-22T20:53:00.001-07:00

Ok, so time to back track. Back in June, my mom and my sister Lori drove out to Cali to help me move back to Utah for the summer. So before we got busy packing and moving, we decided to have some fun before we left California!

The night they got there we hit up Rubios... it always tastes more fresh (fresher?) in Cali! After a good night's sleep we got pedicures the next day and headed into LA to the Farmer's Market which was such a cool place. I've never been any place with such a diverse group of people. There were little shops and restaurants of every ethnic food I could think of. And I'm pretty sure they were authentic, by looking at the people working behind the counters. Everything was also outside, but all the walkways and shops were covered so it felt like we were indoors. Loved it!

We decided on Greek food, since Lori had just been in Greece a few weeks before. My gyro was amazing! We also had homemade ice cream and chocolate dipped frozen bananas. Delicious!

On our way back to the car, we walked through The Grove. I had no idea it was next to the Farmer's Market, so when we were there I remember saying "Hey! This is where Extra is filmed! Maybe we'll see Mario Lopez!" And sure enough, about 10 minutes later, there was A.C. Slater in all of his make-up and glory. We were asked to be in the Extra audience, but my mom and sister didn't want to wait. At least I got my stalker-pictures of him!

Time to catch up!

2011-08-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

Wow... has it really been over 2 months since I've posted anything?? I can't believe it. I'm sitting here in my new apartment and finally got my internet installed literally less than 30 minutes ago. I've been without it for two weeks and it feels so good to lounge on my couch in my pajamas while I write on my blog... I'm sick of having to go to Panera Bread or McDonald's just to use their free wi-fi!

I'm planning on doing a lot of updating here in the next little while. A lot of new and exciting things have happened since I last wrote (back in June!):

moved to Utah
girls' weekend in Park City
family reunion at Zion Ponderosa
bathroom overhaul
bought a new car
road trip/move back to California
Monterey, San Francisco CA
started a new job
flew back to Utah for an amazing weekend

Don't worry... lots of pictures to follow!

Motivation is like taking a shower, you need it daily.

2011-06-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend was supposed to be all about packing... since I am moving in 12 days and I haven't even started! But on Friday I had this nasty sore throat suddenly come on and it has pretty much knocked me out all weekend. I did manage to get one thing done though:

Yep these clothes will all be going to Goodwill. It's pretty sad that I even have that many clothes to give away.

Here's to starting a motivating week and that I will get a lot done!

More Disneyland, More Hiking

2011-06-05T18:17:00.003-07:00

I feel like my life hasn't had much variety lately. The school year is wrapping up and I have so much that has to be done, but I did manage to do a few fun things this week! My friend Jenny and I went to Disneyland again on Wednesday... we're both trying to get as much time there as we can because we are each moving out of California in a little less than 3 weeks. I've got to get my money's worth with my Disneyland pass!!

Our main reason for going this time was to preview the Little Mermaid ride before it opened to the general public. I think everyone else in southern CA with Annual Passes had the same idea as us... it was so crowded!

We also went on Tower of Terror again... I think this is my new favorite ride!

We didn't realize that the park now has their summer hours, so we ended up staying until about 11:00 pm (bad idea on a school night) and there were still SO many people! We were able to see World of Color again and I absolutely loved it the 2nd time around. And we were lucky enough to get tickets at the last minute from a worker so we had good seats! It seriously is an amazing show... it puts the Bellagio fountains to shame. Blogger isn't letting me upload a video, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

I went on my weekly hike with my friend Christina again. This hike was WAY harder than previous hikes! Things used to be SO green here in Cali, but once it started warming up, all the hills have lost their color. They're still pretty though! And by the way, I am definitely taller than Christina, but in the picture we are on a hill... I promise I'm not a giant next to her.

After our hike we came home and lounged by the pool for a while. I got a little sun and it felt so nice!

Also... this isn't necessarily fun, but after work I went out and bought Rosetta Stone to improve my Spanish-speaking skills. Lately I have felt like this would be a great skill to have, especially when trying to get hired for a job. So we'll see how this goes and if it really works!

This Week...

2011-05-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

-I went to Disneyland and California Adventure with my friend Jenny after work on Wednesday. We tried out some new things and went on some rides I haven't been on in a long time... Indiana Jones, Soaring Over California, Tower of Terror. It's totally worth it having a season pass because I don't feel guilty for only going for a few hours at night!

-I saved three lives on Thursday by donating blood and have a nice bruise on my arm to show for it!

-After donating blood on Thursday I met up with some of my girl friends to see "Something Borrowed." I had mixed feelings about the movie... on the one hand I liked it simply because it was a chick flick, and on the other hand it seemed totally unrealistic. But it was fun to have a girls' night out!

-On Saturday morning I went on hike #3 with Christina. It was pretty lame because we basically walked on a horse trail (right next to the sidewalk) up a street for 1.5 miles and then back down. But one cool/unexpected part was when we looked over and saw about 200 sheep grazing the hillside! Apparently they are there for weed control... hopefully you can see them in the picture:

-On Saturday evening I went with my friend Jessica to the Newport Beach temple. Our ward planned to go together at 5:00, but it ended up being only Jessica, me, and our Bishop... at least we represented the girls!!

(picture found here)

Hike #1 - Helen McCoy/Community Park Loop

2011-04-30T12:03:00.001-07:00

Last week I mentioned that my friend Christina and I signed up for the "Hiking the Hills" club. Well today was our first hike and I actually loved it! It was good to get outside and see the city from a different perspective. There were about 25 people there and we walked 3 miles on back roads and through the hills. It was a great start to my day!

La Jolla Cliffs

2011-04-24T20:56:00.002-07:00

My friend Camille introduced me this hidden treasure when we were in San Diego on Saturday. We just sat and enjoyed the sun, the paragliders, the flowers, and imagined what it would be like to live in a mansion overlooking the ocean. Definitely a good day.

Fun in L.A.

2011-04-22T23:12:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, on their way home from an amazing vacation to New Zealand and the Cook Islands, my sister Heidi and her husband Steve had a 9-hour layover in Los Angeles, so we made it a point to match up for the day!

I picked them up from the airport and first we headed to the Griffith Observatory:

We had never been there, so we didn't quite know what to expect - except that I had heard it was just a cool place. There were a lot of people there, but I think it was worth it just to see the views of the city:

{Check out the Hollywood sign to the right of my head}

Steve took a little nap while Heidi and I learned about the universe...

We then headed to the L.A. Temple Visitors' Center and walked around the temple.

Sadly they wanted to go see their children at home, but it was so fun to hang out with them for a day!

Lately...

2011-04-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

(1) These flowers (or weeds?) are everywhere in my neighborhood:

...and I mean everywhere! There are lots of rolling hills around where I live that are usually very green, but they are slowly turning yellow and I love it.

(2) I got a pedicure which was well overdue and it was glorious. And I do believe this bright orange color is the perfect choice for summer!

(3) I went to a fireside with these fun girls from my ward. The speaker was... interesting... to say the least! But we were challenged to go an entire week being grateful for everything, even those things that we really don't like in life.

(4) One of my new favorite treats is mangoes with lime and chili powder on top. Delicious!

(5) This week the girls in my ward started reading the Book of Mormon and our goal is to finish by the end of the year. We are marking every time God is mentioned, so that we can be reminded that it is truly Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I'm 6 chapters in and there have been 75 references... it's a great experience so far!

(6) I joined a hiking club with my friend Christina. It starts April 30 and should be interesting... since I don't exactly like hiking. But I know there are lots of great trails around here and I know otherwise I would never go. I'm telling myself it will be a good and different way to see this city!

(7) Okay I think this is the last one. I bought the new Adele CD a few days ago. I didn't think I really liked her music... it's not the typical type I usually go for. But now I have to admit absolutely love it! She is honestly talented and her voice is somewhat haunting. I find myself listening to her music every chance I get... this is one of my favorites: "He Won't Go"

Six Flags - 3/19/11

2011-04-20T00:21:00.001-07:00

On Jon & Emilee's last day in California we headed to Six Flags Magic Mountain. The last time I was there was for my high school choir tour about 7 years ago, so I was excited (and nervous) to go back! We quickly learned, after waiting in line for 2 1/2 hours for our first ride, that the purchase of a Flash Pass was necessary. We forked out the money and it was DEFINITELY worth it! We didn't have to wait in line for more than about 30 minutes for any ride and I think we rode 8 rides total. I was pretty much terrified while waiting in lines, but every ride (except for one... see below) was worth it and so fun! The only bad parts of the day were that I twisted my ankle and that my camera basically got smashed to death in Jon's pocket at some point during the day.

If you haven't ridden on extreme thrill rides, here are some videos of my favorites to give you an idea of how crazy-amazing-scary-fun-exhilarating they can really be!!

SUPERMAN:

I was definitely most scared to go on this ride. But waiting in line we met some cool people from Brazil that we talked to for a long time and they kept me distracted! They were a brother and sister, I think Larisa & Leonardo were their names, traveling in the U.S. for 20 days and hitting lots of theme parks (hopefully a picture to come... hint hint Emilee). This ended up being my favorite ride of the day!

SCREAM:

The best part of this was hearing Jon yell "IT'S TOO MUCH!!!" about halfway through this ride... I still laugh about it today!

X2:

This our first ride (that we waited hours in line for) and the one that made Emilee cry. Not out of love, out of fear! She had never been on a thrill ride like this, and I think she didn't quite realize what she was getting herself into. But she quickly recovered and I think had a great time on all the other rides!

TATSU:

This wins the award for the most terrifying ride EVER. You ride facing the ground, with nothing below you, so you don't have a choice in the phrase "don't look down" if your eyes are open. Mine were not. I was absolutely petrified the whole time and had my eyes closed for a good 80% of the ride. My new Brazilian friend Larisa kept yelling to me "open your eyes... it's so pretty!" and all I could muster up was to shake my head no and keep my eyes shut. I was living my greatest fear, hahaha! Heights and this ride did not mix well with each other. Plus, it didn't help that on the way to this ride, I completely biffed it on the stairs and twisted my ankle pretty badly... good times!

Wicked - 3/18/11

2011-04-19T22:58:00.001-07:00

Okay... time to catch up!

I'd have to say one of the highlights of having Jon & Emilee come visit me was that we got to see Wicked!!! We saw it at Segerstrom Hall in Orange County, which was an amazing place. This was my second time seeing the show, but I absolutely loved it this time around as much as the first!

Waiting for Superman

2011-04-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually very interested in documentaries, but tonight I watched "Waiting for Superman" and it definitely has made me do a lot of thinking. I have always been grateful for my education. I realize that out of everyone in the world, not many graduate from high school, even less graduate college, and even less than that finish graduate school. I am very fortunate to have done all of these things.

After watching this movie, I am even more aware of how blessed I was to grow up in an area where I had good teachers (for the most part), and my schools weren't considered "dropout factories" (these are schools whose senior class has 60% or fewer of the kids who entered as freshmen). I actually just checked and Utah has 0% rate of dropout factories... some states have 51%. It's hard for me to imagine how things might have been if I was born into a different life. Some parents work very hard to get their kids into good schools, and when it really comes down to it, the decision is made by a random drawing. If their kids' names aren't called in the drawing, the chances of them graduating from school pretty much plummet.

Wow... I meant for this to be a really brief post, but I guess I had more to say than I thought! I feel like some things were pretty much given to me and I've always taken that for granted, but tonight I'm glad to have the chance to think about it all and really appreciate what I have.

More Spring Break...

2011-04-12T23:44:00.002-07:00

Ok, here's some proof I was actually in Arizona last week. I'm totally stealing this from another blog (thanks Allie)! This is me and cute baby Sam, when my cousins Ashley, Tanner, Allie, and aunt Rhea introduced me to the deliciousness of Gecko Grill!

Spring Break

2011-04-09T20:51:00.002-07:00

I realize I still haven't even finished posting about my week with Jon & Emilee, but I took a break from blogging (and work!) for Spring Break. I started last weekend off with a drive to San Diego to meet up with my dad and his siblings. We had to clear out my grandpa's things from his house, and my part to help out with was packing up all of his books. We ended up inventorying and boxing up 695 books! It was a lot of work, but it was actually fun to see all these books... some were old, some were new, some had cool autographs or inscriptions, and some were worth a ton of money. Anyway, it was really good to see everyone and spend time with them.

On Sunday I followed my uncles back to Phoenix to spend my week there. The sad thing is that I took zero pictures. But you'll just have to believe that I had so much fun with my Arizona cousins! My week included family dinners, shopping, watching movies, being set up on a blind date, playing fun games, watching softball... I didn't do much of anything extra exciting, but that was the beauty of it! I had a blast relaxing and having fun with family.

Clippers vs. 76ers Game - 3/16/11

2011-03-29T23:08:00.006-07:00

On Wednesday we made our way back into the city to see Jon's beloved Blake Griffin play some basketball!

We got to the Staples Center plenty early so we take it all in... there were fun things both inside and outside the building.

The most exciting part of our night was when Emilee looked over and saw Jeremy Howard sitting down the row from us (he's in Sydney White, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Galaxy Quest, and Accepted)! Of course we made our way over to him to get a picture and he was so nice. Emilee was literally jumping up and down for joy that she saw a celebrity while she was in California!

ClipPercussion is the Clippers' half-time show drumline. They were outside afterward playing songs for everyone and having a great time. It was really fun watching them!

It was definitely an adventure driving home. We decided to go explore the city a little, but now I know I would not recommend driving through downtown L.A. at 11:00 pm. The streets seemed deserted except for all of the homeless tents and even cardboard boxes. We were pretty nervous but laughing at the same time at what we got ourselves into. We got out of that situation quickly and will never do it again!

Hollywood Blvd. & Santa Monica Pier - 3/15/11

2011-03-26T20:43:00.002-07:00

Tuesday was my last day before I had to go back to work, so we had to pack in as much fun as we could! We first made the drive out to Hollywood Blvd:

We got our pictures taken with celebrity impersonators (real & wax, haha)...

...walked the Walk of Fame...

...saw the Kodak theater...

and did lots of people-watching!

Next we drove into Beverly Hills to try and spot some celebrities on Rodeo Drive, but that was unsuccessful. We did, however, see LOTS of rich people! Jon was in heaven seeing all the expensive cars and Emilee and I were having fun finding celebrity look-alikes driving by us. We almost convinced ourselves we saw the Jonas Brothers, Sandra Bullock, and Orlando Bloom. I don't watch the TV show 90210, but Emilee does and was definitely star-struck when we found our way to Beverly Hill High School!

We then drove over to the Santa Monica pier:

It was pretty chilly, so we didn't stay long, but it was a great people-watching place! We were there at the perfect time to see the sun set, and it was beautiful.

Maybe we are horrible people for getting a laugh out of this, but I think the highlight of our walk on the pier was this guy:

Road Trip - 3/14/11

2011-03-25T18:42:00.004-07:00

On Monday we finished up our drive from Las Vegas to southern California. This is a pretty boring drive through the desert, so we had to make it interesting!

I had been craving beef jerky on our drive, and there were about one million billboards along the freeway for Alien Fresh Jerky... so we had to make a stop to check it out and to introduce Emilee to the amazing town of Baker, CA.

We saw the infamous thermometer (which I think has been broken down the last four times I've seen it):

We stopped at Alien Fresh Jerky to pick up some of the best jerky around... complete with an alien on the roof:

And we couldn't forget about the Red Necks BBQ right next door... complete with a Redneck on the roof:

That's pretty much a tour of the town, plus some very overpriced gas stations and a Subway. Baker is also called "The Gateway to Death Valley"... sounds inviting, right?

Las Vegas - 3/13/11

2011-03-24T20:09:00.004-07:00

After Mike & Chloe's wedding, Jon & Emilee spent a week in California with me! It was so much fun and I'm so glad they came to visit me! We originally planned to drive the whole way to Cali on Sunday, but then I found out I didn't have to work Monday morning. We didn't want to brave the Las-Vegas-to-Cali traffic, so we stopped in Vegas for the night.

After we got settled in our hotel room at the Stratosphere, we headed out to walk the Strip. We didn't want to walk all the way down and back, so we took a taxi. Being the naive people we are (we'd never been in a taxi), we told the driver we only had $12, and to drive us as far as that would take us. Well, long story short, she stopped the meter at $12.10 and then basically yelled at us for not having 10 cents and not tipping her. We told her to relax and found some more money to give her what she wanted. But we definitely learned the hard way how to make a taxi driver mad!

We made it to Caesar's Palace (although I think she took the longest route possible... of course costing us more).

We saw the Bellagio fountains and then made the walk back to the Stratosphere.

I think the most disappointing point of the night was when we were hungry and tired and so looking forward to eating dinner. We made it to the food court at Fashion Show and it was closed at 8 pm! We just about cried.

We of course had to go up to the top of the Stratosphere. I'd never done this, so I was amazed. We were 971 feet off the ground, and the craziest part was watching people jump off the side... for fun!

(If you want to skip ahead, you can see the guy jump at about 0:54)

There were also some crazy rides up there (this ride goes out over the edge of the Stratosphere). As I was re-watching this video I was laughing out loud at my commentary. I could never go on this ride!

None of us wore good shoes for walking, so we were glad to get back, soak our feet, and relax!

Bookstore Heaven

2011-03-24T17:57:00.001-07:00

Bookstores are one of my favorite places to be. And I love them even more when they are having sales! The Borders store near where I live is closing, and I've watched the signs in the windows changing slowly from 20% off to 60% off. I just couldn't wait any longer, so I stopped in yesterday. It was a little strange because literally everything was on sale... furniture, dishes from the cafe, plus the regular merchandise. The store was pretty picked over, but after browsing through everything, I came out with a few finds:

Lark & Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips, Lipstick in Afghanistan by Roberta Gately, Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross, and the new David Archuleta CD - The Other Side of Down... all at least 50% off. Pope Joan is actually the only of these books that I've heard of, but I'm excited to read them all!

{p.s. - my camera broke (post to come), so cell phone pictures are all I have these days...}

Mike & Chloe's Wedding

2011-03-13T16:52:00.009-07:00

On Saturday March 12 my brother and Chloe got married in the Salt Lake temple. The best part was during their wedding when the sealer said they would go "to infinity and beyond... that's not scripture but it should be!" It was pretty funny but something we'll all remember for sure.

{Savannah & Brooklyn... my mom made all of the little kids' clothes!}

{Cute Logan}

{Lots of picture-taking going on}

{All the Dahl & Chamberlain family that showed up for the wedding}

They had their wedding luncheon at Joy Luck in Bountiful. It was so much food, but so good! I love Chinese food! They had a little program including their wedding video (which I can hopefully upload soon), Heidi & Steve singing, and toasts made.

{My cousin Ashley and I... do we look alike?}

{There are only 5 of us girls on my dad's side of the family}

Saturday night they had their reception at my parents' church building. It was really good to see lots of friends and family there! It was decorated beautifully and they seemed so happy. I didn't get a picture of the getaway car, but let me just say that Mike's friends wrapped the car in 6,000 yards of plastic wrap and filled the entire car with balloons!

{Sisters}

{Chloe's cute cake that my Aunt Mylie made}

Chilling Out, Maxing, Relaxing All Cool...

2011-03-10T15:37:00.001-08:00

This week the weather has been so nice! Today I took advantage and went swimming and laid out by the pool. But in just a few hours I'll be back in Utah... I heard that a few nights ago it snowed 18" overnight! The weather will be an adjustment for sure, but it's for a good cause: my brother Mike and his fiance Chloe are getting married on Saturday! More pictures to follow...

Mod Podged Star

2011-03-07T22:51:00.001-08:00

I had some paper and Mod Podge leftover from my coffee table tray project, so I had to put it to some good use!

Materials needed:

Unfinished wood star

Sandpaper

Mod Podge

Foam brush

1 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper

Scissors

Start off with the wood star from Michael's and sand down the edges:

Paint it black (because some of the wood will show through from paper) and let dry:

Next trace one of the sides of the triangle and cut out 10 of these triangles (well, 5 for each of the sides of the triangle):

Mod Podge each of the paper triangles onto the star and then put another coat of Mod Podge over the top to make a good finish over everything:

Now pair it with a vinyl wall decal (I got mine from Ross for only $5.99)... and enjoy!

Awesome Weekend

2011-03-06T22:25:00.005-08:00

This weekend was one of the busiest I've had in a long time, but it was a good kind of busy!

FRIDAY

I drove out to my old stomping grounds from last year and went to the Redlands temple. The weather was so gorgeous that I couldn't pass up taking a few pictures.

I had to make a stop at a one of my favorites... DSW... and got some flipflops and a cute wallet. All on clearance of course!

Friday night my Redlands friends came out my way to see the BYU Young Ambassadors show, which was really good!

SATURDAY

I woke up bright and early and met my ward at 7:30 am to go to San Diego. We carpooled down to the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center which was surprisingly really... fun! I don't think I've ever used that word to describe a visitor's center before, but it's true.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Old Town San Diego. It's such a fun atmosphere with street fairs, shops, donkeys... I felt like I was dropped straight into Mexico (... although I've never been there, but it's what I imagine Mexico to be)!

On our drive back we stopped to walk around the San Diego temple and went to Deseret Book, then made a stop at a friend's house in Escondido.

{I had to throw this one in... gas was SO expensive in S.D.!!}

The whole day was amazing with perfect weather. I tried mangoes with chili powder and lime, got my first sunburn of the year, bought chocolate covered cinnamon bears at the old fashioned candy shop, made new friends, and had lots of laughs.

SUNDAY

Today church was really good. I got to teach the lesson in Relief Society on adversity. As always, I probably got more out of the lesson than anyone else did! We had a Break the Fast feast after church with delicious food, and then watched the CES fireside at the Bishop's house tonight.

It's been a busy weekend but I've loved every second of it!

Random

2011-03-03T21:16:00.002-08:00

1. My new TV show obsession is Ugly Betty. I always wanted to watch this when it was on, but didn't ever start. Thank goodness for Instant Netflix so I can watch the show now! One season down, three to go... and I LOVE it!

2. The other day my car's mileage reached a magical number... 111111. Of course I had to document this important event:

3. Last Thursday I tried a Spinning class for the first time. During the class, the workout was hard but it didn't seem horrible (except for the bike seat), so I was not expecting the level of soreness afterward. First, I almost collapsed when I got off the bike because my legs felt like jello. For about 5 days after, it was pretty much one step below excruciating pain getting up and down from sitting and standing. My muscles felt bruised just when I touched my legs! I have NEVER been so sore. But I've gone back twice this week because I've heard it gets better the more you go. I can already tell the difference... my legs are still sore but it's not a painful sore. I am starting to get used to the seat, and it seems to be getting a tiny bit easier!

4. Something very exciting came in the mail this week... Wicked tickets!!! This is absolutely my favorite show and I am stoked to see it in a few weeks. My brother and sister-in-law are coming to visit me in about a week and a half and we have lots of fun things planned... there will be plenty of updates on them all!

{Camera phone pictures aren't that great of quality... sorry}

Day 30 - Can't Get Enough of This Song

2011-03-02T12:52:00.001-08:00

Keith Urban has always been one of my very favorite artists. I love his music, his concerts, and he seems like a pretty good guy. There are so many of his songs that I love, but lately I can't get enough of this one:

Coffee Table Tray

2011-03-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

Last year I bought an unfinished wood tray from Wal-Mart for about $5, painted it black and sanded the edges down a little. I've used this for remotes, little plants, coasters... whatever usually goes on my coffee table {sorry for the bad picture}:

I've always thought it seemed a little plain, so tonight I updated it with a some scrapbook paper and a fresh coat of Mod Podge:

The paper's a little wrinkly because I didn't let the first coat of Mod Podge dry before putting on the second coat {the remotes are in the picture for a reason... to cover up the flaws!}, but I think it turned out really cute!

Day 29 - What Have I Learned?

2011-03-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

In this past month, I have learned (well, it was confirmed AGAIN) that I am really good at procrastinating. I've liked having something to write each day, but I should've known that I would not be good at keeping up with it! This month I have learned about my habits, goals, and little things that are important to me by writing them all down. It's like having a journal, but more fun! And I'm sure this will be fun to read back in a few years.

Day 28 - Then and Now

2011-02-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of me a year ago and a current picture. Have I changed much?

{March 2010 with nephew Logan}

{February 2011 with cousin Emily}

*I just noticed as I was re-reading this that I'm wearing the same necklace in both pictures. I have to admit I do wear it a lot... gotta love it!

Day 27 - Why I Am Doing This Challenge

2011-02-27T09:43:00.001-08:00

I am doing this challenge for a few reasons:

First, when I saw the idea on my friend Lindsey's blog, I thought it was a great idea and it would be really fun to read her posts, so I thought I'd join in on the fun.

Second, I use my blog mostly for journaling purposes, and so this challenge was a good way for me to learn a little more about myself. I've read back on my old posts since I started my blog, and it's a great way to remember the little things of life.

Third, I try to stay on top of posting on my blog, but sometimes I feel like I don't have much to write. This challenge has been a fun way to write something (almost) every day and has gotten me into a better habit of blogging!

Day 26 - What Do I Think About My Friends?

2011-02-26T21:43:00.000-08:00

I don't know how anyone could answer this question negatively. Of course I think my friends are great! Like I've mentioned before, I feel like I have several different "sets" of friends (from living in different places), but they are all so much fun. I feel like I can call anyone a friend who I am comfortable being around and who I can act myself around.

Day 25 - A Look Inside My Purse

2011-02-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

Usually my purse isn't too messy. But lately it's been a little crazy. Well, a lot crazy. These were the contents of my bag tonight:

-A pile of receipts

-Two packs of tissues

-Wallet

-Two magnets purchased at the San Diego airport

-Four lip glosses (can you tell I love Lip Smackers? I should say goodbye to 7th grade...)

-Spearmint Icebreakers mints

-Two movie tickets (Unknown & Just Go With It)

-iPod Nano

-Camera memory card

-Flash drive

-Necklace in need of repair

-Hair ties and bobby pins

-Tylenol

-Cocoa butter lotion

-Two pretty much identical sets of keys (only difference is one set has my mail key on it)

-Cell phone

-Sunglasses

-Regular glasses

-Copy of song sung at my grandpa's funeral (When First the Glorious Light of Truth)

Whew. I think I need to clean out my purse.

Day 24 - Last Five Facebook Statuses

2011-02-24T09:33:00.001-08:00

Feb. 24: On my way to try an indoor cycling class for the first time...

Feb. 23: I'm back in Cali... and SO excited! I just found out that Wicked is playing at the OCPAC March 1-April 3. Who wants to go?? I absolutely LOVE this show :)

Feb. 13: Had fun with 32 of my relatives at my parents' house tonight for dinner... all in town for the funeral tomorrow. Very loud but very fun!!

Feb. 12: Back from a quick weekend trip to San Diego. Warm weather, lots of family, great funeral :)

Feb. 8: I'm FINALLY done scanning pictures for this video!!

Magnetic Picture Frame

2011-02-22T22:33:00.002-08:00

Today I made a trip to The Wood Connection, which may very well be my new favorite craft store.

I picked up a few supplies:

Everything at this store is unfinished and, even better, pretty cheap:

Two coats of paint, some sanding, vinyl lettering, and 30 minutes later, I am now the proud owner of this cute metal picture frame:

{Don't mind my brother's wedding picture... it was the only I could find nearby to test out the frame}

Day 23 - I Crave 'Em

2011-02-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

This time of year there is one thing that I crave. A lot.

Notice how I had to open the bag before I could even take the picture. They are like heaven in a candy shell.

Day 22 - What Makes Me Different

2011-02-22T07:32:00.003-08:00

I wouldn't say I'm all that different from anyone else. But it really is combination of everything about me that makes me unique.

I am a...

Daughter.

Sister.

Aunt.

Friend.

Crafter.

Digital scrapbooker.

Speech-language pathologist.

Laugher. (<-- is that even a word??)

Master's degree holder.

Mormon.

Musician.

Movie/TV lover.

Optimist.

Internet addict.

Bargain shopper.

Reader.
Jewelry maker.

Blogger.

"I may not think that the world needs me, but it does. For I am unique, like no one that has ever been before or will come after.

No one can speak with my voice, say my piece, smile my smile, or shine my light. No one can take my place, for it is mine alone to fill.

If I am not there to shine my light, who knows how many travelers will lose their way as they try to pass by my empty place in the darkness?"

Day 21 - Makes Me Happy

2011-02-21T11:09:00.000-08:00

I'm still here in Utah... but if the weather cooperates I'll be heading back to sunny California on Wednesday.

I've only been here a few weeks and I'm already sick of the cold weather. But today as I came out of the mall (yes, shopping again) I saw this:

I realized that no matter how sick I am of being cold, I don't think I could ever get sick of these mountains and a good sunset.

Day 20 - Sisters

2011-02-20T22:54:00.002-08:00

"Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister,

And lord help the sister, who comes between me and my man."

Name that movie.

This picture is about 3 years old, but (sadly) it's the most recent one I could find of just me and my sisters.

I am 5 and 6 years younger than my sisters (Lori and Heidi), so I feel like when we were younger we weren't super close just because of our differences in age. But now that we are all older I love being around them. We all pretty much have similar tastes and interests and I always have a great time when I get to see them!

Day 19 - Natals

2011-02-19T12:33:00.003-08:00

I have never been big on nicknames... for others or for myself. But my 2nd year at Utah State (2005-ish) my roommates came up with the nickname "Natals" for me. Not sure exactly where it came from, but I always thought it was just funny and dorky.

One day when I was home from school on a break, I was chatting online with one of my USU friends and she called me Natals. Well, my brother-in-law Todd was looking over my shoulder and the name quickly caught on with my family.

It's the only nickname I've ever had, but after a few years I'm pretty sure it's stuck by now!

Day 18 - Plans, Dreams, Goals

2011-02-18T09:13:00.022-08:00

PLANS:

-Pay off my student loan within the next 18 months

-Finish craft projects I've started

DREAMS:

-Travel the world

-Get married and have a family of my own

GOALS:

-Read a book for each month this year

-Learn something new... maybe cake decorating or crocheting

-Increase healthy habits

Day 17 - Switch Places

2011-02-17T07:00:00.004-08:00

I have always loved Pre-20th Century period movies or those that are based on classic literature...

*Pride & Prejudice

*Anne of Green Gables

*Under the Greenwood Tree

*Jane Eyre

*North & South

*Wives and Daughters

I love the simple life the characters live. I love the beautiful landscapes and amazing castles and estates they live in, and how everything is romanticized. I've always thought it would be fun to live like that for a day and switch places with Elizabeth Bennett or Anne Shirley... but I'm sure after one day I'd want to come back to reality and all the technology that I love!

Day 16 - Another Picture of Myself

2011-02-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'm actually putting up two pictures because one isn't all that great but I just think it's funny:

Do you ever have those late nights where every little thing just seems to be hilarious? This was one of those nights... I was up late with my sister-in-law Emilee and was were tired and being crazy. She took this picture and we literally laughed about it for 30 minutes straight. We lined everything up perfectly (my eye, the glasses, her camera) so that my right eye was about 3 times bigger than my left eye. I know it's dumb but it brings back memories of a good night!

Picture #2 is of me at my brother Jon's wedding in August 2010:

Day 15 - iPod

2011-02-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

Here are the first 10 songs from my iPod when it's on shuffle. Almost all the music I have is what I listen to when I am exercising, so it's all pretty upbeat:

1. We the Kings - Skyway Avenue

2. Yellowcard - Dear Bobbie

3. Keith Urban - Better Life

4. Glee - Forget You

5. B.o.B - Don't Let Me Fall

6. Paramore - Brick By Boring Brick

7. P!nk - Raise Your Glass

8. Josh Kelley - Georgia Clay

9. Ke$ha - We R Who We R

10. Estelle (feat. Kanye West) - American Boy

I'm Back!

2011-02-15T22:26:00.003-08:00

This was a busy weekend but I had a blast. I seriously love my family and am so proud to be a part of them.

Thursday afternoon I flew with my parents to San Diego for my Grandpa Dahl's funeral. My dad was wondering how he was going to manage the trip, but once we got him on a wheelchair we got special treatment the whole way! I would highly recommend flying with someone in a wheelchair. You don't have to wait in any lines, you get to pre-board the plane, and you get the best seats on the plane!

The weather was absolutely perfect in California. On Friday we had a viewing and funeral in San Marcos, a luncheon afterward, and spent the rest of the night at my Grandpa's house visiting and laughing with family. Here I am with my cousin Emily (one of my two girl cousins!):

We flew back to SLC on Saturday and the family trickled in also. By Sunday night we had 32 people at my parents' house for dinner and dessert. It was very loud and crazy, but very fun!

On Monday we had another viewing and funeral in Sandy. My Grandpa was buried in West Jordan and it was a very good service:

Day 14 - My Family

2011-02-14T09:31:00.001-08:00

I absolutely LOVE my family!!

This is the most recent family picture I have (from November 2009) of my whole family all together... but since this picture was taken, there are now sixteen of us! I have one more nephew, one more sister-in-law, and a soon-to-be sister-in-law (in about 3 1/2 weeks!).

Here's a current picture of me with my sisters-in-law, Chloe and Emilee:

And I had to throw in this picture of little baby Logan, who's not so much a baby now... he's turning 1 next month! We made an amazing cup-tower that was taller than I am:

Day 13 - A Letter

2011-02-13T10:49:00.001-08:00

Dear SLPAB,

Things were going great at work until I got a letter from you 5 days before my license expired, saying you were missing my transcript and could not renew my license without it. Not only did I turn my transcript in to you 18 months ago, but I also did everything I could to rush-order it to you again before my license expired. My company did everything they could to reason with you, but your board would not cooperate at all, and put my paperwork at the bottom of the pile. Due to your mishap, I have not been allowed to work for 5 weeks. I did everything on my part to make sure my license would be renewed on time, and I was not aware there were even any problems until it was too late to do anything about them. I'd appreciate it if you would process my license so I can get back to work.

Thanks a bunch :)

Natalie

Day 12 - Blogger

2011-02-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

I discovered the blogging world about 3 years ago from my sisters. I was going to school in Pocatello, ID and I loved reading their blogs so I could stay in touch with my family and see pictures of my nieces and nephews. I decided to start up my own blog, and my first post was January 29, 2008... since then I have posted 286 times. Even though I don't have kids of my own to blog about, I always seem to find something to write! I also love reading other blogs... I seem to find a new blog at least every day that I add to my Reader list. I am not great at keeping my own journal, so I figure my blog is better than nothing!

Day 11 - Friends (...Again)

2011-02-11T21:39:00.005-08:00

I posted this picture not too long ago, but this is a recent picture of me with some of my Cali friends. Karly, Camille, and Charise are all in my ward and they are so funny and such a blast to hang out with!

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...

2011-02-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

I'm heading to San Diego in a few hours for my grandpa's funeral. I'm sure I won't have access to a computer this weekend, so I will be taking a break from my '30 Days' posts. Not that I've been great at writing them on time so far... but now at least I will have a good excuse to fall behind!

Day 10 - Music I Listen to When I'm...

2011-02-10T11:35:00.004-08:00

HAPPY: We the Kings, Keith Urban, Glee, Wicked soundtracks

SAD: The Script

BORED: anything upbeat to get me un-bored!

HYPED: Ke$ha, Rihanna, Lady Gaga

MAD: Paramore, P!nk

.....

I love almost all kinds of music!

I pretty much listen to all types of music all the time... not just when I'm in certain moods. Gotta love it!

Day 9 - I'm Proud

2011-02-09T15:22:00.003-08:00

I haven't gotten much done in the last few days, but one thing I am proud of is that I finished scanning in all the pictures I need to make my brother's wedding video! It's taken me way longer than it should have because I originally scanned them in at too low of a resolution so they wouldn't have looked good in the video. Now all I have to do is get the video all put together so we can show it at the wedding!

Day 8 - February Goals

2011-02-08T14:53:00.006-08:00

My short term goals for this month:

.................................................

*Finish making my brother's wedding video

*Get back to work

*Take a cake decorating class

*Finish reading Emergence: Labeled Autistic and start a new book

Day 7 - An Impact on me

2011-02-07T16:59:00.007-08:00

I had a hard time with this one. There are lots of things & people that have an impact on me... so I had a hard time choosing just one. I don't typically write about this, but I decided to just choose the thing that has the biggest impact:

When I think about it, there is nothing that has a bigger impact on me than the gospel of Jesus Christ. I sometimes wonder where I would be in life if I wasn't raised with the beliefs that I have. With my grandpa passing away recently, I have been reminded that families are eternal and that I will see him and all of my family again after this life... and that is because of Christ and all that He has done for us.

I'll Miss Him...

2011-02-06T16:15:00.010-08:00

{Grandpa and I at Butchart Gardens - June 2009}

Last night my Grandpa Dahl passed away a little unexpectedly. He was recently having some health problems, but seemed to be slowly recovering from them. My dad talked to him a few days ago and being concerned, asked my Grandpa if he should go to the doctor. He said something like "you know, I don't have a lot of energy, but I feel good. If I could feel like this for the rest of my days, I would be happy." Little did he know how numbered his days left on earth would be.

He and his wife Phyllis went to Palm Springs last weekend and had a great time. Yesterday they went shopping and my grandpa was even teasing Phyllis about having her purse in the cart while he was pushing it... saying "these California people will wonder about me pushing around a purse." He was even excited to put together a new exercise bike they just bought. When they got home he sat down to rest and just minutes later his heart just seemed to stop working. He was 83 years old, but he was honestly sharp and at his best up until his last minute.

He was funny, kind, smart, and such a great example to me. In Phyllis's words, "this is a big day for him." I know that there were many people on the other side ready to welcome him... including my grandma, his brother Alan, his parents, and many others. I'm so grateful for eternal families and that I will be able to see him again!

{On our cruise to Alaska - June 2009}

{Grandpa & Phyllis - June 2009}

{With uncle Sam and my dad - Juneau, AK - June 2009}

{Sitting on the cruise ship deck - June 2009}

{Jon & Emilee's wedding - August 2010... the last time I saw him}

Day 6 - Superheroes

2011-02-06T15:47:00.005-08:00

I used to wish I could fly, but then realized that could be very bad with my fear of heights. I remember watching the movie Matilda when I was young and thought that her powers were awesome.

She has telekinetic powers (don't worry... I looked that up) so she can manipulate and control things with her mind. I don't think she qualifies as a superhero, but that would definitely be my superpower if I could choose one. Turns out that another superhero who I think is pretty cute has the same powers... Jack Jack from the Incredibles:

Day 5 - Somewhere I've Been

2011-02-05T15:31:00.003-08:00

I think the most unique place I have been to is Alaska. I went on a cruise in June 2009 with some of my family members and loved every minute. The cruise took us to Glacier Bay National Park (in the picture above), Ketchikan, Sitka (picture the movie The Proposal... it's where the movie takes place but it's not really filmed there), Juneau, and Vancouver, Canada. We had perfect weather, saw lots of new things, and I would go back any time if I had the chance!

Day 4 - Habits

2011-02-04T15:25:00.001-08:00

I know I have PLENTY of bad habits that I would like to get rid of. But the one that always comes to mind is that I procrastinate so much! I have always hated this habit, but I have tried to change it and I'm pretty sure it's staying put. I honestly do work better under pressure, whether it's for work, school, church, or whatever project I'm working on at the time. I always try to get things done early, but for whatever reason, I always wait until the last minute to do them!

Day 3 - Friends

2011-02-03T14:10:00.005-08:00

I feel like I have several different sets of friends. I guess that's what I get for moving pretty much every year since I've been out of high school.

High school friends.
USU friends.
ISU friends.
Moreno Valley CA friends.
Chino Hills CA friends.
I guess I should feel blessed that I have met so many amazing people!

But this picture is of Gina and I (back in 2009)... a little outdated, but still good! We have known each other since the 4th grade when I moved to Utah. We've been friends through elementary, middle school, high school, and beyond. We were practically neighbors... we could see each others' houses through the neighbor's yard when the trees weren't fully grown. We used to leave each other the dumbest notes in middle school... I still have them all in a book and it's so funny to read over them! We don't see each other as regularly as we used to in high school, but I'm glad that we still keep in touch after all these years!

Day 2 - The Way I Am

2011-02-02T00:34:00.003-08:00

The title at the top of my blog is just my name, but I know in Google Reader my blog shows up as "The Way I Am." This is originally what I named my blog, and I think it explains my blog well. Everything I write is about me or describes my life and the way I am.

This comes from the Ingrid Michaelson song, which I LOVED when it first came out a few years ago (did I really start this blog 3 years ago??). It's a short little song, but I love the lyrics:

Day 1 - It's Just Me

2011-02-01T21:23:00.001-08:00

{Christmas Day 2010... taken by my 3-year-old nephew}

I've probably already written many of these things at some point on my blog, but here are 15 random things about me:

1. I am terribly afraid of heights and spiders.

2. I am a very good speller. I won my middle school spelling bee in the 7th grade and have been teased by my dad about the word "forensic" ever since (that's the word I got out on in the district bee). I guess I am a visual thinker, because I "see" most words in my mind which makes it easy for me to spell them. I get really irritated when I read others' simple spelling errors. Spell check, people!

3. I got braces on when I was 8 years old and had them until the 8th grade. I've definitely had my fair share of retainers, expanders, braces, and pretty much every combination of rubber-band colors on my teeth.

4. I auditioned for the music departments at 3 universities and I think I got accepted at all schools. Obviously I went a different direction... I decided that being a music major would require way too much dedication and commitment for what I was willing to give!

5. Speaking of music, I love playing the piano and singing, but I am terrified to sing a solo. I always wanted to try out for a solo in high school choir just to see if I would get it, but never actually wanted to perform it if the solo was given to me. But I love to play the piano, and am usually willing to play for others.

6. I would say I am not a picky eater. But there are a few things I CANNOT stand. Coconuts, tapioca pudding, and nuts in soft foods (think ice cream, cakes, brownies). Hello, texture issues. I also don't love potatoes, but will eat them if needed.

7. I hate putting myself in potentially embarrassing situations. So I have a difficult time going out of my comfort zone and going to dances, game nights with friends, etc. because I never really know what might happen!

8. In grad school I took the Myers Briggs personality test. I was looking through some things today and found the test results. If it means anything to you, I am an ISFP, which is "quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what's going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others." This describes me pretty much PERFECTLY!

9. I am quite a perfectionist. This can be a good quality, but can be pretty annoying most of the time.

10. I love TV. This is another thing that I hate to say about myself, but it's true. Currently I am pretty much obsessed with The Biggest Loser, Psych, The Bachelor, Cake Boss, Ellen, or whatever else seems entertaining at the time.

11. In the last year I have tried to make healthier decisions and have lost about 35 pounds. It's been slow-going, but I have started to enjoy Cardio Kickboxing, Zumba, going to the gym, and eating healthier.

12. I really would like to travel more. I think that's why I chose to work for a travel therapy company, because it would give me some unique experiences. I would like to make it to all 50 states someday. I would also love to go to so many places internationally... but for years I have wanted to go on a humanitarian mission, to Africa or Ecuador to work in orphanages.

13. I think it is crazy that I have a Master's degree. I never in my entire life thought I would do such a thing, but it was required for my job, so I just went for it. It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was a major accomplishment and I'm glad I did it. But now people think I can do all sorts of things because I have the degree. Just the other day: "Wow Natalie... how did you navigate through this neighborhood to find this house? It must be that Master's degree." Or "You have a Master's degree... that must be how you figured out how to plug all the cords into the right places" (when I set up my parents' entertainment center).

14. I am horrible at making decisions, big and small. I would much rather follow someone else's lead and go with the flow. Pretty much guaranteed if you ask me a question that requires a decision on my part, my answer will be "I don't care."

15. I love online shopping. Clothes, books, shoes, movies, whatever!

30 Days

2011-01-31T21:57:00.007-08:00

I am totally copying this from a friend's blog (thanks for the idea Lindsey!).
I think it looks fun, and while things like this are sometimes hard to stay on top of, I love reading back on them and learning more about myself!

So starting tomorrow:

Day 1- recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 2- the meaning behind your blog name
Day 3- a picture of you and your friends
Day 4- a habit that you wish you didn't have
Day 5- a picture of somewhere you've been to
Day 6- favorite super hero and why
Day 7- a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 8- short term goals for this month and why
Day 9- something you're proud of in the last few days
Day 10- songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad
Day 11- another picture of you and your friends
Day 12- how you found out about blogger and why you have one
Day 13- a letter to someone
Day 14- a picture of you and your family
Day 15- put your iPod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play
Day 16- another picture of yourself
Day 17- someone you would like to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19- nicknames you have and why you have them
Day 20- someone you love
Day 21- a picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22- what makes you different from everyone else
Day 23- something you crave for a lot
Day 24- your last five Facebook statuses
Day 25- what I would find in your bag
Day 26- what do you think about your friends
Day 27- why you are doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- a picture of you from last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- in this past month, what have you learned?
Day 30- your favorite song

The Best Surprise

2011-01-30T22:28:00.004-08:00

After I left you all hanging at the end of my last post, I packed up all my stuff and drove to Utah all day Wednesday to surprise my parents (I have some time off work... that's for another post)!

They had absolutely no idea I was coming and their reactions to seeing me were priceless.

First I drove to my dad's "hotel" where he has been staying for the past 3-ish weeks. I walked into his room at the care center and he immediately started laughing when he saw me and just kept saying I completely made his day. It was so good to see him and chat for about an hour before heading home. When I got home, I rang the doorbell and told my brother to make sure my mom would answer the door. When she opened it, she stared at me for a minute and then also started laughing and didn't stop for a few minutes. It was so funny! My siblings all new I was coming, but I definitely shocked my parents.

These few days home have been great. I've spent lots of time with my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews! I've already fit in lots of shopping, eating (Zupas, Red Mango... mmm), crafting (pictures to come), babysitting, and LOTS of laughing.

My dad came home yesterday after being away for 4 weeks. He has quite the contraption of a walker to use to get around the house, but still has to take it easy. He still can't put any weight on his leg for 4 more weeks... I would go crazy!

Tonight my parents had a couple over for dinner who used to live in the neighborhood about 8 years ago (Jed & Candace Clark). Jed has been in Iraq and Kyrgyzstan for the last 2 1/2 years as a bus driver (among other responsibilities) on U.S. military bases. He had some incredible stories and pictures and we all couldn't get enough of them. He mentioned seeing camel spiders there, and at the thought of them I made the comment that I would rather be around bullets and guns than spiders. I HATE THEM.

So with that on my mind, tonight my brother Mike killed a tiny little spider on the ceiling with a tissue. He then threw what I thought to be the spider-tissue at me (but it was a clean tissue). I completely lost it, screamed, and went running, laughing, and actually crying to the other side of the room. To the surprise of everyone in the room, especially me, it actually brought me to tears... that's how much I hate spiders. But I have to admit it was really funny!

Good times. If anyone out there is still reading this, I am impressed. I didn't mean for this to get so wordy, but I guess I've got a lot on my mind!

Retail Therapy

2011-01-25T20:53:00.004-08:00

Today my meeting for work was canceled, so I had to go do something productive after getting all ready for the day... why not some shopping?

I got a cute dress, workout clothes, a purse, some vinyl lettering, and these shoes:

The best part? Check it out:
Shoes for $0.99? Yes, thank you. That's why I LOVE Ross. This was by far the most awesome deal I have found there.

I also picked up another one of my newly-found favorites:
Psych is seriously one of the best shows around.

And I am super excited for a big surprise tomorrow. I can't give the details yet, but I will say it will be great and a much needed event!

Go Speed Racer Go

2011-01-23T20:48:00.007-08:00

My friend Rachel had her birthday on Saturday and invited a bunch of us over to her house for dinner... tacos and cupcakes. Mmmm! Then we headed to FastLap for some Indoor Kart Racing. I'd never done this before and was a little nervous, but it was so much fun!
**********

Camille & I:

Me with the birthday girl:

Suiting up:

Ready to race!

On the winner's stand... kidding. I got 6th place out of 8 racers:

Girls' Night Out

2011-01-22T10:51:00.002-08:00

Friday night I had a fun girls' night with Karly, Camille, Charise (all from my ward - in the picture above), Jenny, and Lindsey. We started off the night bowling, but the last 10 minutes of our hour they turned on the cosmic bowling... if only we had started later! But don't you worry, I bowled a 72 and a 65 so that made up for it.

There was also a dance that night. But it was themed. Superhero. Ugh. None of us wanted to go, but as we were talking, some of the girls wanted to go and see how people dressed up... so they could make fun of it. I really don't like dances, so I wasn't too excited about this, but we set a time limit to make sure we left at 27 minutes! As we got there, we felt dumb not being dressed up, so we improvised with items found in the trunks of our cars. Who knew that scarves, sunglasses, clip-on ties, windshield visors, rolling pins, and aprons could make such awesome superhero costumes? Sure enough, we set a timer and were out of there mid-song at 27 minutes... but we left in style!

As we were driving home, Camille thought it would be fun to do a Chinese fire drill. I hadn't done this since I was probably 13 years old, so I said I would join in. Well when it actually happened, Camille backed out but I was already halfway around the car so kept on going, all by myself. A little embarrassing, but so funny!

These girls are all so funny and I haven't laughed as hard as I did last night in a long time!!