Celebrate Life

New Blog Address

2010-01-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody. Well, I have decided to start keeping people up to date again, especially since my mom and dad are moving to San Diego! However, I am going to retire this blog since it is all about me, me and me, and start a new one that is about both Brian and me. So, to keep updated with our lives, which will now be twice as interesting (ok, well maybe not, but here's hoping) you can check out brianandmandyporter.blogspot.com Life has been so busy, and is only going to get busier still, but hopefully I can keep everyone updated!

Some Engagement Pictures

2009-10-09T15:24:00.001-07:00

Annie Crowther was nice enough to come out in the cold, seven months pregnant, to take our engagement pictures. She took some great pictures and is such a great friend for doing this for us. It saved us money and time. Here are some of my favorite ones. And yes, we took pictures at the cemetery....we're morbid like that.

And for laughs...

This pictures says it all.

D.A.M # 7

2009-09-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, Dan, this is for you. For those of you who have read my blog since the beginning (and if you have continued to read through its boringness) you will know of the dictionary entry about fishing. It made quite a stir (ok, not really, but a stir for my little blog). Here is an updated version of fishing for you.

Fishing. v. A ritual “nice guys” often have to resort to in order to catch a girl’s attention.

Ok--for you nice guys out there who are having trouble using this technique to your advantage--I have another tip. You must use camouflage. Let me define camouflage.

Camouflage n. A sneaky disguise worn by men when they are on the hunt for women.

In this particular case, I would suggest camouflaging yourself as a fish. That's right. Stop trying to be the fisherman and become a fish (but really you're still a fisherman in disguise). This will then force the girl to come to you. Sit back, relax, and let the girls do all the fishing. A nice guy (if I do say so myself) was finally able to catch my attention, but that's because I decided to do the fishing. I met him, and he seemed like a nice guy, but he didn't seem like he was out fishing for girls--any girls. So, I decided to see if I could get him to notice me. It wasn't until I had already baited my hook, cast my line, and watched it sink, that I realized he had ME hooked. It was history from there. So, perhaps start thinking about utilizing your camouflage skills, pretend you are a tasty, shiny, sparkly fish (preferably one with a coin in its mouth) and wait for the girls to come fishing for you. Just remember to keep your own hook ready! Happy camouflaging.

The REAL Ring

2009-09-15T19:47:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody! I finally picked up my real engagement/wedding ring! It took long enough. I picked it up on Friday, but then noticed as I was driving away that one of the tiny diamonds framing the center diamond was missing--so I had to take it back and wait again. I picked it up today though and am very happy to have it. Here are a couple pictures to give you an idea of what it looks like. Sorry they are blurry, I took them with my phone.

The Ring

2009-08-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

I'd post a picture of the ring as Emily asked, but here's the deal--I don't actually have it. Hold on, hold on, don't get a bee in your bonnet or whatever they say these days (since I'm pretty sure it isn't that). I have A ring, just not THE ring. You see, it had to be special ordered because they couldn't size it small enough at the store without the risk that the band would break. So...they gave Brian a "loaner" ring you might say. It is still very pretty, just a different style than the actual ring. Anyway, it is nice to have anything finally on the finger, and I think Brian was getting nervous about all those seventh grade boys hitting on me at school.....

Engaged

2009-08-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read my blog, I thought I'd let you know that I am officially engaged to Brian Porter! Since those of you who read my blog are probably also the few people I talk to on a semi-regular basis, this probably isn't big news. But, it's still true, and it is still exciting, and so I am going to tell you anyway. I wont bore you (or embarrass myself) by going through every detail of the proposal for you, but I will give you some idea of how it came off.

Brian is starting law school at the U this fall and so he told me that there was a reception on Sunday night where you could meet other law students and socialize and all that. While this was technically true, we did not go to it as I was anticipating. Instead Brian took me to This is the Place park where they have a large open grassy area overlooking Salt Lake. A perfect place for a picnic and a sunset. Brian was prepared with a full picnic basket, a blanket, and even a candle and some matches. We enjoyed the food and each others company and Brian finally got around to kneeling down and popping the question....to which I obviously said yes. Then we high tailed it out of there as the temperature dropped severely with the setting of the sun.

And of course I actually knew what was coming the entire day.....sometimes you just get a feeling.....

I Love You Brian

Zions 2009

2009-07-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well, once again I accompanied Mark and Dave on the annual Zions trip. Dave lets me come along to make sure that all his young men can make it through. I'm a better indicator than Dave or Mark would be! Brian was also able to come, which was fun. This year we did keyhole again, and then scoped out Pine Creek slot canyon. Getting the permits was pretty much a miracle for Pine Creek. We arrived in line at about 6:15 a.m. and still there were no more left. However, Dave worked his magic with the lady behind us who said her husband and a bunch of friends were doing Pine Creek, but six of the twelve people on one of the permits didn't show up. We couldn't switch them without her husbands friend there however, and we didn't have a way to get ahold of him. We drove to the Pine Creek trailhead and luckily the group was just preparing to leave. Anyway, it all worked out in the end--the weather was perfect, and the trip was great!

The water was cold and STINKY! I felt a little bit like I was swimming through the sewer. What could be more fun?

This is me, happily posed for a repel down into the cold water.

This is me, unhappily showing off the hair that Dave was obliged to saw off with his leatherman knife after it got sucked into my atc with the rope. Luckily I was about a foot off the groung so he was able to reach it and cut it off. Lesson learned: always tie your hair in a tight bun when repelling!

The view from the bottom of the canyon is pretty spectacular. Then again, Zions is pretty spectacular no matter where you are.

This was our last repel--100 feet of freefall, without even a cliff to steady your feet on. The worst part was dropping off the edge and having nowhere for your feet to go. I had to stare straight agead and inch my way slowly down, unlike Brian who flew down so fast his hand blistered through his leather glove. The trip was a lot of fun though, and I would highly recomend Pine Creek for those who like short, intense, canyoneering.

Summer Things

2009-06-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well I have been just terrible at updating my blog lately, but really, there hasn't been a whole lot to say. Summer (if you can call it that with June being one big rainstorm) has been fun so far, although I am already starting to look forward to the fall when I will have something to do everyday (although waking up early in the morning never has, never will, and certainly doesn't sound fun). I have also been slacking in the picture department, but here are a few pictures of things I have been doing this summer.

Brian and I went with some friends down to Robber's Roost and hiked a fun slot canyon with some fun chimney climbs and boulder scrambles. The scariest and most nerve wrenching part however was having my gas light come on in the middle of the night while we were lost trying to find camp. This place is miles away from civilization, in the middle of the desert. The only thing that made me feel better was that I had packed plenty of water, so if we had to hike out and hitch a ride we wouldn't die of dehydration. The next day, after our hike, we crossed our fingers, said our prayers, and climbed back into my car. We covered thirty-five miles of winding dirt road, and about thirty more miles of highway on empty and made it to the Hanksville gas station. Later online we looked up how far my car can usually go with the gas light on and it said the average was 28. What is a trip with out a little uncertainty, and if we'd have been in the old suburban it wouldn't havebeen a trip at all unless it broke down on the side of the road, so all in all things turned out fine!

I have been riding horses close to every day this summer. Jetta, the horse I am riding is a young horse of our neighbors. She can be a handful sometimes, and my mom had a pretty wild ride on her the other day, but she seems to be smart and not mean spirited. Rebel or "Reb," the horse that Brian is riding on the other hand, is just a sweet old guy. He is 27 years old but still in good shape and is also our neighbors. We are lucky to have people who let us just keep their horses in the summer and give them back in the winter--a perfect arrangement!

The rain has made everything really green and beautiful, and although it got tiring after a while, I have seen several beautiful rainbows, both in Oakley and in Provo.

I'll see if I can document some more adventures this summer....because I do intend to have more adventures.

Transitions

2009-04-16T00:05:00.000-07:00

So the transition between winter and spring in Utah is always frustrating. One day it is spring, the next it is winter. It has snowed an INCREDIBLE amount in Provo today. I took some pictures this morning of the tree outside my house that kind of capture the blending of the two seasons.

Armani

2009-04-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, with the full knowledge that this post is going to make me look like a crazy cat lady, I am going to post these pictures of Armani, the cat that lives with Kati and I, because you have to admit she's kind of cute.
I caught Armani in the toilet one day...maybe we can train her to use it?

Armani keeping me company while I do my homework.

She found a perfect bed in my velvet violin case....

Cross Country Skiing

2009-03-31T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well with the new snowfall, I was able to go cross country skiing. Brian and I went up Swift's Canyon and it was a beautiful day. We made it up passed the old Grizzly Adams Cabins, where they filmed the movie (or TV show?).The snow was pretty sticky, so the going was difficult in some spots, and we definitely had our issues coming down the canyon (mostly consisting of falling all the time, and breaking the end off my ski pole) but it just added to the fun. Luckily Brian got some footage of one of my better wipe outs. I hope you enjoy!

I'm Getting Braver

2009-02-23T17:26:00.001-08:00

So I know that my last post was about skiing, but really that's the most interesting thing I do these days. I got up the courage to finally do some hiking and backcountry skiing this year. (Yes, I actually hiked...a big deal for those of you who know me well) I took this picture with my phone at the top of the nintey-nine nintey peak at The Canyons. Dave, you should be proud of me, and Russ I'm not sure if "Slaughter House" still exists, but this sign is pretty scary! For any doubters out there, I did walk through that gate...and I survived!

Ski Heaven

2009-02-09T12:53:00.001-08:00

I went skiing on Saturday (as I try to do every Saturday) and we brought a camera along this time to take pictures by all our favorite signs. The skiing this Saturday was AMAZING! The Canyons had just been dumped on with a bunch of new snow, so the powder was pretty nice. Even despite the snow and the thick, thick fog, it was an awesome day.

Sledding Fun!

2009-01-04T21:08:00.001-08:00

Approaching the Jump

Afterwards.....

The Evans Sisters Shake a Leg

2008-11-21T12:36:00.001-08:00

Well I got this idea from Allison's email and I couldn't help make one of all our sisters! Even though none of us were ever superb dancers (or at least I never was) I think we can do the Charleston quite well, don't you think? Besides, this gets me excited for the holidays, and I love the holidays with our family!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

D.A.M. # 6

2008-11-17T16:18:00.001-08:00

Elevatorism - n. --- A system of belief which states that, if there is an elevator in the building you MUST use it, no matter what floor you may be traveling to.

You would be surprised how many people out there adhere to Elevatorism. It doesn't matter if they are going one floor up---which may take like five steps---they will wait for the elevator, climb inside and take the split second ride up to the next floor. As many of you know I am not one to jump at the chance to run (or walk) up anything...least of all stairs. I will almost ALWAYS use the stairs if I am simply going one floor up however. Five to ten steps is not going to kill me, besides it is more courteous, more efficient, and yes...usually quite a bit faster...to simply take the stairs. I have been witness to elevatorism on a frequent basis this semester because I often go back and forth between the basement and the fourth floor of the JFSB here at BYU. I usually take the elevator, even though it irritates me to do so. It irritates me because I usually have to wait as the elevator travels from the fourth floor to the basement...stopping on every floor. When it arrives I quickly get in (for those who don't know me well I have an irrational fear of elevator doors, and so always have to hurry over the threshold for fear of being crushed) and press the fourth floor button. As I travel upwards from the basement I once again must stop on every single floor. People inevitably get on at the first floor and get off on the second. I don't think I'll ever understand why...except that perhaps our society is becoming increasingly lazy. What really blows my mind are the people that stand with me while waiting for the elevator. Sometimes we will stand there for literally minutes. I will have decided to run all the way up to the fourth floor and changed my mind several times before the elevator arrives. We get in the elevator together and they only ride to the next floor. They wasted minutes just standing there!

Now, if there is anything worse than riding the elevator up one floor it is this...riding it DOWN one floor. I mean come on, down? I jog down all five flights of stairs to the basement quite often, and I am one of the laziest people I know!

I think it is time to take a stand against Elevatorists. If there is anything I have learned in school it is to beware of isms, and Elevatorism should not be an exception!

Pre-Halloween Fun

2008-10-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

Fall

2008-10-08T14:16:00.001-07:00

Fall always takes me by surprise. One morning I wake up and the breeze is a little bit cooler, the air feels a little bit crisper, and everything in its own way feels just a little bit different. The hillsides suddenly change color, almost before my eyes, and I know that winter is coming. Sometimes I hate the cold, and thinking about the coming of winter makes me a little sad. Walking to school in blizzards has never been fun. But then I stop and remind myself that really, I wouldn' thave it any other way. As Mark Twain said,
"No land with an unvarying climate can be very beautiful. . . Change is the handmaiden Nature requires to do her miracles with. The land that has four well-defined seasons cannot lack beauty, or pall with monotony. Each season brings a world of enjoyment and interest. . . And I think that to one in sympathy with nature, each season, in its turn, seems the loveliest."

Surprise at Ken's Kash

2008-09-27T22:12:00.001-07:00

Well, my life is pretty boring now that I am in school, but something kind of interesting happened today, and since I have nothing else to update you on...here goes. Today I went to Ken's Kash with my mom. My hair was a wild mess, I was wearing no makeup and I was wearing a dirty white jacket four sizes too big. I figured I wouldn't see anyone important. I walked into Ken's Kash, and for those of you who don't know, Ken's Kash is the one and only store in Oakley and consists of about three aisles worth of food. I have many good memories there, and I could do a whole post just on Ken's Kash, but we'll have to save it for another day. Anyway, I walked in and caught a glimpse of the woman checking out. She was tall adn blonde. I turned from the counter. Wait a second, hold up! I stopped and turned back towards the woman who was now standing at the door about five feet away from me. It was KATHERINE HEIGL! My mouth was probably hanging open in shock, and I stood there stupidly staring at her. She and the guy she was with walked out as my mom walked in. I took a step back, knocked a package of tylenol off the shelf, and scrambled to pick it up.
"That was Katherine Heigl" I told my mom in a frantic whisper.
"Who?"
"She's like a big star," I said. We walked out of the store and pretended to look at the "Lost Cat" sign posted outside of Ken's Kash, while I wagged my head in the direction of Katherine Heigl climbing into her car.
Apparantly she has a home (or more likely a mansion) up in the valley. Like I've always said, "Oakley is the best kept secret in Utah" but it looks like the secret is starting to leak out!

Last Hurrah

2008-09-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

So I've had my last hurrah before school. That's right, school started yesterday, so it's back to the old grindstone. I'm sure I'll still have some fun, at least I'll certainly try!

Geez Jared, you couldn't even get me a diamond? Oh well, I look pretty happy anyway.

Sorry Dan, I just couldn't help myself!

Holding on for dear life!

Africa Revisited

2008-08-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

So I just finished reading "Out of Africa" to commemorate my trip to Africa last summer. I also figured that since I have been to Karen Blixen's home in Kenya, that I ought to at least read her book! I guess I can't really say it made me homesick for Africa, but it made me miss it all the same. I hope someday I can return. I also finished a little video of our safari in Kenya and although putting the slideshow to the song "The Circle of Life" might seem a bit cliche, I just couldn't help myself :).

Bambi Meets Old Blue

2008-08-18T22:10:00.001-07:00

Tough Stuff

2008-08-10T19:44:00.001-07:00

I like to pretend I'm tough stuff. I like to think that just because I grew up in Oakley and was outside more than I was inside, that I could survive in the wild if I needed. My mom did drag me on long and strenuous hikes in the Uintahs when I was just a kid and I think I picked up some survival skills there out of necessity. After falling off a cliff and hanging on literally by my fingernails to a projecting rock, weathering raging thunderstorms in a light backpacking tent, and even getting lost once or twice I feel that I might know better than some how to survive in the rockies. I also did a lot of camping and hiking in southern Utah and would hope I know a little bit about surviving in the desert. Just to prove to myself that I am not a complete idiot in the wilderness I took a couple quizzes and was pretty darn proud of my results. I scored 10/10 on the rocky mountain survival quiz and 9/10 on the Moab desert quiz. Let's see how you fare! (You'll have to copy and paste the links, sorry)
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/manvswild/quiz/rocky-mountains/rocky-mountains.html
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/manvswild/quiz/moab/moab.html
and here are some pics of my adventures both in the Rockies and in southern Utah.

Ding Dong the Bells are Gonna Chime

2008-08-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

Janie got married on Aug. 1st. There goes one more of my best friends. They seem to be getting a little scarce these days, at least single ones. That aside, it was a beautiful day and it was great to see how happy Janie and Grady were.

Kalai came to sing at the wedding, which was totally awesome. We got to hang out with him a bit afterwards and he is a pretty funny guy.

Showers, Tennis, and Lakes

2008-07-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

My good friend Janie Rydalch is soon to be Janie Pace. I love weddings, drinks all around! No, but really, I do like weddings because it gives us all an excuse to get together for showers and stuff. It is always so fun to get together with all the girls again. I wish everyone could have made it to the shower, but here at least are the fabulous five who lived for one incredible semester in AG6. I'm so glad I have such wonderful friends!

Although my tennis skills are near pathetic, I still like to go play whenever I get a chance (Mark, we still need to have that lesson, I have improved in ping pong under your tutelage, let's see what you can do with tennis). Kati, Abby, Annie, Todd, and I all went last week to play some rousing games. I think the other more serious tennis players thought we were pretty crazy when we started playing "around the world" but come on, with skills like mine you just can't take it too seriously.

And summer is never complete without our regular trips to rockport, and even finding a little dead fish down my swimming suit when I returned home after this particular trip will not deter me from going back to cool off from the summer heat.

All the Pretty Horses

2008-07-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

I can't remember a time when I did not love horses. I grew up around horses so when I wasn't actually riding them I was pretending that I was, and if I wasn't pretending that I was riding I was pretending I was the horse itself. I loved horses of every color, black, chestnut, white, grey, buckskin. Horses galloped through both my waking and sleeping dreams, and I found horses doodled across all my notebooks from school. When we sold our last three horses before my parents moved to Mexico I was devestated. I was in school when one of my teachers (we all know each other well since it is such a small community)pulled me out of class and handed me a check for the three horses. He assured me they would not come to get them until the evening, but when I returned from school the fields were empty. I thought the grass looked lonely as it swayed in the breeze. All I could think of was that I did not have a chance to say goodbye. Not to Sundowner the clever and often naughty little pony, or May who despite her lazy and cold manner I had come to love, or even to Shaker with his crooked feet and homely face who loved his ears to be scratched. It has now been five years since a horse of my own as been in these fields and earlier this summer I convinced my mom to buy a cheap horse that I had discovered. He has turned out to be more of a project than I bargained for. Despite the fact that he is nearly unrideable and has been christened "Bucky" as a result, it still feels good to have a horse of my own. Here are a few pictures of my years with horses.

Quotable Quotes

2008-07-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I just finished reading a funny little book entitled, "The Mouse on the Moon." Contrary to what you might think, it is not about a mouse at all. Instead it is about a tiny country named Grand Fenwick that makes a rocket fuel out of wine and makes it to the moon before the U.S. or Russia. While this might sound like a zany plot, I did discover some fine quotes from love to politics whithin the yellow old pages. I thought I would share a few.

Talking about a single young man of twenty-five......"He's emotionally immature. He still thinks of himself as the most important person in the world--the one who has to be suited in all things. That is the attitude of the perennial bachelor, who by his nature is emotionally immature."

Talking about the nature of politics..... "Governments are elected so that nations may prosper while really not knowing what is going on at all. That is the art of successful government. Nor can governments carry on their business effectively with each other by telling each other frankly what are their policies and objectives. Good heavens, what a monstrous handicap such an arrangement would prove. Deceit, my dear boy, is the very lubricant of the machinery of international diplomacy. It is by subterfuge that the whole mechanism works smoothly."

And of course, true love..... "I don't mind dying as dying. But since dying would entail not seeing you again--then I am afraid."

The 4th of July!

2008-07-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, probably becuase it is such a big deal in Oakley. I love the Rodeo, the Parade, the Town Program, and of course our Family Reunion at the Ranch. This year was a real old fashioned 4th of July becuase we have horses again at the Ranch, I played my violin in the town program, attended the rodeo, and Rich and I rigged up a new rope swing. Sigh....the glory days are coming back.

Kati and I giving the town folk a good ol' fiddle tune.

Kati, Abby and I had a grand time at the Rodeo. The new rope swing works fine!

And here is a little taste of the Rodeo for ya. As they say every year..."If you're not livin' on the edge, you're takin'up way too much room."

Washington D.C. with the Girls!

2008-07-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Last week Annie, Kati, and I hopped on a plane for Washington D.C. We met Jane (who is a nanny back there) and Abby who was making her way home from Italy. The five of us had a blast. Jane's kids were on vacation with their mother and Lock, their dad, was so gracious to let us take over his whole house! Surprisingly he didn't seem to mind having a loud and crazy group of girls there for a few days. We also were able to see Todd Neiman who is back selling security systems. I think we gave him quite a shock when we arrived since he had no idea we were coming. We saw too many things to tell you about...hopefully the pictures in the video will speak for themselves. We had a rough time coming home (we were flying standby). We flew from D.C. to San Francisco, to L.A. and finally to Salt Lake. While we were traveling from place to place I made the very wise observaiton that "It is better to be going somewhere than nowhere." I think that will go right under "Wherever you go, there you are" in my quote list.

Zions Trip

2008-06-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

I traveled to Zions this past weekend with my brothers-in-law, Dave and Mark, my cousin Rich, and his roommate Joe. We did two hikes back to back: the Keyhole and the Subway. Keeping up with four guys took its toll by the end of the day. There were several rappels and swims (one was probably the coldest swim of my life) in both hikes, and a lot of scrambling over rocks. While I like to pretend that I am tough, I realized by the end of the day that sitting for hours in a classroom at school has not been keeping me in shape. I could barely walk the day after our hike, but it was worth it. The slot canyons were beautiful, the day was cloudless and sunny, and the company was great.

D.A.M # 5

2008-06-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

Radio Rage n. - A blind and dangerous rage induced by listening to music on the radio.

For those of you who don't know, I drive a nearly prehistoric car. No cd player, and no, I don't own an ipod (shocking I know) so I listen to the radio when I drive. I drove to school today and inevitably the song that was playing got stuck in my head. It played in my head as I walked to class, it played over my teachers lecturing voice, and I couldn't help but humm it out loud as I walked back to my car. I thought to myself, at least there will probably be a new song on the radio to get this one out of my head. WRONG! I got in my steaming hot car, turned the key and what do you know? The same song was playing AGAIN! What are the chances? Well, actually, I've found the odds are pretty high. Most radio stations that play music have about five to ten (ten is being quite generous) songs that they repeat over and over and over and over again. Well, you could just change the station right? You might think that, but change the station and you are likely to hear the SAME songs you heard on the previous one. Honestly, with all the music out there you'd think radio stations could play a little more variety. As a recording artist I would feel the radio stations were doing me a disservice. You get one hit song on the radio and it is played so often that soon everyone in their right mind hates it with a passion and no one wants to buy your album because the one song they know they also hate, and they have never heard of any of the others. Some blame people who download music illegally for hurting the music industry---I blame the radio. Hearing the same song for the tenth time during a twenty minute drive also makes me inexplicably angry. Looking for an outlet for my anger I am often tempted to step on the gas when an innocent rodent or small animal attempts to cross the road. You hear about accidents and confrontations due to road rage, but I think many of these are due in fact to radio rage. Combine the two and we have some crazy dangerous, angry drivers on our hands. So I plead for radio stations to please stop playing the same songs over and over again. Put a limit at two times a day or something. I am sincerely worried about the safety of our fellow citizens (and small animals).

A Shoulder to Lean on

2008-06-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

Just one reason I love my sisters.

Some Random and Maybe Weird Things I Love

2008-06-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

1. Driving fast
2. The smell of new books
3. Maple Sugar Candies
4. Taking pictures
5. Making faces in the mirror
6. Singing in the car
7. Singing in the shower
8. Sitting on my front porch
9. Looking at the stars
10. Scaring people
11. Candlelight
12. A soft bed
13. Crying in movies
14. Getting dirty
15. Laughing
16. Making other people laugh
17. Going to plays
18. Time to think
20. The sound of Sandhill Cranes
21. Seeing the irrigation water come into the field
22. Back scratches
23. Playing with my nieces and nephews
24. Flying high in a swing
25. Sleeping outside
26. The silence when it snows
27. Looking back
28. Making hay forts
29. Finding a new favorite song
30. Pop's pork chops

Spring Things

2008-05-20T15:18:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it is so nice to escape Provo and come up to dear old Oakley, where there is space to breathe, and run, and ENJOY!

I love my friends, and they love me too!

Kati is such a litle Betty Crocker. She made this lovely little cake for her Grandma's birthday. I cut the strawberries, if that counts for anything.

Oakley looks so green right now with all the new grass coming up. I love it!
Kati and I have renewed our status as roomates, and to celebrate I made my famous crab and cream cheese won tons. Of course Annie had to come over and try a few as well!
Although we are sophisticated College girls, we still like to be kids once and awhile and play hide and seek. Kati found a prime hiding spot....she's just lucky I didn't lock her in and turn the dryer on!

The Jazz is vs. The Jazz are

2008-05-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

Well as most of you probably know the Lakers are coming to the Delta Center (I refuse to call it otherwise) on Friday. The truly intriguing question for me is this... if at halftime the score is 62 for The Jazz and 59 for The Lakers would I say "The Jazz is winning" or The Jazz are winning"? I have asked more than a few people this question and sparked several heated debates. Almost every guy I have talked to has immediately jumped on my back and said, "If you say The Jazz is winning then any sports fan in the world will laugh in your face." It made sense to me to say "The Jazz is" however because Jazz is not a plural word. Telling me it is plural because it is referring to a team is not a good argument in my eyes because the word "team" itself, although referring to a group of people is still a singular noun. I am in a teaching grammar and usage class right now and I even asked my professor this question and he did not have a definite answer. So I am throwing the question out there into the void of cyber space to see what kind of answers and arguments I will find. I also decided to see what sports writers use (since they probably know the best) and interestingly enough this is what I found... these two excerpts are from the same article.

"The Utah Jazz is on a roll, playing some of the most exciting basketball in the NBA." In this sentence the writer treats The Jazz as singular, but a few sentences later....

"The Jazz are serious contenders in the NBA Western Conference." In this sentence it is treated as plural!! What is going on here? I really have no idea, and I hate not having the answers to something.

If you want to see the article yourself go ahead and go to http://www.utah.com/sports/jazz.htm

Lake Mead....Indeed!

2008-05-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

I went to Lake Mead with my cousin Rich and our friend Jared, and as expected, it was quite an adventure!

Happy Birthday Shakespeare

2008-04-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

William Shakespeare's birthday is celebrated on April 23, so I just want to wish the Bard a Happy Birthday! We have become quite good friends over the years as I have studied and watched most of his plays and read most of his poetry. In tribute to this most famous writer I would like to share a few quotes which have particularly stood out to me lately!

"How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?" - Iago from Othello

"If music be the food of love, play on, and give me excess of it..." - Duke Orsino from Twelfth Night

"Of all the men alive I never yet beheld that special face which I could fancy more than any other." - Bianca from Taming of the Shrew

"If I be waspish, best beware my sting." - Kate from Taming of the Shrew

"I'd rather hear a dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me." - Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing

Check out what you know about Shakespeare at http://encarta.msn.com/quiz_309/shakespeares_world_quiz.html?GT1=27004

I got 9/10 so perhaps somone can still best me!

I've been tagged.....

2008-04-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

So I guess that makes me "it"? Anyway, seven random facts about myself.....

1. I attended my junior year of high school at ASFM, a private prep school in Monterrey, Mexico.

2. Several boys on the bus at ASFM used to call me Legolas and Mayonnaise because of my blonde hair.

3. As a kid I used to talk to my bellybutton, which I fondly called "Mr. Bellybutton"

4. I played soccer for a year in high school but my coach called me "cheap entertainment" and gave me an award at the end of the year that said, "You had some nice whiffles this year" so I decided to stick with music instead of sports.

5. I am the youngest of five beautiful sisters, and I look up to and admire every single one of my older siblings.

6. I have written two and a half novels and several short stories, but I don't like anyone to read them, and I don't have time to write for fun anymore since I started going to BYU.

7. I used to tell people that I looked like Beetlejuice and laughed like Mozart (my lovely older sisters taught me to say this, or they told me these things so often that I thought they were true.)

D.A.M # 4

2008-04-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Blonde. adj. – A color of hair—period.
My hair has always been a source of conflict for me. On the one hand it is a small source of pride because it is one of the few things I get complemented on. I have never dyed, highlighted, or colored my hair and I take pride in that fact for some reason. On the other hand I often resent getting lumped into the “dumb blonde” category. Just to clarify things, the following situations have nothing to do with the fact that I am blonde.
1. Getting into the wrong car, with the wrong guy, as I went to meet my first blind date.
2. Buckling the ski rope into my lifejacket, jumping off the boat, and hanging suspended from the boat tower while everyone in the boat tried to haul me back on board.
3. Walking down the hall talking to my friends with my head turned and walking directly into a display case.
4. Getting a black eye by running into a bar on the playground.
5. Running into a light post during a water fight
6. Almost choking to death on water (yes water) at Leatherby’s ice cream shop
7. Getting into the elevator with my English professor and answering “Me am” when asked who was going to the lower level
8. Falling directly into a rosebush and receiving cuts all over my arms and back
9. Getting locked out of a hotel room naked (I was only eight years old)
10. Smashing head first into the side of the swimming pool and getting a goose bump that lasted at least a week
11. Forgetting to take my violin to an orchestra concert
12. When asked at the airport who I was flying with, answering “Myself”
13. Accidentally stealing someone else’s luggage at the same airport
14. Getting locked in the bathroom stall in Mexico (Dave, my brother-in-law had to climb over and rescue me)
15. Swinging on the bathroom stall door at church (don’t worry I was still in primary) getting my shirt caught on the coat hook and ripping all the buttons off as I jumped to the ground
16. Getting locked in my closet in the middle of the night (the door handle was broken from the inside, but I had my cell phone so I called my roommates, who had to come rescue me)
Ok, the list could go on, but I think I am beginning to defeat my point. I may have just proved that I am not always the brightest person on the planet, but I still maintain that this has nothing to do with my being blonde, so stop blaming it on my hair! As I said my hair is kind of a source of pride for me so stop hurting my pride and just blame it on my brain.

An Aunt for the Ninth Time

2008-03-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

There really isn't anything better than being an aunt. I love all nine of my nieces and nephews, including the newest addition--Brian Liang-Wei Hsiao.
Being an aunt is great becuase you can play and laugh and enjoy your neices and nephews without dealing with messy diapers, sleepless nights, tears, fights, whining, or any of those fun side activities that come with children. Yes, being an aunt is great!

A Sad Tale

2008-03-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

For several weeks now Kati and I have been looking forward to competing in the "Pond Skimming" competition at The Canyons ski resort. The competition consists of about 100 contestant, dressed in wacky costumes, skiing or snowboarding down a hill to where an ice cold pond waits. You need to get up enough speed to ski or "skim" across the pond and make it safely to the other side. It is about 100 feet across, so it is a daunting task, but we were prepared to do what was necessary! Dressed as an escaped convict, a rebel nun, and the flyin' Hawaiian, we were all set to go to Park City and try our hand at pond skimming. We woke up early (around 7:00 which is incredibly early for a Saturday morning) and made our way to Park City. Only.......

We found out when we arrived that this year you could pre-register online, and that all the slots had already been filled! We were very sad, and since Kati took her role as escaped convict so seriously (almost as if she had done it before) ........
She grew angry and threatened my life. After extensive anger management classes, she seems to have returned to normal, although she still keeps her costume beneath her bed, which worries me a little.

D.A.M # 3

2008-03-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

As a precursor to this entry I would just like to say that I have been thinking long and hard about some of the issues brought up in the last D.A.M. entry, which seemed to cause quite a buzz, and have come up with at least one perfectly good reason why fishing is necessary, other than the fact that girls like (or think they like, or pretend to like, or won't admit it but deep down they really to like) the game. Fishing may be necessary because of relationphobia, a not-so-rare disease that is quite serious and should neither be mocked nor laughed at. For more info on this disease, please read on........

Relationphobia n. – A fear of anyone wanting to date you
Most of us by the time we are in the dating stage of life have discovered many of our own faults. There are those of course who have not (Gomers for example, a tricky word I may soon attempt to define) which is why these people can usually be found in relationships, to the surprise of many. For those of us however who are acutely aware of our quirks, oddities, and faults, developing relationphobia is a pressing concern. “If you want to date me there must be something wrong with you” is the motto of every relationphobic person. Perhaps this is the real reason that nice guys who don’t play games may find it difficult to get into a relationship…they are trying to date someone with this disease. You see if a relationphobic person thinks that someone is interested in them they immediately begin to think “Is this person crazy? No one would want to date me that easily.” Then they begin to list all the reasons someone wouldn’t want to date them. Two hours later, after they have finished the list, they realize that “Yep, this person is definitely crazy,” and the rest is history. It stands to reason then that when someone seems not interested they immediately become more desirable because hey, they must be normal right? After they realize that this person is normal (for not wanting to date them) the relationphobe wants this normal person to be able to overlook all their faults and date them anyway. So you see fishing becomes necessary when the goal is someone with relationphobia. It’s not about game playing, it’s about appearing normal, even though my feelings are that such a thing as “normal” doesn’t really exist, but that is a completely different issue.

Hats!

2008-03-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

I wrote this funny little poem in high school and found it the other day. I decided to dedicate it to my sweet nephew Brigham since he loves hats so much!

Hats
Big hats small hats
As many varieties as there are cats
Some are blue and some are red
Some you can even wear to bed
Hats for women hats for men
Hats for children one to ten
Many hats are warm but some are not
Some are worn when it is hot
If you don’t like hats you can’t make excuses
For hats, there is no doubt, have many uses
I could stay up so late
Giving you reasons why hats are great!

10 Reasons I Love Oakley

2008-03-20T16:39:00.001-07:00

1. Oakley will always remind me of family

2. The canal always provides several different forms of summer fun

3. The sunsets from the front porch are amazing

6. You can shoot guns off your front porch (even in the dark) and there are no neighbors to care

5. The beautiful Uintah Mountains are in our backyard

6. You can always escape the summer heat with a daily dip in the diversion

7. There is always work to be done

8. But never more work than play

9. Winter provides as many adventures as summer

10. It is undeniably beautiful

D.A.M. # 2

2008-03-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Fishing. v. – A ritual “nice guys” often have to resort to in order to catch a girl’s attention.
Have you ever noticed that many girls date jerks? Well if you are a nice guy and you have been wondering this, I have some tips for you. You must learn to master the art of fishing, and I don’t mean for delicious bass. The first step to fishing is putting yourself out there. Dress nice, smell good, act confident (confidence is key) and when you find a girl you may be interested in, talk to her. After she gets to know you a bit she is probably thinking “this is a pretty cool guy, he is fun to talk to, dresses nice, and smells good” now is when you make your second move—ask her out, in a nonchalant, off-hand kind of way. She will probably say yes, but let me warn you, during the date she will begin thinking “This guy is really nice (warning bells should be going off at this point) but I’m just not sure that I like him in that way and I don’t want to hurt his feelings” if you know she is thinking this then you are still one step ahead of her. Now that you have presented the bait (you are the bait) and she is thinking about whether she wants to take it or not, you need to take the bait out of reach. Don’t call her. If you see her, be nice, but not interested. Flirt with other girls. By doing this you will be using her natural insecurities to your advantage. You see, if you act this way the girl will begin to think “Wait a minute, he really is a cool guy. Why does he seem disinterested? Is there something wrong with me? A girl would be lucky to be with this guy, why am I not the lucky girl?” Now is the time to start the cycle all over again. You can ask her out again, and this time she will probably give you more of a chance. You will probably have to repeat the process several times before you really have her hooked however. Once she is hooked though you are free to be the nicest guy in the world, and she will still like you, because for most of us, once we are hooked we are hooked.

Leap Year

2008-03-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

It was girls night out on Leap Year, and we wanted to do something extra special with the extra day we had been given this year. We started the night out with some dancing.....

We ended the night with a sojourn through the "Tunnel of Doom" which is a long cement culvert in Orem. We don't know where or if it ever comes out becuase we only made it halfway through before we scared ourselves with stories of dead people or crazy mass murders hiding in the shadows and turned around and ran back.

Canyonlands Memories

2008-03-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Family Vacation: Those two words inevitably bring back memories of Southern Utah and jeeping over Elephant Hill in the good old Pathfinder. Of course the vacation would not be complete without listening to Simon and Garfunkel on the drive down, and of course the soundtrack to "Ladyhawk" on the way over Elephant Hill itself. To commemorate those wonderful and often frightening times I have put together a little video of our last trip over Elephant Hill this past fall--and what music would I use besides "Ladyhawk"? Nothing would fit better! Although Dad could not make it on this trip he will always be the ultimate king of Elephant Hill.

Random Question of the Day

2008-03-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

What makes some cheese yellow?

I am sure there is a perfectly simple explanation to this, and if you know the answer feel free to enlighten me. I mean, shouldn't all cheese be white, or creamy colored? I can understand blue cheese, becuase hey, we all know what makes that blue, but yellow cheese? If I am not mistaken cheese originally comes from milk, and I dont know about you but I have never seen yellow milk. And what is going on with that colby jack cheese that is like spotted white and yellow? If it is a mixture of white and yellow cheese shouldn't it just be a very light yellow? Do they just take yellow cheese and white cheese and then squeeze it together to make colby jack cheese? Until I get an answer to all these questions I think I might just eat white cheese--I just don't trust those yellow ones (I am exluding you in this Mark).

The Dictionary According to Mandy - Entry # 1

2008-03-06T00:23:00.000-08:00

Dork. n. – You will know one when you meet one
It doesn’t take a magnifying glass to spot a dork; in fact, it doesn’t even take mild prescription lenses. Trust me, you will know a dork when you meet one. You know that guy who uses a really stupid pick up line like “Hey, I once sat on a sprinkler and my speedo exploded, can I have your number?” (This was actually used on me) is probably a dork. He is probably a dork if he interrupts your studying to ask if he is being too loud, and then, as if the interruption isn’t enough, continues to talk to you for half an hour about what you are studying. Does he honestly think I believe that he is interested in Shakespeare’s view of women? And if he was sorry about being too loud in the first place, why is he still talking? You know he’s probably a dork if after staring at you for a moment he breaks the silence by saying, “your shoes match your sweater.” All the while you are thinking, “Thanks genius, I had no idea! Did it ever occur to you that maybe while I was getting ready this morning I thought to myself…hmmm, I think I will wear brown shoes since I am wearing a brown sweater? Then again, judging by your outfit, a thought like that would never enter the small recesses of your brain.” You know he is a dork if he tells you that he once had a coat that was the same “lavender” color as the one you are wearing (which is actually blue). You know he is a dork if he asks you how long you think it would take to put your pants on if you had a cast on your leg. The list could go one, but I think you get the picture. As it turns out, I have met my fair share of dorks, to my delight and amusement.

Mexico 2007-08

2008-03-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas my parents and I boarded a plane and left our White Christmas behind to travel to Chiapas, Mexico. There in the high mountain village of El Pozo we constructed a school. After living for a year in Mexico and visiting every summer and Christmas for three years, it almost seemed like coming home. Riding over the many topes, or speed bumps, that are so prevelent in Mexico jolted back memories of my stay in Monterrey. It felt good to be back among such warm and friendly people. In El Pozo the villagers had next to nothing, and yet they were willing, prepared, and even eager to share what little they had with us. They prepared quite a party for our arrival, including a dinner of chicken soup served to us on makeshift tables. It cost them nearly two months salary to prepare that meal. Many of the villagers did not speak Spanish, but Tsotsil, their indigenous language. After our stay in the village we traveled to the ruins of Palenque, Yaxchilan, and Bonampak. From the tops of the ruined pyramids you can see how the jungle stretches on and on. I wondered how many strangled ancient cities remain covered and choked by the merciless jungle, inhabited only by the sleek jaguar and the screaming monkeys. We traveled by boat down the Ucumacinta river that marks the border between Mexico and Guatemala in order to reach the ruins of Yaxchilan. The ride was made more exotic due to persistant rain and low hanging mist. It did make our wanderings around Yaxchilan enjoyable however, since we were almost the only people there, and the rain had slackened. We also convinced our boat driver to let us hop off on the Guatemala side for a few minutes. So now I can say I have been to both Bolivia and Guatemala illegaly! All in all the trip was an incredible way to spend Christmas break, even if it was a departure from my usual Christmas break agenda---sleeping, skiing, and wild six-wheeler activities in the snow!

London Town

2008-03-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

London Town....oh how to describe you? You are such a mix of the new and the old. It was an intersting feeling to descend the stairs at Victoria station, pulled along by the bustling crowd of people heading for the tube, and then emerge across from the Tower of London, its century thick walls still protecting the sturdy fortress. The past and present merge in a place like London to create a place both grand and chic. From our quaint little hotel, with its endless flight of narrow stairs to the top floor and its traditional English breakfast, to the decadence of Harrods department store, I loved every minute in London and the surrounding areas. I have dreamed of visiting England since I fell in love with the tales of Shakespeare, Robin Hood, and Peter Pan at a very young age. During a summer of record and torrential rain in England, we lucked out and had wonderful weather during our stay. The sky was a rare robin's egg blue as we strolled along the Thames, admiring Big Ben and Parliment. My only regret? That we didn't have more time (and money) to spend there!

Africa, 2007

2008-03-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

My mom once told me that Africa gets in your blood. The people, the land, the smells, the beat of the sun--it all seeps into your blood and changes you forever. Of course I never believed her. It was not until I stepped off the plane onto the tarmac and saw the African sun rising in the east--twice the size of the sun I was used to--that I began to think she might be right. Day by day, first in Kenya, and then in Mozambique, I found Africa making a place for itself inside my heart. The overwhelming vastness of the Masai Mara, with its endless herds of Gnu and Zebra, its lumbering elephants and prowling felines, made me feel as small as a fire ant, and nearly as insgnificant. But the fire ants too have their place on the Mara.

The Masai themselves--tall, slender, proud, and dressed in checkered red were one of my favorite parts of Kenya. Cows are their livelyhood, and the tall Masai warriors can be seen on the plains--a bright spot of red--guarding their precious cows. One Masai warrior asked my mom how many cows she would ask in exchange for me (remind anyone of Jonny Lingo?) and she said at least 50. The Masai warrior laughed and said, "50? She is worth more than 50! More like 100, or 1,000!" Well, at least now I know my mom values me at only 50 cows--thanks mom.

It was the children that changed me the most. The children in the village of Piri Piri in Mozambique were full of life and laughter, despite their ragged clothes and bare feet. They were up every morning waiting to greet us, eager to hold our hands, touch our hair, and laugh as we struggled with the few phrases they had taught us in their native language. After we installed the first pump over the main well, and my dad began to pump up clear fresh water, the children jumped into the stream, cupping their hands to catch the life giving liqued. Their laughter as they played in thewater was the sweetest sound I had ever heard. I will never forget Africa becuase it became a part of me. My trip lasted three weeks, the memory will last forever.