will have him back

in 23 days.  

He'll be home.  

I think I've written 6 times.  

I am a bad sister.  

I read all of his emails and always have great intentions of sending a message.


I think he will understand. 

Maybe.  

At least I didn't get married while he was gone. 

That was nice of me.  

Also, I am "growing my hair out" for his return  
(meaning I won't cut it really short again until after Thanksgiving).  

He'll be so happy. 

And I got this really cute yellow sweater. . . 

because he loves yellow   

( at least I think it is his favorite. . . remember I only wrote him 6 times and he is 10 years younger than me, but if I remember right he liked the yellow power ranger so it must be that he will love my yellow sweater. right?)

Okay really I bought it at Target without even checking my budget because I have been searching and searching for a yellow sweater my WHOLE life (like before he even left on his mission).  I think buying it for his return party is justified.  for sure.  

Enough about my cute yellow sweater.  This post is about Daniel.  

November 23rd is going to be here before we know it 

(I might even find an outfit I like more than the yellow sweater before then, but probably not)

I can't believe little Daniel is all grown up. 

The baby of the family. . . a return missionary.  

Let the countdown begin. 

23, 22, 21, 20, 19. . . . . 

shares a birthday

I share my birthday with Katy Perry

and Pablo Picasso.  

 

What do you think that says about me!? 

Seriously, they are both a little bit/ a lot crazy.  

Talented but crazy. 

Good thing I am so normal.  I am going to assume that they day I was born (Ocotber 25th) really doesn't define who I am.  

I guess if I am going to assume that then I should assume that how old I am getting doesn't actually define who I am either.  

Unless of course there had been 2 really cool people born on October 25th in which case it would have totally fit because I am so awesome and only people with the same level of awesome as I have could be born on October the 25th.  

The point of this post is to say Happy Birthday to myself.  

I don't have a husband who is going to write up a post about the 31 reasons he loves me and thinks I am wonderful, so I am expecting you, my readers to give me at least 31 comments about why I am so great.  

I can hardly wait to see what you all have to say.  

Oh and just in case you are wondering what I looked like the day before my birthday 

(last Sunday) 

behold below

Loves

Right now I have a few loves Including but not exclusive to the following things:

Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara 

(coupon in the Costco mailer = double love)

My new planner that keeps me ultra organized and I just check, check, check off all the things I am doing so that I feel productive.


Fall Air and the changing colors. I drove up the canyon today to go to some meetings I had at Aspen Grove and had to really try hard to stay on the road instead of staring. A nice long bike ride of the loop is scheduled in on the planner.

My keys. Yes, I love my keys and the neighbor who comes to rescue me at 6:30 am when I lock myself out of my house (in my running clothes) without keys.

The new pictures I got in the mail today of the prettiest nieces anyone could ever have. Actually, this is kind of like a love/hate situation, because really, the cutest girls ever to come to earth were born into my brothers family and that might leave me high and dry on ever having the option of cute girls. I'll keep my fingers crossed that maybe there is still some beauty in the form of a little one with bows and ribbons just waiting to grace my home someday, and until then I'll just look at their beautiful pictures.

post edit:  this post is from like a month ago, but I can't figure out how to date it from a month ago.  You wouldn't think I was such a blog rookie.  Alas, I am. 

Might take up a new sport

I'm thinking that running and cycling just aren't the same as they used to be.  Not quite the rush that it once held. 

So, how about the luge.  

I think that if nothing else I look pretty darn cute doing it.  

 I think that "the finger" pointing is trying to show me how to control the blades. . . you do this by squeezing your legs in.  It is harder than I am making it look.  (which probably just goes to show that I am going to be a pro at this someday).  I think I'll start designing my slick one piece bodysuit right now.  Rest assured that it will have at least one hue of pink if not more. 

I think that I could get some serious speed on this thing.  Plus, if I get REALLY good at it I can spend my summers in Park City shopping at the outlets. . . I mean training every day.  

Is thankful she is educated

Education

Today I was really disheartened when I read an article on ksl.com (the deseret news) about how women in Utah don't see value in higher education.  I am aware of the fact that a lot of these beliefs come from the idea that a lot of these women are going to be mothers and they don't feel like an education is necessary to fulfill their responsibilities of motherhood.   The article states that women associate education with a career and women in Utah don't forsee themselves having a career.  

Well, I am here to tell you that I didn't foresee myself having a career either.  I've been working for 12 long years. Working in a job that requires a higher education degree.  Without an education I would be in a heap of trouble.  I would like to believe that even if I had married at 20 instead of finishing my schooling and starting a career I would have still felt the need to further my education.  

When I went back to school for a Masters Degree it was definitely a difficult decision because I thought that I was resigning myself to being single forever if I got more education.  I pushed through those ridiculous thoughts and ended up with a Masters Degree to accompany my Bachelors degree.  

Maybe I am an education snob, but if I am it is a title that I will gladly hold.  I hope that someday when I do have children they understand that my education wasn't obtained because a family wasn't the option I was offered, but rather because I know that when my family comes I will be nothing but grateful that I am educated. Grateful that I worked hard to define my beliefs, increase my skills, make myself a better servant in the Lord's kingdom and use my education to make a difference in my life and the lives of those around me.  

I'll get off my soapbox now but I don't think that this is the last post you will see about this.  Too much passion behind this belief system of mine.  

Nelson Mandela sums it all up:

Education is the most powerful weapon which YOU can use to ChAnGE the world.

The article can be read here.  The study can be found here.  

Educate yourself by reading them.  

Continue in Patience

Continue in Patience

(click on the link since I can't figure out how to get the actual video to stream on my blog)

I have nothing really to add to this.  Just a lot to learn from it.  

I'm sure most of you have seen it.  I think it is worth watching over and over.  

Also, all the conference talks from the 

October 2010 General Conference are now up and posted -- video, audio and text.  

Which ones are your favorites!?

Looks like a lion with really great legs

You know how when you have curly hair you want straight and when you have straight hair you want curly?! Yes, it is true.  Well, I am one of the people who is blessed with curly hair and I am always trying to make it straight.  

A few years ago when I was teaching school I had done my hair curly and gone to work.  It must have been the first time for that school year that I had not spent 45 minutes trying to get my hair to give the illusion of straight and beautiful.  

One of the little boys in my class said to me:  "Teacher, you kind of look like a lion with that hairdo" Dead serious.  I think he was trying to give me a compliment.  Yes, a lion.  I looked like a lion. I obviously laughed it off.  This child was, after all, 7 years old.  However, I have never forgotten that comment and always look in the mirror when my hair is curly and think to myself "Do I look like a lion?!" Maybe I do, but it doesn't stop me from doing my hair curly every now and then and giving myself a break from the straightening routine.  

I don't know if anyone else gets really random "compliments" like I do, but in March I was running the Rex E. Lee Run at BYU and I got a compliment that is almost at the same place on the rating scale as looking like a lion.  

Legs picture compliments of my nephew on the beach.

 

 

 

After I had finished what had to have been the worst race of my life (seriously horrible - I walked in a 10k and didn't know how to handle myself with "the old flame" at the race) I was just visiting with a couple of friends when this girl, who was a total stranger came up to me and said to me:  "I know that this might be weird but I saw you before the race and while you were running and I just wanted to tell you that you have got really great legs" 

How would you respond to that?  I said thank you, but didn't really know what else to say. A few other friends heard the comment and I have been teased about it since.  

So, for the record I've got lion hair and really great legs.  

Amazing that I am not married with that on my resume.  

Has got my hands full

With lots and lots of fall projects. . .


and yet I can't decide which of these Halloween wreaths to make. 

Maybe all of them.  What do you think!?

Oh the joys of sewing and projects.  Be excited for homemade Christmas presents this year.