The Life of Rachel Marie

New Chapter in Life, New Blog

2009-09-27T09:37:00.001-07:00

Well guess what....IM ENGAGED! Jordan and I just made a blog so I guess this is my last post on this blog. Please check out my new blog and read all about us! Love you all

www.jordanandrachelnelson.blogspot.com

Note to Self: PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS!

2009-07-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks I have been trying to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. I must say that drinking that much water causes me to visit the restroom several times a day.

At work there are two bathrooms, the one downstairs and the one upstairs. I work on the first floor, so the downstairs bathroom and I are great friends. Well, today I was on my break at work and I really had to go to the restroom (for about the 7th time that day-no joke) and I decided that the first floor bathroom had probably seen enough of me, so I decided to take a little walk and go to the upstairs bathroom. As I was journeying up to the bathroom I was in my own little world-needless to say I was not paying attention to my surroundings or where I was going. As I entered what I thought was the women’s bathroom I saw a woman that looked EXACTLY like a man. Thinking I had entered into the men’s restroom and feeling pretty embarrassed I loudly state,

"OH MY GOSH! IM SO SORRY! I TOTALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS THE WOMENS RESTROOM!!!"

I ran out of the bathroom and headed for the one next to it only to find out that I really was in the women’s restroom. I feel terrible. How could I have made such a mistake? Oh man I most definitely learned my lesson on this one.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

2009-07-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

I am having such a great summer! I have done so many great and exciting things. I am really enjoying work and my time here at home. I am so excited for the next couple of months, i have so much to look forward to. Here is my list of events:

#1-Going to Seattle to be a bridesmaid in Kayli's wedding
#2-Going to Disneyland with Jenna
#3-Being a bridesmaid in Ashley's wedding
#4-GRANT COMES HOME!
#5-Possibly another trip to Disneyland with Grant and his family

Okay here is the most recent picture of myself. I just got glasses and I am trying really hard to get used to them. So far they bug the heck out of me, but they do make a huge difference. i had no idea my eyes were so bad.

Im a Little Excited

2009-06-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

4 MONTHS! 4 MONTHS! 4 MONTHS! 4 MONTHS!

FOUR MONTHS TILL GRANTIE PIE GETS HOME

I Guess I Learned My Lesson

2009-06-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

WARNING!!! THIS IS A LONG POST...I JUST WANT TO REMEMBER EVERY DETAIL YEARS FROM NOW.

Let me start of with a little background info:

Winter semester ended early April this year. Shortly after that I made my way back home to Utah to live and work for the next year. If you know me you know that: #1-I get stressed out way too easily. #2- I hate sitting around. and #3- my biggest fear is not having a job when I desperately need one. As soon as I got home from school I started my mad hunt for a job. I even passed up a trip to Disneyland with the family so I could look for a job. For the first week or so I found nothing, heck I did not even hear back from any place I applied to. Then I called Alpine School District and Nordstrom to see if they had any open positions available. Luckily they both did. Right after I scored those two jobs I got a call back from a company that I interviewed with a few days earlier. I got three jobs in one day. I was very excited. I would sub once a week, work epiphany media center 4-5 days a week for 8 hours a day, and go to Nordstrom a couple of nights a week to work a closing shift. It was an ideal schedule. Too bad it only lasted one month. School got out so I no longer had a sub job, Nordstrom cut back my hours to 5- 10 hours a week, and epiphany media center had a significant drop is business and had to lay me off (stupid economy). So I was back at square one...this is where the story begins...

When I first started searching for jobs I filled out an application to work at ebay in SLC. I got an interview and they immediately told me after the interview that they had no openings. I did not really care because I never actually thought I would get a job at such an established company. Then I got the three jobs and life was great.

The day after I got laid off I started my mad hunt for a job again. I was pretty discouraged at this point. Putting yourself out there and being rejected time after time is very emotional. Then, a few days ago I got a call from Jeremy at Ebay. He said that they had a job opening and thought I would be the perfect canidate for it. I was thrilled. He offered me AMAZING pay, full benefits, a 401k, paid time off, 155 shares of stock for the company, etc etc. Without even thinking one second I accepted the job. Right before I hung up with Jeremy he said, "oh i forgot to tell you something. you will be working sunday-thursday." my heart sank as he told me that. i still accepted the job thinking there must be some way to get around working on sunday. I finally convinced myself that it would be alright if i worked every sunday and I just went to one hour of church every sunday from here on out. after all, it was an amazing job offer, and I was so sick of searching for a job.

I talked to my mom, big d, janelle, louisa, and rob about the job offer to see what they had to say about it. They all told me that i should not take the job and I will be blessed. My mom even said, "Heavenly Father is testing you right now. You got this amazing job offer but you have to work a full day on Sunday.He wants to see what you will do and if you have enough faith." That night I read my patriarchal blessing and I have a whole paragraph dedicated to keeping the sabbath day holy. That is when I knew that I should turn down the job. The next day I had to go into Ebay to sign some paperwork. I had full intentions to talk to somebody about the sunday shift.

When I arrived at ebay to sign paperwork I realized it was a group tour of the company, a group company welcome, and a group signing of paperwork. It was a little awkward to talk about my Sunday shift in front of a group. AFter i went on the tour of the company I fell in love and I once again decided that maybe I should keep the job. As I was driving home from ebay I got the idea to keep the job for the 6 week training (you do not work on sundays when you are training)and keep on searching for a job and then just quit once i found a job. (not the most honest thing to do, but i am in need of money)

once i got home I had a feeling to email my boss and let her know that I can not work on sunday. i told her that due to my religious beliefs and practices I would not be able to attend work on sunday, but i would still love the opportunity to still work there if they could just give me sunday's off. about a half hour later i get an eamil back basically saying:tough luck. take the shift or leave. i was back to discouraged mode. Doing the right thing is not always easy.

about 5 minutes after reading the email from my manager, I get a call from her. she said, "Rachel you will never believe this. Between the time I sent that email and the time I am calling you right now, someone has quit and a sat/sun off shift is available. would you like it?" i think i screamed into the phone, "YES!" I really was being tested and I chose the right thing to do. Heavenly Father in return blessed me with a great shift and an even better offer.

I know this all happened because I paid my tithing on sunday, i attended all 3 hours of church on sunday (even thought I only wanted to stay for 2), I listened to the council of my parents, and I trusted in the Lord. Life is good when you follow the commandments of God. I guess I learned my lesson:always keep the sabbath day holy.

I Do Not Run....

2009-06-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

So I decided about 2 months ago I wanted to run a 1/2 marathon (about 13 miles). I wanted to do this to lose a little weight, get in shape, etc etc. Well I started training and realized that running a 1/2 marathon is a little too ambitious. I decided that I would start with a 10k. So right now I am training for a 10k (about 8 miles). I an kind of nervous to do this because I AM NOT A RUNNER. Luckily, Grant's sister Katie will be doing it with me. The race is August 22 in Orem. Wish me luck. If anyone wants to join just let me know.

ABC's (I was tagged)

2009-05-26T11:34:00.001-07:00

A- Attached or Single: a little bit of both
B- Best Friend: I have way too many...my sisters and mom, GRANT, shannon, ash hole, chels, etc.
C- Cake or Pie: CAKE! i love cake
D- Day of choice: friday. because you can stay out late because you know that you can sleep in the next day and you know you have two days ahead of you to do NOTHING
E- Essential Item: cell phone
F- Favorite Color: changes daily, but almost always is purple
G- Gummy Bears or Worms: worms
H- Hometown: Lindon, Utah
I- Indulgence(s): florence chocolates, designer jeans, shoes, and brownies
J- January or July: January...BIRTHDAY MONTH!
K- Kids: Not yet. i should probably get married first
L- Life is incomplete without: My family, the church, my education
M- Marriage Date: single
N- Number of Siblings: 4 sisters, 1 brother
O- Oranges or Apples: oranges
P- Phobias or Fears: the back side of someones wrist
R- Reason to Smile: grant comes home soon!
S- Season: spring /fall. not too hot, not too cold
T- Television Show: desperate housewives, greys anatomy, SYTYCD, ellen and oprah
U- Unknown Fact About Me: my idea of fun is taking a nap and watching ellen and oprah
V- Very Favorite Store: Nordstrom, buckle and express
W- Worst Habit: sleeping in and not getting ready for work
X- X-ray or Ultrasound: I have only had an x-ray, so x-ray
Y- Your Favorite Food: anything mexican or italian
Z- Zodiac: Cancer. Aquarius.

I tag: bj, emma, christine, louisa,ash hole

A New Goal

2009-05-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

After dealing with grumpy people all day long at work, I have decided that I need to make a personal change. I am going to make a goal to always be happy. Grumpy people are not very much fun and I do not want to be one of those grumpy people.

For BJ...New Hair

2009-05-15T08:16:00.001-07:00

This is for you Barb, my new hair. Not the greatest picture because i took it from my cellphone, at work, with crappy lighting. I look kinda odd...

Minesweeper

2009-05-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Im obsessed. I cant stop. I am addicted to MINESWEEPER. I have a serious problem. I sit at my computer at work and play Minesweeper alllllll day long. It has gotten to the point that I will not leave work until I have beat my fastest time record from the day before. Yes, I am a nerd.

Cinnamon Toast....A Family Favorite...

2009-05-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

As far back as I can remember, my mom has made me this breakfast. In fact, i woke up this morning and my mom had a slice of this toast waiting for me on the kitchen counter. As a kid I used to love when mom would make this treat, but this morning as I was eating it I started thinking about what I was eating....

1 piece of Grandma Sycamore bread (white, of course)
1/2 a stick of salted sweet cream butter (okay i am exaggerating just a tiny bit)
3 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Dont worry, Im sure this breakfast incldes: love handles, cellulite, and a double chin. Maybe next time I will opt for a different breakfast. Sure tastes good though :)

Home Sweet Home

2009-04-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Im home now. Living at home has its ups and downs. I miss my roommates, the 24 hour social life, school, Rexburg, doing whatever whenever you want etc etc. I do however LOVE free laundry (saves me $10-$15 every week), free food, free rent, my family, my friends from high school, being close to my second home (Nordstrom-hehe), seeing Grant's family more often, making money, etc etc. I am also excited that I am done with school for 9 months!

The move back home was fine. I always HATE moving. I have to admit that I am only half unpacked. :| My first week back home I started my mad hunt for a job. I think that first week I sent out over 200 resumes. Unfortunately, I did not find a job. I was very discouraged. My whole life I have always been able to find a good job. The second week I was home I was able to get my substitute teaching job back. I quickly filled my week with teaching jobs. On Tuesday of last week, I got a call from a guy I interviewed with the previous week, and he offered me a job. I was so excited. So was able to score two jobs!! Oh and later on that week I was shopping at Nordstrom and they offered me a job as a rover! So anytime Nordstrom has extra shifts they give them to me.

So I started my job yesterday. It is interesting. I sit on the computer all day and answer in bound phone calls. Pretty boring, but it is a job. Well that is it for me.

ps: grant comes home in 5.5 months :)

Catch Up Time

2009-04-08T13:52:00.003-07:00

Wow it has been way too long since I have been on here. So here is a little catch up on my life.

December 2008: I finished my thrid semester of school. I went home for winter break and I worked at Nordstrom in the hangbag department. I spent Christmas at home and I got to talk to Grant on Christmas day. I rang in the year 2009 with my family.

January 2009: I started my fourth semester of school. I moved back into my old apartment with some new roommates. My roommates this semester were Ashley Smith (from Rexburg), Bailie Kuehn (from Kaysville), Kayli (from Seattle), Beki (from England), and Lauren Smith (Georgia). We all get along great and became great friends. I turned 20 years old on the 20th!!! CRAZY! i am so old. I am taking Physical Science, Geography, 2 study skills classes, Family History, and the History of Education this semester. I have a full load but i am very eager to get into major classes.

February 2009: Grant sent me flowers on Valentine's day. he is so sweet. Grant and I started dating two years ago on the 7th. I had midterms and did really well on all of them. I had tons of fun with my roommates and the snow was sooooooooo bad this month.

March 2009: Just the same old routine school, homework, gym, and friends. Due to some events in my life I found out that I will NOT be returning to Arizona in the summer and I will be going home to Utah instead. Kayli and Ashley both got engaged this month and I will be bridesmaids in both their weddings. :)

The semester is ending this week. I am excited for the warm weather, summer activites, moving home, working, and having fun with old friends this summer. I am not excited to find a job in this terrible economy! I will keep you all posted on the job search.

Here are a few pictures from this semester...

This is me and my newest bestest friend Ashley. I swear we are twins seperated at birth. All semester people thought we were twins or sisters.

Me and all of my roommates. There is Me, Ashley, in the blue dress is kayli, bailie, lolo, beki and rachel (beki's sister)

My birthday! My roommates took my to Red Robin (an apartment favorite). We have Me, Lolo, Ashley, and Mallory.

They made me wear ballons while they sang happy birthday to me at the restaurant.

Ash and I love to eat! This is our late night run to DQ to get corndogs.

Oh this is me all ready to go to Ashley's birhtday party.

The pretty flowers i got from Grant.

I love him so much. 6 more months!

I forgot to tell about my trip to Utah! In March all six kids were at home! this is me, all my sisters, and my mommy. we are all best friends.

Janelle and I. she is getting soooo old. She even has a cute little boyfriend (Ryan). He fits in perfectly with our family.

I love my sisters :)

My Friend Asher

2009-02-02T21:11:00.001-08:00

My good friend from school passed away this past week. here is his obituary...

Asher Moshe Flans Palmer
Asher Moshe Flans Palmer 2/4/1989 ~ 1/28/2009 On January 28, 2009 Asher Moshe Flans Palmer was called home to Our Father's presence whilst he slept. Asher was known for his amazing smile, strong body, and athletic skill. He was a big flirt with an outgoing personality, clever wit, and a "whole lotta chutzpah."Asher was born February 4, 1989 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from Brighton High School in 2007 and then attended BYU-Idaho. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as assistant executive secretary. He excelled in tennis, baseball, and football. He enjoyed scout trips, camping, and hiking. He especially liked being deep in the Grand Canyon. Asher loved life candy, cereal, Dr. Pepper, and Caf� Rio. Asher loved his mother and he was the joy of her life. Above all Asher loved his Father in Heaven. He had a strong testimony and wanted to do what was right while here on earth. Now, he will preach the gospel along side his brother Ryan who preceded him in death. Asher is survived by mother Sherri Palmer, father Kent Palmer, siblings; Georgia Ladd (Eric), Amber Marcello (Anthony), Page Hoppe (Lincoln), Hubbel Palmer, Taliatha Holmes (Rob), Etienne Palmer, grandparents Sam and Mildred Gold, 11 nieces and seven nephews. Funeral services will be held Monday, February 2, 2009, 11:00 a.m. at the Butler West Stake Center, 1845 East 7200 South. Friends may call at the Cannon Mortuary, 2460 E. Bengal Blvd. (7600 S.) Sunday from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. and the day of the service at the Church from 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. Interment Elysian Burial Gardens. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the LDS Church missionary fund.

Gotta Love Her

2009-01-26T01:03:00.000-08:00

Well I have officially started my fourth semester here at BYUI. I will post more about that later but first I need to tell you all about my newest roommate who happens to be a freshmen. Meet Lauren Smith (AKA LoLo). She is from Georgia. This is her first time ever out on her own and I am lucky enough to witness all of the emotions and life lessons she is learning while being out on her own. Let’s just say that she is learning quite a bit.

yes this is her....So time for story #1 about LoLo: this is her first time ever experiencing winter. so one night, all of us roommates were walking over to an indoor pool party and LoLo kept on slipping on all the ice that was on the sidewalk. well after about five slips you would think you would figure out how to maintain your balance on ice, oh no...she slipped again! but this time she slipped and slid underneath a car. The good news is she has invested in strap on ice picks for her shoes.

Story #2- LoLo decided to do the dishes. She put all the dishes in the dishwasher and then put dish soap in the dishwasher. 30 minutes later i walk into a flooded kitchen. What a mess.

Story #3- LoLo cooking-She was making potato soup for our sunday dinner and peeled the potatoes in the kitchen sink. Well needless to say, our sink clogged. So LoLo decided to fix the problem by vacuuming the potato skins out from the sink! The sink was still clogged but luckily we found this handy gent in our ward to come fix it. we had to flush it all the junk down the toilet.

This semester has been very entertaining so far. Gotta love LoLo. Thank you LoLo for all the great laughs.

Caitlyn's Wedding

2009-01-26T00:37:00.000-08:00

Caitlyn got married in November. Here is a picture of the beautiful bride and her three bridesmaids at her luncheon.

My Adventure With Chelsea

2009-01-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

My first night back in Utah I went out with my best friend Chelsea. We first had to find a "clean" gas station so Chelsea could fill up her car. Chelsea is a germophob and will only go to "clean gas stations" and once she gets there she has to use a paper towel touch everything.

The rest of the night was spent going to starbucks, hanging out with old friends, and going to a Christmas singing party.

Another Tag

2008-12-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

Do you have any pets?
nope

What was the last book you read?
eclipse...and i am in the middle of breaking dawn

Do you like to cook?
yes!

What's your favorite food?
i love italian food

Do you have brothers and sisters?
yes...two older sisters, an older brother, and two younger sisters

Which sport do you like?
i love to play tennis. i love to watch basketball and volleyball

Do you live alone?
nope. when i am at school i live with five other girls and when i am at home i live with my family

Do you live in a house or an apartment?
an apartment...brookside 201

Have you ever lived in another country?
i was born in canada

Have you ever met a famous person?
yes

How do you spend your free time?
i love to shop and sleep

Tell me about a favorite event of your childhood.
i used to love our family vacation to Canada every year.

What are your hobbies?
tennis, shopping, cooking, piano, violin, crafts, and reading

What countries have you visited?
mexico, canada, and the USA

Which country are you from?
i was born in Canada and lived there for a while but i have spent the majority of my life in the states

What do you do on Sundays?
go to church, sleep, study, and catch up with family

What do you do? What's your job?
i am a student at BYU Idaho. I work at Nordstrom in the handbag department during the holiday season, and i work at NFB in the summer

What kind of people do you like?
friendly people :)

Which languages do you speak?
english....i did take spanish 1 three times in high school. i dont remember any of it

Who do you respect the most?
Grant Connell Parry and my parents

Who has had the most influence in your life?
every member of my family

What do you think you will be doing five years from now?
married, graduated from BYUI with bachelor's degree in elementary education, living in utah or arizona, and a child or two :)

Are you a 'morning' or 'night' person?
morning.

How many times did you move as a child?
7 or 8 times

What kind of woman/man would you like to marry?
a special somebody whose name starts with 'gr' and ends with 'ant'

If you knew could you try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt?
i would love to start my own clothing store

What super-power would you most like to have, and why?
reading minds!

Are you a beach, country or city person?
city. i love the city.

Where do you spend most of your money?
nordstrom, express, wal mart, and BYU Idaho tuition office

The Greatest Christmas Present...

2008-12-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

I am having so much fun here in Utah for Christmas vacation and I will post more about it later, but for now I just want to talk about the greatest Christmas present. I got to talk to Grant on webcam. He is so stinkin cute! I miss him so much and time flew by as I was talking to him. He is so wonderful. It was the best christmas present ever to get to talk to my missionary. I love him.

Life Back Home

2008-12-16T22:06:00.000-08:00

Since arriving home in Utah, I have been busy busy busy. I have been catching up with old friends, going to all of Janelle and Louisa’s recitals, hanging out with the family, and working. I just want you all to know that working at Nordstrom is amazing! I absolutely love it. My manager is so sweet too.

Tonight Rob, Janelle, Louisa, Mom and I were all sitting in the family room and mom out of nowhere broke into a crazy mood. She started telling us stories about her childhood. It was absolutely hilarious. We were all rolling on the floor laughing. I have just decided that I have the world’s craziest mother. End of story.

Semester Ends

2008-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

I made it through my third semester of college. I am so stinkin excited. I managed to pull all A’s and a B in my biology class. The end of this semester was rather sad. Usually I am stoked to be leaving Rexburg/school/roommates to go home for a little break, but this was not the case this semester. I loved all of my classes, professors, my class schedule, the beautiful fall weather, and my many new friends. I felt empty inside as I left my last class of this glorious semester. Oh I have a story…

So Rob and I were supposed to pack, clean our apartments, check out and leave Rexburg on Saturday the 13th. Well on Friday the 12th I was lying in bed at about 9:00 am watching the TV Guide channel and the weather came on. The weatherman said there was a winter snow storm advisory from Friday evening to Wednesday the 17th. Well me being my winter-phobic self jumped out of bed and called Rob. He too had heard of the blizzard that was moving in. we knew we had to leave Rexburg ASAP.

To make a long story short I had to take my literature final, pack for one month, clean my bedroom, clean and pack up the kitchen, pass my clean check, and check out of my apartment in less than 3 hours. Rob also had to take a final, pack up all of his stuff, clean his room and apartment and pass his clean check. I have no idea how we did, but we did. And the good news is we beat the storm. The roads were perfectly clear. The bad news, it has not stopped snowing in Rexburg. My friend Betsy is still up there waiting for the weather to calm down so she can get home.

Okay so, moving on…

Saying goodbye to my roommates was very depressing. I loved all five of my roommates. When Lauryn came to say goodbye to me she broke into tears. She will not be back next semester because she got a job at Disneyworld. Saying goodbye to Steph was sad too. She is moving to Logan to get married. My other roommates I will see next semester though! Well I guess it is time to close this chapter in my life and start on a new chapter. With all that being said, all I have to say is…I loved fall 2008 semester.

This is a photo collage of all my close girlfriends. Sorry boys...

My Top Ten...

2008-12-08T11:49:00.001-08:00

I have been tagged! These are my top ten beauty secrets that I swear by:

#1- Beauty Rush lip gloss by Victoria's Secret. It smells amazing and it looks wonderful on your lips. It has a hint of color so there is no need to lip stick. I love it!

#2- Okay I know this is not a beauty secret, but I had to include my favorite cereal. I love Raisin Bran Crunch. It is like dessert for breakfast. Try it, you will love it.

#3- A wide tooth comb. I discovered this little secret just a few months ago. I keep a wide tooth comb in my shower and i use is to comb my conditioner through my hair. Is is simply amazing. The difference is astonishing.

#4- L'Oreal Volume Shocking mascara. I have used this mascara for years. I have tried so many mascaras and this is the one that works for me.

#5- Mac eyeshadows...all i have to say is, I LOVE THESE! they have so many fun colors and they last forever.

#6- Ed Hardy perfume. I have never smelt anything so wonderful in my entire life (okay, maybe that is a little dramatic) but seriously, DE-LI-CIOUS!

#7- MEK jeans. These little suckers are spectacular. They make anybody look good. I love the fun pockets they have too. I recommend this jean to everyone

#8- Biolage shampoo. smells wonderful, last forever, keeps color wonderful, and it come in a pretty bottle.

#9- Rave hairspray. i will only use the pump spray one though. oh did i mention it is cheap?

#10- Costco brand make-up brushes. I get these every year around Christmas time and they are fantastic. everyone should go buy these right now! they even come with a case and cleaner.

I tag BJ!!!!!!

Lying in Bed Thinking....

2008-12-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

Right now I am lying in my very comfortable bed just thinking. I have two weeks left in this semester and I still have to: write two reflective literature essays, read 15 talks about the Atonement, write a 4 page paper about the Atonement, read 6 English articles and then write a page summary for each one, I have to take a biology final, a literature final, and I have to complete 10 pages in my wellness workbook. Why do I procrastinate? Why am I lying in bed writing on my blog when I could be doing homework?

Now just a little update on my life… About a month ago I got a job at the Buckle. I enjoy working there and I love the 40% discount I get on the clothing there, But it is a ½ hour drive to work, the shifts are at least 8 hours and in order to keep my job I have to stay in Idaho over the Christmas break. Why oh why did I take this job? Well after much contemplation and a few unexpected events that happened in my life I quit and will be going home over the Christmas break. Luckily, Nordstrom has offered me a job for the two weeks before Christmas. I am excited to be home for the Holiday season!

Happy Birthday Louisa!

2008-11-24T07:52:00.000-08:00

My baby sister is a teenager! I can not believe how much Louisa has grown up since I have left the house. I still remember her as a little baby and I for the life of me could not remember her name. Louisa and I have always had a special relationship. Whenever I come into town we always go get a smoothie, or a drink and go to Jump on It. Louisa is a very smart young lady who is full of energy and life. happy 13th birthday!

Home for a Week

2008-11-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

I am home in Utah for the week and I have so much to do. I am going to write out my to do list and hope that everything gets done.

-go to costco
-clean my car
-go to lunch with jaycie, shan, and chelsea
-visit grandma walker
-play tennis with the family
-buy new make-up
-visit Jessica Seago
-learn a new song on the piano
-finish my english research paper
-substitute teach
-visit grant's family
-do at least 3 loads of laundry
-finish all health homework

well i better get started. :)

I got my hair done!

2008-11-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

You can not really tell from the picture, but it is a reddish color. I love it

Tagged...

2008-11-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

8 TV shows I watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Desperate HouseWives
3. So You Think You Can Dance
4. Little People Big World
5. John and Kate plus 8
6. Friends
7. Brothers and Sisters
8. Lifetime Movies

8 favorite restaurants:
1. Olive Garden
2. Bajio
3. Zuppas
4. Wingers
5. Chili's
6. Carino's
7. California Pizza Kitchen
8. Taco Bell

8 things that happened yesterday:
1. Went to class
2. made a cake
3. steph came home from Logan
4. at orange chicken
5. ran up the stadium stairs 3 times
6. went to the gym
7. ran around the school track
8. got pulled over by a police for the first time (no ticket given )

8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. Grant to come home
2. the end of this semester
3. next year
4. my birthday
5. moving back to Arizona
6. quitting my job
7. getting married one day
8. being done with school and low paying jobs

8 things on my wish list:
1. a 4.0 this semester
2. peace in my apartment
3. a coat
4. Grant to come home safe
5. a happy family on Christmas
6. a christmas candle
7. some new MAC and Chanel make-up
8. the dark brown middle length Uggs

8 things I love:
1. Grant
2. my family
3. warm weather
4. getting my education
5. a warm bed
6. the gym/ Hip Hop Hustle
7. my friends
8. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

8 things I can't stand:
1. contention
2. winter
3. mean people
4. dirty things, places, and people
5. hard tests
6. icy roads
7. driving to Idaho Falls for work
8. annoying people

Caitlyn is Getting Married!!!!!!

2008-11-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

My very good friend Caitlyn is getting married in a few weeks so us girls had to celebrate. Jessica and sydney came up from salt lake and we had a few good friends from here in Rexburg gather for the event.

Caitlyn singing in the car

I love Jess! she completes my life.

Caitlyn, me, and Jessica M. eating at Chili's (out favorite restaurant)

me and my roommate jess

Best friends

we had some good laughs over dinner. i love being around these girls when they laught, because they cry and cry and cry when they are laughing

we came back to my place for some yummy desserts.

Fruit Pizza

cupcakes

homemade oreo's and peanut butter cookies.

Caitlyn eating...i think we all gained 10 pounds this weekend

Present time---Tony will love all of her presents ;)

Jess got her a mu-mu

and it wouldnt be a party without our Cosmo reading

The night ended with a fun fun fun dance party. It was an amazing weekend and I am so excited for Caitlyn to get married. I am glad we all got to see each other before she gets married.

yummy dinner

2008-11-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago my friend emma made me a yummy dinner. We had bbq, homemade mac and cheese and a yummy apple dessert. thanks emma!

New Pajamas

2008-10-26T07:57:00.001-07:00

Yes we bought footsie pajamas in the little boy section at target! They are perfect for rexburg weather. After we bought these we went over to Rob's apartment to show them off and him and his roommates got a little jealous so they all went to target the next day and bought some too!

Bathroom Makeover

2008-10-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Kbear and I were a little bored one weekend so we got crafty. Enjoy...

Before...

After...

Just a Little Update

2008-10-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Life is crazy crazy crazy. I am enjoying my time up here in Rexburg. I have great roommates, an awesome class schedule, a fun ward etc. Here are just a few pictures of what I have been up to.

So if you know me, you know that my favorite thing to do is give people makeovers. My roommate said I could give her one and here are the picutres. I am trying to convince her to color her hair brown but she is so against it. Anyways, here is her before picutre...

During the makeover photo

And her beautiful after picture.

I have convinced my roommates to get gym passes with me so this is a documentation that we actually go EVERY DAY!

this is Stephanie my roommate ready to work out

So every year up in Rexburg there is this HUGE dance party. There are games, prizes, free food, and an amazing dance. These are pictures of me and my roommates getting ready to go.

This is Kbear and I

Stephanie and I

So this day Kbear and I happened to be matching. we both curled our hair, wore a white/black shirt, MEK jeans, and black flip flops. TOTAL ACCIDENT.

This was taken before church. We have 1:00 church so we always get bored waiting for 1:00 to roll around on Sunday.

Everynight me, Kbear, and steph jump into either my bed or steph's bed and we have a chat/cuddle session. We catch up on each others days and everything else that comes along with chatting with your best friends. After we chat kbear tucks me and steph into bed "like a burrito" and it is sweet dreams from there.

I had to opportunity to go home last weekend and I helped Janelle get ready for her homecoming date. I did her hair and make-up. she looked so pretty!

Me and my two little sisters. I sure do miss them

So this picture has a story behind it...

about a month ago my good friend Tanner let me borrow one of his Michael Phelps pictures. It is a huge framed photo of Michael Phelps and it is a very good looking picture. Well he has been bothering me for the past few days to get this picture back and i have told him "No because I loved it too much." No joke, this picture has played a huge part in my life as well as my roommates lives. It serves as a huge motivation for us to go to the gym and every night we look at it and marvel at it. So Tanner decided to steal his picture back while I was at class. When Stephanie and I came home we freaked out. So we dressed up in our disguises and went to steal the picture back. Well it did not work out all that well and now we are Michael-Less. :(

Back to School

2008-09-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am back in Idaho!! I am started my third semester up here at BYU Idaho and I have officially survived my first week of school. I moved into a cute town house with five other girls. Here are a few pictures of my new apartment...ENJOY!!

The outside

Kitchen

Dinning Room

Family room....sorry it is messy in this picture

This is the upstairs bathroom.

Downstairs to the bedrooms

My Bathroom

My bedroom!

I cut bangs!!!

On Friday me and three of my roommates went to a bonfire/dance party. It was so much fun!!! There were so many people there.

This is me and my roommate Lauryn she is from Hong Kong/Singapore/India. It is her first time living in the States. :)

This is me and three of my roomies...

Marissa is in the pink she is from Rhode Island

Jessica is from L.A.

and then there is Lauryn and me.

Kayli and Stephanie would have been with us, but they were both out of town. :(

One Sunday Night...

2008-08-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

So Erika Richards and her dad are staying at my dad's house for a few weeks. Erika and I have gotten along great! She is 16 and super into sports (especially basketball) Anyways, Erika starts school tomorrow and i volunteered to do her hair for her first day. We decided that I would practice on her hair tonight so she would know what she would look like tomorrow. At first she told me that i was only allowed to straighten her hair and tweeze her brows, well i did that but i just was not satisfied... so i convinced her to let me curl her hair, put on make-up, and dress her in some of my clothes. She looked great!!!! I had so much fun, and even though she will not admit it, i know she had fun too!

These are her brows before...

and AFTER!!!

she is a hottie!

I look like i need a makeover...

Where has my summer gone?

2008-08-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

Wow I can not believe that my summer is almost over! I have had a great summer working, meeting new people, and spending time with my family. I am sad to see the summer wind to an end.

This is my sister Barb and I. She came to town for a week with her super cute kids.

Alex and I- whenever i would try get a picture with her she would either cover her face with her hands or put her toy horse in the picture. She is so cute!

I can not believe that my little sisters are 12 and 16! They are growing up so much; it was great to hang out with them. We would try to get out and swim everyday while they were here.

SPLASH!!!!!!!!!!

This is my dad, Louisa and myself. We were getting ready to go tubing (it is something I have wanted to do for years!)

I was pretty excited to get out on the river!

Self explanatory

These are they tubes we bought at Walgreens.

Jeanetta and I jumping for joy! ha ha

Jeanetta and Janelle

This is me patiently waiting to leave walgreens

This was taken after we went down the river; we decided that it was not the greatest activity to do. It sure was fun hanging with everyone though.

We got Janelle hooked on spin class. We like to refer to ourselves as "spin junkies"

Me and the girls going to church.

Our "daddy- daughters" date. Yes we are all matching, no it was not planned. what can i say, great minds think alike

Alex and I really got know each other while they were in town. She is so stinkin cute! why do you live in Mexico Barbara Jo?

The water fountains at the Mesa Riviera. the girls had a great time.

My first time going to Bass Pro Shops! it was amazing! Grant would be so proud of me for going.

I bought that hat-it is pretty sweet

I wish I could have bought this little toy. :o

I have had a great summer! :)

ArIzOnA!!!!

2008-07-26T16:17:00.001-07:00

Wow it has been such a long time since I have updated this blog. Well I moved to Arizona! I came down for my summer vacation to work at National Future Benefits. I am living at my dad's house and I am having a great time! I work everyday from 9-5 and the rest of my time is spent working out, sleeping, swimming, reading, and catching up with family etc. Here are some pictures of my adventures I have had down here. :)

This was taken on the trip down to Arizona. My mom and Louisa helped me drive down. It took 11 hours to get from Provo to Mesa. We stopped in Beaver and met up with Christine and her little family. She is such a great mom! She is prego with baby #3 right here.

This is our old home in Gilbert. The house used to be white and the new owners decided to paint it brown. It sure is beautiful.

Jeanetta is the nursery leader in the ward down here and I joined her one Sunday... I dont think the kids have ever had a nursery leader quite like her.

Since moving down here my dad felt the need to get a new hair style. ha ha he is so hip!

I thought this was pretty funny, my dad had a little magnifier thing to read his menu.

My first time eating greek food... it was okay; i have had better.

We took a little jaunt down mill ave.
Red White and Brew! yummmmmmmmmm. my fav

And this is me and Erika Richards.

Mom's Birthday

2008-06-21T18:36:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to be with my mom on her birthday this year! She, Louisa and I went to Chili's and enjoyed a great lunch together.

So big d (my step dad) decided to make her a cake for her birthday.Louisa and I just happened to be in the next room while he was making it and we overheard him talking to himself trying to figure out how to make frosting. Of course we had to grab the camera a take a few pictures of his attempts.

No fear... once we saw him trying to add hot cocoa mix to the frosting, we stepped in and made my famous chocolate buttercream.

My Great Evening Out

2008-06-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

So I had a great evening with some great friends. First Shannon and I went to the movies and then we met up with Chelsea, Jaycie, and Jaycie's boyfriend at a dance. It was sooooo fun! After the dance Shannon, Chelsea and I went and picked up Carson and Boyd. We just drove around for a while and realized we were all pretty tired so we dropped Carson and Boyd off. Then Shannon and I went to Grant's old work to take some pictures...needless to say we were rather bored at this point of the evening. So here are some pictures of our evening...

Shannon and I in front of the BIG coca-cola sign.

This is me by the new restaurant...sorry it is dark

They are building a restaurant behind the car dealership... the name of it is Spankys :)

Me and Shannon going to the dance... we kinda look trashed.

My Favorite Missionary... Grant Parry!

2008-06-04T21:49:00.001-07:00

After being friends for 2 years and dating for about 8 months, my best friend left to go serve a mission in Durban South Africa. He has been out for about eight months and time is flying! A few months before he left we were trying to figure out what to do about our relationship while he is gone and we decided that we would give the whole waiting thing a try. He bought me a promise ring and I have been writing him and supporting him while he serves. He is a great missionary and is doing very well!

I realize that the next few pictures look exactly the same,
but these are the only pictures I have of us...grant didnt really like pictures. :(

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!!

2008-06-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

well my tomorrow is my mommy's birthday! she is the greatest lady in the whole world!!!! She has been through so much in her life and she is still so strong in every area of her life. She is a great support to me and I am so grateful for all that she does!!! She has been a great mom to me and all my sisters and brother. Happy Birthday Mom!

Let Summer Begin!!! :)

2008-05-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

My summer vacation started in early April. I moved home to Utah and started work as a substitute teacher. I taught almost every grade from kindergarten up to 12th grade. I loved working as a sub because I love kids, and the hours and the pay was fantastic. I have spent most of my free time with my family and some old friends from high school. Since moving home, I have had the opportunity to go to the movies. Here is a list of some of the movies I have seen so far: Baby Mamma, What Happens in Vegas, Maid of Honor, 21, and Penelope. I love going to the movies.

A few weeks ago my whole family came into town! I was so excited because my family is so amazing!!! It is really rare for all of us to be together too. My sister Barbara Jo came in from Mexico with her new baby boy Benton, my sister Christine came to town from Vegas with her two little girls, and my brother Rob came from Idaho. It was the first time in 10 months that all six kids had been home. We had loads of fun together! Barbara Jo made a list of what we did on her blog so i think i shall do the same:

-ate at the Grand America, Costa Vida, Olive Garden, Pizza Factory, and Kneaders

-went shopping at Nordstrom, Forever 21, Down East, Limited Too (not for me though), and express

- went to the gym at 6 in the morning (BJ I have still not caught up on my sleep from this week)

-made MANY MANY trips to Wal Mart

-had a little photo shoot

-went to the movies
-played games (a family favorite)

- had a few bbq's

- and enjoyed each others company all week long

I love my family and I wish that we could all live closer together. :(

A week after my family left my roommate Kayli came and visited me for the weekend! I was so excited... I love my Rexburg friends. She arrived on a Thursday night and of course Grey's Anatomy was on, so we watched the season finally. On Friday I had to teach so she came with me--she was such a trooper. Then that night we went to the movies and dinner. On saturday we went shopping, out to eat and to a movie. That night we went to one of my high school friends (Shalice's) birthday party. After her party I had to go to another party for my good friend Jenna who is moving to Vegas with her hubby. It was a great weekend!

This week I have been hanging out with my family alot. I did go out one night with my friend Shannon. We went to dinner and got ice cream. Oh and I did go out another night with my friends Laurie, Shalice, and Jaycie. I love my friends! They are great examples to me. We were all supposed to go to the gym this morning but I felt very ill, so we will have to go some other time.

My summer is off to a great start! Only one more week until I move to Arizona.

Kaylie and I ready for a night out on the town.

Best friends from high school! Amber, Shalice, me and Jaycie

This is at Shalice's birthday party--Shalice, Jaycie, me and Kayli.

All the girls of the family! Louisa-12, Janelle-16, Me-19, Christine- 25ish?, Barbara Jo- 27, Mom

This is me and my precious nephew Benton. We share the same birthday! :)

Fun at School

2008-05-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Last semester I started my adventures at BYU- Idaho. I moved in to Tuscany Place #322 and I started my new life in a new place. I made great friends from all over and I really enjoyed my college life. I moved into an apartment with five other girls and it was amazing how much alike we all were. We all had the same taste in music, clothes, food, etc. It was pretty funny because we all loved Nordstrom and designer jeans... so of course we had to take pictures of all of us in our designer jeans. Some of my greatest times up in Idaho were with my first batch of roommates.

In January of this year I started a new semester at school and I got two new roommates. I had another great semester with some old friends and I had a grand time meeting new friends. My best friend from high school (Chelsea) moved up to Rexburg during winter semester too. She lived across the street from me and we had some great times. My brother Rob also is up at school with me and we would hang out all the time.

As many of you know the winters in Idaho are terrible! so i spent quite a bit of time inside. Me and some friends got hooked on some television shows while we were stuck inside. I am now addicted to Grey's Anatomy, Project Runway, and I went through a phase of Lost.

I sure do miss Idaho and all my friends up there. Only 14 more weeks until I am back up there!

Just About Me!

2008-05-25T17:30:00.001-07:00

So my sister Barbara Jo convinced me to get a blog. After weeks of trying to figure out how it works, I finally got it up and running. So to start off I am going to tell you a little bit about myself:

I am 19 years old and I am home for the summer after attending my first two semester of University up at BYU-Idaho. I am not 100% sure what I want to do with my life, but right now I am flirting with the idea of elementary education. My dream is to some day go to culinary school. I am spending half of my summer in Utah with my mom and the other half in Arizona with my dad. Since I have been here in Utah I have worked as a substitute teacher and I love it! Once I get to Arizona I will either work at Nordstrom or National Future Benefits. So my life is full of uncertainty right now, but I kinda like it!

I love my family! I have 4 gorgeous sisters and one studly brother. I have two sets of parents and oodles of grandparents. I also have 4 nieces and 1 1/2 nephews. I do have a boyfriend too, he is serving a mission in Durban, South Africa and I miss him dearly!