2011...

This year has had lots of ups and just a few downs thrown at me. All in all, I feel like 2011 was a pretty good year for me.

January-

• I started working at Seasons of Hope on January 5. It has been a hectic year (sometimes it feels like a lot more than that) but it has been a great learning experience.
• Linz had her baby shower on January 8 :)
• Lyndsey moved into the apartment on January 9. She's become a very good friend.
• "Can you make it through today? Because that's all you have to do today." ~Quote from a fireside I really enjoyed.
• "God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future-to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities. God is anxiously waiting for the change to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe." ~Jeffrey R. Holland Quote given to me by Ryan
• My roommate, Megan, turned 18 on the 24 :)
• I taught the Sunday School lesson for the first time

February- 

• I met someone who changed my life.
• I had my heart broken, which sucked, but it was all for the better.
• "There is no room in the heart of a Latter-Day Saint for bitterness, for unkindness, for animosity towards any other of the sons and daughters of God." ~Quote that changed the way I felt towards someone who had done me wrong.
• Saw the ISU Symphony play the Four Seasons. It was amazing!
• My little sweet niece Phoebe turned 2!
• Lindsay had sweet little G-baby (Greysen...we called him G-baby forever because Ronnie wouldn't just let Linz win the name battle haha) on the 22nd, the day before my birthday :)
• I turned 19 on the 23rd and went to IF to see my brand new little nephew.
• We found out that Nate and Rebecca were expecting a baby in a scary way. We thought she was miscarrying, but everything turned out fine.
• Brendan and Witney got engaged (originally thought it was in April, but I was wrong)

March-

• I was called to be the Ward Bulletin Specialist. Probably my favorite calling to date.
• On March 7th Mom and Dad celebrated 30 years together!
• Elder C Scott Grow spoke at a fireside.
• On March 14 (3-14) I helped Kyle make 11 pies to celebrate Pi day.

• "Sometimes you have to be patient and let things happen." ~Brother Packer

April-

• Watched General Conference. It was a very healing time.
• Did a presentation for my GenChem lab at an elementary school about density. The kids seemed to really enjoy it and I felt like I could finally breathe when it was over.
• Pulled my hamstring playing volleyball...so not fun!

May-

• Greysen was blessed on May 1st.
• Osama Bin Laden was killed. I remember writing letters to soldiers in 4th grade about it. It's still hard to believe it finally happened.
• I started working with a wonderfully spectacular little boy. He wormed his way into my heart. I love him!
• Logan got a job :)
• I surprised Mom by going home for Mother's Day (I may or may not have fallen down the stairs.
• Baby Isaac was born on May 14. (Mother pointed out to me that I had the 15 written down originally. Simple typo, easily fixed)

June-

• I was called as the Relief Society Meetings Coordinator and released from the making the bulletin.
• I started observing at Ed Snell's Pharmacy. These guys make me so happy that Shaver's never called me back.
• Got whacked in the knee by a puck in floor hockey. Man I love floor hockey :)
• Mystie and John got engaged.
• I replaced a cup that my dad had in my childhood. Everyone thought it was awesome.

• I got recognized for my work as a DT :)
• I went with the Seyfried's to Star Valley to see Tyson, a friend I met in Washington DC when I was a Sophomore. He had just come home from his mission.

July-

• Went to Idaho Falls to see the fireworks with some good friends.
• Isaac was blessed on July 10th.
• Gwen also turned 4 on the 10th. I still can't believe how fast time has gone!
• Harry Potter 7 pt 2 came out on the 15th signaling the official end of my childhood...or at least that's what it felt like.
• I officially became a "Pharmacy Technician in Training"
• Tyson came to Soda for a visit and we got eaten alive by mosquitos. I feel like we still had fun anyway.
• My mommy turned *mumble mumble mumble* on July 31st!

August-

• I threw a boomarang for the first time! Super cool. I super stink at it too...
• The new roommates moved in.
• On August 12th Mystie and John got married.
• I worked with my favorite client for the last time before he pulled services. It was depressing.
• Classes started. OChem, A&P, Physics, and Intro to Lit.

September-

• Another roommate (Sarah) turned 18.
• I got an A on my first OChem test :)
• Rebecca had her baby shower in Idaho Falls.
• I volunteered at Brooklyn's Playground, a playground in Poky built with special needs children in mind. (I mostly helped with cleanup while other people built)

October-

• Hyrum was born on October 8 (Can you believe it? 3 baby boys in one year for my family)
• I went to Aberdeen to watch Maci play volleyball. Maci was really surprised.

• My dad had a birthday on the 18th.
• A friend of mine passed away. Still kind of hard to accept that she won't be in OChem anymore.
• Halloween party! I went as Celia from Monsters, Inc. but Ryan Marcum was the only one to guess what I was correctly.

November-

• I celebrated an early Thanksgiving with a client...well, actually I watched the kids and ate downstairs while everyone else ate upstairs.
• "We are the clay, and thou our potter, and we are all the world of thy hand." Isaiah 64:8
• I was stood up for the first time. To be honest, I was relieved.
• I met Hyrum for the first time. He is the cutest little red head in the world!
• Got pink eye and the flu :( Stupid pink eye didn't go away forever!

December-

• Finals almost killed me! But overall I was pleased with the grades I received.
• Maci turned 17! 
• Hyrum was blessed on the 23rd.
• Christmas was wonderful and hectic and everything I had hoped for. Christmas is a great time of year :)

Yes, I would definitely say that 2011 had more ups than downs. 

Here's to an even happier 2012!!

Semester Outcome...

At the beginning of the semester I made some predictions about the classes I was taking, so I'm going to see how right or how wrong my predictions were :

Class I will love the most:
I predicted I would love Anat and Phys the most, however, I surprised myself and basically fell in love with Organic Chemistry of all things!

Class I will hate the most:
I hit the nail right on the head when I predicted I would hate Physics. Seriously, ask anyone who is even slightly acquainted with me and they will be able to tell you just how much I hated it.

Class I will study the most for:
I predicted Anat and Phys and OChem, but really I didn't study that much for A&P. OChem was another story, I definitely studied for that one!

Best Class (in terms of grades):
I predicted A&P...I am pretty sure if I knew the exact percentages that would be correct, but I ended up with A's in A&P, OChem lab, and Intro to Lit.

Worst Class (in terms of grades):
I predicted OChem would be my worst grade, but it may not have been. I know I got a B in Physics as well, but I don't know the percentage. I think I did better in OChem than I did in Physics.

Number of mental breakdowns:
I predicted I would have 2 and possibly 3, but I only remember crying on account of schoolwork once. Stupid stupid Physics.

All in all, this wasn't a bad semester. I am actually looking forward to OChem next semester and best of all  No Physics!!


I am only in 3 classes next semester (unless you count labs...then I'm in 6). General Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, and Anatomy and Physiology. We'll see how this goes...

17 years ago today...

My little sister was born.

Seriously though, where have the years gone? Maci pointed out to me last night that in February she is going to be Mom and Dad's only child under 20! *shudders* It's so weird to think that I am going to step out of my teen years in just a couple short months.

Here are a few things that I love about Maci:

Maci has always been my best friend even though we were bitter enemies at times.

She seriously gets more gorgeous with each passing day, which makes me more and more certain that she will be married before me haha (I don't love that so much actually...)

She says it like it is. She is the one who finally made me realize that I needed to move on after a breakup. She took me by the shoulders, sat me down (so she could look me in the eye haha shorty), and said, "You can't spend all your time thinking about him! He can't determine the rest of the decisions you make for the rest of your life! Move. On."

She is a cookie maestro. I envy her ability to make cookies...I try, but they just never measure up.

Even though we have different interests we still have those things that we can laugh at for hours (Boy Meets World quotes are the latest)

She has this personality that just makes me laugh.

Those random times when we seriously just laugh at anything and everything and everyone looks at us like we're absolutely insane.

She taught herself to play the piano. She's no Beethoven, but she's teaching herself to play some hymns, which is something I could never do.

I can talk to her at any time of the day or night.

I could go on and on and on, but I will stop now so I can go prepare my thought for ward prayer tonight.

I love you Maci Lynn Owen! I hope you know that the memory I have of walking out of the church on December 18, 1994 is one of the fondest I have even though it is faint. You are my best friend and I am so glad that you chose my family :)

My Eternal Family

My home teachers asked me the other day what I am most thankful for in the gospel.
Without thinking I said that I can be with my family for eternity.
As these words left my mouth I had some words come to mind that overwhelmed me with happiness and joy:
"You will never go another day in all of eternity without your family."
Oh it is such a comfort to be sealed to them and to know that I can be with these amazing people that I love like nothing else forever and ever and ever.

The gospel is true, folks. I can't say it loud enough or with enough feeling.

We love each other.

We support each other.

We cheer each other on.

We talk to each other.

We are best friends.

What I did to deserve to be in such am amazing family, I don't know.

But I am forever and eternally grateful for whatever it was.

*Oh man, here come the water works.*

Is it ridiculous that I make myself cry just thinking about how much I love my family?

Through my eyes....

I really can't see much.

The day after Thanksgiving I got pink eye, so I was banished to the horrible abomination known as GLASSES.
I hate glasses. So so much.
I guess it wouldn't be so bad if these glasses were up to prescription, but they're at least two prescriptions old, which makes it very difficult to see anything at all.
The Monday after Thanksgiving I woke up with no more goopy discharge in either of my eyes and they were WHITE. Oh what a beautiful thing.
I wore my contacts that day, but I guess I still had some residual bacteria clogging up my conjunctiva because that night my eye flared up again.
I seriously felt like crying just knowing that I was going to have to go without my contacts for longer than just a few days.

I went to the Student Health Center because Mom gave me some pink eye medication that was...well, it was over 20 years old.
As a future pharmacist (hopefully!) I was appalled that it was even still in the house, but I was so desperate that I used it a few times.
Anyway, the PA prescribed me some eye drops and they cleared up all the gross goop in my eyes (notice the plural there. Yes, that stupid pink eye spread to my other eye AGAIN!) within a couple days, but I noticed that my eye was still pink.

I kept using the eye drops hoping that it would eventually clear up the redness, but it was no use.
I was paranoid about putting my contacts back in until everything was absolutely ok, so I went back to Student Health and after the doctor shone a light in my eyes for like an eternity and put these numbing drops in my eyes that made my eyelid so numb I couldn't control whether I was holding my eyes open or closed, I had another prescription for Prednisolone Acetate, a steroid that he hoped would clear up the redness. He says that I'm having some sort of adverse reaction to to Polymyxin...

To be honest, I don't think so. Here's my theory.
I CAN'T SEE!
No matter how close I sit to the front of the room in OChem or Physics, I have to strain my eyes really hard to see the board.
Does anyone know how difficult it is to learn Retrosynthesis and synthesis when you can't see the board?
Is it at all possible that my eyes are just tired from straining themselves all day every day for over a week?
The doctor told me that I should check back in with the PA today to make sure the steroids are doing what they want them to. Otherwise I'll have to go to an Optometrist.

To heck with it, my contacts are going in tomorrow.
The worst that can happen is I'll get pink eye again right?
Seems to me that the Polymyxin I have should clear that up if it happens...
Also, I'm so over the Prenisolone. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth :P

Sorry about all the complaints...I needed to let my feelings out.

Gratitude #26

I am grateful for pretty things.
Let's face it, my apartment is dull, so when anything pretty gets hung up it's all any of us can look at.

Here are my latest endeavors:

This so doesn't look as good with the flash, but it's blurry without it.

This is what I did while everyone else was at church on Sunday. 

I was feeling way too sick to be around people.

I strung some lights at the upper part of the window and then tied an ornament to the end of a string and strung some glitter covered styrofoam balls that I found at Sierra's on it.

After that I hung them from the window bar thing :)

I made this wreath over break. 

I used some foam pipe covering to make the circle and duct taped the ends together

After that I hot glued ornaments to it. It's not perfect and I honestly think I could use some more small ornaments to fill in gaps, but it looks pretty good from a distance ;)

Also, I love this area I live in.

When my team went to DC my sophomore year we all missed the mountains and cheered when we flew over them on our way home. 

There is certainly no greater beauty than God's creations, am I right?

Gratitude #25

You know those days when your pink eye comes back (boo) and then you go to Student Health and they give you eye drops that make everything better?

I'm grateful for that!

This is the chemical structure of my eye drops :)

I find this super interesting.

....Yeah, go ahead and say it. I'm a nerd.

Yay eye drops!

Gratitude #24

You know those days when you know the worst part of the flu is over because your appetite comes back in FULL FORCE?

Or those days when your pink eye decides to clear up so you can wear your contact lenses again?

How about those days when you quite possibly didn't get all the way through Othello (like not even close) and then your English class is cancelled?

Yeah, I'm grateful for those days :)

I just hope my English teacher didn't cancel class because she came down with like...tuberculosis or something like that.

Gratitude #23

Yeesh, I've got some serious catching up to do!

I am so grateful for the time I get to spend with my family.

It's crazy, I had never even met little Hyrum, but I had all this love for him saved up inside. When I finally got to hold him for the first time it all bubbled over and I was so happy this special little red-head was going to be in my family for eternity.

I just can't get enough of this little guy!

Or this one...

Or little Grey...

And then there's sweet little Phoebe...

And Gwen!

*Yikes, what was I talking about again? Oh yeah...*

It was especially nice that Logan and Rachelle and the little girls were there to help us decorate for Christmas this year (sorry, didn't have my camera with me). Most of our ornaments ended up at the bottom of the tree, but I was just happy that I didn't have to do it all myself.
*I spend way too much time trying to make the placement of the ornaments random, which, if you took McMurray's stats class, you know is impossible...it makes for a very tiring activity*

I also love just playing games with them :)
I even beat Logan a few times at Blokus until he figured out a good strategy which totally trumped mine.
*sigh* Such is life.

Gratitude #22

I am grateful for the teachers I had in high school.

I went back to the high school today and sat in on my little sister's seminary and calculus classes (yeah...nerds do that).
It made me realize how much I really miss my old teachers.

Brother Hegemann is super awesome! We had a great discussion about judgment and then finished the hour with a discussion on gratitude.
I sure love talking about gratitude :)
We truly are blessed to be living here aren't we?

Mr. McMurray was my favorite teacher in high school.
He has a really great method of teaching and I seriously miss his classes.
I took two math classes my senior year so I wouldn't miss anything haha
I sat in his class for twenty full minutes right in front of his face before he even realized I was there...
After he was done lecturing we sat around and talked about all the good times we had in his class.

There really is no better math teacher than McMurray and no better seminary teacher than Bro. H.

Gratitude #21

I am grateful for dreams, both conscious and... unconscious.

I was raised in a family who strongly believed in reaching for your dreams, and I'm grateful for it because it has made me a hard worker.
I believe that if you don't dream, your life is practically not worth living.
If you don't have something to reach for, you will never grow.

I am also grateful for the dreams you dream when you're asleep...I don't know why. Maybe because they're entertaining.
I dunno what I ate last night, but I had a seriously weird dream.
I was sitting in a high school type class and Michael Jordan walked into the room, but instead of freaking out because I just saw Michael Jordan, I ran around the room trying to elude him.
Apparently Michael Jordan had a bad gall bladder. He knew this because he was having referred pain in his right shoulder (oh the fun things you incorporate into dreams when you've been studying for A&P).
I was the only person in the entire world who was a compatible donor for him, so he was after me.
He and his minions almost caught me...but I was victorious!

My friends and I then devised a master plan just in case he tried to get me again.
The next day he showed up again and I shouted out UTES UTES UTES (which is weird because I couldn't care less about college sports). My friend held up a credit card swiper thing and I swiped a student ID card, which opened a door on the opposite side of the room.
I dove into a getaway car again and my driver drove us away.
Michael Jordan was also in a car, hot on our tails.
Unfortunately for him, he got in a turn lane and we lost him for good.
Me and my gall bladder were safe and sound.

Yeah...don't ask me where that came from.

Gratitude #20

I am grateful (one day I will stop trying to spell that greatful...oh bother) for poetry.

I have always been absolutely fascinated by poetry and have always had an urge deep inside me to write my thoughts...but I don't have a fabulous gift for it.

Every now and then I will get lucky and get my thoughts just right, but it doesn't come without some help.
My little sister and I have been emailing back and forth some poems we are working on and in this way we give each other comments and suggestions.
Thank goodness for email....Maci and I are both very strong willed and we think we're right the first time, every time, so it can be difficult for either of us to give the other constructive criticism right to their face. Email is the perfect media to have some distance between us when we tear each other apart haha

I think one reason I love poetry so much is because it's a very musical form of writing.
In honor of this Thanksgiving season, here is one of my favorites:

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done


Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly
And you will be singing as the day goes by


When you look at others with their lands and gold
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high


So amid the conflict whether great or small
Do not be discouraged God is over all
Count your many blessings, angels will attend
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end

Gratitude #19

Today I am grateful for the environment I grew up in.

Sometimes us kids HATED each other.
But even through the bitter words and fights, we ended up as best friends.

I will always remember the scripture we had hanging on the wall under our school pictures:
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs....22? 19? (somewhere in there)

Christ was always a part of our home, and I thoroughly believe that is why I am who I am today.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Gratitude #18

Today I walked out of Organic Chemistry and realized I don't have to go back to school for a week XD
I'm grateful for Thanksgiving break.

Yay!!!

I don't think this boy could smile any bigger than he is!

Have a safe Thanksgiving break everyone!

Gratitude #17

I know I have said this a hundred thousand BAJILLION times before, but I am so grateful for GEO and the experience I gained while working there. The kids and employees there are absolutely amazing.

Today I walked into my meeting at Seasons of Hope and I saw my old boss and her two sons.
I was almost in tears I was so happy to see them, after all I worked very closely with them for at least a year.
I ran to help my coworker who was watching them and I was so impressed by how much they have grown, yet they haven't changed in so many ways.
They still have the same habits and catch phrases, yet there were some new ones as well.
The best gift came when I asked the boy I worked with the most what my name was.

He looked me in the eyes, pointed at my chest, and said, "Miss Emmeria." (He never could quite say my name)

AHHH how I have missed that!

Gratitude #16

I am grateful for the Organic Chemistry Student Solutions Manual at the library.

I am also grateful that the library is open until midnight so I have time to get there every now and then.

The only thing that would make it better is if the people would talk in whispers or something...

Gratitude #15

I am grateful for my lazy Tuesday :)

I have every other week off of A&P lab, and I never work on Tuesdays, so I get a lazy/study day.

I'm thinking about tidying up the apartment a bit before I take a nap...or maybe it's nap then clean.
Who cares! I have the whole rest of the day!

Then after that it's off to the library for some quality time with this guy...

Gratitude #14

I am so beyond grateful for my nieces and nephews.

They have taught me how to love someone more than I love myself.
Gwen is a little spit-fire, but she is a great older sister. I love the way she argues with me over who loves who more :)

Phoebe is a tender-hearted sweetie. She is pretty soft spoken a lot of the time and totally devoted to her little animal toys.

Little Greysen was born the day before my birthday, and therefore holds a special place in my heart. He was my first nephew as well. He has a smile that melts my heart and he is just so stinking cute!

Isaac has another one of those smiles...he uses his whole face! He definitely looks like an Owen, which makes him absolutely adorable ;) He turned six months old today! How absolutely crazy is that??

And finally there's little baby Hyrum. It's still hard for me to believe that Nate is a dad! I am so excited to meet Hyrum for the first time! It's crazy how much I love him when the closest I've gotten to seeing him are the pictures my family sends me. He's already a month old! Time flies...

Gwen, Phoebe, Greysen, Isaac, and Hyrum...your Auntie Em loves you more than words can express :)

This picture is a little outdated, but yeah.

Gwen, Greysen, Isaac, and Phoebe

Here's the proud Daddy with little Hyrum :)

Gratitude #13

I know it's past midnight, so technically I'm a little late posting this, but it's been a crazy super busy Sunday (like most days of rest, you know what I mean?)

I have been thinking a lot lately about science and religion.
I have been told that the two cannot coexist and that science has no room for a God.
I disagree completely.

The further I get into science the more I realize how much there is a need for a higher being.
No one will ever be able to convince me that the human body just happened to form the way it did.
NO WAY!
I just learned in A&P that there is one specific neurotransmitter that causes constriction in one part of the muscle and relaxation in another even though the two muscle types are the exact same and even in the same organ.
It's all because of the kind of receptor the neurotransmitter binds to.
Did that happen by chance?
NO WAY!

All of the things that I've been learning in OChem have opened my eyes as well.
The world we live in is so complex!
Medications can have a completely difference effect if two bonds in a molecule are switched, different types of bonds show up at different places in an IR spectrum because of how far they bend and wiggle, different substances are either healthy or unhealthy depending on what kinds of bonds form and orbital overlap...
So yeah, you're right, this is all a matter of chance. *Sarcasm!*

I am grateful for the knowledge I have.
I am grateful that I know there is a God and that He is a master of science.
We could all learn a lot from Him.

Gratitude #12

Today I am grateful (once again, I tried to spell that greatful) for cross stitching.

I know a lot of people who don't understand why I cross stitch, and I have given the question a lot of thought.
I can hardly put words to it...I just love it!
I love that my mom and siblings all taught me how to cross stitch.
I love that it's a totally artsy thing and I'm not artsy at all.
I love that you can create a lot of detail with basically just X's.
I love that I  can create something breathtaking out of nothing.

And also, cross stitching is very therapeutic for me.
I stitch to remember...and I stitch to forget.

I remember all the good times I've had while cross stitching.
I remember conference talks I heard while cross stitching.
And specifically for the cross stitch I'm working on, I remember Christ and all he has done for me.
I know that he is looking over me at this very moment and he is proud.

As I stitch I forget about the negative things people have said.
"It's so tedious...and you don't have much of a result."
They become less and less meaningful to me as I realize how wrong those words are.
It becomes okay that people don't understand because I don't understand their hobbies either.

I really lose myself in my work:

I'm trying to go back and fill in all the blank spots in His robe before I move on to the rest of His robe.

I know we're taught not to be prideful...but I have a hard time not being proud of this.

Gratitude #11

Today I am grateful for all of life's little everyday miracles.

This morning I totally forgot that I had to work, so I was late.
As I ran out the door to my car I noticed a bunch of cars had frost on the windshield and I was upset that I was going to have to scrape my windshield and be even more late.

I turned the corner to my car and saw that my car not only had no frost on the windshield, it was the only car in the entire row with no frost.
And it was sitting in the shade.
As far as I'm concerned, that's a miracle.

Also, today I am very grateful for the men and women who have fought to give me the freedoms I enjoy today. My life would be completely different and miserable without them.

Gratitude #10

I guess I should do a Halloween post :)

I am grateful for all my friends and co-workers and clients that made this Halloween unforgettable!

I went to the Institute Dance as Celia from Monster's Inc.

Only Ryan was able to guess correctly who I was.

I got a lot of this:

"Pippy Longstocking?"

"Do I look like freaking Pippy Longstocking?!"

I mean come on, this costume is SPOT ON!

At least the people who guessed Medusa were close.

I went to a couple Halloween parties and Trick-or-treating with my client, so I went as a hippie.

It was a LOT faster and easier than Celia.

I got a lot of compliments about this costume and I really liked it a lot.

(The costume, not the compliments, though those were nice too.)

My roommate wore an authentic kimono.

There is a reason I wasn't born Japanese...that was super difficult to put on correctly.

Gratitude #8

Today, I am grateful for the Deseret Industries :)

Lately I have literally been bursting out of my jeans...I have had holes form in the corner of the back pocket and also half way down my inner thigh...I have no idea how that happened haha

I really hate shopping for jeans. It takes a lot of time and patience and they all look really similar but fit completely differently.
And they cost a butt ton of money.
Anyway, usually I have to spend at least 20 dollars on a pair of jeans, which kinda drains my budget of any and everything for the rest of the month :P
Today, however, I went to the DI and found a pair of jeans that I didn't hate and was also able to buy a couple of books :)

One pair of jeans: $6.00

One of my favorite books: $3.00

(For those of you who didn't know, I'm kinda a cross stitch nerd.)

4 Cross stitch books with AWESOME patterns: $0.25 each

I like Nicholas Sparks, so what the heck?

$.75

I spent a fraction of what I normally would have for one pair of jeans and I got a lot more!

Thank you DI!

Gratitude #7

I am very grateful for a good book...

I swear, there is nothing greater than a good book.

I used to read all the time because it let me have a little bit of an escape from reality.

I remember wishing with all my might that I would get a letter from Hogwarts or have dolls that came to life or get taken on a grand adventure by a Big Friendly Giant.

I have been trying to read new things lately, so I picked up this because I thought it looked interesting:

And I couldn't get enough! The second I finished it I was on eBay looking for the next one because I CAN'T wait for it to get turned back in to the library. It's fantastic, I seriously recommend it.

I had someone tell me today that they didn't like it much and I was flabbergasted...
I guess I'm just into alien-y supernatural books.

Pros:
I really enjoyed the story line
There was a beagle in it :)
The bully at school gets taught a lesson!
Quick, easy read
Lots of action
And a cute little romance that's not absolutely disgusting to read

Cons:
It ended...
...And I guess there was a little bit of language, but not nearly as much as in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

Gratitude #6

Today I am grateful (does anyone else always want to spell that greatful?) for the power of prayer.

I had an experience a couple of weeks ago that really touched me.

In May I started praying every morning and night that Bren's paperwork would go through so he could be sealed to Witney.
I would guess that it was sometime in August or September that I stopped for whatever reason.

Just the other night I was writing in my journal and as I signed my name and wrote my acronym PUSH, I thought back to this post.
I realized it had been quite some time since I prayed about Bren's paperwork and I felt horrible.
I knelt and prayed once again that the paperwork would get done and that Brendan and Witney could be sealed for time and eternity.

The next day I got call from my mom.
The paperwork is getting done and sent.

Guys, whatever you do, always always ALWAYS

Pray Until Something Happens.

It could really change things.

Gratitude #5

I am very grateful for Ed Snell's Pharmacy!

This is Roger, Toni, and Ed Snell himself.

Every Saturday since June or July I have been going in to Ed Snell's Pharmacy Shop to get in some observation hours.

This wasn't the first pharmacy I tried...I went to Shaver's Pharmacy, but they had me fill out an application and then never called me back. I guess it's super competitive over there for observation spots or something...

Anyway, I am so thankful they never called me back because then I never would have gotten to know these wonderful people.

Roger and Toni switch off every week, so I only see one of them every week.

There is always a delivery/technician and a student pharmacist at the pharmacy as well, and I have come to know them pretty well. I love working with them! :)

They have been so patient with me while I have been learning the basics.

Going to the pharmacy is seriously one of the highlights of my week every week.

Gratitude #4

I am so grateful for the internet!

It's crazy how much I rely on the internet to make it through the day.
I don't know where I would be with Organic Chemistry if I didn't have it.
I look up things like Nucleophiles and Strong Steric Bases all the time.

It's also one of the ways I stay in touch with my family.
At least once a week there's a new picture of my nieces or nephews going up on Facebook.
It's so nice to be able to see them grow up even though I'm not with them physically.

It's also where I find a lot of the recipes I use.
Without the internet I would be eating Ramen Noodles, Macaroni and Cheese from a box, and Spaghettios for the rest of my college career!

Oh, and it's also how I do Family Search Indexing, which is kinda my favorite thing :)

Gratitude #3

Man, it didn't take me long to find something to be grateful for today!

Though it's not exactly zero degree weather outside, I was freezing on my way to institute, so I was dreading the walk back to my apartment.

I noticed my friend Zach (who is also in my institute class) walking by himself out of the institute building, so I figured we could walk together and make it a little less miserable.

Guess who drove to institute this morning? Zach


Guess who got a ride back to her apartment instead of having to walk? ME!


I am very grateful for the friends I have made here in Pocatello.
They help me keep my head on straight.

I love you guys!

Gratitude #2

I am so grateful for indoor plumbing!

Our toilet was clogged for about two days despite my best efforts to unclog it (I finally got it and I kinda felt like a champ).

During those two days we had to schedule our potty breaks around when we would be out of the apartment or risk the public one downstairs ;P

Let me tell you, I never thought I would be so grateful to hear our toilet flush!

Also, can you imagine having to go out in the middle of the night during January to use an outhouse? NO THANKS!

Gratitude #1

It's November again, so you know what that means!
A whole string of my favorite thing, gratitude posts :)

Today, I am very grateful for my awesome lab professor, Dr. Holman.
He is an amazing teacher and has really helped me to understand all of the concepts I learn in lecture.
He's also one of the funniest men I have ever met in my life.
Last week he had a cold and started losing his voice, so I gave him a cinnamon candy and he went on lecturing.
He lectured for another 20 minutes or so and then declared that he needed someone younger and faster than him to run and get him a Diet Dr. Pepper.
Without missing a beat he slammed $1.25 on my bench top and said, "You! You look younger and faster, Go! It's C3 in the machine downstairs."
Well...the machine was jammed, so I told him he was SOL until they fixed it or he found another machine and he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Do you know where the engineering building is?"
He didn't really make me run to the engineering building, but he had me worried for a second.

Later he came down to help run the NMR, which wasn't working right.
I was waiting in line and right after he passed me he stopped, backed up, and handed me five quarters. "Try again," he said.

This week I asked him a really stupid question (well....he thought it was really stupid) and he said this to my group, "I really appreciate you guys. Every time I'm around you, you make me feel really good about myself."

I love the way he keeps me laughing for 3 hours straight, yet I walk out of his class having learned so much.

This is also the first lab I have enjoyed going to.

Dr. Holman, thank you!

Lessons Learned

So I was in one of those moods where everything seems just...blah.
Nothing was going wrong or anything, I just didn't feel super happy. In fact, I was feeling almost a little bitter. Ugh, I hate that word.
It's not a feeling that I really like a whole lot.

Then one day I was sitting around my apartment and it seemed like every time I opened my mouth I was complaining about something/someone.
Then it hit me!
This funk I was in might possibly go away if I just accept life as it comes instead of thinking about how things could be better!

I have come to know that when you judge others unrighteously or complain about your situation you become bitter...very much like the person you never wanted to become.

Let me tell you folks, it's been so much better around here since I opened my mind. :)

Surprises!

On October 12 I took a trip to Aberdeen to see Maci play volleyball.
She didn't know I was going to be there.
I may have gotten lost trying to find the school...shut up.

When I got there Maci hugged me and cried and said she didn't think I was going to get to see her play this year. I felt bad that I haven't been there for her more, but I'm certainly glad I got to see her that night.
I love her.

Aww! Look at my cute little sis!

She's number 1! She's number 1!

Waiting for hitting lines to start (she's the libero)

Look at that form!

Hey Aberdeen, you're doing it WRONG! Last time I checked your colors were Orange and black.

NOT Red and black. (Their senior rock was also painted Red. They must not have gotten the memo)

She's a pretty darn good server too!

Adding to the list of surprises is little "itty bitty" baby Hyrum. 

I say "itty bitty" because he was almost 10 pounds! What a chunk!

I am still finding it difficult to believe that Nate is a dad...time sure flies.

Cute little Maci and Cute little Hyrum :)

And winding up the surprises for this post is this:

Guess who fit into her size 7's??

This girl did XD