To the men in my life

I mentioned before about the slowness at work and all the extra thinking time I’ve had lately and now that I’m a blogger (still used lightly) my thoughts are turning to journal entries/blog posts.  Here’s one that’s been brewing this week.

To my Heavenly Father – Thank you for LIFE!  For the amazing earthly family I belong to.  Thank you for my amazing health.  Thank you for the trials and experiences that have made me who I am.  Thank you for the truthfulness of the gospel, for the power of the priesthood, for my savior and for your plan.  Most of all, thank you for loving me…just the way I am.

To my earthly father – Thank you for being you.  You’re more than a girl could hope or wish for as a dad!  Thank you for being my friend and mentor too, for always believing in me and wanting the best for me.  Thank you for honoring your priesthood and willingly using it whenever I needed/wanted.  Thank you for loving me and supporting me, for teaching me the value of hard work and what integrity is, more by example than by words.  Thank you for loving mom.  Thank you for the inside jokes, smiles, laughs and tears (they happen more frequently these days, you big ‘ol teddy bear.)

To my brothers – Thanks for always looking out for me and for loving me.  Thanks for being some of my best friends and letting me be a part of your lives.  Thanks for loving your wives.  23, thank you for your happiness, for letting us tease you for being worthy and willing to serve the Lord.

To RD – Thank you for loving me in your own messed up way.  I give you partial credit for the point in my life where I truly became ME.  You helped me develop a deep and meaningful relationship with my Heavenly Father.  Sometimes I thought I wasted some good years on being your friend, but I think I might be a little like wine and get better with time.  When you called last year and asked why I wasn’t married yet and why I wouldn’t date you, you should’ve known I’d answer honestly and although I’m sure I broke your heart by telling you, you didn’t have what I need, it was true.  And telling you that, made me grow (and hurt a little for you) too.

Sugar – Thank you for loving me (in a STRICTLY friendship way).  Thank you for not being afraid of me and for getting me!  I still wonder how you did/do it.  Thanks for our shared silliness and black screens (even if mine works WAY better than yours).  Thank you for possessing the one quality that is so hard for me to find, the one I will not compromise on - you know I only have 5.  Thank you for the use of our nicknames, even after marriage.  Thank you for being you.

To my SG – Thank you for giving me hope in men again.  You know what I was used to dealing with in that department and you were such a breath of fresh air!  Thank you for your respect, for being polite (or worried of offending), for your love (you’ve never said it and I don’t think you will, but I feel it), for the realness I feel our friendship is, for our shared love of my shoes. =)  Thank you for putting up with me being sooo verbose and for the many times you’ve made me smile….I pray for you.

Charm – (enter vulnerability) Quite a few years ago I heard a saying, “stop looking for Mr. Right and start being Mrs. Right” since then I’ve really tried hard to do this.  I’m trying to be the woman you need.  Many people tell me I’m quite a catch (try not to let that go to your head), so you’d think I’d already arrived, but you’re not here, so clearly I still have work to do.  I’ll keep trying, I won’t give up (!) because I know you’ll be worth the wait!  But if you only knew the love that’s reserved for you and that I pray for you frequently… And this is why I post to you today, start at the “So if you’re single” paragraph.

I’m OBSESSED with a blog, www.ablogaboutlove.com there’s so much good stuff in it.  I’ve always liked happy people, have you noticed they are contagious?  These two are that and such deep thinkers and openly sharing their heart and souls.  Maybe that’s why I felt enough courage to write the above.  There could possibly be a whole post dedicated to this blog in the future… And now if you’re here, it’s not just SG who has to put up with all the words and things I seem to feel the need to say.  Maybe one day there will be a short post…

Lighthearted thoughts of late...cause seriousness is brewing...

Things I love:

A new love - Most recently I discovered Demi tops.  I love, love, love them!!  So much that I wish they came in many (ok, all) colors.  You could easily be way ahead of me on this one, I'm not that great with keeping up with the latest and greatest fashion items.  But, if you happen to not be a huge shopper, shop on a mission and/or are just slow to catch on to some things (I'm all of these) let me introduce you to one of my new favorite clothing items.  If you are a layer, by choice (with the help of religion), I think these are a wardrobe must have, especially as the weather is warming up.  I found mine at Shade online, yes I did buy every color in the cap and tank (and that was without having worn them yet.)  You're welcome Shade, for the free advertising.  Although I'm sure they can be found elsewhere, it was your free shipping and free returns that lured me to you.

A continued love - Old people.  I really just love them.  I love the light in their eyes.  I love their wrinkly and lose skin (I probably won't like it when I get there).  Their stories, oh their stories, and how they can go on and on and on and jump from one topic to the next, sometimes so fast that you can't keep up.  I love their experience and knowledge.  

A few reasons as to why they're on my mind recently.  An older gentleman in my family ward came by last Sunday to see his missionary (my little brother Curtis) and give him a little something to help ($). I've seen him around, he always comes and tills our garden in the springtime - usually without being asked, but I've never talked with him.  My whole family was in the living room and he sat down and the stories just started flowing.  It was entertaining!  Although I made faces at my brothers and had to keep from snickering a time or two I really enjoyed how he just rambled on. 

A friend recently posted one of my favorite sayings, by one of my favorite people, Sister Hinckley, on her blog.  Having never met this woman I love her sooo much!!  She was the cutest thing!

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived" 

Amen Sister!

Lastly, I went to the Utes Red and White football game on Saturday and while walking into the stadium I was behind three older men, holding hands, walking to the stadium.  It.Was. ADORABLE!!  I so badly wanted to take a picture but we were almost to the gates and they wouldn't all be able to get through holding hands, so I didn't even try to find the phone and get a picture.  It is a still shot in the memory for sure.  Why do I love this?  It's cute, seriously it was.  It was just genuine, friendship, love, support, no care for what others thought (you think you'd ever see three 30 something men walking holding hands) and a love of the game. 

A love-hate:  I painted my fingernails while watching the RSL soccer game on Saturday night.  Today, not even a full three days later, all but two of my nail's polish has been peeled off, the other two that lasted the day at work will be gone before bed.  Mostly peeled off today because there were so many chips gone that they were driving me crazy.  I don't know if it's because my nails are longer and so they bend when I ding them which makes them chip.  Or if I'm just really hard on my nails.  I wish I could figure out the problem because I really do prefer painted nails but alas maybe they're not for me.

Becoming a Blogger...

The past couple weeks it's been kind of slow at work so I've been trying to find useful things to keep me busy.  The slowness also means I have more thinking time, not always a good thing.  In the spare time sometimes I remember to look at others' blogs, some I've always enjoyed reading, but I've always wondered if I really had anything to say and if anyone would care to read it.  After talking to one blogger friend, earlier in the week, I've decided everything I have to say is important...or at least we'll pretend so, to pass the time.  While reading blogs yesterday one of my friends had this list on hers and said she was going to do one a day, she's behind like a week, but I thought using the list might help me have things to write about when I post.  Also, it might help me to open up a little instead of keeping everything in.  If you know me, this is kind of a problem sometimes.  So here it is, the beginning of something...maybe, we'll see how consistent I am.

20 random facts about me

1- I can be a really random person.  For instances, this is what I just wrote on a co-workers birthday card, My neighbor has a circular driveway. He can't get out. Have a good one!
2- I think I have a selective photographic memory.  One of the things I'm really good at remembering are birthdays.
3- I have a really bad habit of not shaving my legs, yet I could be addicted to laser hair removal and waxing.
4- I'm a sucker for facial hair on guys, if it's good facial hair, not the sporadic gross facial hair, to the extent that if I'm driving and see a guy anywhere around he gets a second look if there's facial hair.
5- Speaking about guys, one of the physical things I'm attracted to on a guy are his hands.  I used to not mention this to others because they thought I was weird (for this post we'll say random, ha ha).  However, I've found other girl who feel the same way.  Like you can tell a lot about someone from their eyes (which I also really like) I think you can tell a lot about someone by their hands.
6- I'm a VERY observant person.  To the point that it annoys me sometimes.
7- I love a good deal.  Especially when using coupons and shopping grocery ads!  One of my biggest achievements was buying Kellogg's fruit filled mini wheats (one of my favorite cereals normally around $4) for $0.98 a box.  I think I got 9 boxes.
8- I have very few favorites.  Sometimes I think having a favorite limits you.
9- I own a motorcycle trike, his name is Phil.  He's also for sale.  Why?  When I finally got licensed last year (I may or may not have been riding for 4 years without) I had a love affair with his 2 wheeled cousin.  So if you know anyone who might be interested in him, send them my way.  (If I sell him then you'd be able to meet some new "guy" soon after.)
10- One of my most meaningful and what I feel is a real friendship is with someone who I've spent VERY limited in person time with.
11- Supposedly my eyes change color when I'm really mad.
12- I have nearly a bazillion inside jokes with my family members.  No really, it's not that much of an exaggeration.  They are mostly one liners and almost every conversation, if it's very long, will contain one of them.
13- I was hit / run over by a car when I was almost 4.  My mom was 8 months pregnant and jumped a 3 or 4' fence to get to me.  Yep, I'm that special!
* It's not easy coming up with 20 random things about yourself.  Sheesh, and I thought I was kind of unique.
14- One of my favorite sayings, in the right context, is I need a beer!  Yet, I've never had one and never will.  But the P.I.C. and I went and got one last night-cause it's just been one of those weeks. (thank you Coldstone, you're actually cheaper than a beer anyway.)
15- I willingly admit that for 3 years I've brain washed my niece with Aunt Lettie is favorite.  I occasionally get her to say it (I think she believes it) but since we are really very stubbornly similar she likes to tease me and not say it. Stupid cuteness of smart children.  Little does she know they are the magic words and would get anything she wants if she just said it, but then again she usually gets whatever she wants from me anyway.  The joys of being an aunt.
16- I honestly thought I would be married with children by this age.  I've started and am planning on continuing, to enjoy the fact that I'm not.  (see next "random" thing.)
17- I currently have a spending habit!  One that I really don't feel very guilty about.  I used to be very stingy and tight with my money.  First out of choice, (and good parentals teaching me good habits) second out of need (was sort of unemployed / trying to find the next career for a few years) and now I enjoy very much not having to ask permission of anyone else of how to spend my money.  Needless to say, this year I've been on a cruise, to Hawaii, purchased soccer and football season tickets, am going to Washington DC in May, and maybe I'll fit in one other trip before the end of the year, including a few various shopping sprees-not just clothes.  Have I mentioned I'm really okay with where I'm currently at in life?
18- I'm a soccer fan!  I've always liked sports, soccer just wasn't one I watched or was that interested in until I went to a few RSL games last year.  There's just something about being in a rowdy stadium that I love.  I might not know all the ins and outs yet, I happen to sit by a few who can tell me whatever I don't understand yet, but it's fun, really quite technical - I'm amazed at the foot work and accuracy the players have, and have you seen soccer players...or even some fans for that matter?  Yes please!
19- Except for diet food, there are only about 5 things I salt before I eat.
*FINALLY* (for you and me)
20- For lack of anything better, being lunch time, thinking about a recently purchased groupon and wanting to be done with this.  I love, love, LOVE chips and salsa/dips and/or crackers and cheese.  I'm fairly certain you could live on these alone!

Whew!  So turns out blogging is harder than I thought.  Stay tuned...Maybe I'll get better at it.