Some Stuff I've Learned

I saw this on a really cool blog the other day and decided to copy the idea. So Here is my list of stuff I learned over the last school year:

-your friends care, so you should probably talk to them about what's going on with you instead of ignoring whatever is going inside
-cooking can be fun
-if God tells you to do it, just do it, right then. don't wait
-you can hear into my roommate's room through the vent in my room
-i love yoga
-a clean room keeps me sane
-nursing is definitely the right profession for me
-praying helps
-you need boundaries in your life sometimes
-i need 8 hours of sleep to be a normal and functioning person
-parents are cool to hang out with and talk to
-thinking about lessons you've learned and reflecting on what God has done are great to do on a regular basis
-honesty is the best policy
-i am good enough!
-vomiting and taking off my clothes is good for me (i mean this in the context of being open and putting out all your junk with a group of amazing girls...haha)
-learning about yourself is great, whether its through talking to your roommates about the future, taking personality tests online, or just a little self-examintation.
-even I need some time alone once in awhile
-laughing with the people you love is more important than most other things you can do
-i love Rock Band
-I am blessed. And using your life to bless others is one of the best things you can spend your time doing.

An Ode To My Dad

On this, the 15th of June, 2008, my 19th year of celebrating my Dad, I thought I would dedicate an entry just to him :)

I loved coming home from school on a Friday afternoon because I knew there would be Dad, standing in the kitchen window, with all the ingredients for delicious chocolate-chip cookies waiting for us to mix up. And the cookie in the shape of an A was the best thing in the world.

After I would cry out in frustration, "I can't," He would simply say "Can't it's not in my dictionary...so you can." And of course, I would. 

When I asked him yet another ridiculous question, he started laughing to himself and said"Turn the other cheek," which I've taken more to heart than the moment called to.

He loves  my mother; which is the most important thing I think a father can do.

I respect the choices he has made for his family, his lifestyle and his career. Giving up his passion for his kids, knowing God would call him back to it. Moving us when it probably would have been easier to stay put. Sacrificing things to set an example, memorizing endless amounts of Bible verses, and dedicating himself to whatever he does. 

And probably the best advice he's ever given me was scribbled on a note I found in a pair of socks in my suitcase when I was in Kenya. It read simply, "Love God. Love People. And stay away from the crocodiles."

childhood car games

I was thinking the other day about road trips. And as I often do, I started reminiscing about all the ridiculous games I used to play. Let's examine a few of them:

• the 50 states license plate game - fairy self-explanatory. you made a list of the 50 states and tried to find a license plate (or two) from each state. If you got Alaska you were pretty much guaranteed a win, if you saw Hawaii you were dubbed "best ever" for the rest of the trip and no matter what else happened on vacation you were on cloud 9.
  
• draw every toy you own game: this wasn't so much a game as it was me drawing everything i brought with me on vacation with a color pencil in a tiny notebook. i have many detailed drawings of my cabbage patch doll
  
• see which sibling can push the cooler in the middle seat further game: this was a challenging game because you had to play without the parents knowing you were playing...typically the loser was the one who fell asleep first and couldn't hold their own.
  
• drown out mom and dad's audio book with your discman game: i listened to 100% Dance so loud I probably caused long-term ear damage in order to drown out the latest John Grisham book in 8th grade.
  
• yarn octopus game: this is only entertaining for about 8 and a half minutes. you wind yarn endlessly around the biggest book you happen to have in the car. die like 18 different strands of yarn around it in various places and...ta da!...you have a yarn octopus. 
  
• 20 questions (with dad's impossible items) game: 20 questions was only fun as a child until my dad got to pick an item. Then it was torture. he would just find the most obscure item in the car and then it would take us about 83 questions to realize that he had picked his right sock. 
  
• read a book until you vomit game: I always won at this one. Particularly on the windy roads of Glacier National Park while wearing a turtleneck sweater. 
  

These were how I passed about 1500 hours in the car as a child. What did you do?

My new favorite thing

What is your new favorite thing you ask?

It is indeed my new KitchenAid Mixer! It works beautifully (well, actually, I haven't taken mine out yet but I have used my cousin's.) It's empire red shiny finish and beautiful whisk will grace my kitchen for years to come. I will post a picture with my new camera as soon as I return home :)

Now my problem is finding all sorts of yummy recipes to make!

Happiness

So, amidst my online perusing lately I went to a blog called The Happiness Project (http://www.happiness-project.com/).

It's written by Gretchen Rubin, an author currently doing research for her next book on...well...happiness. She's tested out theories and methods for being happy. She has happiness goals and projects going all the time. I don't agree with everything she's written but there are definitely interesting posts. Take a look :)