the (not-so) fabulous life of kristen

The last word

2012-01-17T00:11:00.001-07:00

I've come to the realization that I always want to have the last word. Even when I know I should just stop, I keep going until the last word is mine. Why do I do this? I don't know, it's like some nervous tick, like I don't feel at ease until I've said my peace and I make sure I'm the last one to say it. Ok, really I don't know, but I noticed it after a few conversations I had today and needed a place to record that little thought. Anyone else have to have the last word?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T23:25:00.000-07:00

So once upon a time I was going to be an awesome blogger, but let's face it, that's not happening. I'll try to update soon; I'm not so sure all of Europe is going to make it. I'll post a few more pictures though.

For now Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! I hope the holiday season treats you well.

numbers over facebook

2011-10-06T19:00:00.002-06:00

I've never been a fan of boys getting my number over facebook, I mean where is the effort?

this one was pretty funny to me so I share:

boy: P.s. soo i dont know how to quite ask this(seeing how i dont usually ever do this =-)...(and that i had it once and now i dont) but can i have your number...again?
me: Seeing how you don't usually do this? Um, I believe, Mr. So and So, that this is the third time you have asked for my number over facebook.

maybe that's why it never worked out?

Barcelona - days 1 & 2

2011-10-05T21:46:00.000-06:00

Barcelona

after a few scares that I would miss a flight due to gate changes or our friends might miss a flight due to delays we made it to Barcelona on no sleep and tons of excitement.

we checked into the hostel and then took off through the city to see what we could find. we walked down several main streets, through a few cathedrals, lost half our group a few hours into the trip (luckily, they were about 1o minutes behind us on a tour) found the Arc de Triomf; found a youth basketball tournament with NBA posters all over (nice to have a little bit of home there) watched as the locals danced a traditional dance in the streets (hundreds were dancing); and found Sagrada Familia - my highlight for the day. That cathedral is amazing, so much detail and so many stories on one building. I couldn't believe the ideas all came from one architect. we rode the lift to the top and could see all of Barcelona then took the long spiral staircase down - it was cool but a little scary since the center was open and definitely large enough to fall through and it didn't have a handrail.

we ended the day walking around the beach and eating at a nasty buffet (that's what we get for being tired and hungry) and then getting completely lost on the metro before making it back to the hostel for some much needed sleep
the next day we saw some more Gaudi architecture and then went to the beach. even though we were only two days in, a little relaxation was nice. I also got a massage from a nice little Asian lady that put the icing on the cake. we made another not-so-great dinner choice and I ate a full bacon and cheese sandwich; like a pound of semi cooked bacon and cheese that cost like 8 euro.

we then took off for pamplona in our tiny/cute volvos that would be our hostel for two nights :(

Europe

2011-08-28T21:48:00.003-06:00

ok so I've decided if I try to do this whole Europe trip in one post it's never gonna happen. so it will come in posts by days or cities. I'm also creating a Picaboo book and probably a Picasa album to hold all of the pics because I don't want to post them all here and you may not care to see all of them so I'll put the best on the blog. hopefully, I'll get things up fairly quickly so it doesn't become December by the time I finish. so as things come up, enjoy as I go back and remember those amazing two weeks that are starting to seem so far away now.

side note - I'm watching Angels & Demons and as I see various places in Rome it's pretty cool to think, "I've been there"

europe in a very small nutshell

2011-08-14T22:56:00.004-06:00

siena, italy - in a tie for first for my favorite city

so I went to Europe which was so amazing. I loved it. a lot. I plan on giving more details later, I can just never find enough time. here is where we went: Spain - Barcelona and Pamplona; France - Nice; Monaco; Italy - Cinque Terre, Siena, Pisa, Florence, Rome.

I went with these people
moving left to right - tori, me, kira, becca, kelsey; tommy, devereaux, nate, devin.
when we started only devereaux knew everyone, but it was was a great group and we had a great adventure touring through Europe!

the details

2011-07-05T22:02:00.003-06:00

So I said I'd provide more detail, but there still won't be a lot. so here are some things that have been very good lately

1. I finished the St. George triathlon - I finished in 2 hours 2 minutes, slower than I expected, however, I underestimated the swim. Oh my gosh, was it hard! I thought I was going to die in that water and then I remembered I could back stroke and things got better. I did get passed by the next wave of swimmer, but hey, I made it alive. My bike went well even if I had only ridden once to train and my run was the best I've run a 5K. And now, of course, I want to do more and train a little better

2. my good friend Michael got married and I got to see lots of friends at the wedding events - the same weekend as the triathlon, Michael got married. I met Michael and his roommates at King Henry years ago and we became fast friends and have all stayed friends. Everyone has gotten married, moved away, and started having kids (go me, someone has to be the fun single one!) so Michael's wedding was a great chance to catch up and see so many old friends. it was such a fun weekend! and Michael found himself a great girl.

3. I booked my ticket to Europe - that's right. I'm going to Europe! I leave on Saturday. I was so happy when my friend Devereaux called me with the invite to Europe and it didn't take long for me to give a definite "Yes!" We'll be going to Barcelona, Pamplona, Nice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome and a few others between. I've never left the country so this is a big deal for me. I'll do my best to take pictures so you can all be a little jealous upon my return :)

I've been absent. . .

2011-05-25T23:44:00.002-06:00

. . . it's not like I blog and blog and blog, but I feel like I've taken a longer vacation from blog world than normal. I haven't even read a blog for about a month, which in blog world is probably like decades. a few reasons I haven't blogged, is nothing has really happened until this past weekend. all I've done is work, relief society stuff (ok that's new-ish, say hello to a new and completely overwhelmed relief society president), workout and train for the SGTri, work some more, and the most random odd-end stuff. I've been so busy, I haven't even been shopping for like a month (unheard of) - at the mall or online -what is wrong with me?! (my bank account doesn't mind the change though). so, you may ask, what happened this weekend that might be blog worthy? let me make you a list and then explain later because time is short.

1. I finished the St. George triathlon
2. my good friend Michael got married and I got to see lots of friends at the wedding events
3. I booked my ticket to Europe

those are all very good things for me, but you'll just have to wait until later for more details.

today's dinner prayer

2011-04-03T19:45:00.003-06:00

today I was asked to say the dinner prayer

me: . . .thankful for the messages we heard during conference, please help us use them to become better. . .(random smoker's cough)
annie: giggle, giggle, giggle
mom: giggle, giggle
me: uncontrollable laughter (i'm laughing just writing this, you probably had to be there)
more uncontrollable laughter from all as I'm trying every method I know to stop laughing
dad: please bless kristen to mature and be able to say a prayer, bless the food. . .amen.

more uncontrollable laughter, a few tears, and lots of eye-rolling from dad
annie: so much for becoming better. . .

I sure hope Heavenly Father has a sense of humor. some days you just have to laugh

numbers from the pulpit

2011-03-14T00:02:00.002-06:00

today I announced some upcoming activities at the beginning of our ward meeting and I took my trusty co-chair with me for a little help on some details. he began by announcing the women's hockey game we will be attending to support two girls in the ward and ended with, "oh, and I need to get your numbers. . ."

I hear two quick whispers from behind me: "smooth", "there's one way to get phone numbers"

I take over, "well, that's a smooth way to get some phone numbers . . ." and on with the next activity through the laughter.

apparently, he was talking jersey numbers; it was still a good laugh for the rest of us

not appreciated

2011-03-13T23:50:00.002-06:00

the other night I joined my parents for dinner at Chili's. as we are standing in the not-so-well designed Chili's waiting area, in walks young family of mom, dad, and 2 rambunctious kids. out of no where, mom pulls out a freshly changed diaper and starts waving it around as if she's a flag girl on parade and asks the hostess to throw it away. really?!!!

mortified hostess declines and quickly directs her to the bathroom where things like that are generally disposed. mom takes one more wave through half the crowd, tells dad good luck with the kids, and finally takes off in the right direction.

I'm pretty sure my jaw was dropped in disgust followed by lady next to me exclaiming, "really, you're just going to wave that around in here?" it obviously wasn't appreciated as an accompaniment to our dining experience.

Jade Baby

2011-03-11T21:21:00.003-07:00

this is our new puppy Jade.

she is a Shorkie. she is adorable.

kristen's dating advice

2011-03-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

today we discussed dating in our sunday meetings and kristen was reminded of her dating soap-box so here you are - kristen's dating do's and don't's

- call a girl to ask her out. none of this texting stuff. none of this call once or twice and then text all the details. just man up and call.

- if you do have a chance to ask her in person, don't ask her out in a very public situation - we don't like being put on the spot like that

- first dates are for getting-to-know-you questions, not first phone calls. keep the first call short and sweet, it keeps her interested.

- be a man. make a decision. make a plan for the evening. we want to know that you can come up with a plan for an evening out not just be a pleaser. asking, "what do you want to do now?" never puts you on track for a second date. with meals, chose a restaurant and go there. we don't want to make that decision for you; we don't know how much you want to spend, and again, we want to see your decision-making skills. if you're really worried about a restaurant you have some options 1) ask her what kind of food she likes when you CALL her to ask her out 2) provide her with two or three options (we still don't like making that decision, but at least you're giving some parameters).

- give her an idea of the activity you have planned. i know you don't want to give away the surprise, but we just want to know what to wear. a lot of thought goes into that first date outfit and we'd hate to show up in a skirt to go ice-blocking.

- be a gentleman. open her door, let her order first. don't call her dude. chivalry is not dead.

- don't make the date last all night long. we don't need you to keep us out for 6 hours to impress us. I've had some 2 hours dates that are a heck of a lot better than the marathon dates. I'd save the marathon dates until you know she's into you. once we like you, spending all that time together is not so bad. however, it can be a nightmare (for you too) if we know we're never going out with you again.

- walk her to her door at the end of the evening. even if you're never going to go out again, be a gentleman.

- don't text her too much (if at all) between the first few dates - again, it takes away from the mystery

- just be yourself, we can usually see through the act

- if you do get turned down (it happens) don't act totally dejected about it and make spiteful comments - if there was a possibility for a second chance you just lost it. take it graciously.

now, there are exceptions to be made, however, I wouldn't bet on getting one of them.

happy birthday to my mom

2011-02-25T12:00:00.001-07:00

today is my dear mother's birthday. she is a fabulous lady. i won't tell you how old she is, but here are 50 great things about her and only part of the reason i love her

my mom:
1. is patient, very patient
2. willingly cleaned out my sink drain
3. willingly cleaned out my shower drain
4. is a great listener even after the 5th time of the same story
5. is the best shopping partner around
6. is selfless
7. attends the temple weekly
8. cooks dinner almost every night even after a long day at work
9. will deliver said dinner to us at work
10. makes awesome cakes for all occasions
11. still does my laundry
12. puts up with me
13. willingly helps me move (13 times in 5 years)
14. walks every day with the neighbor ladies rain, snow, blizzard, or shine
15. is always finding ways to serve others
16. knows how to remove almost every type of stain
17. doesn't get upset when I tell her I don't like something
18. has helped with countless hours of homework (still going)
19. tells me when I'm being ridiculous and is always right
20. loves to shovel the walks after a snow storm
21. clears our cars after a snow storm
22. not only cooks dinner, but cooks very good dinners
23. always tells us the best remedy is going to bed
24. willingly helps us with whatever projects we take on
25. is loved by all the neighbor kids
26. better yet, is loved and appreciated by the entire neighborhood
27. has put up with countless hours of noisy/messy friends and asks when they're coming over again
28. is an awesome skier
29. has listened to countless hours of piano practice and dried many tears when the song wasn't perfect the first time
30. is a great comforter and has dried many tears for many reasons
31. is a great example of making good choices
32. has a lot of love for everyone around her
33. is always nice, even if she doesn't want to be
34. can always be counted on for a walk and game of cards on a Sunday afternoon
35. has never had a bad thing said about her
36. is a very hard worker
37. has taught me to be a hard worker
38. is taking care of her ailing child (me) on her birthday (however, I'm not excited about the saline nose rinse)
39. has watched countless hours of volleyball
40. taught us everything we know about baking
41. thinks I'm funny, and that's all that matters
42. has always trusted us to make good decisions
43. somehow raised us to not fight with each other
44. lets us live at home, in fact, she welcomes it
45. raised me to be a very good shopper
46. has been there through many break-ups and heart breaks
47. taught us how to choose good friends
48. doesn't realize how awesome she really is
49. is a woman admired by many
50. is the best mom around

love you mom, happy birthday!

a not so right valentine

2011-02-14T12:28:00.003-07:00

I often have random people tell me things about my office complex that aren't fact and they expect me to believe it or make it be true - here is today's example

a flustered lady came looking for a business that is not in our complex.
lady: "I'm looking for this business and have been driving all around and can't find it"
me: "they actually aren't in our complex, they are in provo"
lady: "yes they are here. I've been here before"
me: "the only business I know of with that name is in provo. do you have an address or contact?"
lady: sigh, "no, do you manage this whole complex?"
me: "yes"
lady: "and you don't know what businesses are here? I know they are here"
me: "that business is in provo"
lady: "well I went the same way I went last time which led me here. . .do you know how to get there?"

so I gave her directions, but she was frustrated and didn't listen and left before I finished. she probably got lost and told another office girl she was wrong about her complex

in other news - happy valentine's day!

remember that one time I camped. . .

2011-01-23T21:35:00.014-07:00

. . .these are some pics from that one time I camped

the whole group at calf creek falls

you do what you have to when you only have a 2 man tent

making our way through spooky or peek-a-boo

improvising for breakfast since we didn't have bowls

a closeup in spooky and peek-a-boo

again, the whole group at calf creek

how to have someone else pay for your dinner

2011-01-23T15:12:00.002-07:00

I was just reminded of this great feat of mine that I thought was worth mentioning

at a friend's farewell dinner we sat at a long table, two sided obviously, with a waitress for each side to better take care of our party of 25. as any large dinner party would go, I imagine the servers would get tired of the party by the end of the night and do anything to rush them out. in a hurried manner the waitress for my side came out to prepare our checks. she was quick while moving down the line asking, "together or separate?" my turn came. "together or separate?" pointing across the table at an unsuspecting matt wilson, "mine's on his" no hesitation. it was totally smooth. before he could even begin to protest, she was three people down and my meal was paid for.

i'm usually not that quick on my feet. I was quite proud of that moment.

marriage hints from steve

2011-01-09T14:51:00.002-07:00

while annie and I receive several marriage tips and lessons from steve, we also receive the "you should get married" hints - mainly because he wants what's best for us, but sometimes because he's just plain sick of us (mostly me). yesterday's went like this: "I would be a great grandpa, the best ever! that kid and I would go out and play for hours; you'd have to call me to bring him back." so sis, apparently we're not cutting it anymore - he wants grand-kids, time to get married.

one phone call, that's all. . .

2011-01-02T01:03:00.000-07:00

I had been expecting a call - I had been set up. this call came in the form of text that eventually turned out to be me placing the call.

since I frequent the gym, I called from the gym between personal trainer and yoga class. prefaced the call with, "my plans have changed and I'm going to stay for yoga, but wanted to give you a call because I said I would." then start the phone date/interview - not really expected, but I went with it. (I'm thinking he'd call, ask me out, and we'd go through the get-to-know-you questions.) we chatted for a while, and then I kindly said, "I'm going to have to let you go, my yoga class is starting." "oh, well, oh, oh, this wasn't expected." apparently, that wasn't expected and he had a hard time believing that I was cutting him off (didn't I tell him I was going to yoga?). I apologized for my plans changing (at least two more times), but yoga was where I was going and he was welcome to call me again. then I get a line of, "well can I call you again, are you interested, be honest with me?" (thinking, didn't I just say to call me another time?) I told him it would be fine if he called me again, but I needed to get going.

we hang up, I go to yoga, get in touch with my inner-self, and then read two new text messages from the set up, "thanks for the brush off-anyone normal could have at least acted interested. have some decency to be a human-being--its not cool to be so cold."

jaw drop, quiet gasp, shocked laughter.
seriously? do I really deserve that? I saw nothing wrong with my mode of conduct (also verified by two witnesses) but apparently it wasn't normal or human.

well sir, don't be expecting a text back from me, I don't need that.

marriage lessons with steve

2010-12-25T17:33:00.003-07:00

often, annie and I receive marriage lessons from our dear dad. today's went like this:

annie - I'll just have my husband be in charge of that
dad - what fantasy life do you live in? don't you know that your mom married the last perfect husband out there? they're all idiots.
annie - oh

so no more dreaming for us, apparently all the good ones are gone

2010-12-24T23:58:00.001-07:00

merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

in the future. . .

2010-12-14T23:03:00.005-07:00

. . . I have some great stories for you. they just need some time to be written and to settle a bit. but, you will laugh, maybe cry or drop your jaw because I did. they are a-maz-ing

conversation of the day at work:

2010-12-10T12:29:00.003-07:00

hurried gentleman: is mr. so & so in?
me: no, I haven't seen him today
hurried gentleman: I'm supposed to pick something up from him
me: he's not here and I don't believe any of his people are either -quick check down the hall to appease-
me: none of his people are here and they didn't leave anything with me for pick up
hurried gentleman: well I'm supposed to pick something up, and they're not going to be happy about this
me: do you know who told you it was available for pickup?
hurried gentleman: -huff, head shake, look at cell phone-there isn't anything for XYZ company or mr. this & that?
me: no they didn't leave anything with me
hurried gentleman: well do you know when mr. so & so will be in?
me: no I'm not his assistant
hurried gentleman: well is his assistant in?
me: no (thinking - that's what I meant by his people aren't in)
hurried gentleman: huff & walk away

maybe it's not as funny if you weren't there, but he just really didn't get it

Give and Get is Here!

2010-11-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

gotta love gap give and get!

Give and Get is Here!: "Enjoy 30% off from November 11-14 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy plus we'll make a 5% donation to a non-profit."

scary movie syndrome

2010-11-01T00:09:00.002-06:00

you know you've been watching too many scary movies when you wake up to strange music playing repeatedly and your first thought is that it's the murder's theme playing before he comes to kill you.

I'm making this week Disney movie week.

I Can Camp!

2010-10-17T19:54:00.003-06:00

this weekend i went camping. i don't camp, but i went. we spent the weekend in and around calf creek falls (southern utah) and it was one not to be forgotten.

after missing our first exit (thank heavens for google maps & gps) and shortly into the trip (but well past civilization) we realized we forgot a lot of things, however, we used some creativity and made it work:
cereal bowls - we cut the tops off water bottles and made bowls
spoons - we drank our cereal
knives - we spread our pp&j with a pair of scissors (which also served as a stirring spoon)
plates - ate our food in one holding
cups - no hot chocolate for us
a couple toothbrushes - wisps came in handy for some
propane - luckily we found an open general store and bought some (didn't think to buy serving ware while we were there)
matches - found a nice man who loaned a few
a second tent - just squished 5 in a two-man tent until the boys decided to sleep in the open
flashlights - luckily we had one headlamp and my trusty wind-up light
3 sets of church clothes - alex and kristen looked nice (well at least our clothes, not much could be said for the hair), angie, trevor and nate wore their sweats with pride and we got a lot of funny stares
sleeping pads -their loss
directions to the actual campground - thanks for the nice lady working late at the one hotel
firewood - no campfires for us, however, we still left with the smell
a camera - i have no pictures, angie got a few though

night one: we camped in the middle of nowhere, literally. we took a dirt road in about 45 minutes and there was not a soul to be found. turns out it was on a pretty cool overlook which we found in the morning.
saturday: we ate our cereal out of water bottles then hiked two slot canyons (spooky and peek-a-boo) which were very cool. i've never done anything like it before. in the afternoon we hiked up to calf creek falls, again very cool, very beautiful. hiking down the trail we entertained ourselves by making animal noises and impersonating friends who chose not to come.
night two: the campground had one spot open up which we gladly took (i was most happy to have some facilities) and went to bed fairly early after a warm meal and a very entertaining game of cards
sunday: we realized how beautiful the canyons down through the capitol reef area really are, stopped in the bustling metropolis of Salina for church, and made it home before the rain (a definite plus since we only had one windshield wiper on the passenger side)

moral of the story: i can camp and i can camp without all the gear i would have liked to have (not saying i'd want to do it again anytime soon). southern utah is more beautiful than i thought (some seriously amazing scenery). you can get a headache from laughing too hard :)

the things we don't say

2010-09-13T09:35:00.001-06:00

found this in a list of posts i never actually posted. kind of funny.

once while shopping with a boy (who wanted to be much more than friends) he asked if he could buy my sweater for me. i said no, no again, and no. when asked why, i said he didn't need to be buying things for me. really, i wanted to say, "because then i'll never be able to wear it after i end things with you next week." definitely a premeditated break up

hobble creek

2010-09-12T16:02:00.002-06:00

yesterday we rode up and down both forks of hobble creek canyon and had two conversations I never expected to have in my lifetime.

1-the width of road tires (mine are 23 mm and devin's are 25mm) and pricing on carbon wheel sets2-something very important-the best flavors of clif bar shot bloks and which ones we have yet to try. on the ride we had a mix of mountain berry, cran razz, and strawberry; we also determined that the margarita flavor was better than expected.

yes, two conversations i never would have expected to have in a million years.

that was pathetic

2010-09-07T23:05:00.002-06:00

tonight i tried to do a pull up. one simple pull up.

i pulled for all i was worth and maybe budged two inches.

as i dropped to the ground, my trainer gave me the sorriest look he's ever given and said, "that. was. pathetic."

not much in goshen

2010-09-04T22:03:00.003-06:00

today i rode 68 miles. my longest ride yet. we traveled from saratoga springs down to goshen - a one gas pump town - on the road west of utah lake. did i want to cry at times? yes. did i want to quit? more than once. do i want to live in elberta or goshen? no way. did i allow matt wilson to literally push me for a mile? heck yes! did i survive? you betcha. miraculously i made it the whole way in just over 4 hours. am i ready to do it again? of course! even with the soreness, tiredness, and sunburn(ness) i'm ready to try it again. (especially since next time i'll finally have shoes and pedals - performance is only improving!)

personal trainer

2010-08-15T19:05:00.003-06:00

I got a personal trainer. the day it happened I was just at the gym to do my usual non-yoga, or cycling day workout and hoping that I wouldn't run into anyone or have to talk to anyone. they found me early, warming up with a nice little jog on the treadmill. they came full force. three muscular guys, a little flirt action, the promise of looking like arnold schwarzenegger (except not, just looking better than ever), and a testimonial from another trainee.

at first, it was just for a one time, free workout so I figured, "what the heck, we'll see what they can offer?" in 20 minutes that kid worked me harder than I would have in an hour. I still wasn't convinced and didn't want to spend the money, and then they started talking. we talked about everything that wasn't related to personal training and out of no where the manager was driving me home to get my credit card and drivers license. soon enough I was signed up for 6 months of personal training with my first appointment 3 days later. was it completely unexpected? yes. was I a lot-a-bit excited about it? yes!

it's only been a few weeks, but I've really enjoyed my training sessions. my trainer is great and works me so much harder than I do myself and doesn't let me cheat(I tried one of my workouts on my own the other day and totally cheated. don't tell). I've learned not to tell him his counting is off because then the count magically goes from 17 to 12. it's been good motivation and hopefully in 6 months I'll be looking fabulous!

Denver 2010

2010-08-11T23:25:00.009-06:00

I recently went to Denver to visit miss Kali Harris, best friend that lives way too far away! I had a great time thanks to her and her awesome family.

To some (mainly the male gender), it may not have been a desirable vacation, but when you love to shop, converse over yogurt (every day), and lay by the pool, it was perfect!
On the shopping log, we hit Pearl St. in Boulder, Cherry Creek, Park Meadows, 16th St. Mall and a few small shops along the way. Luckily, every store was getting ready for fall so there were some great deals which meant we got a lot more bang for our buck and there were many bucks spent.

We did throw some culture in there by spending one day at the Denver Art Museum viewing the King Tut exhibit and the more permanent exhibits at the museum. It was quite amazing and very well preserved. Some of the stuff in the other exhibits was just odd, but I guess all art can't be to my liking. In keeping with the trip standard, the day was finished with yogurt and shopping.

We did spend an unforgettable evening at Casa Bonita (the disneyland of mexican restaurants). Not unforgettable because it was fabulous, but because it was so unreal that people actually go there. The food was served cafeteria style (we carried our own trays), looked terrible, and tasted worse. We were entertained by cliff divers, mariachi, and a man in a gorilla suit (since when did mexican = gorilla?). We went for an experience, and it definitely was "an experience."

Another non-shopping activity was a Sunday drive (with Kali's sister Kayce and her best friend Brittany) in the mountains followed by a short walk around a lake. It was so pretty and relaxing!

All in all, it was a great extended weekend and I was so so so happy to see Kali!. I miss her way too much and think she needs to move back already:)

tired, sore, pink, and well worth it

2010-07-06T22:19:00.002-06:00

that is how i feel today after a great long weekend. i had a great 4th thanks to family and friends and it makes the pain i've felt today seem well worth it.

i started friday night by finding my pyro-side by lighting a few pre-fourth fireworks with mr. ryan freeman.

saturday morning began early with a bike ride up to the summit on the alpine loop (32 miles round trip and 3200 ft. vertical climb). poor mr. matthew wilson had to deal with my complaining and telling him i was mad at him and hated him at the moment. however, he kept pushing me and i made it somehow--it was by far my hardest ride to date, but it felt great. next, was a nice lunch at sammy's with mr. devin ashby who i haven't seen forever! it was great. then, i was supposed to do some relaxing at the pool, but some ward boys quickly talked me into to playing pool volleyball (how could i say no?). quite fun, but i stayed out too long and got a little too pink under the sun, but i couldn't leave, my team kept winning. i finished the day by making some caramel popcorn, watching the stadium fireworks, and of course doing some fireworks of our own with mr. ryan, mr. devin, mr. jordan gluch, and sister and the boyfriend (hers not mine).

sunday was relaxing, but still full of good church meetings, time with family, and great food. unlike the rest of provo, i didn't sleep out on the ave. i slept at home away from it all. if there is one thing i know about myself, i need sleep to be pleasant and functional so staying far away from the noise and crowds was a smart choice for me.

monday started fairly early with boating at good ol' utah lake. the lineup included miss dani robison, miss angela robins, mr. jason woodward, mr. michael carlson, mr. devereaux smith, mr. todd, mr. trevor jones, and mr. jace jones. we wakeboarded (i got right up after 6 years of not wakeboarding which i found as a pleasant surprise), got some rays, and did some serious tubing with ruthless drivers. it was so fun, however, my neck may not agree today. finally, monday concluded with the annual neighborhood on fire! homemade ice cream, star cookies, sparklers, loads of fireworks, and patriotic music with the neighbors must be had to make the holiday complete. i'll just say this, you wish you lived in our neighborhood. it is that great.

i'm usually not one for travel logs, however, this 4th of july weekend was great even if it left me tired, sore and pink. the only thing i didn't do is take pictures. there were plenty to go around, just not on my camera.

matchy matchy

2010-06-26T23:20:00.002-06:00

tonight i went on a date. we matched. bright yellow shirts. we were hard to miss.

but what can you do, tell him to wait while you go change your shirt and rework the outfit?

i went with it and enjoyed all the double takes.

today in the dressing room. . .

2010-06-18T19:32:00.003-06:00

. . . i couldn't help from laughing when overhearing this conversation

stressed mom: "honey you need to stop that or we're not going to cabela's"
2 year-old: "sorry mom. i'll be good mom. i like your dress mom."
(to her younger sister), "we have to be good so we can go to cabela's"

it's never to early to learn to brown nose a little bit

el·o·quence

2010-06-07T12:27:00.002-06:00

–noun

1. the practice or art of using language with fluency and aptness.

2. eloquent language or discourse: a flow of eloquence.

I wish I had more of that.

rather, I just spew words out faster than I can think and say things I don't mean to say.

I'm blunt enough to get my point across, but I wish it sounded more eloquent as it comes out.

maybe someday.

happy mother's day!

2010-05-09T23:26:00.005-06:00

i am a little late in getting this posted (i was lucky enough to spend the day with my mom) but i have the best mom in the world! it's true, a lot of people tell me that so it's not just me saying it, she really is. my mom is awesome and it constantly serving, loving, and caring for those around her--best of all she puts up with me.

happy mother's day mom, i love you!

decisions decisions decisions

2010-05-09T23:24:00.001-06:00

i have a lot of decisions i should make

anyone want to make them for me?

2010-04-27T21:59:00.001-06:00

today i am grateful for the little blessings that come when you least expect it.

they always make the day go better.

what a gem

2010-04-25T18:39:00.002-06:00

said to a friend: "I bought the box because it looked like your hair color."

2010-04-22T14:37:00.002-06:00

don't you love when you finally realize why you chose or chose not to do something? I'm just realizing why I didn't take a job last year when logically it was the perfect job for where I was in my life. seriously, everything was there - decent pay, in my field of study, reasonable hours, good location, nice people, a growing company, and opportunity to move up in the company. however, I just didn't feel good about taking the job so I didn't even though I didn't have any other job possibilities at the time. now, with some recent events in my life, I'm realizing why I didn't take that job and I'm so happy I was patient and waited for the job I have now. it's just so great to finally understand why I made that choice even when it made no sense at the time.

cycle the state of utah

2010-04-12T23:14:00.005-06:00

p.s. I bought a road bike two weeks ago, and I'm so excited about it. and if I would have bought it 6 weeks ago (before the knee injury) and had known about this earlier, I would be riding down the state of utah with these guys: http://cycleforacause.blogspot.com/ go check them out, donate if you can, or even find a day or two to ride with them. they're riding for a good cause.

disney princess nightmare!

2010-04-04T18:31:00.004-06:00

I had a terrible nightmare the other night. It was absolutely terrible; so terrible I was still frustrated about it for a few hours after I woke up.

I dreamed that we were having my wedding reception and it was disney princess themed in a cultural hall with. (nothing against disney princesses annie, but for a wedding?)

everyone (especially my mom and sister) in the dream seemed so excited about it, everyone but me. I didn't say anything until the cake decorator asked if the roses looked okay to which I replied, "well, yeah, but that's not what I wanted, no one asked me what I wanted for my wedding! who thought that I wanted disney princesses?"

it was awful.

I was mad.

what a nightmare.

overheard

2010-03-29T00:23:00.003-06:00

in a frustrated tone, "the girls just didn't like me because all the guys were after me."

well, yeah, that's usually how it goes. we're a jealous breed

another great line

2010-03-14T22:09:00.002-06:00

today my other favorite little neighbor was over and she asked my mom how old she is. after getting her answer she exclaimed, "you're older than my dad!. . . but you don't look as old." gotta love the honesty

2010-03-07T16:50:00.003-07:00

from my favorite 6-year-old:
"why do you buy all this stuff (cleaning supplies) and never use it?" apparently, we don't clean our house enough.

she's offered to move in to do the cleaning.

the love fern

2010-02-28T15:41:00.003-07:00

don't know what made me think of this; but i once received a love fern. i wasn't always the most kind to boys back when it happened, but i imagine his face looked a lot like hers when he asked if i had smashed the pot and killed the plant and i answered, "well, i didn't, but the garbage truck probably didn't help"

goodbye triathlon

2010-02-27T11:00:00.002-07:00

it's amazing how quickly some things come and go. one second i was running in a soccer game and the next it hurt to run so i stopped. i have no idea what i did because i was being lazy and not playing anywhere near the ball or other people when my knee just starting hurting so i decided to sub out of the game. the next day my right knee was twice the size of my left and as it turns out i have a torn meniscus. it's only a small tear and it's not very painful, but my physical therapist just gave a little chuckle (a, it's not happening chuckle) when i mentioned triathlon. so maybe next year.

the real housewives of orange county

2010-02-06T11:51:00.001-07:00

ok, so I don't watch the show, but happened to be flipping through channels when I heard this gem. "I don't need a 6 carat diamond ring! a 2 or 3 carat would have been fine."

triathlon (well sprint triathlon)

2010-02-03T23:13:00.003-07:00

i'm taking on a new challenge - a triathlon, sprint distance. for some, this is a walk in the park, but not for me. i've only been doing yoga lately (which i absolutely love) so my training for everything else is at an all time low. i've found that I can run the full distance, and bike the full distance - I am just really slow; swimming is a different story. I commend all you swimmers out there, it's hard. I will get there, and i'm excited to give this a try even if I come in last. so if you're looking to find me, i'll be at the gym

2010-01-09T00:33:00.002-07:00

so yesterday a friend says to me, "You should marry [a certain boy] because he will make a lot of money and you are going to be expensive."

so much for love, apparently I need to look for money

new new years tradition

2010-01-01T14:43:00.002-07:00

I've always wanted a good New Year's Eve tradition, but nothing has ever set in. last night I think I found it, a New Years' Eve Make-Your-Own-Pizza Party! of course, being me, I forgot to take pictures, but it was a lot of fun.

I made the dough, had tons of toppings, and everyone got to be creative with their dinner. we cooked everything on the grill so the kitchen didn't get hot and it made clean up a bit easier. plus, it gave everyone something to do--if they weren't eating, they were creating (we made them small enough for everyone to eat 2 or 3 or 5 for some) and it took us about two hours to get everyone fed and full. so we killed two birds with one stone--the creating gave us an activity for the night and it got us fed (sometimes hard things to accomplish on a long night like New Years'). it was the perfect activity for a group of 10-15 people-at least I think so.

I really am quite pleased with my idea, and it's really perfect for any party with a smaller group; it's a keeper for new years' parties to come.

Weapons Classes for Priesthood Brethren

2009-12-08T22:50:00.005-07:00

my dad signed up for a series of weapons classes for the up-coming year. this was done through his elder's quorum and this is the list of subjects to be covered:

jan - concealed weapons training
feb - using laser sighting for your hand gun
mar - shoot gun home defense
apr - sniper rifle training
may - most effective kill points
june - .30 caliber air cooled machine gun training
jul - automatic weapons training (we have the opportunity to purchase 45 cal. Thompson hand held machine guns)
aug - dillon aero M134 6000 rounds per minute gatling gun training
sept - how to use and maintain 3.5 hand held anti personal rocket launcher
oct - hand held stinger missile training
nov - light armor training
dec - heavy armor training

it is concluded with this sentence "wimps and sissies are not allowed or welcome. our motto is "don't tread on me" or "blood, glory, and guts."

all i can say it that i am staying far, far away from wherever they hold these classes, someone is going to get hurt.

the woes of a pb & j

2009-12-06T18:03:00.004-07:00

this past week all I wanted for lunch was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - a simple request that just couldn't be filled. why you ask? I will tell you

sunday night: we had no bread

monday night: the peanut butter had disappeared

tuesday night: I forgot to plan ahead and woke up too late wednesday to make the sandwich

wednesday night: finally, I made my pb & j for the next day, and then remembered that we were bringing lunch in on thursday (and I was not saying no to a kneader's turkey bacon avocado)

thursday night: I was already prepared to take my sandwich on friday

friday: I went home for lunch and made a grilled cheese sandwich because it was warm and I was cold

all I wanted was a simple pb & j, but the universe didn't seem to want me to have one. maybe I'll have better luck this week.

for Kali. . .

2009-12-06T17:56:00.003-07:00

the conversation below was not one I got to experience first hand; it is just one I had the privilege of overhearing.

let's just say I'm fairly good at eavesdropping on the right conversations.

2009-12-01T23:25:00.003-07:00

you know your conversation might be struggling if it goes a little something like this

boy: "so you drove down and then drove back?"
girl: "no I flew down and then flew back"
awkward pause
boy: "oh. . .so you, you flew down. . .and then flew back?"

skydiving pic

2009-11-20T20:32:00.006-07:00

my sister may have done a little facebook stalking to find this gem of a skydiving picture to share. (I haven't been emailed some of the others I asked for.)

But, check out those suits, we were definitely diving in style!

fall colors

2009-10-24T00:30:00.004-06:00

I think what I love most about fall is the changing of the leaves. I took these pictures of my neighbors trees the other day because the colors were so vibrant and beautiful especially
against the blue sky.

what did you do over the weekend?

2009-09-29T19:53:00.002-06:00

above is a question I've heard many times in the past three days. it's fairly normal to hear coming out of a weekend, but my latest answer has been making heads turn and eyes go wide.

my answer has plainly been, I went skydiving! yes, this past weekend, I headed up to Ogden with 9 other friends and we jumped out of a plane from 12,500 feet. it was so much fun, it was unreal! I wasn't that nervous until we were about to jump because it hit me that it was real and the only way I was getting off that plane was to jump, but after about 30 seconds I was fine and so excited again. it also helped that I didn't have time to think, once the plane levels out, it's helmets and goggles on and then you file out in 5 second intervals. next I was floating, spinning, cartwheeling, flipping, and then the parachute came out and i was gently gliding to the ground (of course there was an instructor with me, I was just there for the ride).

it was exhilarating to say the least and I am so happy I did it.

we didn't get any air pictures because it was expensive and skydiving isn't the cheapest adventure around, but we got plenty on the ground so hopefully soon I'll post some because my neon pink and green suit was a site to see.

the vma's

2009-09-20T22:01:00.006-06:00

so i'm a little behind, but i finally watched the MTV Video Music Awards and i want to share a few thoughts

seriously kanye? they obviously didn't ask for your opinion, and you just made yourself look like an idiot by giving it, i also agree with president obama's feelings on the subject. (beyonce did, however, have an a-m-azing video; but way to go taylor at 17!)

beyonce was awesome! both in performance and in giving taylor her time for spotlight. i'm just really liking her lately, her single ladies video rocks.

ok, lady gaga, what was with the blood spurting everywhere at the end of your performance; not to mention the 4 costume (definitely can't be called outfits) changes throughout the show. i do listen to the music, but she is a bit ca-razy.

also what was with the crazy fan trying to dance with jay-z and alicia keys at the end? i guess she got her 2 minutes of fame

weekend epiphanies

2009-09-20T21:32:00.004-06:00

i learned/realized a few things this weekend that i thought i would share.

you know a guy doesn't understand the concept of frozen yogurt when his first comment while reading the flavor label is, "low calorie! what the hell?!" frozen yogurt is more of a girl thing, guys don't really care about the calories or fat content.

not everyone understands basic car maintenance. we met a lady in the maverick parking lot who asked which type of oil she should use for her car. when asked why she was adding oil she said, "my check engine light came on yesterday morning so i'm filling it up with oil." when being told that adding oil wasn't always the answer, she replied, "well, i've never put oil in this thing." after many lessons from dad i just thought everyone knew to get the oil changed every 3000 miles, apparently not.

2009-08-30T13:16:00.003-06:00

i want to blog, it's just i don't have much to say. usually, i'm full of stories and opinions but not as of recent. there just isn't much happening.

i will say that i miss my friend kali so so much and secretly hope that denver just won't work out so she'll come back to us; life just isn't the same without her.

2009-08-05T21:25:00.002-06:00

i have finally made it to all the yogurt hot spots in provo/orem and i have an opinion.

my favorite is a tie between spoon me and yozone
next is hello yogurt
then red mango

and finally yoasis and fro-yo way at the bottom of the list

2009-07-26T16:27:00.003-06:00

I bought a bike. this one right here.

I cannot wait until Thursday when I can pick it up and ride it because casual biking is my new favorite thing.

2009-06-11T18:44:00.004-06:00

this is how you know you've made a difference in someone's life

i might be the reason this post was written

in case you ever participate in a food comparison. . .

2009-06-02T17:49:00.011-06:00

last night i participated in a product comparison game (and i won--but we'll get to that later) and it was actually quite entertaining, but choosing the correct product isn't always easy

we compared name brands against store brands to see if we could tell a difference in the products

first was a gala apple against a fuji apple (not name brands, but still very similar products). this is the one i missed, last time i had a gala apple it tasted just like the fuji so there was no way i was getting that right

second was dr. pepper against mr. pibb--very similar but luckily i had just recently had some dr. pepper. dr. pepper also has more of a cherry taste to it

third we compared honey smacks cereal to western family golden wheat puffs--i got that one on pure luck, but the honey smacks were a little more flavorful

fourth was keebler peanut butter fudge sticks to western family peanut butter fudge sticks--the keebler peanut butter tasted like actual peanut butter, western family tasted like the strawberry wafer crackers, not peanut butter

fifth was charmin toilet paper compared to western family (don't worry, we just rubbed it under our noses to feel how soft it was) charmin is softer but not to an extreme. the pattern is what gave that one away, even with a quick swipe under the nose you can tell the difference between stripes and flowers

finally we tried 1% milk against 2% milk--the key to this is waiting a few seconds after you drink the milk to see how much of a film it leaves on your tongue. the 2% definitely left a thicker film

what did i win? not having to pay for any of the products. for anyone that missed an item they had to pay for it, or split the cost with someone else who missed it.

try it sometime, see if you can figure out the difference

big news!

2009-05-27T21:33:00.003-06:00

so I have some big news. more news than I've had in a while.

I got a job! a real life job!

I was working for Canyon Park Management Company doing odd jobs and projects and last week they offered me a position and I took it. I've had other offers but they just didn't seem right and this one does. I am the administrative assistant and am learning very quickly that i will have a huge variety of tasks which is exactly what i like.

it feels very nice to have found a job, i feel like i'm making some progress again and i enjoy having more stability (another plus is getting rid of all the job emails i've been getting that have no relevance to what i enjoy or have the skills for)

once again, i'm taking a step toward being grown up, and even though i can't go lay out or play volleyball as much as i'd like, it's a good thing

cruise pictures

2009-05-27T21:23:00.011-06:00

here are some pictures from my cruise i went on all too long ago, once again, it was a blast!

kayaking around catalina island

formal night

some more kayaking (i choose the most obvious pose for the picture)

dani and me walking around catalina

attack of the shower curtain

2009-05-13T16:59:00.002-06:00

in my new apartment we had a shower curtain liner, why is this a big deal? i will tell you.

taking my first shower, everything was fine until the tub started getting smaller. it was strange, but i was tired so i didn't think too much of it until i was being sucked in to the shower curtain as it wrapped around me and clung to my skin--gross. it may have been the worst shower ever--being wrapped in a slimy shower curtain is not pleasant.

over the next few days i good pretty good at punching the shower curtain every time it got too close. however, it never learned its lesson and kept coming right back. well, i taught that shower curtain a lesson and bought a heavy-duty replacement that attaches to the wall. no more slimy hugs and tae bo in the shower for me.

cruisin'

2009-05-08T12:38:00.004-06:00

last week i spent 4 wonderful days cruising off the pacific coast with my friends dani, jordan, and trevor. we started in san diego, spent a day on island, spent a few hours looking at ensenada (we weren't allowed off the boat due to swine flu), and spent two days out at sea. it was a very relaxing vacation even though the weather wasn't completely perfect ( i still got plenty of sun). it was so nice to not have anything planned for the day except dinner at 6:00 which wasn't even really required.

we ate late breakfasts, laid in the sun, ate more than we needed to ( i only gained 1 cruise pound though!), sang in piano bars, danced the nights away, ate tiny yogurt cones three times a day, and laughed a lot. it was just the vacation i needed.

in catalina we took a kayak tour of the shore line, took naps in the warm sand on the beach, and walked around to look at all the cute little shops. i also had the best blt ever (maybe i was just hungry, but it was so good). catalina is so cute, i totally recommend taking a little vacation there, i know i want to go back.

dani was chosen at the camera girl because she remembers to take pictures so i will put some up when i get them from her

2009-04-26T14:13:00.003-06:00

as if getting my BYU diploma wasn't official enough, i went to graduation on friday, and three hours later, it was 100% official. the speakers were good, the dean was candid and charming, but the name reading was never-ending. it was cool to have my name read and walk across the stage, but waiting for 700 other kids to do the same thing takes a while. i suggest if you ever go to the marriott school convocation that you take a book (it's not the most polite thing i found out in my graduation packet, but it's about survival).

i did have some great friends come to support me and they even made this lovely sign for me so i'm skipping the job interviews and hitting the streets, i've already got my poster made

kristen's 1st pedi

2009-04-18T19:51:00.003-06:00

so yesterday i got my very first pedicure. i know, 22, and just barely getting started on the pedicure thing, but it's probably a good thing because i'm addicted.

wow, it felt so great to take an hour off the feet, get a great calf/foot massage, fabulous looking and feeling feet, and a good polish job. (it was much better than my polish work--i usually hide my feet for a day to wait for the excess polish to rub off the skin--i don't do the best polish work on the block.)

i think the pedicure men were talking about me behind my back (well right in front of me, but of course i couldn't understand the language. i can't wait for nina to get back) because it was so obvious that i was a pedicure virgin and they had to tell me everything i needed to do which made their job a little harder than usual. however, they apparently loved the color i chose, and i have to say i agree; how can you go wrong with hot pink toes?

2009-04-18T19:36:00.002-06:00

last week i played the piano at a Marriott school banquet as the background music. i quite enjoyed playing the event. it was a great excuse to play the piano for an hour and a half and it didn't matter if i missed a note or two because no one was really listening. interestingly, my pedal foot started to fall asleep near the end, but my fingers didn't get tired which was different than what i thought might happen.

now i'm thinking it would be fun to play at weddings or other events that need a little background music. so, if you know someone looking for some music for an event let them know. i love an excuse to play the piano

wunderbar

2009-04-10T13:54:00.002-06:00

i just came across a new candybar, the wunderbar. the packaging claims it's "a peanut butter caramel experience!" how many candy bars will tell you that?

it was an experience with the mixture of flavors you don't normally expect. i didn't love it, i didn't hate it. definitely a better combination than the mishap dove had with its dark chocolate mint caramels.

(oh and yes, mom, i did sneak a taste of the candy bar on your desk)

2009-04-10T13:44:00.003-06:00

today while working one of my many temp jobs, i was in charge of answering the phones.

~~at the beginning it was like getting a new cell phone ring--when the phone rings you don't realize that it's yours until it rings like 5 times and you've been looking around at everyone wondering why they haven't answered their phone yet.~~

so after scrambling to answer my first call with the new ring tone i asked, "can i transfer him (the man in my office) to your (the man calling) voicemail?" real professional, i know. that might rule out phone jobs for me now.

2009-03-23T00:25:00.003-06:00

my sister recently found a shirt with a great definition of teamwork

teamwork: when everyone does what i say

i think i might need that t-shirt. . .

2009-03-23T00:16:00.004-06:00

i spent last week in st. george, vegas, and zions. it was warm (i got a good start on my tan too). much better than the clouds and rain i came home to today. mr. sunshine won't you please come up north, and soon?

3.1415926535 8979323846 26433832795028841971 6939937510

2009-03-15T14:52:00.008-06:00

now for all you mathematicians out there, you know that yesterday was pi day since it was March 14 or 3 14. well, let me tell you, i celebrated to the fullest. this is no longer a holiday for math teachers who want an excuse to have a party during class and not teach that day, it's a day for making lots of pies and going back to our math roots.

i began my celebration about 2:40 a.m. because according to my friend rob, who all of the sudden became an expert on the correct celebration rituals of pi day, decided that we needed to eat a pie at 3:14 A.M.! i don't even start Christmas morning that early. anyway we bought a whip cream--with a small smattering of coconut--pie at macey's (thank you for being open 24 hours). we each then ate a small piece of pie and patiently waited for 3:14 to roll around so we could recite the first 100 digits of pi, because according to rob's "pi day society" that is how you celebrate. we finished this part of the celebration by all sharing one last piece of pie that was passed around our circle.so yes, we had 10 of us chanting the first 100 digits of pi at 3:14 in the morning (i apologize to the apartment above us).

next i slept in until 12:30 because well, i was tired.

then, i began baking my pie for a friendly pie-baking competition held later in the evening. it was almost all my favorite things in one pie--oreos, chocolate chips, cheesecake, coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and pecans; yes, it was good. (thank you to some great neighbors with great recipes)

naturally, after that i went shopping since it was a holiday. i only say this because i had the best jean buying experience ever. i went to banana, walked straight to the classic straight leg jeans, tried them on and they fit perfectly so i bought them and got 40% off. all of this happened in a matter of 10 minutes. how great is that?!

anyway, we had our pie-competition and after a lot of deliberation, the judging was inconclusive. the spokes-judge gave the best pie award to a very-berry pie, but the others said they voted for my chocolate, oreo, coconut, cheesecake goodness which was obviously the better choice.

either way, i definitely celebrated the day to the fullest; totally taking pi day to a whole new level

for those of you who have forgotten about pi, here is a nice little definition: Pi is a name given to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter. That means, for any circle, you can divide the circumference (the distance around the circle) by the diameter and always get exactly the same number. It doesn't matter how big or small the circle is, Pi remains the same. Pi is often written using the symbol and is pronounced "pie", just like the dessert.

2009-03-12T00:25:00.002-06:00

so yesterday i decided to make a sandwich for lunch; i got the bread broiling so it would be warmly toasted, the balsamic vinegar mixed with the lettuce, and was just about to slice the avocado when the knife slipped and i stabbed my hand instead.

immediately, i started running my hand under cold water when i felt the all too common feeling (for me at least) of my stomach getting queasy, knees getting weak, and light-headedness coming on. i quickly dropped to my knees with my hand still sticking up under the water and literally started talking to myself. "kristen, this is ridiculous, you are not going to pass out from a little cut." i then sat down, put my head between my knees, and took deep breaths because i started feeling worse. "really, kristen, this is not something people pass out about." i mean it was a tiny tiny cut, like a paper cut and i don't even think i saw any blood.

luckily, i was able to talk myself out of passing out (7 minutes later), but i could not help but laugh at myself because i almost did pass out and all over a small knife cut. i have serious issues with sharp things going through my skin and my defense mechanism is to pass out--it's not a good thing especially when i know it's going to happen. last time i passed out i told the lady taking a blood sample that i should probably lay down because i was going to pass out--she didn't quite believe me, but sure enough as soon as i laid down i was out. it's like a 6th sense i have

i think i did some nerve damage with the knife though because two of my fingers were in a lot of pain yesterday and they are sore today; however, it was a small victory for me because i didn't actually pass out to get out of the pain.

oh and as far as the bread goes, it was black. i turned to chips and salsa because my desire for a sandwich had disappeared--there was no way i was using a sharp knife for the rest of the day.

2009-03-01T20:52:00.007-07:00

so besides being the neighborhood's most educated babysitter lately, here are a few pics of what else i've been up to--my trial as an interior decorator in st. george.

this is the house my dad has recently finished in the Ledges Golf Course Community of St. George, Utah

going to the highest bidder

2009-02-27T18:38:00.004-07:00

recently I've had the chance to look at several wedding rings and I've found the one. not for now, but for whenever that someone special comes along. it is a michael b. 3 sided princess ring I'm quite convinced that this is the one and my mind won't change which is fortunate because it will make the ring part easy, however, it's a little unfortunate because it also comes with a pretty price tag. I don't even know the full price of the real michael b. but the setting alone is a mere $4500 and that 2 carat radiant cut diamond can't be cheap.

now, I have been looking for substitutes and so far I've found one for only $15,000. at this point I may have to marry for money, not love. but isn't it pretty?

the lunch date

2009-02-21T15:38:00.002-07:00

last night i came to the conclusion that i really like the lunch date. it's low stress, casual, and it doesn't have to last for 6 hours like evening dates around here can. evening dates are great, but i just think the lunch date is too often overlooked. some of my lunch dates have been the best i've had. they are just easier, so i would say throw one or two into the mix to keep things interesting.

2009-02-21T15:33:00.002-07:00

i thought i'd post an update on the job hunt--i still don't have one. so far my tactic of having the perfect job fall right into my lap hasn't worked. it almost did, but then they decided that i didn't have enough of a technical background (i haven't quite figured out what they meant by that, but i wasn't thrilled by the email-telemarketing job i was offered instead).

my goal for this coming week--send out some resumes.

congrats to me

2009-01-18T18:20:00.003-07:00

it's been about a month, but I would like to give myself a little pat on the back because I am now a college grad! I did the college thing for 3 1/2 years and then walked away with a degree in marketing from the Marriott School.

now you might ask, "What are you doing with you life?" and I would say, "that is a good question, because I have no idea." unfortunately for me, I graduated at one of the worst times in our economy. companies are firing, not exactly hiring. all the advice from my professors was to go to grad school. but, I wasn't really planning for that and missed the deadlines--next year I guess. I'm not extremely worried, things will turn around. so until I get things figured out, I'm a college grad, living at home, with the world at my feet.

blog backgrounds

2009-01-17T22:21:00.002-07:00

i really do love www.thecutestblogontheblock.com. all the backgrounds are so fun; it can really spice up your life (and your blog). and how cute is my valentine's day background? i was just really happy to find it if you couldn't tell.

2008-11-30T20:29:00.003-07:00

my friend sent me this link to a short video that recaps all the 1st presidency's and apostles' talks from our latest General Conference (october 2008). i thought it was a good reminder of what we learned in those two days and a reminder of what our Church truly teaches.

here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFvIwXJhxCY

disney sends its greetings

2008-11-27T20:59:00.007-07:00

this is a real nativity scene in brigham that has been up as long as i can remember. it gets bigger and better every year. the pics aren't fabulous, but we had to run before the neighbors came out.

quadruple berry blitz

2008-11-27T20:14:00.004-07:00

this thanksgiving i was put in charge of the berry pie. easy enough i thought--mix some berries, a little sugar and cornstarch, make a couple pie shells and voila! we have a wonderful berry pie.

well, this year didn't go quite that well, but for my first two-crust pie it didn't go too bad. i began the whole process with starting a small fire, but luckily nothing more came with that. the crusts were a little crumbly and i did learn you don't need to poke holes in the bottom crust when there is a top, which is unfortunate--i had a lovely "K" monogrammed in the center (even if you wouldn't have ever seen it). the top crust had its difficulties as you can see, and the "K" on top didn't go as well as the one inside; my grandma told me i had better stop poking when the filling started coming out the top.

in the end the filling was a little thin, the crust a little uneven, but after all the fam had stuffed our stomachs with pie mine (the quadruple berry blitz) had the smallest amount left and it had some tough competition with the "chocolate mousse supreme" "key lime delight" and "chocolate oreo extravaganza" (i'm hoping this wasn't just to be nice)

new style

2008-11-27T01:03:00.003-07:00

thanks to my dear friend annie, i was finally able to figure out how to change the background of my blog to something cute and not just the boring blogger template. for me blogging is like scrapbooking, i'm just not that good at it. i've made two scrapbooks in my life--the first was only pictures with marker designs all over, and the second i made from a kit (everything was there, i just had to stick it on a page). let's just say, it's not my cup of tea, but i'm trying.

in a year of having this blog, i've made 23 posts; some bloggers make that in an hour. i guess i'll be leaving off "seasoned blogger" on my resume. this next year, i'll go for 50 posts and maybe next year i'll have another skill for that resume (p.s. if you hear of any job opportunities let me know, i'm definitely in the market).

finally, since it is thanksgiving and annie's post inspired me, here are some things i'm thankful for
1. my family: mom, dad, annie(1) i couldn't do it without you, i know i wouldn't have made it through college without you 10 minutes away
2. the gospel: it keeps me sane, it keeps me stable
3. my friends: i have been blessed with lots of them, and they always seem to know when i need their love and support
4. annie (2): my best friend, i look up to her and admire her so much, (the selfish part of me still wishes she hadn't found a boy and fallen in love because i miss her)
5. my neighbors: i have the best neighborhood around, my neighbors are just like my extended family
6. nature: great peace can be found in being outside and enjoying God's creations
7. trials: while i hate them in the moment, i know they make be better
8. an education: i love learning and i have loved going to school at byu
9. on a lighter note: my closet, well more so, the contents within my closet

proof that boys never grow up

2008-09-29T23:17:00.002-06:00

girls just wouldn't try this, no matter what age. it is definitely not smart, and probably can't be very comfortable

honestly?

2008-09-12T11:25:00.003-06:00

Ok, who honestly falls for these emails? I get them at work all the time and they are hilarious. obviously people are falling for them if they're still being sent, but really, you think some random rich man found your name and wants to make you his heir and give his millions to you? yeah right, he's lying to you.

Mi querido amigo I am Mr. Hooper Lee, at present I am suffering from throat cancer and have a hole in the heart. My attending medical practitioner has just informed me that my days are counted because of my degraded health. My matrimonial situation is such as I do not have a wife and even less children to whom I could bequeath my heritage. It is because of this I would like gracious and with the aim of help stripped to give you this known as heritage rising to a value of $9.5 million US dollars for you to use it to help the orphans, victims of war, HIV/Aids, and expand the work of God in your country. As you can see this is a very hard decision to take but I have no option than to will out this deposit before my major operation in few days from now therefore I would like you to think about it very well and forward to me your complete data, full name, address, age, occupation and telephone number, etc. I count on your goodwill and especially the good use of these funds for your endeavours. God bless you and your family.

oh and what is the etc.? maybe your social, bank account info, what you eat for breakfast. just feel free to give whatever information would make the transaction of stealing your identity a little easier.

being bold

2008-09-11T23:07:00.003-06:00

do you ever find that you've been a little bolder than you thought you could be? you say things that you wish you would have said a hundred times before? that happened for me just the other night and it was so refreshing.

i was on a first date and it got to the point where he asks if i would like to go out again. pause. (the date was fine, we had a nice dinner and conversation, but i didn't see anything coming from future dates so do i say sure and not answer or just tell him.) "i think it would be a waste of your time to take me out again," i say, not quite sure i'm the one saying it. wow, i actually told a guy no, i've never done that before. i'm the girl that says yes and doesn't answer the phone or all the sudden gets really busy, not a "no" girl. but i did it, and it wasn't too bad. now i know he felt a shot to his ego at first, but i imagine that he feels much better about that than me getting his hopes up and then dropping him.

it felt nice ya know, to just say no. it was bold for me, but very refreshing. try it sometime.

discontinued

2008-09-11T22:48:00.003-06:00

the word discontinued is one of my least favorites. it means something that you once loved is no longer there and back to square one you go. (i guess it can also be a good thing, but in this case, it was a very bad thing)

i went to buy my favorite (and my only) perfume today and it was gone, discontinued, the girl didn't even know which one i was talking about it was so gone. no more MAC greenify for kristen. i'm lost. i don't get into perfumes, but i liked this one, a lot.

hopefully, i can find another good one soon, but i don't even know where to start. (good thing i found two cute new cardigans to offset my losses :))

beautiful girl

2008-09-05T17:56:00.004-06:00

Well this week was the first week of classes for me which generally entails several introductions. usually, it's just name and hometown but one professor got creative and wanted to know what our very first career choice was (like when you're 4 and want to be a treasure diver). Well, I started thinking really hard and all I could remember was thinking that I had the most beautiful voice and that when I grew up I would use that beautiful voice to be a singer, or use it as my talent in the Miss America competition. I also remembered that if I wanted to be a beauty queen I would obviously have to be beautiful. what more could a 4-year-old want than being absolutely ravishing? In my time crunch (when your last name starts with "B" you never have much time to think about your answers) I couldn't think of the words "princess" or "Miss America" so all I could muster was that I thought I wanted to be a singer, but mainly I wanted to be a beautiful girl. As soon as the words left my mouth I knew that I had made a pretty dumb comment and there was no return. I was now the girl that had no aspirations in life except being a beautiful girl. It may not sound too bad, but it was awkward; my professor had no words to respond except to wish me luck with the singing career. (Little does he know, I don't sing.)

making faces

2008-08-10T23:29:00.009-06:00

will making faces ever stop being enjoyable? i think not. it keeps us young at heart. here are some of our best from dinner the other night.

growing up

2008-08-10T23:08:00.009-06:00

the other night i went to dinner with some of my best college friends and realized that we are all growing up. graduation, marriage, buying houses, real jobs, and moving away have all come our way much faster than i wanted. we're all starting to go our separate ways and it's a little bittersweet. i'm happy for all my friends that are moving on to bigger and better but sad that we've been spending less and less time together as we approach the new phases of our lives. it has made me realize that growing up isn't always fun, but it's necessary and it always brings new adventures. if i could give any advice about growing up, i would say take your time. being a student is easy and a lot of fun, there is no reason to rush graduation as i'm starting to find out (only one semester left for me!). after graduation, life starts getting a little more serious and i don't know if i'm quite ready for it. however, i do know that there will always be some time to be a little crazy.

chow mein hill

2008-06-22T14:44:00.002-06:00

sister nina hill has been called to serve as a missionary for our church in korea. nina has been my lifelong friend, and i can't remember a time without her being around. even though i do miss her (she left last wednesday) i'm really impressed and proud of her decision. serving a mission is not easy, it's a lot of hard work and it's not always in completely favorable conditions. nina and i have always lived pretty comfortable lives (even living in the dorms and sharing a bathroom with 37 girls wasn't so bad) and she has chosen to leave those comforts and serve the people of korea; i know i would have a much harder time leaving those comforts. what an adventure though, you never know what's coming next, but nina has a great attitude about life and i know it will be an exciting and gratifying experience for her.

p.s. the "chow mein hill" title comes from what her name will sound like in korean (which sounds something like he-ro chow may) and some how we got chow mein hill from it, and it stuck. it's fitting though right?

It's been a while

2008-06-22T14:17:00.003-06:00

well, to all 3 of my readers (maybe more, i don't know), i'm sorry it's been a little while. this blog was started basically to record some adventures in dating (and other random experiences), but since i haven't had any boys trying to give me love ferns or married men hitting on me lately, i haven't felt like i've had much to write about. yes, i have received a love fern, that stuff doesn't happen in movies only. generally, i have a new crush every day, but it never lasts long. i've even been going on dates, but still nothing too exciting (although LeAnn Rimes acoustic was pretty good--man that girl can sing--and golfing was fun even though i maybe hit the ball 30 yards).

so what have i been doing you ask? well, i work 40 hours a week at Color Me Mine. . . a paint your own ceramic studio. i'm not that artistic, but i do the jobs others don't want to do (and i love them) i'm the manager, i like being in charge; sometimes i get offended when others tell me what to do, i'm working on being more open to suggestions. (i already know what i'm doing, and i do a pretty good job i think--maybe i don't--but constant change and adaptation is good.)

i also play a lot of volleyball. i am so grateful that i didn't dance or cheer in high school. seriously, no offense to those that have those talents, you do a much better job than i could ever do, and i'm happy being a volleyball player. volleyball is one of those skills that is life long, and as it turns out, it's one of those skills that allows me to play with the boys and i love it. it's always a good feeling to get picked to be on a team (and not just because they feel bad but because i can play the game).

what else do i do? i don't really know, except that i tend to fill my days and always find myself going to bed too late. i'll keep ya posted if anything new and exciting happens

You can't make this stuff up

2008-04-13T00:41:00.002-06:00

Well, last week I was at lunch when my friend showed me the police beat. I'm not a huge fan of the newspaper, much less BYU's "The Daily Universe" (it doesn't quite match up to the Nordstrom catalog or People) but I decided to read it anyway. And, I guess it was polite since my friend was showing it to me. Anyway, I started reading down the list, an arrest, random criminal mischief, domestic violence, and then I get to the harassment section.

First, there were a few inappropriate text messages that were being investigated, and second my personal favorite and reason why I am writing this post. . ."BYU math teaching assistants called BYU police to report a male student who had repeatedly threatened them. The student said he would pull out a female TA's hair with duct tape (strange) and would stab another TA's foot with a thumb drive to infect him with a deadly virus. BYU police are questioning the individual."

They were totally serious, you can't just make this stuff up boys and girls. This is real BYU crime at its best. A deadly virus from a thumb drive, I can't get over it; I wish I could express my hysterical laughter in type, but let's face it, that's hard. Maybe a little too much world of war craft, I don't know. Next time you're planning on using that threat just be careful, you might end up in the police beat.

These are a few of my favorite things. .

2008-04-11T00:42:00.007-06:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things. . . well, maybe for julie andrews, but i definitely have some favorites that i want to share.

1. the hane's men's white v-neck tee. they are perfect for working out, hanging out, going out, eating out, they're just good to wear and really cute. not to toot my own horn, but i have had several people comment on my cute white shirt and i laugh when i tell them what they are and that you can buy them at target in a pack of 5 for $8.97 ish. (that sounds more like a walmart price.) i have had several friends go out and buy some after they see mine and they wear them all the time.

2. c.o. bigelow ultra mentha lip shine from bath and body works. this stuff rocks! it adds a great shine to your lips and it tastes great. once again, i've gotten so many comments on my lip gloss while wearing it, from people i don't even know. now compared to your average drugstore lip gloss, it's expensive, but it's a great price compared to any major cosmetic line. it's $7.50 a tube, but bath and body has great sales and quite often they have them 3 for $15 dollars (it's like getting one free) so i just go and stock up when they have the sales (unless i'm in desperate need). seriously though, it's so worth it. plus they have all sorts of flavors and tints now and it's always fun to try something new; i recommend the lemon and black cherry soda if you want to mix it up.

3. costco vanilla soymilk. for some of us, dairy does not do a body good. luckily, costco has decided to make another quality product and kirkland has brought us vanilla soymilk. it's so good (i like it better than silk) and the price is right. why buy one carton of silk for $3 when you can buy three at costco for $7. even for a single girl this is great, since it's not dairy it has a much longer expiration period and i can definitely finish all three before it's time is up.

4. rainbow flip flops. these are so great. i have bad feet and a i need a good sole on my shoes. these are the only flip flops i can wear all day without making my feet hurt. they also last so much longer than any other flip flop i've ever had. they look good with most outfits because they're so basic, they're just like the perfect summer shoe. they are more expensive than a lot of flip flops but totally worth it ($45 at nordstrom and pac sun, sometimes cheaper on ebay). get some, you'll love them.

5. finally (for now) restoration hardware no crack, super hand cream. this stuff is awesome. living in utah means dry skin and especially dry, cracked, bleeding hands in the winter. this cream works miracles, it keeps your hands soft and moisturized. it's not greasy and it smells great. it comes in all sorts of scents (some favorites are the sweet orange and the herb) if you have dry hands this is the answer to your prayers.

and, of course, the rest of the lyrics from a classic, oh we love "The Sound of Music"

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles. Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings. These are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that melt into springs, these are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad.