A little mixed-up

My very favorite young adult fiction book of all time is From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konisburg. If you have not yet read it, I highly recommend it. It is an easy read but incredibly amusing. Of course, this comes from a girl who was obsessed with reading Nancy Drew and Babysitters Club and Boxcar Children. I love books about children that can make it on their own. Come to think of it, I still love books about people who are able to overcome odds in order to survive. Because even though I am highly unlikely to suddenly run away to a Smithsonian, there are plenty of times that I need to realize that I have the courage and the ability to make it on my own, shoud it become necessary. Sidenote...I am not in any way saying that I want to make it on my own. I love being around other people and I need those people and I hope those people need me. It's just nice to know that I could do it! If you have a spare afternoon, read away, you won't be disappointed.

Just another Manic Monday

First of all, congratulation to Texann and Spencer on their little baby!  Although I haven't seen pictures yet, I'm sure he will be adorable.  And I look forward to the day when he becomes a famous athlete!

It makes me feel really old that all of my friends are starting to have babies (and that some are on their second or more).  It's funny that the fact that I'm turning 26 in a week doesn't make me feel old.  It's just when I look around and realize that everyone is now doing completely "grown-up" things and I still feel like I haven't grown up yet.

It reminds me of when I ran into Rachel Smith (from Helaman Halls fame) and she asked what I was doing. When I told her that I had just graduated with my master's and I was working as a counselor, she commented on how "grown-up" I am!  And I am looking at her with her three kids and her husband with their new house and I'm thinking Who is the grown-up?

Not that I'm unhappy with where I am in my life...I love my job (most days) and I love who I've become.  But sometimes it does feel like I still have more living to do.

Always learning

So here I am, on my very last day in Hawaii, writing on my blog. Why, you ask? Because it decided to rain...and when I mean rain, I don't mean that kind of rain that Hawaii is used to. Every other day when it has rained, it has been a nice drizzle but today it actually decided to pour. And so here I am, waiting for the shower, writing!

Hawaii has made me realize a few things and since I love lists...here are the things I've realized this week:

1. What I want most out of life is not only to be happy myself, but for my family and close friends to be happy (and the best way to be happy is for all of us to move back to Hawaii!)
2. I love my mom
3. Sea turtles can bring a smile to my face like nothing else can
4. I love to spend money (okay...so I knew this before I came but nonetheless...)
5. True friends are those that see you at your best and your worst and still want to stand by your side...and Hawaii has helped me realize who my true friends are
6. There are things that I love about myself and there are things that I hate about myself but overall, I know that I deserve to be loved, unconditionally
7. While I will love living near my family again (which I realized after spending a week and a half with my mom), I will miss everyone in UT more than words can describe
8. I can spend hours doing nothing except thinking and still enjoy myself

9. I'm braver than I think and I need to trust myself more

10. I deserve to be happy and I shouldn't let other people dictate the way that I feel

Thanks to those of you who spend the week/2 weeks with me-I had a blast! And for those of you who didn't come, you can come visit me in Hawaii when a marry a rich and gorgeous man and we have our summer house here!

Tripping

I find that the closer I get to going on a big trip, the more I worry about actually getting there.  When Hawaii was still a month away, I could think of little else but laying on the beach all day.  And now that it is right around the corner, all I can think about are the ways that a plane could go down mid-flight.  It just doesn't seem natural to be so high up in the air.  Especially when you don't have any control over it.  

Last night I thought about a bunch of different options:

Mechanical problems

Hijacking

Suicidal pilots

Hitting a bird

Breaking in half due to some unforeseen circumstance (thanks Lost for that one)

Storm

Basically, I laid in bed and came up with a bunch of different scenarios.  Rationally, I know it is ridiculous to be scared of flying (just like I know that it is ridiculous to be scared of spired), but I just can't quite talk myself out of being scared.  I need some kind of relaxation techniques (or Zantax) to help me calm down and actually get there.  I just need to get past my scared phase and start enjoying the fact that in 24 hours, I will be on the first leg of my trip to Hawaii.  

And I will post more when I get back in 2 weeks.  Aloha!

April Snow Brings...

Have you ever had 55 junior high kids angry at you?  Probably most of you have not.  I, however, now have the distinct privilege of saying that I have.  I went to all the trouble of planning a field trip for today.  I planned it for April 7 with the idea that it would be nice outside and we could enjoy ourselves at a ropes course.  However, I forgot for a brief moment that I live in Utah and that if I made plans assuming that it would be nice, then most likely it would snow.  So let me tell you that after today I may have 60+ enemies (because in addition to the kids being mad, I also have the whole staff at the ropes course mad at me too).  I love Mondays.

only 1 pound now

Quick update, Megan now has a ticket and we are all back on track.  And I love Hawaii!!!!  Please feel free to send me any presents to share in my excitement with me.

Days like this

Maybe you haven't heard the news yet, but ATA officially filed bankruptcy.  1 week before we have a trip planned to Hawaii...are you kidding me?!?!  Luckily, I have my ticket on United (and so does Rachel); unluckily, my mom, Megan, Heidi, and Sarah are all on ATA.  This has created 2 days full of scrambling to get refunds and buy new tickets and one night of very little sleep.  At this moment I'm pretty sure I may fall asleep with my face on my laptop.  That could be awkward if someone came in to talk to me.  

So the latest news is that my mom has received a full refund and has purchased a new ticket.  Heidi, Sarah, and Megan have received a partial refund and are in the process of talking to the bank to get the rest of it back.  Heidi and Sarah have purchased tickets and will be staying an extra two days.  But Megan is still out of luck.  Anyone have an extra ticket to Hawaii laying around?  On top of all that, we are all scrambling to change other plans that we made.  It's turning into a huge mess.

AHHHHHH...days like these shouldn't exist.

Go Jazz

Today I made a kid cry.  Well, he didn't actually cry in front of me but when he left there were definite tears in his eyes.  Derek (one of my co-workers) really made a kid cry (and then she stormed out of the office) so I guess I shouldn't feel that bad about the tears in the eyes kid.  Anyway, I made this kid cry because I told him that his teacher had recommended him for this special reading class.  He had planned out his whole schedule with all of his friends and you could just tell that the idea of having to tell his friends that he had to take a "special" class was the worst thing that he could even imagine.

Isn't it funny that we let what other people think of us determine so much of what we do?  Instead of just living our lives the way we want to or living our lives in the way that would benefit us the most, we let other people's opinions influence what we do.  I like to think that I don't care about what people think but the truth is, their opinion of me has an influence over my decisions.  Like knowing that my parents will think something is stupid, keeps me from doing it.  Or knowing that my friends will tease me if I suddenly start liking a certain person, keeps me from liking them.  

There are very few decisions that I've made in my life that I feel are almost completely "other-people-free".  And how do we make it so that we care less?  Just some thoughts for this Wednesday...

These are a few of my favorite things...

Today as I put on a new outfit, I started to think of the things that I love in the world and this is what I came up with:

1.  My family (as crazy as they are, they can also be incredibly supportive and loving)

2.  My friends (which in many cases can also be considered my family)

3.  The sound of putting on a new pair of shoes (not necessarily the feel of a new pair, sometimes new shoes can really hurt after a day of work)

4.  Movies that make me nostalgic (aka...Sound of Music, Mighty Ducks, Anne of Green Gables, Clueless)

5.  The first snow (although there are many times that I wish there was only one snow for the whole year, I think that would be enough for me)

6.  Chocolate

7.  Adorable white puppies like the one on that dog food commercial...I seriously love him

8.  Having a really great and meaningful conversation with someone that means a lot to me

9.  Hawaii in general (yeah for going on another trip!!!!!!)

10.  Lists of any kind

Oh, and one of my not favorite things are april fools' jokes, I hate those.