Remember how tomorrow I will be in a suburban with 7 other people on a 10 hour drive to Tucson? That's right people...10 hours of car tripping fun with people who are all older than me!

And remember how I just had an assembly with absolutely no help from anyone where I tried to control all the kids? It went horribly, thanks for asking.

And lastly, on a slightly more positive note, remember how tonight is the Bachelor? Will Deanna show up tonight? Will I finally beat my brother-in-law in our guessing game of who will get kicked off each week? Could Jason be any cuter?

I hate when plans change at the last minute...almost as much as Alissa apparently hates getting her picture taken in the car.

16 Songs I Just Can't Help Singing Along With

Disclaimer: These are in no particular order

1. Eternal Flame-The Bangles: I don't remember the first time I heard this song and I can't remember when I became attached to it but I seriously love this song and every time it comes on the radio, you'll hear me singing every word loudly
2. You're the Inspiration-Chicago: By now all of you should know about my obsession with Chicago and this is probably my all-time favorite from them
3. Motorcycle Drive By-Third Eye Blind: The first time I heard this song was in Waffle House in Frederick, MD with my senior homecoming and prom date...Chris. We were trying to pick a song that we could exit the car from on prom night (we would be exiting the car onto a red carpet in front of the high school surrounded by members of the community...it was a small town!)
4. Killing Me Softly-Fugees: I already liked the song before the movie "About a Boy" but after seeing the movie, I always have to sing along with my eyes closed! Pray that I'm not driving!
5. Rodeo-Garth Brooks: Garth Brooks is one of the first artisits that I remember listening to. I remember hanging out with my dad, listening to Garth on the radio in the basement of our house in Idaho.
6. Closing Time-Semisonic: Another one of those songs that I can't remember when I first heard it or why I liked it so much but now it is just a part of me.
7. I'll Stand By You-The Pretenders: This song always, always, always brings a tear to my eye
8. Walking Into Spiderwebs-No Doubt: My quintessential high school song-even if I don't hear this song for a couple years, I sitll remember every single word.
9. Total Eclipse of the Heart-Bonnie Tyler: This one is full of memories-the car trip to Tex's wedding where Meg and I replayed this song a million times so that we could learn all the words, making people wait inside the house while Meg and I finished listening to the song in the car, American Idol night in the AF ward....
10. Love Song-Sara Bareilles: This one is just catchy and every time it rolls around on my ipod (or if it happens to be playing on the radio which is rare since I only get 2 stations out here and one is country), I get super pumped
11. Any song from the Grease soundtrack: I grew up watching this movie (at least from my preteen years on) and I know every word pretty much by heart. Random memory-standing on the breakfast bar at my house in MD and making my sisters stand on the barstools while I was the main singer and they were my back ups.
12. Losing My Religion-REM: Perhaps one of the only songs that I can say that I like that I first heard from my brother. We don't have much musical taste in common but I first heard this song when he was in early high school and it caught me.
13. I'm Yours-Jason Mraz: This one reminds me of road trips with Jake and Angie...it comes on and we all start singing along!
14. I Don't Want To Miss a Thing-Aerosmith: Another one that reminds me of road trips...Megan would keep restarting this song until I sang it "right" so now the words are permanently etched onto my brain
15. Hey There Delilah-Plain White T's: I just like it. Period. End of story.
16. Summer Girls-LFO: Another song from the high school days...and the only boy band that made the list. Random.

One of my goals for this year is to figure out what I want to do with my life. I want to find a job I love and go with it. Which makes me wonder...if I could have any job, what would I pick?

I enjoy being a counselor and there are some days that I would even say I love it. But there are other days where I would much rather be anywhere else. Does everyone feel like that in their job?

I guess it's all about the ratio...I need to figure out if I love my job more days than I want to be anywhere else.

I played soccer on Saturday and amazingly, I totally rocked at goalie. Not to mention that I scored one of the seven goals that were scored in the whole game. Some of you might equate it to beginner's luck but I call it skill...pure skill.

16 Things About Me

1. I was once attacked by incredibly scary magpies who chased me out into a busy street...it's a long story but a pretty good one which I may retell at some point!
2. I have visited 46 of the 50 states-I'm still missing Alaska, Vermont, North Dakota, and Florida.
3. I'm never truly happy unless things in my life are organized. There can be no "junk drawer" for me if I want to be completely happy. I have been known to organize and reorganize things relentlessly.
4. I love Nancy Drew books...love them. And I not so secretly wish that I could be Nancy Drew.
5. I am incredibly scared of spiders. I see one and I freeze in place-luckily I have yet to see one in my new house. Even though I have been "blessed" to see two tarantulas outside my house since moving to the desert.
6. I can spend all of my paycheck at Target but when it comes to heating my house, I am super cheap.
7. I like to create new words/say words differently than most. And people always think I'm weird. Example: cupcake holders are known to me as cuckles...it just sounds cuter.
8. The only colors of fingernail polish that I currently own are black, red, silver and white. Weird,yes?
9. I hate not knowing what time it is but I rarely actually wear a watch. Mostly because I never replace watch batteries. Ever.
10. In the 8 and a half years since I left home, I have moved every single year except one (I spent two years in American Fork).
11. The only umbrella that I own is a blue one covered in cute little Eeyore's...and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
12. I was on the golf team in high school for two years and yet I can still barely swing a club. But I'm pretty sure it was good exercise.
13. I'm fairly certain that I am allergic to bee stings. I've only been stung once and it was in high school, but my arm swelled up to like twice its normal size.
14. When I'm really tired, I pull my eyelids away from my eyes and push them back down to make a popping noise...in a weird way it comforts me.
15. I have very vivid dreams but I'm also able to wake myself out of them. I usually remember my dreams and even remember the little details in them.
16. I am an HGTV junkie. Whenever I'm bored, on comes House Hunters or Design on a Dime or....I love them.

Remember when happiness was all about what friends could play or what mom was making for dinner? Remember when you believed that there was magic in the world and that magic could fix everything? I still like to believe that there is some magic...and that happiness is within everyone's reach.

Remember how PETA renamed fish "sea kittens" in order to appeal to "compassionate people who would never dream of hurting a dog or a cat might extend that sympathy to fish, or sea kittens."

Does that mean that we aren't supposed to eat fish anymore? And do they really think that if they call fish "sea kittens" that it will prevent anyone from eating fish?

I'm not even a huge fish eater but for some reason this makes me want to go get some. Mostly just because I think it's a little ridiculous.

Things I learned yesterday:

Having a "best friend" in primary is awesome...especially when she is 7 and thinks you are the greatest. I think she is pretty awesome too.

We have one amazing man for our prophet and technology is amazing...I'm grateful that even living all the way out here, I could still listen to my prophet's voice along with ysa's all over the world.

I thought I rocked at guitar hero until the "new guy" showed up and totally killed us all on expert. It's a good thing he's cute otherwise I'd feel pretty bad about myself right now.

Life isn't fair but somehow we manage to make it even during the worst of times.

Starting a movie that I haven't seen in a long time, at 11:00 at night, is a very bad idea. It makes for one long Monday.

Instead of making new years resolutions this year, I decided to give myself a little bit longer and stick with my 101 things to do in 1001 days list. I did decide, however, that I should focus on some of the harder ones and get moving.

One of my goals was to exericse more often and eat healthy. Does anyone else struggle with this one? First of all, I still haven't found an exerise that I really enjoy which makes it hard to get motivation. Second of all, living way out here means that I have no one to work out with...and apparently my neighborhood isn't very safe so I don't want to be out walking around by myself.

If you guys have any ideas of what you do that works, I need the advice!

Welcome 2009

Every story has a beginning, middle and end. My Christmas story was no different. It began with a treachorous drive through Monticello, then through Green River, and then from Price all the way to Provo. I think I spent a full 2 hours driving up a mountain at 30 mph, praying the whole time that I wouldn't drive off the side or that a car in front of me wouldn't stop suddenly. I guess when they strongly recommend having chains on your tires, it is for a reason. I did make it safely though and dindn't even get stuck until I got all the way to my grandpa's driveway in Provo. Success!

The middle of my story took place in Seattle and consisted of some awesome times-seeing half of my family, holding my cute little niece, thrift store shopping, book shopping, getting a DS (finally...after asking for one for like 5 years...and yes, I know that I am 26 but I also live all by myself in a place where there is nothing to do...HGTV can only entertain me for so long), and having a nice, warm place to stay while it stormed like crazy outside. But what kind of story would it be without drama-there was also a family fight (not unusual for my family), lots of big announcements, and everyone crying.





The end of my story consisted of spending time with just me and Chelsey (a cute new haircut and a trip to Pike's Place included), spending a couple days with my UT county friends and family, and then an awesome sledding trip in Blanding where we tied a sled to a 3-wheeler and rode up and down the snow covered driveway. It was the best way to end Christmas break.




So, in a nutshell, that was my Christmas story. Exciting as usual, but what else can you expect from a Rowley family vacation? And don't worry...I still haven't finished unpacking yet.