The Happiest Place on Earth

Disneyland was wrong - the temple is the happiest place on Earth. I absolutely love going to the temple. I always leave feeling calmed, refreshed, and genuinely happy. There is something to be said about the peace and comfort that overwhelms you when you walk through the doors. I love that every week I have an escape from the world where I can come and sit with my Savior and serve Him, and strengthen my relationship with him, renewing my faith. I always hate when it's closed for a couple of days and I miss week. I can definitely feel the difference in my life. My decision to go through the temple without the motive of a mission or marriage is the best decision I have ever made, and I will never regret it.

Happy Turkey Day!

Ok, so I got "hate mail" ;) from my Aunt Wendy (aka TBAITWWW) because I hadn't posted about Thanksgiving yet! So sorry, but I'm all over it now. Here's the thing...I'm so embarrassed that I was too lazy to go upstairs and get my camera, so I have approximately 3 pictures from the entire day and NONE of them showed how beautiful the table looked, how yummy the food was, or how many people were there. I am a slacker and now I'm regretting it! But truly, the dinner tables and hors d'oevres tables were very beautifully decorated and the food was all cooked to perfection! Aunt Wendy made hors d'oerves and I think I filled up on the tasty cheeseball and cucumber sandwiches before we even sat down to eat. Oops! I guess that explains why I didn't eat very much at Thanksgiving. I know, weird - especially considering how much I like to eat!

Grandpa Heggie is down from Canada for a few months, so of course he joined us for dinner and we all played games and hung out after dinner. It was so much fun! Mitch and I got to be devious murderers and our team won at Mad Gab too! Good times.

I totally just chilled out all weekend (literally, because the temperature FINALLY dropped here) and did all the lazy, long weekend stuff. I'm surprised I was in town on a long weekend in the "Winter" but none of the ski resorts really had any snow yet, so....I watched a bunch of movies instead! Seriously, I went to "Across the Universe," "Enchanted," and "August Rush." I really liked all of them, but I'm very easily entertained. Anyway, so that was my Thanksgiving in a nutshell. Good times, good food, good company! Oh, and I've been meaning to post a Thankfulness List due to the season, so here is a short one of the things I've been thinking about as of late.

1. Family - we are so close and so supportive of each other and I love having that in my life

2. Gospel - I love this gospel so much and I'm so thankful I was born into it because it means so much to me and I would be an absolute mess without it.

3. Friends - I have amazing friends who are very diverse and are great examples to me

4. Good Health - I am one super healthy person and I'm soo happy about that!

5. Patience - one of the things I struggle most with, but everything I wait for ends up being worth it!

6. Abilities - I don't have any special gifts or anything, but I'm really glad that I can do the things that I can, and that I have nothing that holds me back from working hard and playing hard.

7. Temple - I am so lucky to have a temple so close that I can go to weekly. I definitely try and take advantage of that.

8. Freedom - I know I'm not American, but I live in this country and I'm thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy, and the people who fought for it.

9. Laughter - I laugh a lot! It makes me feel better though and I'm thankful that it's an acceptable and encouraged emotion.

10. Being Single - Believe it or not, I'm happy that I have been single this long {25 years -ancient, I know ;)}, because I have been able to do some pretty awesome things that I'm sure will help me be a better wife and mother when that time comes. It hasn't always been easy for me, but I've learned tons and I know all this waiting will be worth it. :)

P.S. I'm so scared of birds, so whilst looking for cute little turkey pictures I came across this guy and nearly peed my pants in fright. Look at him! Tell me your heart isn't beating a little faster now too?! Freak.

Tagged

The rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

I'm not gonna lie...I totally forgot that Carrian tagged me until she posted a comment on my last post. By the way, thanks for the tag Carrian. I feel like this might be a tad redundant since I just posted that huge list of 100 things about me, but let's make it 106 I guess!

1. I seriously wish that life was a musical. Every time I watch one I get really sad when everyone around me is not singing and dancing also. It brings a tear to my eye. Sometimes I even imagine situations in musical form (i.e. sitting at a stop light in rush hour traffic). The closest I've ever come to that actually coming true in real life is when Joni and I went to Europe. We really had a song for pretty much everything and we sang during our whole trip. It was magical!

2. Ok, I am a closet nerd. I've tried to suppress it all my life, but I've realized that it's time to embrace. I make spreadsheets for fun when I'm creating a new work out schedule, a new budget, planning a trip, etc. I love to make lists and check things off (mostly because I'll forget if I don't write it down). I dress up for Harry Potter movie premieres, I think about having super powers, I do things like cast books into movies...the list could go on, but I'm really not feeling the necessity to elaborate. You get the picture.

3. Here's a really weird one that even I don't get. EVERY time I wash my hands I spit in the sink. I have no idea when this started or why I do it. It's not like I'm hauking loogies or anything, but I just spit. I've tried to stop myself, but I can't help it. I'm like Pavlov's dog every time the faucet starts running. Weird!

4. I have always wished that I could sing really well and dance. I've never thought that I was a horrible singer, until the last couple of years when my friends started telling me how horrible I am. Really? Am I that bad? Minus the times when we're "singing" at the top of our lungs in the car? I'll be honest, it kind of hurts my feelings a little bit, but I guess if Simon and Paula can do it for the well-being of the nation, my friends can do it for the well-being of those around me. Also, I KNOW I am not a "choreographed" dance kind of gal by any means. Me and DDR are not friends! My brain and my body don't move quickly enough in unison, but I've always wanted to take dance and learn so that I can get better. I think I can hold my own when we go out dancing though. That's different.

5. I have wanted to own my own floral shop for about 6 years now and I'm finally going to school in January so that I can do that. It's seriously the perfect thing for me because I get to use my creativity, I'm not doing the same thing every day, I won't be stuck behind a desk, I can be my own boss, and I can keep it small and do it out of my home so I can still raise a family (when that time comes), or I can start small and build it into something bigger if I want to. It's very versatile, and it's something that I love and would love to do for a while. No matter what the occasion is for, flowers are meant to bring people happiness and I really like that concept.

6. I love clothes! I love to shop and I love to "collect" new pieces. I have to be honest and say that I have been known to have a bit of an addiction, but I really am getting soooo much better and I don't shop half as much as I used to, especially when I'm saving for something bigger and better. I color code my closet and I also sort it by category. I secretly want to be Stacy London from "What Not to Wear." I love to help people shop and to introduce them to new ways of doing colors and patterns. I love "What Not to Wear" because they help people feel better about themselves and I think a huge part of how you feel is reflected in how you dress, and vice versa.

Sooo....those are my 6 facts, and I tag Renee, Robyn, Mindi, Lisa, Liz, and Danielle.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

I'm just trying to get everyone in the Holiday mood. Carrian and her husband did this so I had to try it. Oh sweet mercy, please watch it. Happy Holidays!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9550749387

Sweatpants and Movies Saturdays...

This is what happens when Megan and I spend a Saturday night watching movies in our sweats! So, I've been discussing the Twilight books with my cousin, Emily, and I've assigned us to cast the movie. Seriously, I'm really not sure if people realize how incredibly nerdy I am. I usually do a pretty good job of hiding it, but I've reached an all new low. Megan was definitely making fun of me as I debated over my actors and characters. In my defense, Christy already posted her cast a long time ago, so she was the nerd first! Ok, so without further ado, here is how I have decided I would cast the movie and you may agree or disagree. I don't really care!

Evan Rachel Wood as Bella (Isabella Swan). She supposed to have brown hair, so envision it. She's also supposed to be pale, plain, but beautiful and I think she definitely fits the bill.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Edward Cullen. He's Bella's hot vampire boyfriend. Seriously, his only required feature is that he must be inhumanely hot. Call me crazy...

Dennis Quaid as Charlie Swan - Bella's father. He's a cop and an emotionally awkard father. Let's face it, he's always just really good at playing the fatherly type.

Robin Wright Penn as Renee Swan. She is Bella's mother who lives in Phoenix and is supposed to be kind of flaky and irresponsible, which Robin can play quite well from time to time.

Aaron Eckhart as Carlisle Cullen. He is the adopted father of Edward and the head of their vampire pack. He's supposed to be a relatively young, extremely good looking doctor.

Selma Blair as Esme Cullen. She is Carlisle's wife and is supposed to be warm-hearted and motherly, yet still young looking and beautiful. Did I mention that all of the Cullen's are vampires and are therefore unnaturally attractive? Note to self.

Daniel Cudmore as Emmet Cullen. You many recognize him from such films as "X-Men". He played Collosus, but here he is playing Edward's oldest "brother" who is a bear of a man and rather playful and charming.

Katie Lee Joel as Rosalie Cullen. She is Edward's "sister" who is actually Emmet's mate. It's a long story unless you've read the books. She is supposed to be the most strikingly beautiful and cold-hearted. There are waaay better pics of her on imdb.com, but I couldn't save them. Lame!

Gabriel Macht as Jasper Cullen. First of all, let me sigh over his dreaminess for a moment and thank Emily for the suggestion of his name, because I almost forgot about him. How could I when he's just so handsome?! Ok anyway, he's Edward's other "brother" and has ultra calming effects on other's emotions. He's very laid back and quiet.

Rachel Leigh Cook as Alice Cullen. Picture her hair in a pixie cut and she's perfect. She is Edward's other "sister" who is actually Jasper's mate. She's extremely playful and feminine and she can see the future. Despite their differences, or complete opposites, she and Bella are like best friends.

Graham Greene as Billy Black. You may recognize him from such films as "Dances With Wolves". He is also Charlie's best friend.

Tyler Posey as Jacob Black. Oh, Jakey. He is a year or so younger than Bella and is Billy Black's son. He has a massive crush on Bella and I won't ruin the books for those of you who haven't read on, but his role becomes massively important.

Ok, that being said, I'm going to stop watching "Singin' in the Rain" and go to bed. Please bask in my nerdiness and in a few months we'll forget all about this post and pretend it never happened!

Have Bags, Will Travel...

So, I don't know if it's just because my friends are all really busy lately, or because I have a lot of free time at work, or what, but I've decided to add more random blogs, so enjoy! I'm a very random person and if I have to listen to these thoughts all day, so do you!


I've been wondering a lot lately about what my super power would be if I could have one. After careful consideration and many hours of ponderance, I have decided that I want to fly and apparate. I know, I know, not very creative super powers, but hear me out. Among the many wonderful attributes I've inherited from my mother, I have inherited the innate desire to travel. I don't know why. I'm so like my mom in that sense and I hate to turn down a trip. I love to explore new places and experience new cultures. It's so interesting to me, and I'm the type of person who would rather see it in person to really grasp the full beauty of it, rather than to just see a picture in a book or something. One of my dream life goals is to visit each continent on the Earth and so far I've got North America and Europe down. I've even gone to Alaska and Hawaii to cover the non-continental US!

(See - doesn't this guy look blissful?!)

ANYWAY, I've been thinking that if I could fly and apparate all my travel concerns would be solved for life! Seriously! I would be able to go wherever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to! By being able to do both I could fly when I wanted the exhileration of flying, and apparate when I needed or wanted to be somewhere more quickly. Really, it's the best of both worlds. And let's face it, once I settle down travelling will be more difficult, so being able to fly would be awesome! If only we really had super powers...sigh. Curse you Heroes and Harry Potter for getting my hopes up!!

So Long, Farewell...

Ok, so just to clarify...I really liked my XTerra (known as Sexterra), but that relationship just wasn't really working for me. She was taking too much from me, and I felt like it was very one-sided. I mean, she's a great girl because she loves the great outdoors, snowboarding, getting dirty, offroading to the cabin, and roadtripping to Utah, but every good thing must come to an end. Single tear. So, I traded her in for a younger, sleeker model. Man, if I were a guy this would sound sooo typical, right?! Well, I guess I'm a dude right now then. My new, younger sleeker model is not as taxing on my wallet and I'm hoping she finds the great outdoors, snowboarding, and roadtripping just as enjoyable as I do. We'll see if she can prove herself this Winter. I have to admit though, that I've already bonded with her, and I think I'm in love. She doesn't have a name yet, because I need her to really speak to me. That will come in time, though.

We really have a lot in common, and I didn't fully realize it until my friend Mojo said that she totally suits my personality. We're both playful and have a little attitude. We both look fantastic on the outside, yet are simple on the inside. However, behind her walls, though simple they may be, are found intrigueing treasures of greatness and wonderment, much like unto myself. She's also safe, dependable, and trustworthy. So really, it's the perfect match and I hope we can be happy for a long, long time.