100th Post: Ah, Winter!

Winter, the time when everyone becomes Eskimo ninjas, hiding faces in thick scarves and furry hoods. This can make someone look somewhat suspicious, especially when it is windy and we all squint at each other to keep the snowflakes out of our eyes.

And let's not forget the bubble-wrap coats that make us look like colorful marshmallows rolling across the snowy landscape.


Well at least it keeps us warm right? Here, today it is a balmy 15 degrees Farenheit, but almost every night it has been dropping into the negatives, causing ice to form on the inside of our windows. On Sunday I can attest that walking in 2 degree weather is not a comfortable temperature in a dress, no matter how long the hem falls. It makes me wish I had a car, and then I remember the thick sheets of ice that never seem to be taken care of, and I'm okay walking as long as it keeps me safe.

 By the way, this is my 100th post! Yay! I started this blog on October 13, 2008 ( I should have been updating more) so it has been going for about five years.

Christmas Wishlist 2013

 So, I wasn't going to put up a Christmas list, because it always makes me feel a little guilty to ask for things. I still love surprises! However, I also know how difficult is to find things for people, and so here are a few things I've thought of:

• Warm, cute hat(s)
• Scarves
• A new journal
• A photo album to put pictures in
• And/or a picture of the family
• Sketchbook
• Fun stickers

 It's cold out (I will write a separate post about that later), so anything warm is appreciated.

From last year, a list of things I am always happy to receive:

• Books (my favorite authors are Diana Wynne Jones, Roald Dahl, and Brian Jacques, Andrew Clements is good, and I also like Brandon Sanderson and I'd like to read more by Terry Pratchett) some specific ones I'd like to own are:
• Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
• Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
• Cute earrings (like animals, food, holidays, etc.) 
• I actually got turkey earrings last year, and they are adorable. haha =)
• Fluffy Socks
• Video games
• Movies (I like family movies; the companies Disney, Pixar, and Studio Ghibli especially)
• Art supplies

 A very merry Christmas to you all! I hope everyone is staying warm and happy this wonderful season!

The Croods

I give this movie a 4.3/5 stars.

I watched this movie yesterday with my roommate. Basically, a family of cavemen lose their home and end up traveling further than they ever have to escape the turmoil of earthquakes and lava from "The End" which is actually Pangaea separating into continents.

It is well-done, with clean humor and the animation is great. I think the animators had a great time, especially with the animals, as there is a gator-dog, an elephant-mouse, a turtle-bird, and many more. Perhaps the movie isn't historically accurate, but it is still fun and enjoyable.

The characters are excellent (include an overprotective but sweet father, a rebellious and curious teenager, and a clever newcomer who invents things like fire and shoes), obviously cavemen but with a modern twist. It is a great family movie and actually almost made me cry.

Main Art From Fall 2013

I just thought I should share some of the drawings I've done for my college art class this semester. All final pieces are included!

I have learned much about drawing and I feel like I have been improving. I now see the point of perspective, which I would always avoid in the past.

First Drawing! Cake shaded in pencil/graphite

Proportion assignment (where you use your thumb to measure) - Graphite

Clock construction drawing with perspective- Graphite

Construction drawing (shows basic hidden parts) of my waffle iron - Pencil

Shaded, labeled cylinder - Graphite

Interior in 1 point perspective - Pencil

Interior in 2 point perspective - Pencil

Exterior in 1 point perspective - Ink over pencil

Exterior in 2 point perspective (that's Rachel sitting there!) - Ink over pencil

Shapes using principles of design - Charcoal (one of my first times using it!)

Organic picture (actually a fake plant in the library) - Ink

Non-organic picture (my backpack) - Ink

Object Arrangement - Charcoal

Fruit Composition - Graphite

Final Composition (Draw from Life) - Graphite

These are my main pictures, and do not include my thumbnails or exercises (basic shapes like ellipses) .

Pre-Break Homework and Other Things

Looking back on my previous entries, I find that I use a lot of smiley faces - just something interesting to note.

I have been enjoying my classes, many of them English classes - since I am a declared English Major; for example, I have a creative writing class, a class devoted to reading Robert Frost's poetry (I have a huge book and a new appreciation for what he wrote), and a Literary Interpretation class wherein we discuss different ways to analyze a text (books, poems, plays ,etc.). I also have an online art class that I scan in my drawings for, and a religion class about marriage and family life called Family Foundations. It has been an interesting experience, and I have been learning much from these classes. If you want a poem by Frost or need an idea for an essay about a book, just give me a call! =) (there's that smiley face again)

A few people, mostly roommates, have expressed amazement - and also the fact that I am weird - for reading so many books for fun while I am at school. How do I have the time for it? I just do - I reply with shrugged shoulders - and I make time for it. For me reading a good book is refreshing and energizing (reading a badly written book is just annoying and frustrating, but I'm not talking about that right now), and being more of the type of person who stays at home rather than going out and being social, it becomes my main form of entertainment. But don't worry about me, I try very hard to get all my homework done for the day before sitting down and reading a book, so it's not like I'm ignoring my school work.

Thanksgiving Break is coming up, and I Am Excited. I'll be home for almost the entire week with fun family and free food. Just one more week! I plan to get ahead with my homework so that I don't have to worry about it over the break.

Independence Day in Idaho

I attended the parade on Main Street with my roommates today; it was great! The weather was a little too warm, but that's to be expected, so later one of my roommates and I went to a nearby ice cream place. I got a vanilla concrete shake with bits of kit-kat in it that was delicious. The parade was fun, and had some interesting and cute floats and lots of people from all over the county.

Here are some photos:

I took this picture for my roommate Maddison

Maddison, Me, DJ, and Cami

There were lots and lots of horses, these were just a few.

The local grocery store's float =)

A Giant sun and float for my college

The American Flag coming by

Jello Cake I made!

Cinnamon Rolls!

Look, cinnamon rolls!

I made cinnamon rolls today! I made them for our ward activity today, but when I started mixing ingredients I realized that I didn't have any yeast. So, I had my roommate go and grab some, but I ended up being a little late for class and wondering if I had made the dough right. It expanded, and made a lot of cinnamon rolls. My roommates helped me to roll and cut them into the right shape. Cinnamon rolls use a lot of sugar!
We took them to the ward activity, and they were gone within minutes. Fortunately, we still had some dough left so there is a batch that remains for us to eat. It was fun, and they turned out pretty good.

Hiking "R" Mountain

So I hiked this mountain near the beginning of the school semester, and I just got around to posting the pictures today (6/12). =)

Anyway, it was fun! My roommate Cami invited me, and we went with her boyfriend and some other guy friends. I mistook "R" mountain as "our" mountain, since it is one of the few mountains near campus; at least until I saw the big letter on the side. The guys I was in the car with kept making fun of it, and saying how they would run up it instead of walking to make it a challenge. A couple minutes in clarified that it was not the piece of cake the were expecting though, especially when it started to rain. I did not make a comment, since knowing mountains, they are deceptively steep (yes even the "small" ones) and this one was no exception. There was even a point we had to hold onto a chain that had been put down, which was nice because that part had quite a few slippery rocks. I was near the back, and fortunately there was another guy who was nice enough to stay back with me while the main part of the group went ahead. My roommate and her boyfriend were also near the back, though I think it was mostly because they wanted to stay together. =)
Despite the rain, it really was a nice day, and very pretty on the top. When we were leaving we found a poem with rose petals and two girls with a camera hiding out nearby. Apparently someone was proposing that day, and I think we saw them on the way down.

My roommate and her boyfriend DJ. Aren't they cute?

The guys who came with us

the crater of the mountain

Brit (DJ's roommate), who stayed near the back with us.

Me and my roommate =)

New College Apartment

So this semester I changed my apartment, and personally I am liking this one much better. I have only three roommates (Cami, Maddison, and Rebecca), and I ended up with my own room for the first time in my life. It's really nice actually. Anyway, I have started school again with some general classes like English, and two science classes (one is about energy and the other is about the origin of the universe - both are interesting). Spring has finally come around, but it is still quite chilly, and on May 1st it even snowed a little bit, but there are cute little flowers like daffodils and tulips springing up despite the early morning frost.
 Here are some photos:

My bed and decor

The front room (there is a large window to the right)

The kitchen of never-ending dishes

On a side note, I wish Alyssa the best on her mission! Have a great time!

We're Off To See The Wizard...

So, I'm heading off again to college tomorrow. All of my boxes are packed, I have all of my classes signed up for, and I am ready to leave. Well, mostly. I'm still a little nervous, and there are a lot of changes happening in my life at the moment. I am a little worried about making friends with my new roommates. Most of all, I still don't quite know what I want to do with my life, and I am definitely feeling the pressure to make a decision. If only I knew what I wanted by the time I reach the end of this yellow brick road like Dorothy and company. (If only)

Over the break, I was not able to get a job; however, I have been working on remodeling the house we are going to move into with my mom, as well as helping to pack up boxes and clean the basement here in preparation for our move. I have also been helping my younger sister with her math, and she has been learning it well. Though, I still feel like I haven't done enough, and there are times I feel like I should be ding more. I will say that I am tired of boxes and cleaning and drywall, so I think going back to college will be a good break for me from things here.

Thanks for the Gift!

Thank you everyone for the package sent by Aunt Emily! I got this morning and it made me happy to read the letters you guys wrote at the Halloween party. The blanket is fuzzy, though I have yet to open it.I am enjoying the candy especially =).  It was very thoughtful, and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful extended family. A thanks especially to Emily for sending it! =D
Merry 18 days until Christmas!

The Twinkie Diet

Imagine, if you will, eating a Twinkie, or chocolate cupcake, or some similar type of sugary cake every three hours for two months, and that these snack foods make up two-thirds of everything you eat, the other meager one third  including protein shakes, multivitamins, and a few vegetables. Now imagine that you lost 27 pounds as a result. Sound impossible? Except it's not, because a nutrition professor in Kansas did this experiment to prove a point, and yes, he did lose 27 pounds, putting him from almost-obese to a normal weight.

Mark Haub wanted to prove that weight loss was only dependent upon caloric intake, rather than the nutritional value of what we eat. He strictly regulated how many calories he ate, up to 1,800 rather than the 2,600 calories he would usually consume. And the results are pretty astonishing, which is probably why when word got around about how he had lost weight eating basically all sweet cakes, it easily made international news

When my group for science had to write a paper on some kind of controversial health belief, we chose the "Twinkie Diet." I will mention that my group is unconvinced about how healthy this "diet" would be over the long term, though I think it is an interesting study to consider.Personally, I think it is a pretty funny story, though it is not the type of diet I would ever go on; I can only imagine how gross I would feel full of sugar and preservatives.

If you want to read the article about Mark Haub's diet, click here. Or you could simply type in "the twinkie diet" into Google, and I assure you that you will find plenty of information about it.

Christmas Wishlist 2012

Happy December everybody! This year I am putting my Christmas list on my blog, since I actually have one this year, and so my family can see it. Now keep in mind that these are simply brainstorm ideas, and I love happy surprises, so it's not like I have to have all this stuff. I'm just making a list of the things I've thought over the semester "that would be nice to have." Anyway, here it is:

• Laptop (completely optional, because I know it is expensive, but I 'm putting it on here anyway)
• Potato masher
• Brownie/cake metal spatula (the small square ones that make it easy to get them out of the pan)
• Headphones
• Large bowl
• Frying pan
• Photoshop
• Muffin tin
• Flash drive
• Rice cooker
• Something to keep my ears warm when it's cold
• Some cute shirts
• Scarves and sweaters

Also, a list of things I am always happy to receive:

• Books (my favorite authors are Diana Wynne Jones, Roald Dahl, and Brian Jacques, and I also like Brandon Sanderson and I'd like to read more by Terry Pratchett) some specific ones are:
• Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
• Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Cute earrings (like animals, food, holidays, etc. I would love to have little turkeys hanging from my ears for Thanksgiving, and when I say that I'm being completely serious)
• Fluffy Socks
• Video games
• Movies
• Art supplies

I encourage other people to make a Christmas wish list too, because it helps people come up with gifts to give. It does no one any good to hide what you actually want, other wise you may end up with something strange. But overall, don't forget to be thoughtful in giving, and gracious in receiving. Merry Christmas!

Semester End

Nearing the end of the school semester, things are both speeding up, and slowing down. There is so much that can be done and needs to be done! Fortunately, I do not have too many tests to take, but there are many final projects to be perfected, including the website I have created (and that I am almost finished with). I have enjoyed the past few months of school, which have kept me very busy; however, I am ready for the break for Winter so I can spend more time with my family again.

I hope everyone is doing well, and have a wonderful day!

Grateful for Thanksgiving

I am so happy to be able to be home for Thanksgiving! I have been missing my family and looking forward to it for weeks. Pie Day was a lot of fun, Aunt Kim came and joined us this year, and we also ended up with about 30 pies total. I will write the count-up later of the pies we made.
For Thanksgiving this year, we had two new people join in the feast, my two older sisters' husband and soon-to-be husband. It was wonderful to have our whole family together for a few days, and I at least enjoyed myself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween Hershey's

Happy Halloween everyone! This year I dressed up as a Hershey's chocolate bar, using brown clothing and silver duct-tape. I did not go trick-or-treating, but I did go to a party at a new friend's house! We had tons of cake, pie, and other sweets. We played games and watched Monster House, and someone brought a python and a Macaw later when some people had left, and they let us hold them. It was fun!

I unfortunately, cannot find a picture of me in my costume.

Writer's Workshop

So, I decided to join a Writer's Workshop group, which I went to yesterday for the first time. It was a small group in the corner of one of the campus buildings. I hesitant at first, but they made me feel very welcome, and as the time passed I found that these were people who knew what they were talking about regarding writing. Stories were presented and read aloud by different members of the group, and at the end the audience would give their critique to help the author improve their work. If I'm not mistaken, they even took notes on the stories in order to have better suggestions, which impressed me, because all other writing groups I have attended throughout the years has been very lax and "laissez faire" in their approach. The people were fun to be around, and I find that I respect their opinion. I will definitely keep coming. =)

Also, I found out that November is the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo ) where each day - if you accept the challenge - you write 1600 words, and by the end of the month you should have a (unedited) novel! I find this exciting, and I think I will take on the challenge this year.
Which means I need to get ahead of my homework so I can have the time for it. (1600 words is about 4-6 pages every day after all)

General Conference 2012

General Conference was so good this past weekend (though it's always good), with inspiring music and talks to draw knowledge from. I am so grateful to be a part of this church, led by such kind, loving, and inspired leaders who are blessed with revelation. I also enjoyed the company of my family, and it's too bad I missed out on the discussion, but I still liked being with my family - and the free food! =)
I feel like the first Session on Saturday was the one that touched me the most, and not just because of the missionary announcement at the beginning (I'll talk about that later). I really liked President Uchtdorf's talk about living with no regrets, and  Russell M. Nelson's talk: "ask the missionaries - they can help you!" there is also Sister Dibbs talk that asks what kind of message we would proudly proclaim on our T-shirt - for her it is “I’m a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.” May we all learn to live without shame of our church! These talks influenced me the most, and are the ones I remember clearly. Of course, I also loved many of the other talks, especially the one by President Monson, but these are a cluster of some I easily think of.

Regarding the missionary announcement, where young men are able to leave on missions at age 18, and women can leave at age 19 (a jump from 21 years old), I think it is exciting, and a good step forward for the church. The work is hastening on. I have heard many different experiences and responses from this announcement, some wept, many gasped in shock, others open-mouthed in disbelief or perhaps even dismay (some will have to wait for their 19-year old girlfriends to return from their missions), but it is undeniable that a stir was caused, and everyone has something to say about it. Even the news took notice, and they should, because everything is about to change; this includes the very culture of LDS society, especially my age group. I think it is a good work to be done, and there are many who intend to leave as soon as possible. But what do I think? you ask; well, truthfully I don't know. Besides what I've stated above, that it is good and exciting, I don't have much else of an opinion, though many have asked. Even at the announcement I was not as surprised as everyone else seemed to be, and I believe my comment I made to my sister was (and she can correct me if she remembers), "Oh; that's exciting!" Then I talked to my parents for a minute or two before conference continued. I do not know whether to go on a mission or not, I find I lean neither to the right nor the left of the matter, but on the center. I fully support other people's decision to go on a mission, I simply to not know about myself. I did not even consider the prospect of going on a mission until I recieved my patriarichal blessing and my dad made a comment on one of the phrases! I have not thought to much of it since then! I thought I had more time to consider; now I find myself needing to come to a decision!
For now, I can only pray, and wait to see what happens... so we shall see what happens.

Off To College

Hello everyone! I am doing great, and I love being here at BYU-Idaho! The campus is absolutely beautiful, and I have some really nice roommates. All six of us are freshmen, and hopefully we become good friends by the end of the semester. I have actually been here for over a week, but what a crazy week it was! So many classes and so much homework to keep track of, I have been working hard to keep up on it so I do not fall behind. Sometimes there is so much information to take in and my brain feels stuffed, and sometimes I'll stare at my reading (math especially) at not understand a word of it. I am enjoying my classes though, and I like the teachers that I have.
It it so strange though to have a prayer at the beginning of class, as well as church principles taught alongside academic information. The Spirit of the Lord is here, and it is a wonderful thing. I hope that by being here I can become more spiritual and a better person.
How is it back home? I love being here, but there is a huge difference between Home and my apartment, and I wonder how my family is doing. And, I keep forgetting to call them, oops (I'll do better I promise!). I miss you all, and I hope you are all doing well!

My Bed: It's so yellow!

The shelf with my stuff on it, my roommates made a comment on how many books I had. What are they talking about? This isn't even 10% of all the books I own!

The living room: the couches are quite comfy, and that's a stack of my homework on the table.

The kitchen (while clean): on the far left there are some flowers my dad got me, if you can see the leaves poking out.

Family Camp 2012

Family Camp was this last week. So much fun, especially with all the new family members! =)
I have to say that Family Camp is one of my favorite annual family traditions, where we all get together, discuss life over s'mores, and enjoy the company of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. It is also one of the few camping trips I don't mind going to, because there is always something fun to do.

The whole family in stick figure form

A sign example: each tent area for each family had one

Hey look! it's me! =)

I intend to put up the skits that I recorded, but they're really dark, so I shall have to fiddle with them.