Goodbye 2012

Go HERE if you want to read last year's post!

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before? Ran a mile, without stopping, in less than 15 minutes! I don’t think I’ve ever been able to do that before!! It’s always taken me at least a half out and that included lots of walking time!

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year? I didn't make any this year!! Mostly because I didn't want to have to admit, yet again, how lame I am at keeping my resolutions on this question!! 

 3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My best friend Lacey had her very first baby in September!! SO excited for her!! My friend Megan had a baby girl in October and my friend Amanda had a girl in November!! So many cute baby girls!! 

4. Did anyone close to you die? No and I am SO grateful!  

5. What countries did you visit? Canada!! Sort of.... In September when I went to Washington, we went whale watching and ended up off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia. We were close enough that if I had decided to abandon ship, I would have been in big trouble because I didn’t have my passport! So I’m totally counting that!!

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? Motivation to get healthy once and for all! And better saving habits!

7. What date from 2012 will remain etched in your memory, and why? April 28th. The day I went through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Running my first 5k!! 

9. What was your biggest failure? Having a goal to become a runner and then slacking off big time as soon as the weather got chilly!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major, thank goodness! I think I gave myself shin splints when I first started running because I was totally doing it wrong!  

11. What was the best thing you bought? My awesome BlueRay player!! I'm finally up on the times... for now! 

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? President Uchtdorf! I just think he is awesome! 

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The Federal government. It’s so ridiculous that they can’t work together! Grow up guys…. forget about who’s scratching who’s back and work together for the betterment of this country!

14. Where did most of your money go? Bills!! And food…. and gas…. Life is expensive!

 15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My new position at work! I became the Administrative Assistant the very end of July! It was SO happy to be in a new position!

16. What song will always remind you of 2012? Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jeppson and That's What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction 

17.Compared to this time last year, are you:

i.happier or sadder? I’m always conflicted on this one. I am working on the happier thing!

ii.thinner or fatter? Fatter... SO much fatter! 

iii.richer or poorer? I'm not one hundred percent sure on this one.... I am awful about balancing my checkbook! 

18.What do you wish you'd done more of? Going to the gym and spending time with friends!

19.What do you wish you'd done less of? Sitting at home, alone, doing nothing!  

 20.How will you be spending The New Year? I will be with my friends Miranda and Stacey. The past two years we have done Olive Garden, fondue and movies! But this year I think we are going to deviate slightly from the plan!

22. Did you fall in love in 2012? Not this year..

 23. Did you go on any vacations this year? I changed this question again…. It used to be something about one night stands…. that was never going to happen so it was a boring question. And then last year I changed it to something about cultural events/plays/musicals…. But I’m not sure I loved that question…. so I’m changing it again! I went on a few really great vacations this year!! My family did our annual St. George trip in June which is always a lot of fun!! My cousin Kandi was gracious enough to let me tag along on her Disneyland vacation and I got to visit one of my favorite places…. Seattle, with some really good friends!!

24. What was your favorite TV program? I love Dance Moms….. I also just barley started watching Once Upon A Time and it is definitely my new favorite TV show. I still love Criminal Minds and Drop Dead Diva!

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Not that I can think of!

26. What was the best book you read? The Goddess Test, Divergent and The Peacegiver.

 27. What was your greatest musical discovery? One Direction and The Wanted 

28. What did you want and get? To live life roommate free!! I moved into my grandma’s basement in May and it’s been so nice!! I admit there are some times I will having people around…. But it’s also nice to not worry about pleasing other people!

29. What did you want and not get? Tickets to the Taylor Swift concert next June. I was on the computer right as they came on sale and I still didn’t get them!!

30. What was your favorite film of this year?  The Hunger Games!!!! Breaking Dawn Part 2!!!!! I also loved The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Premium Rush and Les Miserables was spectacular!!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? My family let me celebrate for a whole weekend!! There was some shopping and lots of cake!! We also saw Wicked at Capitol Theater which was fantastic as always!! Oh... and I turned 27.... downhill side to 30! AHH!

 32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Winning the lottery and getting out of debt!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012? Pretty much the same as last year! I LOVE cardigans! And Roxy loafer shoes! I've also sort of gotten on the colored jeans band wagon.... I own a pretty awesome pair of plum pants! 

34. What kept you sane? I hate this question….. I don’t know….. But I do know I will be changing this question next year!!  

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Josh Dallas!

36. What political issue stirred you the most? Oh election years.... I HATE them!! I try not to post my political views.... mostly because I dont like the tension it can create!

But I have to say, what a joke I think it is that President Obama has all the sudden spoken out in favor of gay marriage. And the worst part? Everyone is praising him for it!! And yet they slam Mitt Romney for changing some of his political opinions!! What a double standard!! 

I hated all the build up to the stupid elections and I’m glad it's over. And I would be lying if I said I was happy with the outcome..... 

The fiscal cliff stuff has been pretty frustrating…. It’s kind of pathetic to me that no one will compromise! I do have to say though…. I’m sort of on the Democrats side on this one!

 37. Who did you miss? I miss my friend Christine! She moved up to Idaho in September. And now that I'm not living in Murray I miss Charmaine and Chantry and Jamie! 

38. Who are your favorite people that you met this year? I didn’t meet many new people this year… I’ve kind of been a homebody!

39. Quote a song lyric that accurately summarizes this year? I feel like there are a ton of songs that apply right now!!

 “Happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time. It’s miserable and magical, oh yeah” 

“For courage to accept Thy will”

I hope you have an awesome 2013!
My resolution is to get back to blogging!! Look for lots of posts to come!! 

A Proclamation of Thanksgiving

Did you know it was President Lincoln that declared Thanksgiving a holiday?
Have you ever read his actual proclamation making it a holiday?
It's pretty wonderful.... as most of his proclamations were! And I think it's probably a good idea to read it every year to remind us why we celebrate the holiday! So here are just a few exerts for you to read until you can read the whole thing!!

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the hear which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed and harmony has prevailed.......... I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States...to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

Dont you think so much of it applies to today? We may not be fighting a civil war, but our country is most definitely divided!! There are still widows, orphans, mourners and sufferers.
One thing we dont do so well at.....
Remembering where our providence and blessings come from. So this Thanksgiving, and every day, I hope we set aside time to give thanks to Him who deserves it most!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Almost A Red Head

I've been sporting a new hair do the last few week. I went in to the salon confused about what to do.
Bangs?
No bang?
Short?:
Leave it long?

One thing I did know is I wanted it lighter....
Not so black.

So the girl "enlightened" my hair.... A fancy way of saying she bleached it! She gave me a little pep talk before rinsing it out.... saying it would probably be some crazy shade of orange or yellow. I was expecting fluorescent hunter orange!

But we were both surprised!
No funky colors here!

That's when the tricky part set it.
I had to make a decision {which I am SO bad at doing}.
The color was actually kind of fun!
I was kind of it shock because I actually liked it!
But it was redish orange!

I've always had this thing about orange hair.
First, let me say I LOVE red hair..... on other people!! Isla Fisher and Amy Adams.... Love their hair!
But.... I have absolutely hated it on myself!! Go HERE to read all about my orange hair problem! 

So when I looked in the mirror and saw my hair was kind of a cool shade of red/orange/auburn
I was confused about what to do. I thought I liked it..... the girl told me she like it..... but I just
didnt know.
Long story short...
I left it as it was. I figured I could always go back over it if I hated it.

So I've been an almost red head for awhile now.
And I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about it.
Sometimes I like it..... other times I hate it!!
Time will tell I guess!

Catching Up

Where or how do you even start when you are so far behind in blogging?
I don't know how it got this bad.....
Life got busy....
I moved....
I didn't have internet accesses for months....
My memory on my computer is shot so all
my pictures are on flash drives....

Probably not very good excuses.
And now I have the overwhelming tasking
of catching back up!

I have to admit...
That is one reason I havent blogged it awhile.
The date of my last post kept getting
further and further away and the thought of
trying to go back and write down everything
that happened seemed daunting.

But....
I am not very good about keeping a hand written journal.
Bad news, I know....
So I MUST catch up my blog!!

So here I go...
Wish me luck as I try to tell you everything that's happened since the spring!
Until then.....
Here is a glimpse at my life through my iPhone!

Quote Wall Monday

Quote Wall Monday

Quote Wall Monday

Quote Wall Monday

Easter In The Sun

Easter weekend my family my parents, my sister, my sisters friend Katie, and I went to St George to spend a couple of days in the sun and to help my Grandma move back up to Riverton. It was a really nice little getaway and we were able to squeeze in a bunch of fun stuff!! 

We went to a bowling alley and played two games.

This was after my SECOND strike.... IN A ROW!!! 

That NEVER happens to me!!
I'm typically a horrible bowler! 

But guess what....

I WON!!!! 

After bowling my dad taught me how to play pool! 

I learned that I am not a very good pool player either!! 

One morning while Kaylee and Kaite were shopping my parents

and I walked around the temple. I was bummed my eyes were

closed in the picture with my mom!! Usually she is the one with

her eyes closed! 

On Saturday morning we woke up to an Easter colander put together

by my grandma!! I thought it was really sweet of her!! 

She also French braided my hair for me! 

On our way home we stopped at Sand Hollow to spend some time playing on

the sand dunes!! 

We got stuck in the sand A LOT!! 

This time was pretty bad!! Luckily some fellow four wheelers stopped to

help my dad get it out!! 

And while we waited for the four wheeler to be dug out, we got to enjoy

the beautiful view!! I love the orange sand and the super blue lake!! 

At one point I was out on the four wheeler by myself and I ended up

stuck not once, but TWICE!! The first time was pretty scary because 

I was out in an area alone.....

There were no other people near me and I was worried I was going

to get lost in the dunes!! I was on my hands and knees digging the back wheels

out....

Crossing my fingers I wouldn't dig up a scorpion or snake!! 

I was able to get out though! Phew!! 

And then spent at least 20 minutes trying to shake off all the sand!!