Eat, Drink And Be Scary

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has had a spooktacular holiday like I have. Monday night for FHE, our family carved pumpkins @ our apartment. It was fun having everyone crammed into our kitchen. It got really interesting when the guys were collecting the seeds because we wanted to roast them. Matt called his mom and found that the best way was to put all the pumpkin guts in water and the seeds would float. We offered a bowl, but they wanted to just fill our sink. We were a little worried that they might clog it, but they reassured us that wouldn't happen. There were three guys crowded around our little sink (two to push down the guts that managed to float and one to collect the seeds). While they were doing this they were talking about this gas that causes blisters and bleeding in your throat (gross!). Everyone else had left already so it was me, Rylee, Arianna (roommates) and the guys. We had to laugh at their interesting conversation.

When the seeds were collected Matt and Joe left. Chas stayed behind to help us clean up the mess. Isn't he a great FHE brother? After we cleaned the kitchen, we decided to put candles in our pumpkins and take pictures through our kitchen window. Chas got a little too into it. He wanted to move our huge bookshelf from the living room outside so we could place the camera on one of the shelves and use the self timer. We were having problems getting a good picture when others were taking them.

For our ward Halloween party, I dressed up as a bunch of grapes. It was a last minute costume and cheap. Only $2! Perfect on a college student's budget. I covered a black garbage bag with a bunch of purple balloons and wore a brown beret to be the stem. It looked good. Arianna was Snow White and Rylee was a Greek goddess. That was perfect because during the costume contest we ended up going together because Greeks love to eat grapes. She actually "picked" one the grapes. It got some laughs. Almost everyone knew that I was grapes, except for Russell. He's from Ghana so he needed a few hints before he figured out what I was. Russell's costume was hilarious. He and his roommate James dressed up as each other. Russell painted his face white and dressed as a cowboy (James is from the south) while James painted his face dark brown (black) and wore an African looking shirt. Needless to say they won the costume contest.

Overall, I'd say I had a pretty enjoyable Halloween.

Pictures for this post can be seen on facebook.

My name is Wendi and I have an addiction.

While at school I have discovered Korean Dramas. They are WAY better than most American t.v. shows. They are usually romantic comedies, well the three I have see have all been romcoms. They make me cry every time because I laugh so hard I tear up or it's just so sad. It's not just because of my sense of humor or that I'm too emotional. I've read lots of comments by people who feel the same way. And while there is romance, it's always clean. I love 'em! I'm pretty obsessed and they are very addicting. I have seen Boys Before Flowers (aka Boys Over Flowers), Personal Taste, and I'm in the process of watching Playful Kiss. I highly recommend them to anyone that doesn't mind subtitles. They are slow moving in the beginning, but once you get past the first couple episodes they are so good and you get hooked.

Boys Before Flowers


Personal Taste

Playful Kiss

The guy in the middle of the Boys Before Flowers pic and the guy on the Personal Taste poster is Lee Min Ho. He is my Korean actor crush. I love him! He's so cute and funny. I looked him up on youtube and it led me to some of his commercials. Being Mormon I don't drink coffee. Even if I wasn't, I wouldn't have any interest in drinking coffee. But if I did, his Dunkin' Donuts commercial would make me want to run out and get some. He's just so cute in it.



Another commercial of his I love is for banana milk. What the heck is that? I don't know, but I do know that Lee Min Ho is adorable in it and its funny. If it were anyone else I'd think it was stupid, but it works for him.


I can't help but smile when I watch this.

The actor in Playful Kiss and Boys Before Flowers (the far right) is Kim Hyun Joong. I decided to youtube him too. Was that a mistake? Possibly. I discovered that he is in a band called SS501 (Pronounced Double S Five-Oh-One). Two of their songs have become latest obsessions music wise. When I listen to them I can't help dancing around my room and wishing I knew Korean so I could sing along and focus on the video instead of the subtitles. I think these songs are pretty amazing.

The first one is called Love Like This and I do have the chorus down in Korean, but that's all. The rest is just too fast or too hard to pronounce. Haha.

The second is titled Love Ya. I love their dancing in this one a little more, I love the violins and I love the camera shaking. It makes the video more intense.

Anyways, just thought I'd share my Korean addiction with you. I'm so obsessed and addicted with this stuff I may need a 12 step program!

Back in P-Town

P-Town is how some people refer to Provo, but I've also heard Portland called the same thing. You can pretty much do that with any place to make it sound cooler, like A-Town for Albany. Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it? P-Town sounds more gangsta. Anyway, sit back and realx because here is another long post comin' at chya.

So, I've been in Utah for about 3 weeks now. It doesn't feel like it's been that long. Since I've been here, I feel like I go grocery shopping ALL the time! I've really only gone 4 times, but that's a lot for just three weeks. Although, I was starting from scratch and I kept realizing that there were more things I needed that I kept forgetting. I really need to remember to make a list. I'm pretty proud of my eating habits thus far. I've stayed away from the junk food, I'm not just snacking all day long, I'm eating my fruits and veggies, and this year I actually eat breakfast. I'm proud to say I'm not participating in the typical college student diet of just top ramen. Yay me! I actually make dinner every night. Only a few times has it been out of a can, and when it is, It's Progressive soup so it's healthy. Some of the dinners that I've made so far have been poppy seed chicken, Frito's casserole, and hamburger gravy with REAL mashed potatoes (I like some little chunks in them and you just can't get that with instant).



School has been good so far. Not too much hw and I'm pretty pleased with my professors this time around. That makes a huge difference. My favorite classes so far are Current Social Problems because it's really interesting and New Testament. I had Brother Marsh last year and I loved him. He's so funny and I learn a lot.


My ward seems pretty awesome and it's not just because there are quite a few good looking guys. The ward consists of my complex and some from the one next to mine. Our first few activities have been fun, especially the social. It was a BBQ and there was steak! It wasn't as good as the steak from home, but it was still pretty good. I got to meet and get to know lots of people. We have ward prayer every Sunday at 9 p.m. and I think it's pretty awesome that we all get on our knees for the prayer. The first time the new people definitely stood out because we were all like, "what's going on?" when everyone got off their chairs. I thought it was weird, but now I like it.

On Labor Day, we went ICE BLOCKING!! We invited some of the neighbor girls. We were going to invite some guys that we wanted to get to know but my roommates stalker (he asked her out after knowing her less than 24 hours and now he never leaves her side) ruined it by coming up to us when we were about to ask. Dang! My roommate, Manju (she's from Nepal, how cool is that?) came with us. It was the first time we really talked to her and got to know her. It was a lot of fun. Everyone should try it at least once. I tried to put a video here of us ice blocking, but it didn't work so that stinks.

Arianna, one of my roommates (there are 5 of us total), had me try this quarter trick/riddle. I couldn't do it. She left for a few minutes to get water and let me think. Being the intelligent person I am, I turned to youtbe to see if it had the solution. It did. She caught me and that video led us to other tricks. There was two with toothpicks that we thought were pretty cool. One I thought was impossible and had to be real magic because it just didn't seem like it would work. You balance two forks that are connected by the prongs and balance it on two toothpicks that are at a 90 degree angle. See the video here. We of course had to try it. It totally worked! It took us awhile to get it, but by golly we did it! We were pretty pleased with our mad magic skillz because it is not easy.

So the date of this post is Sept. 8th because that's when I started it. I kept working on it a little and then saving it so I could work on it later. I did that a few times. Now it's the 25th so I just really want to be done with this one and start posting [hopefully] shorter and more current posts. So here are some recent highlights:

• I joined ward choir
• I have a pretty awesome Family Home Evening (FHE) family and we do fun activities like pudding pictionary. You draw in pudding. It was messy and I really wish I had taken pictures of it.
• For my 20th birthday (yes, I am no longer a teenager) I had Cafe Rio and went to my favorite cupcake place in Provo. Cafe Rio has amazing salads. I got a chicken salad with rice, beans, lettuce, little pieces of tortilla chips, this weird cheese, and their house dressing (which is amazing). Their salads are so HUGE I have yet to finish one. And I can eat a pretty good amount when I'm really hungry, which I was becuase I didn't eat a lot all day so I'd be ready to tackle it.
• Within a week, 5 general authorites came to BYU
• Arianna, Rylee and I like having living room dance parties when we don't want to do hw. They're pretty fun.
• I went to the Welcome Back dance
• BYU sucks at football this season :( Hopefully we improve. We've lost 3 games in a row, which is a first for the current coach
• I got a B on my first Statistics in Psychology test. Whoo Hoo!! It's a miracle, if you know my relationship with math.
• Speaking of grades, I've taken three tests so far and I am definitely doing better this year compared to last year and I am pretty stoked about that.
• One thing that was really popular for a while was the bed intruder song. In case you don't know what I'm talking about, It's based off of this news interview of a brother who tried to save his sister from a rapist. The whole rape thing isn't funny, but the video is. He is so ghetto it's awesome. Here is the original interview. And here, for your viewing pleasure, is the song.
  

Catching Up Numero Dos

To quote Britney Spears, "Oops, I did it again!" I have let too much time pass since I last blogged. Shame on me.

Well, the Bachelorette has come and gone. Ali chose Roberto (I knew she would) and I hope things work out for them. I think that would make them only the 3rd couple to make it down the aisle if they get married. To replace it, there is a new show called Bachelor Pad. Since it's so similar to the Bachelor(ette), I LoVe it! I Love the drama. The difference between the shows is that this time there are both guys and girls and they are playing for $250,000. And if romance blossoms, then that's a bonus. I love how stupid some people are. I wonder what they think of themselves when they watch the show on t.v. Like Michelle on the first episode. Tenley accidentally started a rumor about Michelle and she got MAD! She locked Tenley in the bathroom and freaked out on her. I love Tenley and she is just so innocent, which is why everyone believed her about Michelle and Craig. Michelle ended up being the first girl voted off by the guys. In the limo interview Michelle said she got voted off because of the rumor Tenley started, but it was really because the guys didn't like how she got crazy and locked Tenley in the bathroom and made her cry. Idiot. I knew she would be crazy because she was a kind of psycho on Jake's season. I can't wait to see who wins and what drama awaits me on Bachelor Pad.

I went to the doctor and got three shots and blood drawn. Five pokes total (it took two tries for the blood). Not fun for someone who hates needles.

Friday night, Sara spent the night. It was so much fun! We got a $5 pizza and rented some scary movies. We watched Orphan and it scared me so bad. I screamed so many times, which scared Sara. She's worse than I am when it comes to horror films. She can't even watch them during the day! Afterwards, we watched The Eye. She was pretty much freaked the rest of the night. She even walked around with a broom just in case. We stayed up 'till six in the morning talking and watching Hairspray. I got less than 3 hours of sleep.

In the afternoon we picked up Klaire and Alina and finished Alina's school shopping. She is going to be one of the best dressed 7th graders. I love her clothes, well I should because I picked most of them out. I'm sad she's stuck going to a school she doesn't want to go to, but at least she'll look good.

After shopping it was my Cookie Lee party. Only family came, besides Sara. I wasn't bothered that other people didn't come because the only reason why I had the party was because I wanted a necklace for half the price. So I didn't care. It was fun. Alina was the volunteer demonstrator again. She wore a sweater that she got for school and it looked really good with one of the necklaces she wore. She was such a cute little model. Janara was able to come with the girls and see Alina. It was a good day.

Monday Alina spent a few hours at Nana's so she could spend time with Sunhee while I spent some time with Adam. I took him to the arcade in the mall. He had fun an I enjoyed myself a little bit too. We played air hockey and tried to shoot more baskets than each other. I knew I stunk at basketball, but Adam beat me and he's like half my age. Talk about pathetic!

Yesterday I finished my school shopping. I bought some jeans so Nana can hem them. Curse my extremely short legs. I also bought some kitchen utensils. Now I'm all set.

Today marks a week from my last night sleeping in my own bed. It's a pretty sad thought. ONE WEEK! This summer just flew by for me. I think it's cause a lot of it was spent dealing with stupid things and stupid people.

Crazy Doesn't Even Begin To Cover It

I couldn't come up with a better title. I think this one says it all.

So this week has been EXTREMELY crazy, crazier than the week that I referred to as hell. This week was far worse than that one. We return to the ongoing soap opera that is my life to find that I am apparently capable of committing a felony. Who knew? I certainly didn't. Again, I'm not going to go into details, but I got lucky. Talking to a police officer telling me I could have gotten into serious trouble was one of THE scariest moments of my life. Like almost pee your pants scary. To those of you that aren't family and don't know what I'm talking about, this sounds really bad. But it wasn't. And what I did wasn't either. I just hope I don't have to experience something like that ever again.

Throughout this week I have been exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically. Falling into bed and having my head hit the pillow has NEVER felt so good. I've just been so drained at the end of the day. I've even gotten physically sick from just being overly stressed. I hate how this could easily be resolved except for the fact that the person that has all the power is very selfish and won't do the right thing. I also hate that this person has idiots (no joke) helping them make decisions that are affecting lives of multiple people. It's really frustrating.

Through this week, I noticed that I have really been lacking in the faith department. This situation is definitely more than I can handle on my own and I have failed until the other day to ask for heavenly help. I need to remember that there is someone else that I can turn to for help and comfort and I think that is one reason why I didn't end the day on empty. I wasn't drained mentally and emotionally, nor did I get a headache or physically sick from stress. Today was a good day. Probably the best all week in terms of this whole thing.

This summer has definitely been one of the worst. Bad news just keeps on coming and my stress level has sky rocketed. But all this has brought me to one of my favorite quotes from President Eyring. It was from the YW broadcast a couple years ago.

"It is by faith that you can lay hold upon every good thing. I pray with all my heart that your faith will be increased that you are a daughter of a loving God. I testify to you that you have been one of the valiant ones to reach the point where you now are in this journey of life. Just as you are marked as a target by the enemy of righteousness, you have been protected and watched over by your Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They know you. They know all of the forces and individuals around you. They know what is ahead of you. And so They know which of the choices you make, which of the desires you decide to satisfy, and which of the circumstances around you will make the most difference in keeping you walking in the light. I testify that by the Spirit of Christ and by the Holy Ghost, you may walk confidently in whatever difficulties will come. Because you are so valuable, some of your trials may be severe. You need never be discouraged or afraid. The way through difficulties has always been prepared for you, and you will find it if you exercise faith."

I just LOVE that! I always find it comforting and reassuring to know that I'm so "valuable" and that's why my life has consisted of so much crap and drama. It's good to know that I will make it through whatever comes my way.

On to the good stuff. I think it was Wednesday night?... maybe... Tanya was online and watched the trailer for Dinner For Schmucks. She thought it was so good she looked up the movie times (I didn't know this at the time). She told me the movie looked good and that if we hurried we could make the 10:20 p.m. showing. It was ten after. I asked if she was serious and she said yes. So we went with T.J. and Talanoa. It was so funny. I was laughing through most of it and it made me feel better because the day had been awful. Can I just say how much I love Steve Carell? He's hilarious! One of my favorite actors comedy-wise. Some of his stuff can be inappropriate, but he is just so funny. Tanya was laughing so hard she was crying!

Thursday I went boating the Hufanga family. It was so much fun...once we got a new battery for the boat. We got a little bit of a late start, but it was worth the wait. The weather was perfect and tubing was so much fun. Me, T.J. and Talanoa were on the tube at one point and it was a tight fit. It was a lot harder to hang on. On the way home, we stopped at The Cedar Shack in Sweet Home. The food was so good. I had an amazing cheeseburger, curly fries, and a pineapple shake. Delicious!! While we were waiting for our food, I noticed they had a bunch of old yearbooks from Sweet Home High School. Tanya told me one of the women we work with at the office graduated from SHHS. We found her senior yearbook. It was fun to look at. I took pictures with my phone. They didn't turn out that great, but I can't wait to show her at work. It was a good day. One of the highlights of my week.

Today had a rocky start but got better. I got to go school shopping with my sister. Shopping with Alina is a lot of fun. She is just so cute and looks really good in most things. We found this adorable teal sweater that looks amazing on her. I can't wait for it to get cool off enough for her to wear it. We also saw this adorable red jacket at Target and I really want her to get it when she gets the money. It would look so good with a white tee, these perfect jeans we found, and the cute shiny black flats she bought. There was also this pink dress thought I thought would look so good with these boots at Target too. But she didn't like the idea. It would have looked good though, I know it. Maybe that look would work for Sunhee. I want to go shopping with both of them! That would be so much fun and both of them are just so cute and would great in all the cute clothes that are out there. Hopefully I'll get the chance to do that soon.

Well, I'm tired and need to get some sleep. Hopefully tomorrow is a good day and I can end my week on a high note.

A Taste Of Heaven

The picture is more or less what my cupcakes looked like.

Today was the day I made my pineapple cupcakes with a pomegranate cream cheese frosting and took them to church for "break the fast". They were a huge hit. Everyone kept saying they were heaven in cupcake form and that I should have my own bakery. They thought pineapple and pomegranate was a good combination. I was like a proud mama, except I'm not a mom and they were cupcakes instead of children.

My friend Sara said that the pineapple tasted like bubblegum. When she said it I started to taste it. It did taste like pineapple, but it also kind of tasted like bubblegum. She started planting that seed into the mind of others and then they all thought they tasted likebubblegum cupcakes instead of pineapple. If Sara hadn't started it, no one would have thought it. She still thought they were really good, just not pineapple. It made me kind of sad to hear her say they didn't really taste like what they were supposed to.

Well, no matter what flavor people thought they were, they were still amazingly delicious.

Oh, and today is Sara's 19th birthday. So, happy birthday Sara!

She's the giant in the middle :)

Despicable Me

Nana has been watching the kids since Thursday and they're here until Monday evening. I decided I wanted to do something one on one with girls. Today I took Sunhee to see Despicable Me. I would have loved to take Meeja too, but she just cannot sit still. I'm going to do something with her next week.

Sunhee and I stopped at Target to load up on goodies before the movie. I cannot believe how expensive food is at the movies. There's no way I am going to pay what they're asking. While checking out, the lady in fron of us noticed what we were buying and asked if we were going to a movie. Smart lady. Even the cashier said he could tell when people are going to an evening show beacuse of what they purchase.

Despicable Me is such a cute and funny movie. I love Agnes, the youngest girl, and all the minions. Agnes is adorable plain and simple. She looks cute, says the cutest and funniest things, and I just love her. When she first appeared in the movie, Sunhee and I both turned to each other at the same time and said, "She's so cute!" We had to giggle about that. The minions, while you can't understand anything they say, are so funny. The way they laugh makes me laugh. They remind me of Hoops and Yoyo.

It's a really good family movie and I think I might buy it when it comes out. Everyone should watch it.

Oh, in my last post I forgot to mention one more thing I did. I saw Inception with Nana and Tanya. It was mind blowingly good. It really makes you think. Going into it I didn't know anything about it except that it had Leonardo Dicaprio. since I didn't know anything about it, I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I LOVED IT! It's another movie everyone should see.

Catching Up

To you, my readers, I must apologize for the neglect. I am so behind on my blogging! Get comfortable because it's going to be a long one (and probably not all in chronological order because I can't remember exactly when some things happend).

Well, for the past two weeks I have felt like I've stepped out of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I've been painting our fence almost everyday except the days I've worked at the office. Painting seems like an easy job, but we have A LOT of fence. My longest day painting was six hours! It's not how I thought I'd be spending my summer, but I'm getting an AMAZING tan. I think it's the tannest I've ever been. Maybe. One day, sunhee stayed out with me all day (it was probably my 6 hour day) and we played hang man, which is hard to do when you can't see the letters you've guessed and where they fit in the word. she also serenaded me with Justin Bieber songs. She is so cute and funny. She made the painting go faster. Oh, Nana also gave a roller to paint with after over a week of painting with a small paintbrush! That would have saved me a lot of time. Well, now I definitely go faster. It's been hard to paint a lot in one day though because of the heat. I'm glad we're supposed to get rain next week.


My friend hosted a Cookie Lee Jewelry party and I decided to take Alina. It was a nice little break for her from all the craziness and we had fun. We both tried on jewelry and Alina was the volunteer that the consultant demonstrated all the different things you could do with a few necklaces. I volunteered her because she mentioned that she liked one of the necklaces that was going to be part of the demonstration and she was just so cute standing in fron of everyone. We were actually the first people to arrive so we started looking at everything before the consultant was even finished setting up I wasn't planning on buying anything, but one little guy caught my eye. It was a seahorse necklace that has some bling on it. It was just so cute and Icouldn't stop thinking about it. Alina was the little devil on my shoulder and kept telling me I'd regret not buying it. I knew she was right, but I didn't feel like spending that much money (even though it really wasn't that much). If you book a party you get 50% off a piece of jewelry. I called Nana and asked if I could host a party at our house and she said yes. So, I booked a party just to get the necklace for half the price.

I am working at the office again, which is a good thing because I had to quit my job for College Works Painting. It was costing me to work there because my phone bill spiked from all the minutes I was using calling people. This is really old news though. I quit like a month ago. I didn't like that job anyway. My boss or whatever she was played favorites with this one girl because she knew her dad, we had to use our own laptops and cell phones, and she wasn't happy when we didn't book any estimates or get leads for house painting. It's not my fault if people can't afford to have their house painted, don't want it painted, or recently had it painted.


A few weeks ago we had a Tongan family from California stay with us for a few days. Their son got a full ride to play football at OSU. Watch out for Mana Tuivailala, #57 I believe. He's known back home as the "Gentle Giant". He's huge! When they were here we got to see some video clips of his high school football career. He's pretty good. So keep your eyes peeled.

I made some amazing cupcakes while we had our Tongan visitors. They were a pineapple cupcake with a pomegranate cream cheese frosting. They were pretty much perfection in cupcake form! They made me want to be on a tropical island or a caribbean cruise or something. I'm making them again for our next break the fast at church. It's summer theme and nothing says summer like these fantastic fruity cupcakes. I'm so pleased with myself and my amazing baking skillz. Can you tell?


My latest song obsession has been Love The Way You Lie by Eminem feat. Rhianna (the clean version of course). LOVE IT! I lsten to it over and over while at work. It is my goal to have the whole rap down. I have bits and pieces and most of the end memorized. It was a great song to listen to during the week I that I can only describe as hell. Even though it's the clean version, it kind of made me feel better just knowing that there were supposed to be swear words. He was saying the words I felt like saying, but didn't. I honestly don't think I could say those words if I wanted to. Usually I like to listen to songs that lift me up, but I was just so steaming mad that I turned to rap to deal with my feelings.


I'm excited to see The Bachelorette finally on Monday. I was so mad about what Frank did. I really liked him. I'm mad that he took the chance away from Kirk to further his relationship with Ali. I think Roberto or Chris would be great for Ali. I'm leaning more twords Chris though. I just think the way his family is and because of his mom that they would have a better chance at making down the aisle. Most of the couples from the Bachelor(ette) fail. I think Ali would have a little more fun with Roberto, but I don't they would be as good together as she would be with Chris. I can't wait to see what happens!

Last Sunday I gave a talk in church on pioneers for Pioneer Day (July 24th). Public speaking is one of my least favorite things to do. Even though my branch is small, it was still nerve wracking. It also took me forever to write since it had to be ten minutes long. I tend to talk faster when nervous so ten minutes is a lot of time for me to fill. I kept practicing and timing myself and kept coming up short. Hopefully it's a while before I have to, ahem, get to give another talk. I lucked out last year at BYU and didn't have to give one. I guess it was my time though, it had been a little over a year since I had the oppotunity (I'm trying to be positive here) to speak in sacrament meeting.

I have less than a month before I head back to school. How crazy is that?!? This summer feels like it's traveling at the speed of light. My time at home hasn't been long enough, although it will be nice to get away from my chores and family drama. Those two things I will not miss. My family (people that don't cause problems), food (I have excellent chefs in my family), and friends I most definitely will. I am getting excited to live in my apartment. I pretty much have everything I need. Just a few more things on the list and then I'm good to go like a taco bell crunch wrap supreme. Ha, look at me advertising for taco bell. Surprisingly, I haven't had taco bell since being home.


I love The Vampire Diaries t.v. series. It's so good and the leading male vamps are way better looking than Rob Pattinson. I am almost done with the book series. It pretty good, but I like the show better. The book is so different and I don't like how many times Elena has died and come back or been like a spirit helping from beyond. The show is like a thousand times better. Since I watched the show first, I pictured the t.v. characters while reading the book. It was a good and a bad thing. I like the way the t.v. characters look better than the way they are described in the books. Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder are smokin' hot in my opinion and picturing them added to the books. Sometimes it kind of ruined the book because I just could picture them doing some of the things in the books. Anyway, I have one more book to go. I thought I checked all of them out from the library because I took every one they had. The way the 6th one ended I knew there had to be another one. Neither the Albany or Corvallis library has the last book. I don't know how I'm going to get my hands on it, but I have to know what happens. So, I hope I figure out something soon.

Well, I think that's pretty much all that's been going on.

I Love My Job

So last week was kind of a hellish one. Monday through Friday was spent dealing with totally unnecessary family drama. Ugh, I hate when people are selfish and don't realize what they are dragging others into. I hate that they don't think about the pain and stress they are causing. Although the week was horrible and stressful beyond belief, I did realize something. I am so grateful that I am the oldest child in my family. Being the oldest, sometimes I hated all the responsibility that came with the role. Now, I am glad to have all the responsibility that comes with the title of oldest child. I love being the one to look out for my siblings and do my best to shield them from all the crap that keeps coming our way. I love being a big sister! I think its the best job I could have, besides being a mother one day.

Weekend Fun

On Friday night, T.J. had some friends over and was going to use the pool house so I decided to spend the night at Janara's. They went to Blockbuster earlier in the day and rented some movies and Toy Story Mania for the Wii. We played it for a long time and we were trying so hard to out do each other. It was pretty fun. The games were really similar to the ones that are part of the ride at Disneyland. It brought back some fun memories. When Nana and I went with Angie & Ron's family last year, we all got so competitve trying to beat each other's scores. It was the same way with the Buzz Lightyear ride. A strong competitive nature runs in our family. We also made a 10 o'clock Winco run for munchies.

On Saturday, I woke up before all the girls. I was surprised I was awake before 9 a.m. I started watching t.v. and paused on an infomercial. Janara came in and started watching it with me. It was for the Ninja food processor or blender thing. She thought she had it and checked the kitchen. Janara did in fact have the Ninja. Watching the infomercial really motivated her and she made like five different things with it. I was stuffed all day long. I had a lot of fun with the girls.

Just Keep Swimming!

Today was another scorcher. To withstand the heat, Janara came over with the girls and we spent the afternoon swimming and eating popsicles. Nana had the other kids today so there was a good sized crowd in our pool. It was a lot of fun. The kids got on each other's shoulders and played chicken. It was so funny and entertaining to watch. Since Janara was over she made chicken curry for dinner, as is tradition.It saved me from having to make dinner tonight. Lucky me, I get to make it tomorrow.

(This isn't from today, but you get the idea of how the day went.)

As much I hate this extremely hot weather, I am getting a pretty nice tan. This year I got smart and started wearing tanks when working outside so I don't get a farmer's tan anymore. However, I still have my flip flop tan line. The girls were saying it glowed in the water. It is a pretty white v-shaped line. I'm pretty sure it's permanent. Hope you all finding ways to keep from melting in this blazing heat.

I'm A Smurf And Other Thoughts

Today I was going to start painting our fence, but it got too hot too soon so I didn't end up doing it. Since I was going to paint, I was wearing my painting shorts. I told Sunhee the pink spots on them were from painting Alina's room in our old house in Beaverton. She said, "They still fit you after that long?" I told her yes because I don't grow anymore and that the only time my height will change is when I'm old and I shrink. Will said, "You'll be a smurf!" I told him he meant dwarf, not smurf. He said, "No, a smurf!" I tried to explain that smurfs weren't real, but he wouldn't hear any of it. I guess I'm destined to be a smurf.

Will is just so cute and says the funniest things. For lunch I made them Ramen noodles and I asked him which flavor he wanted. I asked him if he wanted beef or chicken and he told me he wanted regular. I told, "So, you want chicken." He said, "No, I want regular." I told him regular was chicken because that's what he usually has. He said, "Ok, but no chicken in it." How adorable is that?

Can you believe this weather? CRAZY! It was like 100 degrees today. It has been so hot the last two days and I've got a lovely sunburn to prove it. I remember to buy sunscreen every summer, now I just need to remember to put it on.

Okay, so I have to apologize for not blogging in a few weeks. My bad! Now I have to catch up on things.

The Bachelorette:

I know I said I wanted to see more of Chris N. and I got my wish. Too bad it was train wreck. He was so awkward with Ali. I felt bad for the guy, but he had to go because he obviously wasn't the one. Justin is a JERK! He was the one that had a girlfriend back home. Messing with Ali and her feelings the way he did and taking the spot of someone that could have been great for her was wrong. WHAT A JERK! I'm glad he's gone. I'm glad Kasey is gone too. I didn't like him. He had issues, I didn't like his voice (talking or singing), and all he ever said was that he was there "to guard and protect Ali's heart," which got annoying after about 20 times. Craig R. is gone too. He and Ali didn't have any romantic chemistry. They were just like friends. Next week is hometown week so I can't wait to see how that goes. From the previews for the rest of the season, it looks like Frank is going to do something stupid. I've like him from the beginning so I hope he stays around. I also really like Roberto. I have no idea who Ali is going to choose. I also thought that the interview with Jake and Vienna was a HUGE joke. I knew they weren't going to last.

Last Tuesday night I really wanted to see the midnight showing of Eclipse so I got a small group of friends together (that didn't already have tickets) and we went and saw it. It was so good. The best of the three. One of my favorite parts of the night was the preview for the last Harry Potter Movie. At the end it said it going to be in 3D and the whole theater erupted with outrage. I agree. What is with every new movie coming out in 3D? In my opinion it ruins the movie. The other part I liked was that there was a guy dressed like a vampire. He wasn't that good looking , but he was better than Rob Pattinson. I really don't like him. It was a fun night. Needless to say I was tired the next day and started getting a sore throat.

Wednesday through Friday I was sick with a sore throat and had a 24 hour flu bug or something. It sucked. I was miserable and vomiting does not help a sore throat. Luckily, I have a great family who takes care of me and does my chores while I'm incapacitated. Thank you guys!

Saturday I finally got to see Alina play softball. It only took me like three years to make it to a game. What a terrible sister I am! She is AMAZING! She caught almost every ball that came her way or she made it to the ball fast and was able to throw it to first and get the other team out. She is one of the best girls on the team. I'm so proud of her!

For the 4th of July I didn't really do anything. We had Break the Fast and the theme wa BBQ. I made read velvet cupcakes to be festive and they turned out great. I wish I had taken a picture. I wanted to try and be fancy so I got out Nana's old cake decorating stuff and did a basic swirl with the frosting and added some red sprinkles. They were a hit and I was very pleased. Yay for cupcakes!

Dear Readers,

I know it's not customary to have more than one post a day, but I need to say something. PLEASE don't be afraid to leave comments! I want to know what you think about my blog posts. You liked it, you hated it (like that will ever happen), whatever comes to mind when reading. I really want to read your comments... so leave some. It would make me oh so very over the moon happy if you did.

Love,

Wendi

I'm A Little Teapot

(Isn't this just the cutest tea set?!?)

Not really. I finished cleaning the kitchen today. Finally! Part of the job required me to wash the different tea sets that Nana and Mimi have on display. I washed 15 teapots and all the cups, saucers, cream and sugar dishes that went with them. They have even more tea sets that are not on display. They have quite the collection and it was a lot to wash. It was fun though. I washed and Nana and Mimi took turns drying. It was fun to hear all the stories behind them and which distant relatives they came from (the one's they didn't buy themselves). It kind of made me want to buy a beautiful tea set, but I would be spending money [that I don't have] on something that would just sit there. It was a nice thought, but I'm not getting a tea set. At least not any time soon. Maybe when I have my own house I'll buy one and put it on display in my kitchen.

"Any Man Can Be A Father, But It Takes A Special Person To Be A Dad" ~ Author Unknown

(This was on the church program for the ward that Nana and Mimi attend. Mimi read it before dinner and we all agreed that it screams Tevita.)

Today is a day for honoring our father's and all of the wonderful things they do and all of their hard work. Unfortunately, I don't really have a father in the picture and the one's that I did have were not the best examples, to say the least. However, I have excellent examples from the other men in my life, my uncles! All of my uncles who are raising their own children, as well as children that are not their own, are doing a great job. And for you Bilbee, you may not have any children of your own, but you are amazing with all of your nieces and nephews. Thank you guys for showing me what a good father looks like.

Here is a great example of fatherhood. This is a VERY cute video.

Wii Are So Sore!

So my cousin Talanoa and I have been playing the Wii every night for the last few days. We get pretty competitive. I used to suck at baseball, well, I still do. But now I can actually hit the ball. Granted, most are fouls, but a hit is a hit in my book. We even have our own little championship going. We have been playing so much that we're both complaining of sore shoulders and arms. Even though we're in minor pain, we continue to keep playing because of our competitive nature and it's really fun. We've been playing the swordplay showdown game on Wii Resort and trying to complete all the stages before the other person. Tonight, I won! I was behind by three stages and made a comeback and won while he was playing basketball outside. It made me happy, especially since he has way better sword fighting/blocking skills than I do. I'm pretty proud of myself, but I'm sure my arms are going to feel it tomorrow. Now that I've completed all of the stages, I think I'm going to give my arms a well deserved rest.

"I Wish I Had Smoke Bombs For Awkward Situations." ~ George Oakes

I am not a fan of awkward situations. Today, I spent a few hours with a friend [I'm using the term VERY loosely] from my old old high school (Beaverton HS). He moved to Eugene a few weeks ago because he transfered to U of O from Southern Oregon University. NO, it was NOT A DATE. We just hung out. We had kept in touch a bit on facebook and just being nice in conversation I mentioned that maybe we could hang out when he moved. I hope this doesn't portray me in a bad light, but I didn't actually plan on doing it. I couldn't take it back though, so I went. I'm not going to go into details, but I could not wait to go home. I definitely do not plan on doing that again, and I learned my lesson. I'm no longer going to say things to be nice if I don't actually mean it.

And The Great Purge Continues...

(A Louis Vuitton Trash Bag...How cool is that?!?)

So today I did some more cleaning in the kitchen. The job still isn't done, but it's getting there. Slowly, but getting there. Mimi and Nana are so funny when they argue and bicker about little things. Since we were purging the kitchen of unwanted items, they went back and forth a few times about whether we should keep or get rid of some things. They are so comical without even trying and they make the smallest things, like getting rid of a spice rack or a platter, really funny. I told them when I first came home from school that I missed their little bickering sessions. And I did.

As we were discovering lost treasures that haven't seen daylight in quite some time, I acquired a CROCK POT! It's Tanya's old one. We have a new one, but it hardly gets used. I'm so excited about the new addition to my slowly growing collection of items for my kitchen! Sunday dinners at school are going to be nice. I can just plop food in the pot and "fugetaboutit" as they say in New York.

Side Note: I'm watching The Bachelorette while writing this and they traveled to NYC this week. Hence the accent above. Is it just me or was there a plethora of horrible singing in this episode? I am not happy with the outcome for Jesse tonight. I think he deserved to stay at least one more week and that Kasey should have been in his place. I was glad to see Jonathan go home though. I never really liked him. Kasey has some problems, psychologically. I'm a psych major so you know I'm right. I am not pleased he's still around. I really hope he's the next one to go. This week I become fond of Chris L. and Kirk. After last week I wasn't sure if the chemistry Ali and Kirk had was real and wasn't just imagined (I think that's word I want to use) from their scene in the music video, but I like them together. He was sweet walking her back to her room and putting her to bed because she was sick. However, the previews for next week make it seem like he could be the one that has the secret girlfriend. I don't know. I should stop hypothesizing about what's going to happen based on the previews because they really don't show much and I really haven't been right. I hate being wrong. I want to see more of Chris N. He's still around, but not much has happened between him and Ali. Can't wait to see what comes next.

Back to the purge. It's really fun to get rid of things. It gives you this nice cleansing feeling. If only I didn't have a problem getting rid of my own stuff. I hope I continue to find more treasures in my own home.

Party Time!

This weekend was all about partying for the family. Tanya hosted a surprise graduation party for her friend Cyndi's daughter, Erica, on Saturday. She graduated from OSU (Go Beavers!). It was a fancy dinner with eight , yes eight, [mini] courses. There were 12 people all together consisting of Erica's friends and family. The chef from Novak's (THE best restaurant in Albany) came to our house to prepare the food! Yeah, my family has some SERIOUS connections. I wish I had been invited. I heard about all the different courses that were served and they sounded DIVINE! There was even a special ice cream in between courses to cleanse their palate. How classy is that? I tried some that was left over and it had a teeny bit of habanero pepper in it. It was interesting ice cream with a little bit of a kick to it.

Since it was a fancy dinner, the table was set very elegantly and there were place cards. I helped to make them. They were so cute and creative and they looked really nice on the table. They were made from old wine corks, which Novak's was able to supply. Tanya cut the corks and wrote the names (she has nice penmanship); I made the name cards using one of the best inventions ever made...The Cricut. It's an amazing little machine that cuts paper for you. It's very efficient for making cards and scrapbooking.

Here is the finished product, which looks pretty FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC if I do say so myself.

The other party this weekend was a combined birthday party for Sunhee and Meeja.

It took place at Frogs and pollywogs, a toy store downtown. When I heard where the party was, I was skeptical and didn't think I would have any fun at the party. I was wrong. For starters, one of my friends works there and she ran the party. I didn't know so I was surprised when I walked in the door. I ran upstairs and gave her a HUGE hug. I haven't seen her since we graduated last year! The activities and games were fun for all ages. The first thing we did was make our own crown because the party had a princess theme. Everyone participated, including Nana.

Princesses (and 2 Princes) On Parade

We also did a birthday parade where we walked up and down the street (Only once thank goodness!) dressed in costumes and making noise with bells. Some embraced this activity more than others, as you can see by the way everyone is dressed.


Dominique, Zamari and Alina were able to come to the party because I spent the night at their house the night before and then brought them with me. It was a great weekend full of lots of fun, laughs and excitement.

Yay For Productivity

"Productivity is never and accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused effort." ~Paul J. Meyer

Today I cleaned half of the kitchen cabinets inside and out, with help from Mimi. She was more than happy to go through them and get rid of tupperware containers we don't use and other kitchen utensils that never see daylight. Lucky for me, I got to snag some to take back to school.

I also made dinner, poppy seed chicken. I had to have it done early because T.J. had a basketball game. It was good, as usual. I love it because it's so easy to make and it's delicious.

I also did the rest of my weekly chores. Today I was just a little busy bee with a lot of focused effort. Tomorrow is going to be the same story. I have to finish the rest of the cabinets (maybe I'll continue to go shopping in my own kitchen and find more things to snag) and vacuum. We have to get the upstairs ready for Tanya's surprise grad party/dinner for her best friend's daughter who's graduating from OSU.

Thoughts On What I Watched

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." ~Greg Anderson

So... the Glee finale. LOVED IT! The medley of Journey songs was AMAZING! This episode was definitely one of my favorites. Everything really came full circle. I was right; New Directions didn't win, but that's okay. It wasn't about winning, it was about doing what they love. However, I do think that they should have won because they did do better than Vocal Adrenaline. I also fell in love with Sue's character even more. She definitely gained some respect when she was the only one that voted for New Directions to win and allowed the glee club to have one more year. I also loved when she had a tear in her eye while watching the glee club sing to Mr. Schuester. It was a new side of Sue and I liked it. The only other time I think I've seen this side is when we met her disabled sister. I don't know how I'm going to be able to wait until September for it to return.

Pretty Little Liars. I don't know how I feel about this show yet. I love the plot, but I wasn't too crazy about some of things that happened in the pilot. This is why I wanted to read the books. I wanted to know what to expect. I don't know if this show is going to make the cut to become part of my Tuesday evening routine.

The Bachelorette --> I really didn't use to watch this show until my uncle was visiting and got me hooked. So thanks Jason! I'm still deciding on which guy(s) I like the best. I guess right now I like Frank and Roberto. They both seem like great guys for Ali. I don't like Jonathan, aka "the weatherman" and I'm still questioning Justin, the wrestler. I think it's dumb that everyone started questioning his motives because he is a professional wrestler. It seems like he's there for Ali, but he could very well be the guy that makes it far and then leaves because he has a girlfriend or something (that's what a preview made it sound like). I am glad that Craig M. is gone. He was crazy and just loved to start drama. I'm kind of wondering if the chemistry between Ali and Kirk is real or just because of the scene they had together for the music video. The preview for next week made Kasey seem like a weirdo. I hate the sound of his voice. From the look of the preview he sings to Ali on their date and she agrees with me. I'm really curious to see what happens.

Just Another Manic Monday...Not Really

Today was pretty uneventful. I cleaned a little, pulled some weeds, made my own calzone for dinner and then went to work. The best part about today was that The Secret Life of the American Teenager is back!

I love that show. It was starting to go downhill a little bit, but I hope this season is better than ever.

Tonight was also The Bachelorette. I recorded it, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. I love Ali! She 's so cute and I'm glad Jake didn't let her back on the show and am glad he didn't pick Tenley. They were both too good for him. I hope things work out well for Ali and I can't wait to see who she picks.

Tomorrow is the series premiere of Pretty Little Liars on abc family. The previews looked good and the plot sounded interesting. Being the bookworm that I am, I decided to check out the books from the library. I haven't started reading them yet because I got them out of order. The first one had a lot of holds on it. Everyone had the same idea. So I have the 2nd and 3rd. Just waiting for the first one. I want to read them so badly. Hopefully it comes in soon.

Tomorrow is also the season finale of GLEE! Sad. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show (can't stress how much). I'm a GLEEK and proud of it!

I love the characters and I love the music, although some songs are awkward and make me want to look away from embarrassment. Well, not so much the songs, but the scenes that go with the songs. Like last week's episode where Will was singing to Sue. MOST AWKWARD FEW MINUTES OF MY LIFE! Okay, maybe a bit of an overstatement but not by much. I couldn't watch. Anyway, tomorrow's episode takes place at regionals. I think it would be nice if New Directions kicked Vocal Adrenaline's butt; however, I think they will just fall short of winning. They need to lose so they have the fire to come back and win next season. If they win now, what would come next? I'm excited to see it, but sad that I'm going to have to wait three months for it to return.

That's all for now. I'm sure I'll have lots to say tomorrow after the Glee finale, premiere of Pretty Little Liars and catching up on The Bachelorette.

And thank you Bilbee for becoming a follower. I'm officially halfway to my goal of ten!

C Is For Cookie

So in the young single adult ward at church we have "break the fast" on Fast Sundays. It's where we eat together after church, potluck style, and there is always a theme. I haven't been to the single's ward in a few weeks so I had no idea what the theme was for this month (it was Father's favorites in honor of Father's Day). I didn't even realize it was Fast Sunday until Nana asked if Iwas going to stay and eat after church. I decided on oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. You can never go wrong with cookies.

Since it was Fast Sunday, I wasn't able to try them before taking them. I was worried that they didn't turn out right. They tasted DELICIOUS!! I brought home an empty tray. Yay for me and my cookie baking skills and recipes online. I was so happy. The last few months I haven't taken anything because I try new recipes that go with the theme, but there is always something wrong with it. I don't want people to get the impression that I can't cook, so I just don't take it if it's flawed. I feel bad eating the food when I don't bring anything. It was nice not to feel bad today.

I Love A Good Deal

This weekend Khol's was having a huge sale and I got a coupon in my email for an extra 15% off. I just HAD to go to Khol's and good thing I did! Since I've been home, every time I've gone shopping I've checked out the dishes. I need them for my apartment when I go back to school. I found one set that I thought I loved at Target, but I decided that I couldn't afford them yet (even though they were pretty cheap). Good thing I didn't buy them because I found some that I REALLY LOVED when I was at Khol's. They were already 50-60% off plus I had my coupon. I just couldn't pass this opportunity up. I loved them more than any other plates I had seen and it was probably the best deal I would ever get so I bought them. My receipt told me I saved $29 (and some cents).

Behold the beauty...

(It looks like I took it from a weird angle because I had the green plate upside down and I rotated the picture to fix it. It doesn't look as good as it would have if I took it the right way.)

If you can't tell, the plate is brown and looks AMAZING with the green and red salad plate. I am so "FREAKIN' EXCITED" (Kristen Wiig as Sue, see video) to use them. Now I just need cups that go well with the plates and silverware. And pots and pans. And cooking utensils. Then I'll be all set. If you see a good deal on the few things I still need, please let me know.

Another thing I love is Velocity by Mary Kay. Best products that I have used for acne. I love love love it! I'm mentioning this because I just got my new supply. I love how it's reasonably priced, gentle on skin and bedding (other products I've tried have stained my pillowcase and changed it from brown to orange), and it has a moisturizer instead of a lotion (which I think works better). Oh and it lasts me like six months, twice as long as Proactive and other products.

I love so many more things, but these are the two I chose to share. Otherwise you'd be at your computer for days (as would I writing them all out).

Here's the video of Sue. Hopefully you find it as funny as I do. Sorry about the stupid commercial. I couldn't find the clip on youtube. Also, it's cut off on the right side a little bit, but you can see Sue, which is the important part.

Oh, there's one more thing that I love, well two. And they're not things. They're people. Karryn and Sarah: Thank you for becoming followers! My number has doubled. I'm almost halfway to my ambitious number of 10!

You Are My Sunshine

Yesterday was Sunhee's 9th birthday. She got exactly what she wanted, a pink iPOD. I love my little sister to DEATH! She is so smart, cute and happy all the time. One of my favorite things about her is that she gets into these really random and long lasting giggle fits, pretty similar to the ones my family refers to as "Wendi Moments" (I think uncle Bilbee coined that term). Half of the time I don't even know what she's laughing at or I know what she's laughing at and I don't see how it's funny. I think that's how my family feels when I have one of my moments.

I am so blessed to have Sunhee as my sister. She definitely brightens up my life and brings a little sunshine to rainy days in Oregon, like today.

Proud To Be An American

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. and I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me."
~Lee Greenwood~

Happy Memorial Day! Today is a day for remembering those who lost their lives while fighting for our country and the freedoms that we have today because of what they did. I'm glad I'm at the age where I can realize and appreciate the real meaning of today. It's not just a day where there is no school or work, though it is a plus.

Speaking of work, I too did not have to work today. I didn't know it until I had already driven to my friend's house to pick her up. We ride together since her car is in the process of getting fixed. When I got to her house she told me we didn't work today and that our boss had texted her at 5:30. She never called or texted me so I had no idea. I kind of thought it was weird that we had to work on a National holiday, but the job I have isn't like a normal job so it didn't seem that weird. I would think that as an employer she would have contacted me instead of just assuming that my friend, Stephanie, would tell me. It was kind of irritating to drive to Steph's only to find out that I had just wasted time and gas, even though she doesn't live that far.

Anyway, not having to work today was a great ending to an extended weekend. Alina was able to come and spend the night on Saturday. We went out to lunch at Carino's and then went shopping. We tried to find something as a VERY belated birthday present, but we had no luck in Albany. We went to pretty much every store here to find some clothes or something that she would like, but the selection in all the stores was limited and looked "too young" for her. So we're going to wait until I go to Salem (they have a great mall) unless something jumps out at me.

We also made cupcakes. I found the really cute baking cups that were red, blue and white. Alina made fun of me for being so excited about them. How could I not though? They weren't plain old baking cups and I felt that they would make the cupcakes that much better. She told me I don't act my age. They were kind of a waste though because they just ended up in the trash. I didn't want them to be plain cupcakes so we did funfetti cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a Swedish fish on top. They didn't look bad or ugly, but they were definitely cuter in my mind. I don't know, I guess I just can't stand plain cupcakes anymore since I made those flower ones. They turned out great though and it was fun making them together. We went to church the next morning and then came home and I made breakfast since we only had time to grab bananas on our way out the door. The Titus family came over and we had a BBQ. It was delicious and fun. I love when family gets together. I'm glad that there are relatives that live close enough to be able to get together often. I love my family and I'm extremely blessed and grateful to have them in my life.

Makeover Time!

I have now given my blog a complete makeover. I changed the background, the colors of the text to match, and added some fun extras. I spent quite a bit of time searching online for all of the new additions and I am very pleased with the outcome. As much as I loved my blog before, I love it even more now. I feel like it's more me. Now I just need to makeover the number of people that actually read my blog. I'm not expecting lots of readers, but it would be nice to have more than two followers. Ten would make me happy. It's a good solid number. It would be great to have more than ten, but I won't pick a number because it would probably be too ambitious. I guess that's all that is on my mind at the moment.

Still Suffering

"Insomnia is a gross feeder. It will nourish itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking." ~Clifton Fadiman

Okay so its almost 4 a.m. and I'm still awake. WHY? I have no idea why I am still suffering from insomnia. I am not stressed about anything, at least not consciously. This is the second night in a row that I've been up this late. Or is it early? Yesterday I was up until around this time. I was only asleep for little while and then woke up as it the sun was starting to some up. I ended up sleeping until 2 p.m. I can't keep doing this. Ugh... I'm tired, but I can't sleep. Quite the dilemma and I don't know how to fix it.

Anyway, I changed my blog background because my old one, while cute, was too dark for me. I wanted something a little lighter and happier. It's probably because it's summer. Well, I hope you like the new layout. I'm going to go give this sleeping thing another try. Good Morning!!

It's Time To Play Family Feud!

To me it seems like my family has been playing our own version of Family Feud and it's NOTHING like the game show. I swear we are like a family you would see on a reality t.v. show. There is so much unnecessary ongoing drama and many unbelievable things that happen that make me positive we would make for great evening entertainment. I'm not quite sure if that's a good or bad thing.

The events that have recently transpired just seem so surreal to me. I was right in the middle of everything and I still can't believe it. I just can't comprehend the nerve of some people and how selfish they can be and not see the negative effects that their poor decisions have on the people they care about.

This past week I was stressed beyond belief, became an insomniac, shed more tears than I knew I could produce, and did the most rebellious thing in my life. I learned a really important lesson through it all: My family will be there for me 100% and do whatever is necessary to protect the people they love.

Oh, anyone who says that t.v is bad or that it's not educational, unless it is an educational channel of course, is very wrong. My family and I used some knowledge that could have only been learned from watching the shows that we do (except when studied in school). We watch them together on a weekly basis in fact. The family that watches crime shows together stays together :)

I am so ready to have a normal summer like any other 19 year old, but then again, my life has never been normal and I have had to deal with things that most people my age (and older) haven't had to endure. I used to believe that things happened for a reason. I guess I still do, but I have yet to figure out the reasons behind the hand I was dealt. I mean the obvious one is that all the obstacles make me a stronger person, but there has to be more than that. Right? I feel that if that were the only lesson to be learned that I could have done without some of the crap I've had to put up with. Unfortunately, the crap keeps coming so I just figure there must be more. Can't wait to see what's next. Not. Well, maybe just a little.

Also, I just want to say that my sister, Alina, is the bravest 12 year old around. She is so strong. Even though I am the older sister, sometimes I can't help but look up to her. She is amazing and I love her to death!

Cupcakes, Catching Up and Chores

Today Mimi took the cupcakes to the office and they were a hit! I had some left over ones so I decided to take them to the missionaries. They weren't there so I hung out at my friend Amanda's place for about two hours. I didn't want to leave them on the door step because it was pouring down buckets of rain (typical Oregon weather). It was nice to catch up with her since I only saw her briefly since I've been home. We even discovered we have similar taste in what t.v. shows we watch. We both like Bones, Criminal Minds, NCIS, and other crime solving shows. It was fun. The missionaries were very appreciative.

Afterwards, I went home and did my chores. We rotate chores weekly and they consist of dishes, setting & clearing the table, taking out the garbage & recycle, swiffering the floor once a day, feeding the cat, making sure the cows have water, and vacuuming twice a week. Sounds like a lot for one person right? Well, it really isnt. It didn't feel like that much at all and it doesn't take as long as I thought. Well, that makes one day down and six to go.

'Tis the Season

(I took this picture in my yard last year)

When you live on 4 acres there is always work to do outside. Every year, for the past three years around this time, it's yard work season. It seems as if it's never ending. We have to get the garden ready, plant the garden and then water it everyday until it's time to reap what we have sown. It's the same every year; I completely resent having to get up and work outside for a few hours every day. It's not how I want to spend my time. I do my fair share of complaining and sound like a kid on a road trip constantly asking, "Are we done yet?" Although I don't like having to work this much or this hard or getting dirty, that's the life of a country girl (not that I really am one cause I'm a city girl at heart) and I don't mind all the work in the end. When all the work is done and I get to eat the delicious fruit and vegetables we have worked so hard to grow, I know the work was worth it.

"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty." ~John Ruskin

When all is said and done, I love admiring the beauty of all the plants and all of God's creations. I'm glad that all this work I annually dread allows me to be grateful for what I have and how blessed I am.

So... Thank you Nana for dragging me out of bed every morning. Thank you Tevita for all your hard work. I only hope I can love working outdoors as much as you one day, though that is very unlikely because you just love it too much (but it's a good thing). Thank you T.J. for your hard work too. You always work harder and longer than I do and I rarely, if ever, hear you complain about it. You are also an example to me.

Happy Birthday Mimi!!

So yesterday was my great grandma Mimi's 89th birthday. I decided that I really wanted to make these cute cupcakes that I found online. You use cut marshmallows and gumdrops to make a flower. I made them while she and my grandma (Nana) were out shopping so she had no idea that I was making them. She was so surprised when she walked into the kitchen to put groceries away. They turned out really well. I was so proud of myself. I'm making them again on so she can take them to her birthday celebration on Monday at the office, where four of my family members work (and where I used to work).

Here they are...

Sadly, I wasn't able to be there for her birthday dinner and to see her eat one because I was helping Nana watch Sunhee, Tye, Will and Meeja while Angie & Ron were in NYC for the week. I had her blow out a candle on one before I left. I took each of the kids a cupcake as a surprise. We celebrated Mimi's birthday on our own. We sang happy birthday to her and I recorded it on my Flip video camcorder (thanks uncle Nate). Here's a video of us singing.

"Great grandmothers and roses are much the same. Each are god's masterpieces with a different name." ~Author unknown

Well, mine is named Mimi and I'm so blessed to have her in my life. She is one of the funniest people I know (without even trying) and has the heart of a gentle giant. I love you Mimi!!