Sweet Nothings

My life since this past december

2010-03-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

I know it's practically been an eternity since I last blogged but lately I've just had the urge to write a blog. So much has been going on lately and I have all these feelings and thoughts and I feel like if I write them down maybe a weight will be lifted or I'll feel better.

As all of you probably know, in the beginning of December my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This is not news that anyone ever wants to hear and I know that for me it was the most shocking thing ever. I felt winded and alone. Nothing could have prepared me for that. The week following the diagnosis was a crazy whirlwind. Mom was in the hospital for about a week, she had scans and tests done constantly, there was biopsy taken of the tumor, family flew in and out. It was just really busy. After the family was all gone Jerusha and I went to the hospital everyday to visit mom and have lunch with dad. Talia, Jerusha, and I decided that we needed to do something for mom so that she would know how much we cared. We bought four simple heart necklaces and gave one of course to mom. All four of us wear them everyday and we will until mom is completely better. There are days where I just sit here and finger it and somehow it makes me feel better. I don't know why or how, but it's a comfort.

After the initial shock we kind of got into a routine. Mom went into the hospital every other week from Tuesday to Friday for her chemo treatments and she was doing really well. We were hopeful, cheerful even. There were of course hard days. Days when you could tell all of us were tired and sad, but through all of it we had the comfort of our Savior and that sustained us. Not to mention things were looking so good. The tumor had decreases by almost 95%. How could we not be happy about that?

Then you know that just a couple weeks ago we discovered that mom's tumor had grown back by a very substantial amount. That day was horrible. Seriously. It just kept going through my head, "how much more of this can we take?" I felt like it was bad news after bad news. It was hard. It sucked. That's what we're living with right now. We're making decisions about what we should do and what kind of treatments should take place. It's hard to always be happy and cheerful. It's hard to always wear a smiling face when you're scared and sad on the inside.

But you know what? We'll get through this too. God is not going to give us more then we can handle. He will see us through this just as He has seen us through all other events in our lives.

And you know what helps? All the amazing people in my life. Seriously. There really aren't words to express my thankfulness to all the people who have been so wonderful. Some of them don't even say anything. Sometimes its that extra hug they give you that just says that they're there for you. Maybe it's them getting their shift covered at work so they can come be with you. It's the best friend who answers whenever you call or text so that she can be there for you. It's the sister who knows exactly what I'm going through and how to comfort me. Everybody is so great. I really wouldn't know how to handle this all without them.

Talia and I were talking one day about how some people seem to think that after you're used to the circumstances, you're fine. That you're totally able to talk to them about everything and you can be cheerful about it. I know they don't mean to be insensitive but sometimes it feels like that and you know when they ask how you're doing, they don't expect you to actually pour your heart out to them. So Talia says to find those few people that you know you can always be honest with you and who you can share everything with, who you can cry with, and who won't judge you for the breakdowns you have every now and then. And that's what I've done. I have my few people that I can always talk to and that helps so much.

So that's kind of what it's been like lately. It's up and down all the time. Sometimes I'm happy and hopeful, but sometimes I wake up and it all comes down on me and I have a mini breakdown. It can seem like too much handle sometimes, but then I immerse myself in Scripture and talk to those people and it gets better.

We have a great God and I know He's gonna see my mom through this. With all the emotions I go through I can't even imagine what it must be like for my mom. I don't want her to be scared, I don't want her to have to suffer. I want her to be able to do all the things she loves. I want her to be 100% healthy again. So that's what I'll keep praying for. And I'll keep fingering this little heart around my neck until that health is achieved.

Thanks for listening to me.

I love my mom. She's amazing.

Trusting

2009-05-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hello dear blogging world!

I'm just popping in to say a few things about this evening's women's Biblestudy. I must say it was rather wonderful, not to mention it really made you think, which I love!

We're still studying Isaiah and it's amazing how much there is in that one book. Every chapter teaches you something new and shows you something that you need to dwell on.

This evening's study really focused on trusting God and learning that no matter what happens nothing else in our lives can help us or give us the strength that we need besides the Creator God. I think so often we all forget to trust in God for all things. Little things happen that are a concern to us but we almost have this attitude that God wouldn't care about that so we shouldn't come to Him about it. What a mistake to be thinking like that! Coming to our Lord with things that seem small is what takes away our burdens and helps us find the solutions to our problems. What a comfort right?!
I think people can take this the wrong way though too. Some have the attitude that they should just throw up their hands, sit back, and let God take care of it all because they're "trusting in Him." That's not what trusting in Him means. God gives us what we need to live. We need to be grateful for all that He has provided for us and use those things to always glorify Him and carry out His will. There are so many people out there who try to tell us how to think and how to live and often it sounds really good, but we have got to stay grounded in our faith. Our minds cannot be swept around with ever false wind that blows about. God gave us His Word through the Bible and that is where we need to stay grounded. Looking to Scripture should be our first response during times of trouble and joy. God is so easily taken for granted and I don't ever want to do that. Would we ever find any comfort without Him? I know I wouldn't.

It was definitely an interesting discussion tonight and one that really made you pause and take a step back to look at yourself. It made you ask, "what could I be doing to make sure my faith doesn't waver?"

Anyways I just thought it was really good and wanted to share it with all of you.
Have a wonderful night and tomorrow!
Hugs and kisses

Song of the moment

2009-04-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any of you have ever listened to The Weepies, but I love them. They're very folksie and relaxing. One of their songs, Citywide Rodeo, is one of my favorites right now. It's so beautiful and I love the words. I would definitely recommend looking it up.

"Citywide rodeo, you set on the stage
Where all the clowns will go when they feel their age
I know that you think you're not good for anything
The world makes you feel so small
Get on your wooden horse
This is a ride, not a fight
No need to save face, say goodnight, Grace
"Good night, Grace."
There's dust on the stadium seats, there's dust in your hair
You wonder how fast you'll go when you hit the air
And oh, isn't it strange how things can change you?
And oh, isn't it plain that some things unname you
So don't ask anybody else.
Citywide rodeo, step into your car
Look up at the indigo and pick out your star."

It's me

2009-04-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ok so I'm finally doing this! and I promise I didn't cheat, it just took me awhile to get around to it. =)

Here are the rules!!

Take a picture of yourself right now.

No primping or preparing.

Just snap a picture.

Load the picture onto your blog.

Tag some people to play along.

Now to tag some people,

I tag Ashlei

Susan,

and Rachel.

Have fun ladies! Can't wait to see your gorgeous faces!

One of those days

2009-04-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was kind of in a bad mood. I didn't really have a reason to be, but all the same I was easily irritated and annoyed with so many things and people. When I finally got home from work and had dinner I went to my room with a cup of coffe and tried to give myself an attitude adjustment.
I was sitting there at my desk and I looked and saw my Bible. I automatically picked it up and started just flipping pages waiting for something to pop out at me. One verse that caught my eye was Psalm 55:22
"Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

One of my favorites that I read again is from Matthew 6.
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

As I read these verses my stressed and troubled attitude seemed to slip away. I was reminded of the day in the park with Talia and Jessica. They had both had stressful days and we simply sat on a blanket and read scripture and that was enough to calm their spirits. Isn't it beautiful?

The birds verse will always remind me of Ashlei. She was the one who first really brought it to my attention and it has been a comfort to me ever since.

I will end with this verse form Proverbs 27.
"Ointment and perfume delight the heart and the sweetness of a friend gives delight by hearty counsel."
That is oh so true.
It was so relaxing and wonderful to be sitting there in the quiet and being able to read the scripture without interruption. I don't do it near enough.

California Dreamin'

2009-04-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

I have been the queen of bad bloggers lately and I don't have an excuse, but this blog is filled with wonderful things so hopefully you all will let me off the hook. =)

A week ago today I was still in California. At this exact time a week ago I was sitting in the library with Ashlei reading a book about ghosts and hauntings. It was quite wonderful.
My entire trip can be described with the word wonderful and many other adjectives that all stem from that word.
I arrived on a Thursday night. Jeremy was there to pick me up from the airport and it took us about two hours to get back to the house where Talia and Emma were waiting up for us. Now I had dyed my hair red the night before I came and I wasn't quite sure about it yet and according to Talia, neither was Emma. This is what she had to say about it. "Mommy I'm really excited to see Auntie Lydia but I'm kind of scared of her hair." Well I am happy to say that once she actually saw it she wasn't scared of it and actually liked it. haha
You have no idea how excited and happy I was to see Talia again! I always miss our sister time and having two weeks ahead of us filled with nothing but sister time was glorious.
The next day I was woken up by two little girls with crazy hair and big smiles. Annabelle was on top of me in a moment showering me with kisses. Oh how lovely! I spent that first morning getting to be an Auntie, which is always delightful!
A little bit later Ashlei came to get me! She had just gotten back from the beach so she looked beachy and beautiful. She took me out to lunch at Chilis and we went and saw Twilight at the dollar theater. After that we went to Starbucks, which was just one of many trips to be taken there.
That was my first full day in California and it was great! Don't you think so?
The lovely Ashlei and myself

Talia and I also went to starbucks, along with renting movies. Some filled with fairies for the girls, ghosts for Jeremy, and Johnny Depp for us.
My days were filled with chats, playing princess, drinking coffee, watching supernatural, and just having a good time.

One very special even that happened while I was there was the birth of Rosalie Hope!! I was so blessed to be able to be apart of this! Rosalie is gorgeous and Talia is once again a beautiful new mother. Nothing beats snuggling with a tiny baby and Rosalie is such a good little cuddler. She loves snuggling against your neck.

Me with Rosalie on her very first day in the world!

Hanging with my girls at the marketplace! aren't they lovely?

Another very special thing that happened was that Ashlei took me to Disneyland! It was her surprise to me and as it was my very first time, you can imagine that I was pretty excited! Disneyland is amazing. You can't help but feel like a child when you're there. I was so excited about everything and it's so beautiful there. I was able to experience everything, from the lagoons in Pirates to flying over London in Peter Pan's Flight. We talked to Crush from Finding Nemo and were almost hit by a giant rolling rock in Indiana Jones. We experienced Snow White's Scary Adventures and the Wild Ride of Mr. Toad. We fell down the rabbit hole with Alice in Wonderland and were face to face with ghosts in the Haunted Mansion. It was fabulous being there with Ashlei! Thank you so much!!

The rest of my trip was spent holding my new niece, playing with the girls, talking with Talia, being a silly sister, reading scripture in the park, watching the trees blossom, sipping tea, and many many other lovely things.

Spending time with Talia is always so wonderful. Anyone who knows her knows how sweet and thoughtful she is. She's encouraging and beautiful. I loved every minute with her.

And getting to see Ashlei again was amazing. I needed my best friend time and no time ever seems long enough, but i'm so grateful for the time we got. There's no better person to grab a coffee with and share old memories. We did everything from watch the gorgeous Dean Winchester to get yelled at by boys who obviously never had mothers. It was all lovely, absolutely lovely.

I got my sister time.....

My best friend time...

And even some brother-in-law time....

Don't ask...lol

And of course some auntie time!!!

I loved it all! Thanks you guys for making it so special!

No, I didn't die...

2009-03-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

I just haven't felt like blogging lately, but I'm here now!
Well not too too much has been going on. I've been busy working and all that good stuff but two weeks ago a friend from South Dakota flew in and she along with three other friends came to visit Jerusha and I! It was so fun! In the morning we hung out at Starbucks and went to Wendys for an early lunch. Jerusha and I then had to work, but later that evening we all went to Olive Garden which as you know is always delicious!
I thought I would share some pictures with you because that's just what I do. =)

Anna, Liz, and I hanging out at the office.
Anna and Liz were very skilled at building with the blocks. HAHA

Christian, Liz, and I squished in the backseat of Anna's car. It's supposed to be only three people. but we fit four cuz we're cool. =)

Me with the lovely Anna at Wendys!

Liz and Jerusha workin it at Starbucks.

Yes I was sitting on her lap in public and we were having a great time! lol

I love my Liz!!

You know what? I get to see her again, along with Jenna, Aaron, and Christian tomorrow morning!! I am seriously so excited!! Good times shall be had I'm sure. You'll be seeing pictures of that day as well. How can I resist sharing them with you all?

On other news...9 days till California!!!! No words can describe how excited I am for this! Technically it's 8 days because I leave a week from tomorrow, btu I thought I would count the actual day I leave because I won't get to Talia's till probably like 11 at night. Anyways YAY!

So how are all of you??

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Books I have read and books I have yet to read

2009-02-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

I've been quite the reader lately and I thought I would share some of my favorites with you!
One of my all time favorites is Dracula by Bram Stoker. Seriously some of the best writing I have ever seen. (ok so I got these pictures form amazon.com and that is why alot of these have that stupid "look inside" thing at the top. =))
I would recommend this, but I also know alot of people who don't like it. They think it's hard to read or they just think it's too dark, but I love it. So you cna pick if you want to read it or not.
Another amazing read is The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. This book is so mysterious and it kept me enthralled until the end!

Everyone loves Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte right? I think it's fabulous and if you haven't read it yet, you definitely should!

Currently I have been going through the entire collection of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It's a pretty big undertaking actually. There are so many different stories and a few novels thrown in there too. I have to say that I'm very fond of my Mr. Holmes. I love getting up and reading his mysteries with breakfast! Definitely another collection I would recommend to you all.

I also have a reading list. The following books are the ones I still have to read. At the top is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I'm very excited to read this because it's one of Ashlei's favorite books and she's recommended it many times to me.

Another one on the list is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. I've heard this is also a good one so I'm excited for this one as well.

And last but not least is the complete collections of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte. My dad gave me this beautiful, huge, hardback book for christmas that has all of their stories. How great is that?! I'm really looking forward to getting started on that!

As you can see I really love the classics! I'm open to anything though. Do any of you have any recommendations? I would love to hear what your favorites are!

I hope all of you had a great week and have a great weekend!

xoxoxo

More Music

2009-02-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

I have been such a bad blogger and I apologize. I just have not been inspired to write anything as of late and this one might be a little disappointing considering I'm just talking about music once again.

My new purchase is the Gavin Degraw, Chariot cd. It's pretty cool because it consists of two cds with the same songs on it but one cd is the stripped versions of all the songs. I love it!
I would definitely recommend it if you're into him.

On a different note, I am soon to buy my plane ticket to California!

I'll be going sometime in March so that I'll be there when little Rosalie Hope is born! You have no idea how excited I am to see everybody! I'll get my sister time with Talia, my best friend time with Ashlei, some brother-in-law time with Jeremy, and auntie time with Emma, Annabelle, and soon Rosalie!

So yeah that's the new excitement in my life.

How are all of you?

xoxoxo

Lift Me Up

2009-01-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Kate Voegele's new song "Lift Me Up" was introduced to me by Ashlei and I have got to say, I love it! I seriously listen to it like four times a day.
You must listen to it!
It's beautiful and I love the lyrics.

http://free.napster.com/player/?play_id=24459416&type=track

Fabulousness

2009-01-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

Fabulousness is a word which should be in every girl's vocabulary. At least I think so. =)
Anyways I've made some pretty fabulous purchases as of late and I thought I would share them with you!

This first one I did not actually buy. It was sent to me by the wonderful Ashlei and I absolutely love it! I would highly recommend it to all.

Ok so for months now I've been looking for sweater boots because I love them and I had never had any success. So sad. Well Jerusha and I were at Walmart the other day and we were just walking around in the shoe section and there they were!! I practically screamed. what's really cool about them is that they really have two looks. You can have them tall with big buttons along the side or you can fold them down for a shorter look and have little buttons along the side. See..look.

I had also been looking for a new wallet just because I wanted one. =) I went into Forever 21(the best store ever!) and was looking through their bins of things and I saw this one! I loved everything about it! Purple is fantastic don't you think?

Oh and I can't say no to pretty much any bright color of nail polish. It makes me happy. Hot pink is especially a favorite. So of course when I saw this, I had to have it.

Last but not least, my new zebra print hoops. Jerusha actually bought these for me because she's so nice! I love love love them!

Pure fabulousness right?

Tonight...

2009-01-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

I am feeling restless. Do you ever get that feeling? I don't know what to do. Usually I head straight to my Sherlock Holmes book and curl up on a chair somewhere and read, but tonight even that doesn't sound good. It's like I can't be calm. I don't understand it.
I'm sitting here drinking tea on my bed with the laptop and you would think that would make me feel peaceful, but it doesn't.
Thriving Ivory is doing what they can to help as they come out of my computer speakers, and that does help a bit.
I want to have someone here with me to just talk and be restless with me. At the same time I almost want to be alone. I mean I chose to come in here by myself and leave everyone else out in the living room, but still, some sort of company would be nice. I swear I'm crazy. I don't know what it is. I guess it's just one of those nights.
Any tips on how to calm down and find some peace?

Office Moments

2009-01-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

The chiropractic office can be pretty boring but it definitely has it's entertaining moments. I thought I would share a few of them with you because they made me laugh. =)

We have a patient who often pays us with alot of one dollar bills and that always cracks me up, so one morning as he handed over the cash I said, "you know I'm a little worried about what your occupation is." He looked at me and then said ,"well that's just my job. I'm a waiter, I get tips in one dollar bills....and a little stripping on the side." He was so serious about it that it made me laugh!

There's this other guy who comes in who tells us that he has to be careful what he wears when he comes because he feels Jerusha and I are always critiquing his clothing choices. I'll admit that's sometimes true. hehe But he usually comes in with either sweat pants on and a beer t-shirt or basketball shorts and a sweatshirt. We made fun of him for that for awhile and then one day he walked in and was wearing dressy jeans, a button-up shirt, and a leather jacket. "Now you can't pick on me," he said as he walked in. haha that's funny.

Today there's this guy here who is fixing one of the printers and it's so hilarious because he randomly just yells stuff out and he is almost always talking to himself(loud enough that I can hear). I hear him sya these weirds things and it's seriously really hard to not bust out laughing. One time I did laugh at something and he came out to the front room to ask if I was crying. haha he said he figured I must have been laughing instead. Just a little bit ago he came out to throw is gum away and he looks at me and says, "that gum is officially holy." I gave him a questioning look and he went on to say, "because I chewed the hell out of it." Talk about random. Well he thought he was funny anyways. Oh and apparently our bathroom is pretty fascinating. He came out of it and yelled all the way to the front desk, "that's so cool!! the light and the fan comes on when you open the door!" Pure excitement right there folks. I'm so glad we could show him just how high tech we really are.

Anyways thats just a few of the things that go on here. Hope you enjoyed that!

My New Obsession

2009-01-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

Thriving Ivory. This band is absolutely wonderful. You have no idea. I am in love with their music, their lyrics, and Mr. Stoope's voice. Check them out if you've never heard them before!!

"Late again
Guilt free in the middle of the pouring rain
Hair's a mess she said
Would you mind if I spent the night alone?

3am she's up said
It's not you and it never was
Packs her things she's gone where?
That place I'll never know
Somewhere in the middle of the pouring rain

I wake up late
Sometimes I wish I never woke up at all
And I contemplate
I guess maybe I'm better off alone

I'm gonna leave this place
I guess winter got the best of us this year
And the sky's a mess
I'll run out in the middle of the pouring rain

When the day is done and you're not here again
When the day is done and you're not here again
When the day is done and you're not here again

I'll run out in the middle of the pouring rain
God speed in the middle of the pouring rain
I'll find love in the middle of the pouring rain" - Day of Rain

Time Spent With Family

2009-01-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since I've blogged but I have the excuse that all of my family was here and that makes for quite the hectic time!
But I'm here now and you get to hear and see some of the good times we had when they were all here!
Talia, Jeremy, the girls, and Elijah arrived first on Sunday evening. I was at the airport with my parents and my excitement was seriously intense as I waited for them to get in! They finally all did arrive and we packed up into the vehicle and drove home..the good times then commenced!
I told Jerusha that she could do a more detailed blog of all that we did since I would using lots of the pictures so I'm not going to be saying a whole lot.
I will say that there was so much joy, fun, silliness, and just good family times this past week that I was almost bursting with it! It was absolutely fabulous.
One low point of the week was that I got the flu while they were all here, but it lasted for a relatively short time so I suppose it could have been worse.
Now, on to the pictures!!
Precious Annabelle!

Miss Emma Joy!

=) who knows

Yes, we really are that weird.

My brother!

Sexy can I

Happy New Years! Time for champagne!

Aren't they adorable??

Mirror shot!

Baby Brayden!

I love my sister!

She's cute

Can you say happy?

So those are some of the pictures, I might be putting some of my dad's up later! I was surprised at how few pictures I actually took, but I guess the camera is sometimes just forgotten when you're busy being with family. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed!

How was everyone's New Year's? Did anyone make any resolutions? I know I have a couple.

Later bloggers! XOXO

Scenery

2008-12-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

The sun is out, but you can still feel the slight chill to the air. Looking out across the street there is a line of trees all lit with strands of lights that, when it gets dark, glow and make me feel warm and happy. The wind picks up slightly and you can see the trees sway. If you look towards the west, the mountains are capped with fresh, white snow. eveything feels crisp and clean. It's one of those days where you want to throw on a scarf and go walking. Not a purposeful walk, but a walk where you can take your time and just let your surroundings have your full attention. Maybe it's days like these where people walk and come up wiht brilliant ideas. It just seems like to me that if it is this peaceful and you're out in all that glorious wonder then you should have no trouble thinking of something spectacular. I would willing let my face bask in the sun and pull my coat closer as the wind swirled around me, but for know I must be in the office.

How was everyone's Christmas?

On a side note...I dyed my hair. It's a draker brown and I like it alot!

Merry Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all!! I hope you're having a blessed day filled with family, friends, and good food!

Much love and kisses!

Sing His Praises

2008-12-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

I have a busy week ahead of me, but it's gonna be a great week!
I work today, Tuesday, and only for two hours on Wednesday, and then that Wednesday afternoon and evening we are having a Christmas Eve Open House! It's going to be so fun! I'm super excited. Then of course Thursday is Christmas..we aren't actually doing a whole lot on Christmas day but that's only because we are waiting for the rest of the family to get here. We do have a service in the morning and all the church is getting together for some fellowship. Cinnamon rolls, eggnog, and coffee! It should be really nice!
After Thursday it's just waiting for Sunday to roll around when everyone gets here! YAY!
You know sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the hectic things of life and stress out because we feel like we can't handle it, but I think we really need to practice just stopping and thinking about all the wonderful things we have. We are all so blessed in so many ways. As for me, I have an amazing family, the best friends a girl could ask for, I was raised in a Christian home, and I have a great God. Yesterday in Biblestudy in our study of Isaiah we learned about standing firm in our faith. Everyone should remember that. No matter what is going on in your life, never forget your faith and God who is always watching over us and granting us so many blessings.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" -Ephesians 6:10-18

These verses aren't exactly what I was talking about, but I've always loved them because they show what we need. They teach us how to stand firm in our faith.

Have a fantastic Monday.

talking it out

2008-12-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

something was on my mind. It felt like a weight, but i wasn't sure if I was just overreacting or if it was something I should talk about. Then, as if an answer to a prayer, she told me to tell her what was on my mind. The gate was opened. I poured it all out to her. I spoke about what had been bothering and then I asked for advice. She willingly gave it and once again my snow white had come through for me and I felt completely relieved. it's a blessing to know someone is there to talk. Just talk.

I'm on the phone...boy troubles. I need my older sister. I call and the phone is answered. I vent and maybe even whine a little, but she doesn't care. she talks me though it and I relax and calm down. once again, a blessing.
Talk it out. Find someone who's there for you. It is an immense relief.
Thank you princess, and thank you seester.

Family Gathering!

2008-12-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

In just about two weeks all of my family will be together to celebrate christmas and new years!! All 14 of us! It will be two years in February since we have all been together. That is just way too long! I tried to find a picture of all of us to put on here, but those are pretty rare it seems like just because we don't get to see each other all that much. But let me tell you, I am soooo excited!! Talia, Jeremy, and the girls will be arriving on the 28th, as will Elijah. Then Tyra and his family will be getting here a few days later. I cannot wait.

Going Home

2008-12-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

I was a little nervous about posting this because I've never really written anything before that I've allowed other people to read, but I thought I would give it a go.

She walked down the road but she wasn't focused on her destination. It seemed like only yesterday that she had been sipping coffee on the balcony of the beach house with her three friends. Her mind couldn't comprehend how much had changed in a few short months. How had she gotten to this point? Why couldn't she have been content with the way things were before? Here she was working some dead end job at a hotel, all because she had thought her life wasn't good enough. Looking back now she realized how good her life had really been. Her family was amazing, her friends were always there for her, and her boyfriend had been entirely devoted to her. What had made her decide that she needed something different? She remembered the night she had stormed out of her parent's house yelling that she would never again set foot in that house again. So far she had kept her promise. It had been four months and she doubted that her parents even knew where she was. Why was she so stubborn? She missed everybody back home like crazy and knew that if she went back her parents would probably be there with open arms, but something kept stopping her from jumping in her car and heading back west. Why did she choose to escape to Nevada? There was nothing here but desert that stretched on for miles and miles. She longed for the ocean, the smell of the salt, the waves breaking against her feet. She had thought she had left because no one understood her but now she realized it was because she didn't understand herself. her thoughts were confused and she was more lonely then she had ever been. She wondered if her friends would ever forgive her for just walking away and then her thoughts strayed to Miles. He was the perfect guy and he had loved her. She had loved him back, or at least she had thought she did. Over the past weeks she questioned whether it would have been so easy to leave if she had really loved him. She didn't even say goodbye. what kind of person does that? lately it felt as though everything was collapsing around her. Life could be so unfair. But wait..she had done this. She couldn't blame anyone or anything for what had happened. Those months before she exploded and left were hard. She had felt like she was in a trap but she didn't know why. even now she couldn't put a finger on what had gone wrong. Mayve something was wrong with her. She missed Miles the most. It had been a long time since she had been single and she realized now that she had taken Miles for granted. A guy like that isn't easily found and she had been lucky to have him. Why was she only realizing this now? Maybe if she had thought things through before she left she would have come up with all of this, but now it was too late. Or was it? Why oculdn't she just pick up her phone and call her parents or Miles, or even one of her friends? The thought was appealing to her, but she also wondered if she could handle the disappointment she would hear in their voices. Just the thought made her want to weep. How much had she hurt them?Doubt filled her as she thought about what they would think of her. What if they didn't even want to see or hear from her? The idea of her parents rejecting her pierced her heart and thinking about Miles not wanting to see her was even worse. How could she have left? Not until this moment did she realize how much she needed them all. she was slowly falling apart. It was as if she was being ripped apart from the inside out. she didn't knwo if she could take it anymore. She left work early with the excuse that she wasn't feeling well. This wasn't a lie considering she felt as though a million weights were being pressed upon her from all directions. She had thought she would find solace in her apartment, but looking at her scantily furnished living room, it only made her realize how alone she really was. She curled up on the couch and wept. It felt as though she was drifting away. Her tears and trembling brought weariness and she slowly drifted to sleep. while she slept, she dreamed. They were filled with her family and the happy times they all used to have together. the ringing of the phone jolted her awake. She wasn't sure who would be calling because only her work had that number. she reached for the phone and answered wiht a curious, "hello?" The voice that replied was like an answer to a prayer. all it said was, "lacey?" she took a few calming breaths and then, "mom?! how did you get this number?" "we tracked it down, oh baby we've been so worried!" They had been worried...suddenly things didn't seem so bad. "I thought you would never want to talk to me again." "We never gave up on you." Those words were all it took. Lacey was going home.

Christmas Season

2008-12-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

I told Ashlei that I would write a blog about the parade of lights that we attended on Saturday night so I will now do that now.
This is our second year attending and I still like it just as much as I did last year.
We got off of the lightrail and slowly followed the crowd down the street to where the parade would be taking place. There was excitement in the air. Apparently it was not just me that thrilled to see the sparkling lights and feel that chill in the air which could mean nothing other then that Christmas was coming. As we searched for a good place to stand, we were jostled by the crowd, but I don't think anyone minded. We found a fence that was unoccupied and we quickly claimed it. The anticipation grew as we waited for the first sound of music and the shimmering lights to start moving up the street. It finally came. Our ears were greeted with a song that filled all of us with joy. Nothing beats the sounds and sights of the Christmas season. Some may think the parade a little cheesy but everytime I see it all I think about it magic. I love the lights, the music, the look on everyone's faces, and just knowing that this is such a special time of year. I was texting Ashlei during the parade and I told her how much I wanted her there to share it with me. I was trying to desribe what it felt like to be there and I couldn't really do it so I just said it was like magic. Her response was, "I can't even imagine."

Now it's time for a little christmas cheer with the survey everybody seems to be doing!

Egg nog or hot chocolate?
I would have to say hot chocolate. I do love eggnog, but I would still much rather be sipping my coco.
Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Well in all the movies I've seen, when santa leaves a present under the tree it is most definitely wrapped.
Do you hang mistletoe?
I don't think we ever have actually. I think mistletoe is pretty fun but it could also make things pretty awkward. =)
When do you put your decorations up?
Right after Thanksgiving! That's when the christmas season starts in our house. I'm with the Ashlei, no christmas music until after thanksgiving has passed.
Favorite holiday memory as a child?
I think my favorite is when we put up our christmas tree. When all of us still lived at the house we would excitedly put the first christmas music and joyously put up the tree. There was nothing better! Sometimes mom would even be making cookies and we could take breaks form the tree to decorate sugar cookies.
When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I never believed in Santa Claus so I guess I always knew the truth.
How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
We decorate it with both colored and white lights. Then we simply put all the ornaments we've been collecting through the years on it. It's beautiful.
Snow! Love it or dread it?
I do love snow! I'll admit that it does get pretty annoying, but I still think there's something magical and gorgeous about it.
Do you remember your favorite gift?
Wow that's pretty hard. I've had so many good ones. I would have to say that my digital camera from my dad is up there though. where would I be without that??
What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Celebrating the brith of my Lord.
What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Mmmm fudge puddles!! So delicious.
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I like that when we open presents we go one by one and not all at once. I think it makes it more special.
What tops your tree?
I don't think anything tops our tree actually. The tree is too tall, there's no room.
Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
I love both! The looks on people's faces when they open your gift is priceless, but hey what girl doesn't like to receive presents?
What is your favorite Christmas song?
I would have to agree with many people and say O Holy Night. It's actually on right now!! Another favorite is I'll Be Home For Christmas , oh and Thankful by Josh Groban. (see previous post)
Candy canes?
Duh! I love them.
Favorite Christmas movie?
I really like How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey and you can't go wrong with It's A Wonderful Life. I have been told that I really need to see Elf. Can you believe I haven't yet?

I hope all of you are having a wonderful Christmas season!
XOXOXO

Thankful

2008-12-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

There is a song that at this moment I am in love with. The music is absolutely gorgeous and the words are fantastic. You might have heard it. It's 'Thankful" by the wonderful Josh Groban.
I'm not smart enough to figure out how to put a video on here but I'll give you a link to where you can listen to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ZeNXqEuTQ

And of course I have to put my favorite lyrics from it.

"So for tonight we pray for what we know can be. And on this day we hope for what we still can't see. It's up to us to be the change And even though we all can still do more there's so much to be thankful for."

Beautiful

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

2008-11-30T20:02:00.001-08:00

It really is beginning to look alot like christmas...inside and out.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy my winter wonderland.

A 13 Hour Car Ride and David Cook

2008-11-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

Hello Lovely Bloggers!
Once again it's been a little while since I last blogged but I'm making up for that now!
This past weekend my family and I took the thirteen hour trip to Phoenix, Arizona for a chiropractic seminar. Trust me that's a very long time in a car, especially when there are three people in the backseat. The thing that my family always does when we go on road trips is listen to music. I mean we blast it and sing along! =) We had recently bought the premier David Cook cd because we had taken a liking to him when he was on American Idol. I have to say that his cd is pretty fantastic. I love it! His cd and many others definitely makes the ride go easier. We got funny looks when we would walk into a gas station and be singing out loud. HAHA such things as "I'm not gonna come down, down off of these clouds. Heros come and go but you're still standing. You teach me to rise up, to open my eyes up!" Song two off the David Cook cd. =)
Anyways when we finally made it to our destination it was already pretty late so we just got to the hotel room and crashed so that we would be ready for an early start the next day. The seminar was on Saturday from 8-5 and then on Sunday from 8-3. I have to say it was a really good seminar. We learned alot and it will hopefully give our clinic the explosion it needs. Keep praying for that please!
Phoenix has some interesting scenery and me, being camera obsessed as I am, definitely took some pictures. Here are some for you now!

Our Signature car picture.

The sun was doing really cool things to Jerusha's hair.

Where the seminar took place.

A pretty sunset!

Jerusha and I enjoyed the pool!!

Dad being a goof. haha

Those cacti are crazy.

We also got to stop at some relatives home and spend an evening with them! They had this gorgeous cat and he of course got to be photographed!!

Well that pretty much sums it up!! We're back now and I'm getting excited for Thanksgiving tomorrow!!

What are all of your plans to celebrate??

On This Cold Morning....

2008-11-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Ok ok I know I've been really bad about blogging lately. I'm sorry about that. The sad thing is i don't even really have an excuse.
So my blogs are probably looking a little bi-polar. I have one about snow and then I'm complaining it's too hot and this one is about a cold morning. =) The weather here is crazy.
This morning it is only 25 degrees. It's not snowing but the sky gets this look strange color when it looks like it might snow. It looks kind of white and almost lights up the world even though it's still dark outside. Kind of like this...

Well on a cold morning like this I didn't really feel like having cereal with ice cold milk. Brrr! Instead I'm making myself a wonderfully warm bowl of oatmeal!! Yum!
How are all of you today? What's your weather like? Have a fabulous morning and day everyone!

It's Hot

2008-11-17T14:48:00.001-08:00

It is seriously 75 degrees here today. Um I believe it's the middle of November...let me check my calendar..yup, it is. What happened to our lovely cool weather? I miss it. Please come back.

Snow

2008-11-14T09:03:00.001-08:00

It's finally here. This morning my dad came into my room while I was still in bed and said, "Look out your window." I walked over to my window and looked out to see a winter wonderland. I'm not quite sure if I'm ready for snow yet, but there is something so beautiful about it. Don't you think?

Isn't it lovely?

Hope all of you have a fantastic Friday and a fabulous weekend!

XOXO

Birthday Girl

2008-11-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

It is Miss Ashlei's birthday today! You all should go tell her happy birthday!

Love you honey!! I hope you have a great day. Happy 19th!!

Picture Time

2008-11-10T08:56:00.001-08:00

On Saturday Jerusha and I went for a little walk. This is a walk we often take actually. There's a bike path that follows this river or creek or whatever you want to call it, and it's really pretty. Even though we often follow this path we always seem to find something new and different. I took my camera with me and since it's been a little while since I've posted lots of pictures i thought I would do that for you now.
The pictures might be a little random just because we saw some kind of weird things. =)
It was beautiful out though and I started with this picture!
I always manage to get Jerusha in at least one picture. =)

I was actually rather thrilled with this picture. I thought it came out really cool.

We have some pretty cool bridges around our house and they make for great picture opportunities.

Ok this is reallt random, but while we were walking, Jerusha and I, saw this building that we had never ever seen before which was weird because we don't know how we missed it. Anyways we had to cross the river to get to it which was actually a little treacherous, but oh well. So this buidling seems to have been the victim of a fire and everything was a little creepy. Kind of like something out of a horror film you know? Jerusha and I kind of felt like we shouldn't be there but at the same time there were no fences or anything keeping you away.

There were even burnt fire hoses and a fireman's uniform that looked like it had been scorched.

Then we saw this painting on the side of a building and it was a memorial to firemen who had died in the fire. Ok how sad is that? The picture isn't very good because it was kinf of from a distance.

The creepiest thing though was this doll we found outside the building. It was getting dark too so I think that made worse.

As you can see it's all burned and melted. How sad.

Jerusha and I really want to find out what happened and why we had never heard anything about it. It seemed pretty recent too. It's a mystery to us.

Moving on....the walk was ended with another beautiful sight!

The Day After The Election

2008-11-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was of course Election Day and I know many of you did your duty and voted. Good Job! I had the honor of voting for the first time in a Presidential Election and I loved the experience.
Barack Obama is to be this country's new president. Last night when the news announced that they had projected Obama to be the winner I will not deny that I was disappointed. I had been praying all evening and for it to come to that conclusion was a little bit of a let down. None of us know what will happen now and I think that's always scary.
This morning I woke up and I realized something: God had providentially planned for Obama to be our Nation's 44th President. You know what else? I don't know what will come of this presidency but God works all things for our good and we can take comfort in that. Even if this man was not the president some of us wanted he is the one we will have and I don't think any of us should be divided by that fact. God still hears prayers and I will pray every day for our new President to make wise decisions and to lead our country with the desire to better the people and glorify God.
I don't want to look at this as a downfall, instead, let us be hopeful that things are going to be okay. God is great and we always have comfort in that. All of this is God's will and we should not doubt it.
Congratulations to Obama and all his supporters!
I hope all of you had a fantastic election day!

Isaiah 1

2008-11-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday after both church services all of the ladies gathered at the front of the church and we had our every other week Biblestudy. It was such a good one! It was on the first chapter of Isaiah and it was all about God's warnings to His people if they continued to rebuke and ignore Him. Those sorts of studies are a wake up call for me because it's so easy to forget that we can stray into sin as easily as God's people in the Bible. It made me realize that every day I need to be striving more and more to base my life on what God says in His word. He has given us the Bible as a guideline for how we are to live. Although there were many warnings of what God would do to those who denied Him, there was also hope. The book of Isaiah has some of the most beautiful writing in the entire Bible and when it speaks of God saving His people you can't feel anything but grateful!
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Praise our great God for being merciful to us!

Disney Princesses

2008-10-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

I thought this was cute and funny so I'm going to share it with you. If any of you read Ashlei's blog then you know that she dyed her hair black and that many people think that it makes her look like Snow White. I agree with that wholeheartedly! =) Well anyways today I was texting miss Ashlei and we were talking about how she is now a disney princess and she informs me that I also must be one.
Ashlei- "Well then we have to pick one for you...cinderella?!"
Me - "You think so?"
Ashlei - "Yeah! Think about it, she works hard, has medium blonde hair, and looks great in blue!"
haha so there you have it. Ashlei is now Snow White, that's even her name in my phone =), and I am.....

Cinderella!!

Cute right?!

And this is totally random but I'm going to leave you with some lyrics from John Mayer because they've been stuck in my head all day.

"Oh twice as much ain’t twice as good and can't sustain like one half could. It's wanting more gonna send me to my knees......Just keep me where the light is. C’mon keep me where the light is."

Goodnight everyone!! XOXO

Boots Boots Boots

2008-10-27T22:15:00.001-07:00

I've been a bad blogger lately but this past week and weekend has been hectic!
Anyways this post is about boots. I am so into them this year. I could seriously wear them everyday.
These sweater boots are too adorable. I want them! (ok why are these pictures so small? seriously.)
You have got to love tall sheepskin boots! A little bit of heaven for you feet.
And okay I know these are rain boots, but I would totally wear them in snow. Aren't they so cute? Zebra print is the best.
Sorry that wasn't long or anything but I have to go to bed. Happy Tuesday tomorrow everybody.

Refuge

2008-10-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

For some reason I didn't get alot of sleep last night because I kept waking up. So this blog isn't going to be anything spectacular.
I did want to share something with you though. There's a singer named Judy Rogers who is a Christian and she has come out with some beautiful stuff. One of her cds is a psalms cd called Never Be shaken. I think my favorite song on that cd is called Refuge. It is seriously gorgeous, both lyrics and music.
The song is based on Psalm 46 and this is it.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
So we will not fear, though the earth give way,
And though the mountains fall into the midst of the sea,
Though the waters roar, and the waters foam,
Though the mountains quake, and we're all alone;
God is our refuge and strength.

There is a river, whose streams make glad the city of our God.
Oh, the holy place where the Most High dwells,
He is within her, she cannot fall.
For God is with her to the break of day.
He lifts His voice and the earth melts away.
There is a river.

Be still and know that I am God, among the nations I will be exalted.
Oh, come and see the works of the Lord,
The desolations He has wrought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear!
Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God.

The God of Jacob is our refuge;
The Lord Almighty is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge;
The Lord Almighty is with us.

My Weekend

2008-10-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening I attended my friend, Rebecca's graduation from massage therapy school. She got one of the outstanding student awards! Go her! That was pretty cool to get to meet some of the people that I had been hearing about for the last seven months.

After the graduation we had a small party at our house with just her family and mine. I made her cupcakes we I sadly forgot to photograph. =( But they were pretty tasty!

On Saturday we had a showing of our house, meaning we had to get out of there. We took a walk around the park near our house and it was gorgeous!

After we got back my mom, Josiah, Jerusha, and I went to Good Times which is a burgers and custard place and we picked up Spoonbenders, which are amazing milkshake type of things, and wild fries! So delicious. Once we got back it was time for me to buckle down and do some writing.

Rebecca and Chris came over again a little while later and we had pizza and watched Baby Mama. I have to say that movie is pretty hilarious!

Sunday was a good day! We had a baptism at church and we had lunch in between service that consisted of soup and sandwiches. The two sermons were wonderful and we even had biblestudy as well! It made for a long day but it was delightful. We got home and we found some dinner then wactched an old movie with Paul Newman called Hud which is rather depressing, but still alright. Then the day was finished with an episode of Supernatural. Oh how I love that show

I would say I had a pretty good weekend!

How was your weekend??

Cold Days

2008-10-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Lately it has been so cold here! Seriously they forcasted snow for sunday and monday morning which never came, but still it's only October. I do love chilly weather but I'm not sure if I'm ready for winter yet.
When it's chilly and cloudy with just a little bit of rain I absolutely adore it. Eveything about that day seems wonderful. My favorite thing to do on days like that are to grab a steaming cup of coffee, get a blanket, and just be delightfully lazy.

Nothing beats that.

Cold weather also has other benefits. There are the cutest clothes during the winter and fall seasons. I love all the sweaters, scarfs, and cute boots! I was made to wear those things! =)

Are all of you having a lovely fall?

Peace

2008-10-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Do you know that feeling of peace you get when you thought you had so many problems and then you prayed to God and you suddenly felt comforted. It's like the calm of the sea after a storm. You are at peace and you feel like everything is going to be okay. What a great God we have!

"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." Psalm 119:165

Autumn Leaves

2008-10-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

My weekend was fanstastic! Fall colors have got to be some of my favorite scenery. It's so breathtaking.
We arrived at Estes Park around 6p.m. and we quickly got the camper hooked up and then we headed off to our favorite italian place, Mama Rosa's. That place is delicious. If any of you ever visit Estes Park I would definitely recommend eating there. Not to mention their coffee is absolutely fabulous!
After dinner the temperature dropped considerably so we made our way back to the campground where we sat in the heated camper and played cards. So fun!
The next morning we woke up to frost on the windows. It was nice to have my dad bring me coffee so that I was warmed up before I really got the chance to be cold.
Once everyone was ready we headed up to Lily Lake. It was gorgeous there. The colors were brilliant and everything was glistening. We walked around and I took lots of pictures. Want to see a few? Well you're going to even if you don't. =)

Look at those colors!!

I decided I wanted to take a mini photoshoot of Jerusha. She was posed as cowgirl! Here are a few of the shots.

She is so fierce!

A couple black and white ones...

And one more...

All in all it was a wonderfully relaxing time! I hope we get to do it again soon.

"While these autumn leaves float around everywhere...These autumn leaves, all these autumn leave, all these autumn leaves are yours tonite." -Paolo Nutini

R&R

2008-10-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

My family and I, including Christopher, are heading up to the mountains this evening for some needed Rest & Relaxation.
AND

We're going to Estes Park, which is beautiful little town right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. It's one of our favorite places to go camping.

I'm sure I'll be taking lots of pictures and I'll definitely share those with you when I get back!
I hope everyone else will have a wonderful weekend as I'm sure I will!

Bring On The Wonder

2008-09-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

So Ashlei is at the beach this weekend and it just made me miss it so much. I long to take runs on the beach and just sit there for hours, staring at the waves going in and out. It's the absolute best.

"Let's go to the beach, get the sand through our feet. Bring on the wonder Bring on the song I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long."

Sunrise to Sunset

2008-09-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

On wednesday my alarm clock went off at 2:15 a.m. I slowly sat up and tried to wake myself up, remebering I had showered the night before so I wouldn't have to now at this ungodly hour of the morning. My dad and I were making the seven hour drive to Lincoln, Nebraska so that he could attend a committee meeting, which started at 11 in the morning. Once I was finally awake I actually kind of liked being up that early. It was pitch dark and we were trying not to wake everybody else up so we didn't really turn on any lights. Now there's a challenge. We were on the road by 3 a.m. driving in a red chevy cobalt that we had rented. It sounds like a nice car and it drove okay, but it was pretty cheap. I'm talking roll down windows and no power locks.
Oh well. =)
Have you ever driven towards the east at that early in the morning? Well if you haven't, you should. I'm not saying that it's necessarily nice to drive directly into the sun as it starts coming up, but it is amazing to witness something that beautiful. Right when dawn was starting to break we had entered Nebraska and there were rolling fields covered in a thick layer of fog. It was breathtaking. As the sun rose higher, it covered everything in a heavenly glow. Things were just glistening! I wasn't really thinking, so I didn't get any pictures of that, but I don't think I could have really captured that intense beauty anyways.
Once we arrived in Lincoln, only seven minutes late, Dad went into the church for the meeting and I was left to entertain myself until my friend, Heather, got there at 2.
I hadn't been to Lincoln in years but I did remember that right across from the street there were sunken gardens. I had loved them when I gone there before so I decided to walk over there. It was gorgeous! When I was little I had attended a wedding in the sunken gardens and being there again just brought back alot of memories! I did use my brain at this point and take out the camera, so I'll share a few of those with you!

There were a few little ponds and they were filled with water lilies and colorful fish!

All the flowers were blooming beautifully!

This structure was designed by the same man that designed the gardens and around the top was an inscription which was a quote by the man.

This was part of the quote and it was my favorite.

While waiting, I spent some time laying on my back in the grass reading, and this pciture was taken from there.

Heather finally got there and we just drove around hanging out until my dad came to pick me up around 4:30. I didn't get to see her for long but it was still lots of fun! She's beautiful.

Heather and I.

So after that, Dad and I got back in the car and started the drive home. This time we were driving west so we also got to witness the sunset. Sunrise and sunset in one day. It was glorious. We got home at about 11 p.m. and let me tell you, we were ready to crash! 1,000 miles in one day is quite a bit. It was nice though. A break from work and I got to take pictures!

I hope all of you had a great weekend and have a blessed week!

xoxo

Tag Game

2008-09-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

So, here’s the rules and then on to the fun! 1. Link to the person who tagged you 2. Post the rules to your blog 3. Write 6 random things about yourself. 4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them 5. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog. 6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

I was tagged by Susan! Be sure to check out her blog!

random fact # 1
I would be perfectly happy with eating nothing but pasta! I love it. My favorite has got to spaghetti with white sauce and vegetables and maybe some cubed ham thrown in there. YUM!

random fact # 2
I HATE feet, but more specifically toes. There's something about them that just completely grosses me out. I'm sure my family will tell you that I tend to freak out when feet get too close to me. I can deal with my own feet, but they are still gross.

random fact # 3
I really really want to go to Italy and do nothing but relax and take as many pictures as I want to. I want to find the prettiest buildings and the most artistic spots and capture them with a lens. I think that would be the best ever.

random fact # 4
When I was little, I think I was 5, I wanted nothing else more then to be a ballerina. That obviously didn't happen. Probably because I never took any classes and I am completely non-flexible. =) I don't want that anymore so it's okay. haha

random fact # 5
One of my favorite things to do is read. I love a good book. I'm facsinated with all those old classics, especially when they're hard back and they have that vintage look. I would love to have a library someday filled with nothing but old books. Wouldn't that be great?

random fact # 6
I have a weakness for Diet Coke. Most people think that's weird because you know, "there's nothing better then regular coke." Well I disagree, I love the taste of diet coke.

Now I have to tag six people! I'll start with Talia! Next will be Miss Ashlei. I think I will also tag Kourtini. Sunny, you have also been tagged! I will also tag Stephanie. My last tag will be Lisa!

Everyone enjoy and have fun!

Writing Letters

2008-09-12T22:03:00.001-07:00

Getting letters in the mail has got to be one of my favorite things! There's just something about going to the mailbox and seeing an envelope addressed to you. The anticipation of reading whatever's inside is wonderful.
Today my mom and I were at Tuesday Morning shopping for notecards and napkins. That store can have some pretty adorable stuff and as I was strolling the aisles a journal caught my eye. It was black and white, which is always an eye catcher for me. It was onyl $5 so I couldn't resist! To make it just a little cuter I added my only little touch: a blue "L."

I didn't really want this to be a journal because I'm so horrible at keeping up with those. but I thought I would buy it specifically to write letters in! I'll then cut them out and send them. Most of these letters will probably go to Dearest Ashlei, but I'm sure the lovely Talia will receive a few!
Writing letters to my girls is fabulous! I love seeing that blank page and knowing that I get to fill it with whatever I want. There are so many possibilities.

Nothing beats a cute journal! Ashlei, get ready for some letters!

Rain, Rain...

2008-09-12T09:17:00.001-07:00

I do love rain, but sometimes I wish it would go away. It's one of those rainy days where you don't feel productive at all, but instead you want to lay around and watch movies and pig out on chocolate. Another reason I'm not liking the weather so much right now is that it's given me a cold. A sniffling, congested head type of cold. I would love nothing more then to be laying on my couch wrapped in a blanket, but instead I'm at work. It's gonna be a long day I think.

At least it is pretty to look at through our big front windows. I still have to say though, "Rain, rain go away, come again another day."

Harvest Days

2008-09-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

It's weird that it's already time for such things as Harvest Fests and getting ready for autumn. This summer has just seem to flown by. I have to admit that I rather like the cooler weather and the cute sweaters you get to wear. I know everyone says that when the end of summer draws near, but then in the middle of winter we're wishing for the warmth of summer! Are we ever content? =)
Well this past saturday Jerusha, my mom, and I went to The Harvest Fest in our area where my mom had a booth for Toastmasters. While she attended to her booth, Jerusha and I wandered around and looked at everything.

We had a childish moment and got our faces painted! hehe

This was some weird water droplet man who was telling you to conserve water, so why not get a picture with it right?

Here are both of us with our air-brushed butterflies.

Jerusha and I got the biggest slices of pizza that you will ever see.

Neither of us finished ours.

Jeursha even went down one of the blown up slides!

So I'm not a huge fan of snakes but this man insisted that Jerusha and I hold one together.

We even got mom to try. You can tell by her face that it wasn't her favorite experience. lol

Yes I held the snake again. Don't ask why.

This was a Python and it was gorgeous! creepy, but gorgeous.

what's harvest fest without a picture with a racecar?

All in all it was a pretty fun day! There was even live music. There was this one band called The Tripping Griswalds who were really talented. Jerusha and I participated in both a hulu hoop challenge and the judging of a bubble gum chewing contest. wow packed day huh?

My Team

2008-09-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know a ton of people who actually watch college football, but I do!
My team is the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

I moved to Nebraska when I was about six and I lived there until I was ten and a half. Ever since then I've loved the Huskers! I have to keep up with everything that goes on with them. If they loose I'm sad, if they win I'm overjoyed! The season just started up again this past saturday and I wasn't able to watch the game because it was only paperview, but you can believe that I kept track ofthe score over the internet. You know what? My Huskers won! I think that's a good sign for the rest of the season. At least I hope so.

One thing that I have not yet done is to actually go see a game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

But trust me, it'll happen! Husker fans are die hard fans!

New People

2008-09-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning I was sitting at the front desk in the clinic when one of our patients walks in. This patient also happens to be a member of the same church we go to. She wasn't alone when she walked into the clinic. She had two lovely young ladies with her. One was her niece and the other was a cousin of the niece. Both of the girls were from Australia. How fun! Jerusha and I automatically struck up a coversation with them and they were so much fun!

We got to see them again on Sunday and two other Aussies were with them. The one's brother was there along with his friend. It was great to meet new friends, and they really were lovely.

That Sunday night we had a bon fire with the Australians and most of the people from our church. Lots and lots of fun! And being who I am, I took some pictures!

Jerusha with Rita

Me with Berdina..haha some good times

There were some great skies that night.

Our Bon Fire

Johan and Fred. Johan is one of my friends from church and Fred is one of our visitors.

Andy, Dave, and Gerrit. Dave was the other visitor from Australia.

Rita and I.

It was such a good time that night and I hope someday we'll get to see our Australian guests again!

I Want That

2008-08-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago my mom, Jerusha, and I had to find something to occupy our time with while dad was at a church meeting, so we decided to find a Starbucks and just relax. Well we drove around until we find one and what do you think is right next to the Starbucks? A DSW.

I almost squealed! I absolutely love that store. You walk in and you just see rows and rows of the most fabulous high heels, flats, pumps, and even flip-flops. I'm in shoe heaven. There were a couple pairs that I would have bought on the spot if they weren't $80. I'm not quite that rich.

I also really love the purses there! There was this one big purple bag(which I'm still getting by the way) that was divine! Probably the cutest purse I've seen in a very very long time.

I really don't think there's a better way to spend some girly time then sipping Starbucks, walking down the aisles of DSW. Delightful time!

My Job

2008-08-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

I work at my mom's chiropractic office as the "front tech" or receptionist as most people call it.

hehe I love those cards.
It's kind of a fun job when there are lots of patients coming in. You get to interact with alot of people and it's always a good feeling when you're good at something. I've always been told I have a very outgoing personality and my parents thought it would be good for me to express that at the front desk. I answer the phone with, "Hello, Horner Chiropractic, this is Lydia," then I schedule the appointment and make sure they know how to get to the office. I like the actual face to face more then the phone conversations. I still try to convince people that when I talk on the phone it sounds like I'm talking through my nose but they never listen. =) I also am in charge of the billing. That was the hardest thing to get used to I think. I don't know why I had such troubles asking people for money, I mean I've been doing it to my dad for years! =)
With this type of job I have to dress up everyday which is actually kind of fun. I've grown quite fond of skirts and high heels! One of my new loves in designers is FIRE. They make the cutest skirts! I actually have this one in the green pattern instead of the red. I love it!

And you can never go wrong with high heels. They're my weakness.

Pictures From the Past Week

2008-08-24T21:01:00.001-07:00

Jerusha's Birthday Party!

The Birthday Girl!

Receiving "Supernatural!"

Aaron and I Representing Our Team

Me With The Birthday Girl

The New Nephew, Brayden!

Flowers From The Opening of Horner Chiropractic!

Jerusha With The Baby!

Birthday!

2008-08-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Jerusha's 20th birthday! And since today is also the 20th of August, it is her golden birthday which makes it all the more special!

She has to work all day today and tonight my mom has to go to this conference so it doesn't exactly feel like a birthday, but I wanted to make sure it was still special. In order for this to be the case I got up this morning and made her chocolate chip muffins! And tonight we can sit around and watch Project Runway! What's better than that on your birthday? Also Tyra and Christine, along with the kids, are here. so they get to share the day with her!

So Happy Birthday Jerusha!! Love you bunches! and I hope your birthday is amazing even though you have to spend it here at the clinic...kiss kiss

Scenery

2008-08-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

I was at our church camp last weekend and it was absolutely gorgeous up in the mountians! While we were driving up I couldn't help but be awed by the glorious handiwork of God. It was really breathtaking. The mountians seemed to glow in the setting sun and the trees gently swayed in the breeze. You couldn't have asked for a better setting for our camp. I thought I would share a couple pictures with you, although I don't really think they capture the true beauty.

Isn't gorgeous?! I wish I had taken more, but we always seemed to be doing something and sadly the camera was often forgotten. But at least we have those!

One of those days

2008-08-16T11:51:00.001-07:00

Outside it's raining. It's been thundering and lightening since yesterday and it's supposed to continue into tomorrow. I have to say I love it! Everything looks so fresh and green. So what do you do on days like these? Well I've been cleaning! It really is kind of the perfect occupation for a day like this. The refrigerator is shiny and clean, the bathrooms are close to sparkling, and everything is being vacuumed and dusted. Productive huh? Now I'm in the process of cleaning the kitchen. That's actually one of my favorite jobs. Does that make me weird?
Also I'm thinking I might rearrange my room today. I'm just kind of in the mood for it. We'll see if that actually gets done.
I hope all of you are having a wonderful Saturday!

loves...

2008-08-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

I think there are some things that just help get you through life. You know little things that make the day easier or more joyful. I decided to write a blog dedicated to those things.

Most importantly are the people in my life. Without them I would be nothing!

First of all family...

My family is amazing! We're all really close and we know that if something goes wrong, we're there for each other. Especially my sisters. Talia and Jerusha have helped me through so many things I don't even know where to start when thanking them. I love them all.

Second my friends...especially one.

Miss Ashlei Jones is the bestest friend a girl can ask for. I'm not kidding. If there's something wrong, even though she lives states away, she can always help and make things right. We share so many things and we can hear songs that automatically make us think of each other. A few come to mind, such as: You've got a Friend by James Taylor, Lost by Michael Buble, and You Raise Me Up by Josh Groben. I love love love her! And I love all my other friends too!! I don't know what I would do without any of them. Much love!

Then there are just those things that brighten a girl's day. Like:

Purses! !

Starbucks!

Shopping!

Shoes!

Those are just some of the things that make life a litte easier. They make me smile. I praise God everyday for all of them, but especially for family and friends! I think we all realize how amazing those are.

Purse Game!

2008-08-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Miss Ashlei, so you get to snoop in my purse! Sounds fun right?

1. Wallet
2. Lifehouse cd
3. Picture book
4. Mirror
5. Sunglasses
6. Pink pen
7. Cell phone
8. Starbucks after coffee chewing gum
9. Two packages of Orbit gum
10. MAC plushglass lipgloss
11. Cherry chapstick
12. CO Bigelow black cherry soda lipgloss
13. Business card
14. Mary Kay lipgloss holder

That's my purse! Hope you enjoyed.

Starting Out

2008-08-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm new to the world of blogging, so be patient with me as I learn. =)
I've wanted one of these for a little bit because my sister has one and also it's really fun ot read people's different styles of blogs and I thought it would be nice to have one of my own and share little tidbits of myself that no one really wants to hear. =)
Also now my friend Ashlei has one so really what was stopping me?
My sister, Talia is really creative and adorable so her blogs are always a joy and pleasure to read, so I want mine to be like that as well. Ashlei is also amazingly clever and cute so I'm sure her blog will also be great fun!
So I guess blogging here I come!