Snow Day!

So it snowed today...I should say it's still snowing today. I should also clarify that Ryan is writing this post. This started as our blog then I got lazy (very unlike me eh?) and Kristy kept it up for us both. So back to the snow. They canceled elementary schools today because we got 4-8 inches. Dunno exactly how much cause I haven't been outside yet... it's 1pm :) So despite my maturity level I probably need to explain how that translates to a grad school program. We are doing sealants for elementary school kids again this week. And since they all got it off, so did we:) I love it when I get to sleep in while Kristy gets up and goes to work. That leaves me a day at home and what to do? Study?...Should. Talk to my sister for an hour and fifteen minutes?...Did it. Sleep in way too late?...Obviously. Clean up a bit?...I'll get to it, eventually. Write a blog post letting every know how I'm doing?...Why not? :)

School has started out alright in my second semester. We have an immunology course which is tough, but I've been trying to stay on top of it. Thanks to a good friend who majored in immunology and has answered all my questions; I feel like I have a good hold on the material. My other classes are tough, but manageable so far. It was a hard transition for me coming back to school this semester for some reason, but after a week I got into it. I've been very tired lately though and am glad that it snowed last night. I feel refreshed today.

Wow I thought that I would have something more to say, and am remembering why I don't blog much, and why I was so bad at writing while on my mission... I'm boring. Guess I'll go study... or play Mario Kart, we'll see which.

P.S. We will buy a new camara one of these days so we can start posting pictures again.

Would you like some bubble gum?

Something funny happened today, well two things really. If you don't think they're funny, that's ok, they were funny to me. :) It really doesn't take much for me to laugh. Anywho, I was on my way to the post office today to drop off some letters for work. There was a young man running on the sidewalk. He was all decked out with hat, scarf, running shoes and of course iPod. I was thinking this man is very dedicated to be running in such conditions. There was about four feet of snow piled on either side of the sidewalk and it was snowing just a little bit. I passed him up and about a minute later, stopped at a stop light. Now, if you have ever stopped at stop light in Cleveland before, you know how unbearably long they are. So I was sitting there listening to my Harry Potter on tape, watching the snowflakes lightly falling on my windshield, when I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and saw the same young man that I had noticed running just a moment ago. Only he was no longer running. He was gliding. And that's just a fancy way of saying he was slipping...for a really long time. His arms resembled windmills and his face was that of pure terror...and he just kept sliding, sliding, sliding past my window. I thought for sure he was going to face plant it right there on the sidewalk, which obviously was his thought by the look on his face. Suddenly he turned slightly and fell right into a pile of nice fluffy snow. He quickly jumped to his feet and with a look of sheer relief,brushed himself off and started running again. I know this was situational, but the funny thing about this story was the look on his face. Going from pure terror to relaxed relief in one second was priceless. I really wish I had a camera. And I'm glad he was able to continue his run...unless he found another long patch of ice.

I get to the post office, after waiting at another long light, and then I wait in a long line. It's finally my turn. The cashier was a very pleasant, older gentleman. He was funny and helpful. I noticed some weird things about him though. He had long fingernails. They weren't painted or anything, just long and yellowing a little. That kind of grossed me out. But I looked past that; he was nice. *You can stop reading here if you are weak stomached* This nice man turned his head to talk to his co-worker and I noticed something that was behind his earlobe. I looked again and realized...he had stuck his bubble gum behind his ear! I've only ever read about things like that. I chuckled to myself a bit and quickly got out of there completely grossed out. I guess we all have our weird things, eh?

Musings of an introspective girl

I was reading the news today before work and, as always when I read the news, I got a little scared about the economy, the future of this great country, and about our future after school and such. I felt quite debilitated. As I was feeling these feelings, I remembered something I read in a blog. This blog is one that I stumbled across from another friends blog. The woman who keeps up this blog doesn't know me. Her blog is probably the best one I've ever read. I love it, it's like reading an on-going book. And the photography is amazing:). In one of her entries, she talks about not making her blog private (and I'm so glad she doesn't. I think I would be very sad if she did!) because she doesn't want to live in fear. For some reason, that simple statement about a blog really gave me some perspective. Yes, I could worry until my stomach burned to cinders and yes, I could hide under some foolish words saying that I might as well be afraid since this is the way the world is going;but I won't. There are so many good things in this world. It's not a perfect world and unfortunately, we have to take the bad with the good. The secret is to not let the bad take you. I can read about millions of people losing their jobs and worry about mine. I won't. I'll be grateful that I can get up every morning, get ready and head off to my job. I'll even be grateful that I have to drive through blizzards, like I did this morning. I can read about people losing loved ones and worry about mine. I won't. I'll look at my wonderful husband and be grateful for his eternal companionship and the fact that he is my best friend. I'll be grateful when I call my sisters and parents that I can talk to them and feel their amazing spirit and know that we are bound eternally.

When I read those stories, my heart will ache for those who have suffered a loss of some kind, because we all have had to deal with losses at some point in our lives. But I will also have the hope that those people will move on and be stronger. It's rare that you hear of anyone just giving in to despair (although, it happens). I will have hope and joy in my life despite the angry and terrible things that are going on around me.

There is a reason for all of this hope. It is because I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that He has overcome this world. He is the Life and the Light. It is my goal and my choice to become as He is. I will strive for that every day of my life.

It's funny how a simple thing like that woman's blog has provoked so much feeling from me. I'm grateful for that though. There is great power in simplicity.

What Luggage?

We're back in Cleveland. Good Ol' Cleveland. I would really like to say that I am so grateful for my job and the fact that Ryan is in Dental School and that we have great friends here. Having said that, I would also like to say that there is no where in the world like Utah. I just LOVE the beautiful and (I never realized this before) huge mountains, the wide roads that are so organized and the wonderful left turning lanes. I love being with my parents and sisters and brothers and amazing in laws and friends. I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she clicks her heels and says "There's no place like home", only when she clicks her heels she goes home. I know I sound whiney and I apologize for that. The last two weeks we were in Salt Lake with our families for Christmas. It was awesome. It felt like we were there for a lot longer than two weeks...in a good way. Christmas was awesome. Shawna and Scott, my older sis and her hubby, were able to share Christmas day with us before they went to Illinois to GET THEIR BABY!!!! Yes, yes they finally adopted:). Their baby boy was born on December 27. He is so precious. We were able to web cam with them a couple times. They have to stay in Illinois for about a week more to take care of the legal aspects. We were able to watch Scott change a poopy diaper:). They are cute parents and I'm so happy for them. And they look so happily exhausted:).

We were also able to spend time with Kelly and Andrew, my l'il sis and her husband. They flew in on New Year's day. It was great to see them and I wish we could have had more time. Man! Time, Time that's all I want out of life is more time!!!!! Seriously, I was thinking of mailing my christmas list to Santa this year, and Time would be the only thing on it!

Anywho, we also were able to see our niece Cassie get baptized on saturday. We have the cutest and most lovable nieces in the world. She was so excited to get baptized. She looked radiant and I'm so proud of her. We got to see Carston, our nephew, for the first time. I just held him and held him and didn't want to let go. He's only three months and is already laughing and interacting and I just love it. It was so hard to leave them. Jen, my sister-in-law and mother of Cassie, Jessie, and Carston is so wonderful. I'm lucky to have her as a sister-in-law. And they are lucky to have her as a mother:).

We spent New year's Eve with our friends. We had a party and it was awesome! I just love all of them. They all said they would try and come visit us. I want all of you to know that I'm counting on that. So if you don't want to make me sad, You'll visit, and soon!!! and yes I'm a big guilt tripper and I don't feel bad about it.

Now we are at home, waiting for our luggage to be delivered to our home since it was lost in transit. Delta will be getting an earfull from me. I've never had my luggage not be there when I got off the plane. We were standing there at the baggage claim watching the carousel go around and around and the number of bags slowly decreasing and not seeing ours anywhere. If this has ever happened to you, you know that feeling of panic. It's funny how losing your luggage makes you feel like a little child who has lost their parents in a big crowd. Suddenly the world seems so much bigger and that panic takes over. My bags aren't here!! I would hate to work at the lost baggage office; people generally aren't happy when they go in there. We were informed that our bags would be delivered tonight at aroung ten. It is now eleven. Ryan just called and found out that the plane they are so innocently flying on isn't going to be here untill 11:30 and they will deliver them tomorrow sometime...oh and they were only able to track two. We have three. The panicy feeling is getting worse!! Yeah, so I'm a drama queen:). I know it will all work out. I'll just say a prayer and have faith that it will be ok. There really is nothing we can do right now. Seriously all of our stuff is in our luggage, so going to work tommorow is going to be tricky. I hope they don't mind a greasy, unmakeup-ed girl in jeans and a t-shirt in the office:). Maybe I'll just call in...after two and half weeks of vacation. Welcome home Kristy and Ryan! I know I've sounded pretty negative, I'm really not, this is just making me laugh. It really has been a good trip. The icing on the cake, our Utes WON BABY!!! perfect season. I'm so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ryan is starting his second semester of school tomorrow. This one should be a little tougher than the last, but I think he is up for the challenge. He has a test to start off the semester, so wish him luck.:) As always, thank you for reading this novel, those of you who have endured:) We love you and miss you already!!! We hope you had a great Christmas and wish you a happy New Year.:)

P.S. I would have posted some pictures, but our camera broke two days into our vacation:).