Projects

My mom taught me to sew when I was in the 4-H program, but since then I haven’t done much. My mom recently gave me one of her sewing machines and I’ve been trying to get the hang of it again. My progress has been slow, but once I got some help from my mom and bought some new sewing machine needles, it’s gotten better. Here are a few things I’ve worked on, they are all items that I have repurposed.

These were both dresses that were too short. I cut off the bottoms to make headbands and used the remaining to make a top to wear over a shirt.

This is the project I am most proud of. It used to be a dress, I cut off the top and made it into a skirt.

And this is what it looks like on. (Please excuse the busy background).

 

Commute

With the start of my internship, I have become a commuter. It is not a decision that I would have made, but for the sake of my education (aka not having much choice in where I was placed for my internship) it is what I must do. To save on gas, avoid putting mileage on our car, and be a little environmentally friendly; I commute via public transit. Even though it nearly doubles my commute time, it does have some benefits. I use my time commuting to read, analyze the behaviors of rogue teenagers, get into awkward conversations with strangers, or to simply think about life.

Here I am, ready to venture into the world of public transit.

In honor of my commuting, it seemed appropriate that we buy a killer deal from the local classifieds on a Timbuk2 bag called the Commute.

Commute.

 

Winter Songs

I recently worked at a child care and as all the staff were getting excited for the Christmas season we were instructed not to play Christmas songs in the classroom. We could however play songs about winter or snow. This led me to a personal quest to find all the Christmasy winter songs I could. I found quite a collection and my mix became a favorite among the staff and the children. Ironically, in a very dry December, the snow never came; but Christmas still did.

In honor of winter finally hitting Utah, here is my favorite winter song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHTE_QQOct8

 

The Countdown Begins

This last week Joe and I began the final semester of our undergraduate careers. It was not pretty. Since both of us get to work for free for our internships, Joe has selflessly switched shifts at his job to the evening. He gets to attend his internship from 8 am to 5 pm and then work at his bus job from 6 pm to 12:30 am. Luckily the evening shift is not too busy and I’ve been able to tag along and spend some time with my husband.

 

As with anything new, there were many challenges. Joe’s included getting sick for two days, deciding between using public transit or our car for commuting, finding time to eat, finding time to sleep, finding time to shower, and finding time to breathe. My challenges have included waiting three days to get my security badge activated in order to enter and exit the building at will, not having a key to the bathroom or staff office, learning the names and roles of the staff and the clients, and calling IT to reset my password and email twice.

 

The good news is, we made it. We are both excited to continue to learn more about our chosen professions through our internships as well as being that much closer to actually being paid for what we do. Thus we are brought one step closer to graduation, thirteen weeks left for Joe, fourteen weeks left for Hope.

 

Perfect Days

Last Sunday, we had the opportunity to go to Camille and Quinn’s baby blessing of their son, Alvin. Later during testimony meeting, their Bishop spoke about what makes a perfect day. What makes a perfect day are the people you are with and not necessarily the thing you were doing, he said. So I decided to make a list of perfect days:

January 8, 2012 – Hanging out with the Davidsons after their baby blessing, and visiting Hope’s family.

January 7, 2012 – Receiving a surprise visit from my old friend, Jeff Wegner, for my birthday.

December 24, 2011 – The car ride on the way to snowboarding with Hope and my brother.

October 22, 2011 – Making it to the top of a mountain with no accidents and then epically running down like we were in Lord of the Rings or some cool movie like that, with my running buddy, Hope.

August 5, 2010 – Getting married to Hope for eternity.

January 2009 – Hanging out with Bagz, Wendy Jo, Madison, and Marc eating ‘joy beans’ (eating soy beans with a man named Joe) and writing random things on Facebook (crustaceans and DTRs in hot tubs).

July 19, 2008 – Summiting my first Teton, Mt. Moran, with my good friend Clay.

January 2003 – Snowboarding at Teton Village with the Burbanks and Mark Perez.

So I noticed two patterns during the perfect days I could think of off the top of my head. The first is that most of them occurred in January, which is purely coincidence. The second being that there was much laughter and good times with really good friends who share the same values and sense of humor. Like the Bishop, I too resolve to have more perfect days in 2012.

 

26th Birthday Adventure 2012

Besides having an awesome wife who spoiled me for the past two days, (and really for the past 17 months), waking up and seeing about an inch of snow on the ground was the first best birthday present I received this year. In comparison with last month’s weather it was a miracle. We decided that we better not waste it, so we went snowboarding at Solitude. Hope made me some delicious scrambled eggs and waffles that had too much chocolate chips in them, not that I was complaining.

Because of the lack of snow recently, even this small layer caused me to dance in gratitude for a prayer answered.

We loaded up our car, Zooey, for adventure. Hope had an ‘amazing’ rental from the University’s ORP.

There were roughly two inches of fresh snow that did not completely offset the rough, icy snow, but we had fun nonetheless, and Hope is improving her snowboarding skills, despite having a sore body from all the falls.

I had another birthday surprise I was not expecting. We returned home, took showers and proceeded to finish making dinner. Hope received a text she claimed came from her friend Kara. Hope chuckled saying that her friend was ‘complaining about a teacher’. I thought that odd during Christmas Break and just shrugged my shoulders. Hope then suggested we light electric sparklers in the church parking lot next door; my slow brain began to do the math. I was convinced that there was at least one person waiting to surprise me, but I did not know who. I had a list of suspects but was utterly surprised when I saw the truck of my good friend from my freshman days at Utah State University, Jeff, and his wife Jess. I screamed like a girl at a Backstreet Boys concert and gave Jeff a big hug. I was never more excited to see them, and it made my birthday.

Yes, we acted out a Harry Potter wizard battle.

Yes, I am wearing not one, but two birthday cones on my head.

For my first day of being a 26-year-old, I never felt so young J

 

Bryce Canyon

We almost spent New Year’s in Bryce Canyon. Instead, we spent the day before New Year’s there. Bryce Canyon has been one of my favorite National Parks since I was a kid, I believe it’s even more beautiful in the winter. The contrast between the red-orange of the hoodoos and the white snow is inspiring. It’s also a great time to visit because there aren’t as many people. We enjoyed cross country skiing and warm winter temperatures.

Cross Country skiing in Bryce Canyon

We didn't see anyone on this trail, it was great.Jumping for joy at Bryce Canyon

Starting Off the New Year

Well, 2012 is finally here. It is going to be a good year. Hope and I are on track to graduate in May, and we are starting our first blog. I hope it is worth your time to read this. We will try to make it interesting so you keep coming back. The inspiration for our blog comes from Hope’s sister, Audrey Merket.

We have started the New Year by redecorating our house. This is where I am going to brag a little bit about my awesome feng shui type skills. I have hung up several new pictures and decorations around the house, including putting the inspirational poem, Invictus, in our bathroom. Hope gave me that poem in a frame for Valentine’s Day 2010. We saw the movie, Invictus, when we were dating, and it is the movie where we first held hands. If you ever come visit us, you will have to come be inspired by the awesomeness of the words of William Ernest Henley. In case you do not ever visit us, I will post the words here:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Happy New Years everyone!