OKay, PICTURES!!!

Okay, a little bit of randomness, but whatev's, you can deal with it.

Kinda cool shot of the temple...


The damaged ankle. Forgive the lines, I had just taken my ace bandage off.


The good stuff. Julie and Brandon. I really think this is the best people shot I got, and it was totally NOT staged! :)

My favorite Roman Soldier. He wanted to show some leg...believe me, he is a GREAT guy. Yes, he is wearing shorts underneath the costume, we all had to wear clothing underneath our costumes.


These two shots are totally cool. This is what us girls got to see every night at the beginning. I wish I had been able to take better pictures, but...you are not supposed to have cameras behind the stage during performances...I snuck mine ANYWAYS!!!
This is the cooler shot I think.


K, this is Adam (Blake) and Eve (Lindsey). Isn't she GORGEOUS? And he truly is VERY attractive. He is so easy to talk with too, I just love him. And he has the most awesome dimples EVER!!! And she is SO sweet.


Angels...


My partner in crime, Colton! He and I walk up together at one point on stage. He is 17, can you believe it? Totally cute and fun, he will be an AWESOME missionary, I just KNOW it.


I simply love this shot. They are all my friends. Love them!


One of the general angel shots. This isn't everyone. I don't know if we really have a shot with all of us. And you know what? I know all of them by name, and we all count each other as friends. I love it!!!

And that's all for now. More later. Sorry, but you are going to be inundated with pictures for a little while I think.

What happens when you tear a tendon and how to weed

He walks in, looks at me and says, “What did you do this time?” Now remember, I just was in two car accidents recently, so he (my family practice physician) has seen me recently...

I am lying down with my foot sticking out, other leg bent up. I point to my foot and say “I hurt it” with the most pitiful face you can imagine.

He takes one quick look at it and immediately says, without even touching it, “Well, you definitely tore something, that’s for sure.”

I guess because of how it was bruising it was pretty obvious.

So, update on sprained ankle: at the very least, I tore something. My doctors appt was very late in the day yesterday (in fact, I actually think I was very nearly his last appointment) and of course he only works in the afternoon today, so I probably won’t get a definitive “Yes you tore your blahblahblahblahblah” or “actually, you broke your blahblahblahblahblah” until tomorrow. Oh the joy.

It hurts. And it is so weird, my foot will just flop over if I am not careful. SO WEIRD!!! And it hurts like CRAZY afterwards. I did it this morning, and my word the pain killer still feels like it hasn’t kicked in yet…

And can you believe, I had to get a letter just so that I can wear tennis shoes at work? Craziness?? I think so!

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How to weed:

Mix water with the dirt till it is all muddy.

Then pull weeds. The whole root comes out. Brilliant, right? I weeded more of my new garden to make room to plant all the veggies I am starting by seed (btw, I planted a veggie garden last week…and some watermelon and cantaloupe…with the help of all of Mark and Janel’s kids. I think some of the peas are going to start poking their head out of the dirt today! I saw a little green something just under the dirt when I was watering them yesterday!!)

If you are feeling bad about wasting water, then follow up immediately by mixing mud with fertilizer, peet moss and what not and plant a garden. The water will then be soaked up by new plantage.

Pageant and Easter

It's over. The last scene, the finale, I was bawling my eyes out. It is amazing how close a group of 36 incredible and amazing angels can get in a matter of...what, 6 weeks? It was seriously the most amazing experience of my life. I have never experienced anything quite like it. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I wish we were still performing for another 2 weeks.

It was amazing. Seriously, I love every one of the angels, they are just amazing people. One is leaving on his mission in a week and a half. A bunch of us went to the open house tonight, a group were at his ward this morning to listen to his talk.

We are all planning on staying in touch with each other. We already have a contact list, I am hosting a party Saturday, next Monday we are doing FHE together, conference we are getting together...

And you know, there is no way to really explain to you what the experience was really like unless you have done a Church Pageant before. If you have done plays before, you may understand how close you can get to others, but if you or others didn't get along with the people around you, you don't understand. If you have ever served a mission or had a calling that required you to work every day for hours with a large group of members, then you may understand, but again, if you didn't get along with someone...

All 36 of us were friends with each other. None of us belittled each other. We were open, welcoming, friendly and loving. This last week was just sweet and wonderful. I wish I could replay everything again.

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I twisted my ankle Friday night between walking from the devotional to the stage to perform. I made it look like nothing was wrong with me while performing....but oh, it hurt, believe you me. Still does because I was so rough on it. But a turned ankle wasn't going to stop me!!!

I think nearly every one of the angels had a turn either helping me down the stairs or carrying my stuff. I never asked them for help carrying stuff, they pretty much just took everything out of my arms. But as soon as I requested an arm I immediately had four. One of the angels wrapped my ankle for me (nurse). Another ran for ice. I mean, what an incredible group. If I really felt like I needed it, I could've asked any one of those men amongst our group to give me a blessing, and not worry about whether they were worthy of the priesthood which they held. What an amazing experience.

Sorry, but seriously, it was incredible. As I was driving home, I felt the 'mantle' of the calling leave. I cried again for about the fifth time that night. I didn't want it to leave. Seriously, before I would say that the best calling I have ever had was Primary Chorister. This calling wins by a landslide.

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Happy Easter everyone! Easter this year fell on my Dad's birthday. I was lucky enough to have my family here for Easter! They made ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans...it was incredible. We went to Church together. We ate together. It was WONDERFUL! I am so grateful to know that I am sealed to them for all eternity!

I know that Jesus Christ lives! He suffered and died for us, and we will all be resurrected through him and may return to our Heavenly Father's presence if we have Faith in Christ, repent of our sins, are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost by the proper priesthood authority AND if we endure to the end. What a glorious message, what good news!

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A consideration

I am thinking about moving back out to Alabama to get this blasted thesis finished. I don't have anything really keeping me here. I would just need a full time job out there to pay for rent, car payments and really just to live. I already talked with my former employer about coming back out there, and he said that if they didn't have anything that he knew lots of office managers out there and he would give me a good reference. I think it would be REALLY easy for me to get a full time job out there. And I have a couple of leads on places to stay.

I wouldn't be there more than a year, and probably not even that. That way, it gets done, and I can finally move onto my PhD program. What would be really great is if I could get a pretty decent paying job out there and cheap enough rent where I can have enough money in storage to take care of car payments for quite a while. I already made a commitment that the PhD wouldn't happen unless I got an amazing scholarship that basically took care of the schooling/housing/books/food...you know, basic living expenses.

Anyways, food for thought.

(((The nice thing is that I will have my brand new car to drive around in (Atlanta people, that means road trips!!). )))

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Pageant this last week went well. Friday night was my favorite night so far. It was the first of two Spanish/ASL nights. The people lingered after the show (the other nights people couldn't leave fast enough...), I couldn't speak one word to most of the adults, but the kids!!! I got tons of hugs and pictures with the CUTEST little boys and girls. It was SO much fun! Lots of missionary work happened. The other nights, the Christus presentation in the visitor's center didn't happen. Friday night, people were barely able to find enough space behind the curtains to go through the presentation. AMAZING!!! I LOVED it.

I gave a devotional to the Angels Saturday night (we each take turns). I had signed up more than 2 weeks ago to do it, but I hadn't been inspired as to what to share. Saturday I worked some extra hours, and then I decided to go to the temple. I just knew that the inspiration would come to me, and sure enough in the middle of the session it did! I was thinking about how simple the ordinances of the Gospel really were. Then the thought hit me: How easy is the way...

As soon as I got into the Celestial Room...and I was anxious to get there once that thought hit me...I grabbed a set of scriptures and found Matthew 11:28-30 and Alma 37:46. Amazing! Short, sweet, bore my testimony and I was done.

The funny thing is, I got the impression that it really wasn't for the group of Angels. I think the inspiration was for a friend of mine that walked into the Celestial Room after I had found those scriptures. While we were in the changing room, I told her about my experience, and she kept saying "wow, I need to read that", "that is exactly what I needed to hear", etc.

Don't you love direct revelation! I sure do!!

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Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I am exhausted when I get home, and if I start blogging, I won't stop until I have read every single blog update that I check up on AND make a comment if I feel so inspired...this process may take a VERY long time...time that I could be using being otherwise engaged...such as being asleep.

I Give Up

He's not interested. Otherwise he would've acted quite different tonight. Believe me.

Here's to giving up. Cheers.

I will probably have a much better experience at this if I am not trying to get a guy.

Not that I haven't been having a good time...because I have been having a fabulous time!

How did the public dress rehearsal go? It went well! No tripping, no accidents, and our dance director had us change the dance...again. It was good. Thousands there for the English and about 50 there for the Spanish.

Good night.

Alive and fabulous!

No, not because Angel guy and I hooked up. That would be spectacular!

But this is almost just as good!!!!

I agreed to do overtime Saturday morning (I was a crazy person when I agreed to it, but whatev's) and when I got up I discovered that I had a mountain of laundry and NO clean pair of pants that fit me!

I look in my jean drawer and pull out a pair of jeans. I thought they were another pair, but no, they were a pair I hadn't been able to get myself into for a year.

Well, I have lost some weight over the course of the last 6 months...

so I give it a try, fully expecting to be TOTALLY disappointed and depressed.



drumrolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll...........................................

THEY FIT!!!!!!!!!

Now, it was 5:30AM on a Saturday morning when I put them on, so of course both of the roommates were asleep. As they usually are when I wake up in the morning. So I couldn't do my squeal of joy when I was able to put them on.

Dang it!!!

So I had to wait until I got to work...and only two people were here for me to tell (not many people worked overtime this weekend).

So then Sunday in Relief Society when we were doing our 'good news' bit, I totally told everyone and got the congrats I was looking for. I am a vain person I have discovered. But do you realize how hard it is for me to lose weight? The only reason why I lost it in the first place was because I had MONO for crying out loud. I gained 20 pounds over the last year, and I have 6 of those 20 to lose to get back to 185 (YAY!!!).

Then I will take a break, and then go for 170 which is my real goal weight.

But right now, I am happy. I have another pair of jeans I can wear! (squeal!!!)

WHY??!?!?!

This blog entry will be only about one thing. I know, miracle. Yes, only one thing:

So the 'angel guy' as we shall here-to-for call him...

We are sitting there, right next to each other, having a good conversation...

and the really wonderful, sweet girl (and I am not being sarcastic, she really is sweet and wonderful) who is in charge of the angels comes sits down right between us and starts talking about a girlfriend of hers who lives in Utah, is 6'2" and is 7 years his senior...and wants to set him up with her. So she asks him, are you dating anyone (no), are you interested in anyone (well...I am interested in a number of girls :) ), are you pursuing anyone right now (well, yeah but it isn't working). Yeah, I am dying as this conversation is going on. He isn't opposed to the idea, goes up to Utah like once a month anyways...

So, I know some of you are going to say fight for him! K, enter the world of Elizabeth:

Number One: He isn't mine, so there really isn't anything to fight for at the moment.
Number Two: Not so feasible to invite him over to do stuff being that he lives on the other side of the planet (or rather, the Phoenix valley) ... yes Mindy, I will TRY, but...(see number three)
Number Three: I AM A WIMP!!! when it comes to guys when I like them. I have to be "safe". I don't tread the 'dangerous ground' EVER! I will flirt a little bit, and when I have been bold at all I end up looking like a freaking idiot and they never talk to me again because they think I am in love with them, which I am NOT (I am only in interest for them).
Number Four: I can't just go up to the girl and say "Hey, let me have a shot at him please" in any way shape or form with out feeling like I am being rude! Yes, I can say it nicely, but, I mean, she married her childhood sweetheart so she has NO idea what I am/have going/gone through as far as dating is concerned, so she wouldn't understand. And, I just can't. Pep talk all you want, I can't.

So, we shall just have to see what happens.

Man, he has amazing eyes. He doesn't turn his eyes away either, he holds your stare. There was this one moment...man.

:( Dang it.

Weeds that grow a foot a day, rental car and insurance, and other misc stuff

Yeah, it's been a week. I need a good slap on the hand or something. But if you had seen my schedule for last week, I think you would understand why I didn't write any entries OR do my usual blog-stalking. For that I apologize, please forgive me!

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Normally I would take a picture of what I am talking about, but I am not home when the sun is up and it is cold and windy outside (cold meaning it's like 50 degrees outside plus windchill, yes I am a wimp) and I am warm and comfy so no picture for you! But believe me, I have weeds that are growing a foot taller each day!

Oh, and I will show you proof soon, but I did NOT kill the rose bushes out front! I have flowers blooming!!! YAY!!! But there are still weeds in the yard. I think I need to spray them.

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THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS PAYING FOR MY RENTAL!!!! I AM GETTING MY BONUS BACK!!! TO SAY THAT I AM BEYOND HAPPY AND EXCITED ABOUT THAT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!!

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No, nothing to report about Mr. 6'3-1/2" Angel.

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I cleaned half of the house. It feels really good to have a clean house. I hope that my roommates will help me keep it clean!

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I am tired, good night!