Happy New Year!!!

I probably won't do another post until after I return to the South, so HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Stars...and more Family

This is one thing I love about coming home to New Mexico...I can see the stars. Becky and I once did an extra credit assignment for our Astronomy class, drove up to Strawberry, and charted the direction the shooting stars were going. We froze to death, but it was really neat to get away from the Phoenix lights and have a perfectly clear night...it's amazing how many stars you can see when you get away from all the light pollution...

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Well, my Dad is really good about calling each of his siblings on a regular basis, and one of the traditions he has is to call all of them on Christmas and pass the phone around so that all of us get to talk with each of them. I didn't get a chance to talk with all of his siblings, but I did talk with my Aunt Sherrie who gave me her kids blog addresses and even one of my other cousins on the Madsen side. So excited to have them, I am not really as close with my Madsen cousins as I would like, but I am very glad to now have a way to see what they are up to! :) I figured with most of the Raisor cousins having blogs, surely the Madsen cousins have them too! Yay for more blogs to waste my time reading...totally worth it!

Gasp!!!

Coming to Birmingham...
April 3rd through April 19th...
guess who's birthday falls within that time frame...
yeah, that's right, ME!!!...
tickets on sale January 16th @ 7:00am...
first 100 people in line get a free Wicked cap...
you betcha I will be in that line...
I have to be in Birmingham anyways for a youth activity that night, so why not be there early...
8 ticket limit per person, who's coming with me?!?!?

Short or Long???

K, Elizabeth is getting her haircut in a couple of days (YAYAYAYAY) so what should I do with it???

Long?

Short?

Long?

Short?

Long?Short? (please ignore double chin...it was the way I was taking the picture, I swear!!!)

Long? (Windblown...by the way, I am in NYC in this picture, can you tell???)
Short? (Nope, it wasn't mine...I wish...)
Hrmm...Medium???

I am leaning towards keeping it long but getting some pretty short layers put into it...

Like the picture on the left of Jessica...although the hairstyle on the right would also be nice...

I guess she still has long layers, but with longish bangs outlining her face...

Now if I could figure out how to get my hair to just slightly curl like that and keep the slightly curl look without going all crazy in the Southern humidity, I could really rock that hairstyle I think...thoughts???

My Flight Experience...New Christmas...

What are the chances?

So my flight from BHM to DFW was practically empty. Got an entire row to myself. Then I had a bit of a layover in DFW to get to ABQ...we were delayed 40 minutes because another flight coming in that had 13 of our passengers on it (mostly the rest of the first class peoples, huh)...I get onto the plane and a family has taken over my seat, so I take the seat that they were supposed to take cause they were already settled and that would've been really rotten of me on Christmas Eve to seperate a family...

...and the guy that sits to me...tall, about my age I would guess, good looking guy...says in a thick Southern accent that he wishes he was in Alabama right then...

...I say roll tide...

...he says that he needs to find another seat...yeah, major Auburn fan...

...what are the chances? An Auburn fan going to Albuquerque NM, on the same flight that me, a not at all die-hard Alabama fan but still a decent fan all the same. :)

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So you know somethings different when your parents get more gifts than the kids do...:) I thought it was amusing. I didn't get my big ticket request, but I did get a promise to get it for my birthday, and I have something else to appease me until then, so that works for me...the big things I got were pretty practical, got a TOMTOM, happy about that, and some fun things...

Yeah, it was different. First time we haven't done stockings. I guess it was time, since Emily and I are a bit grown up...

But I still got my PJ's!!! :) Picture forthcoming...

It was nice to be with family. I can't wait to make my own Christmas traditions...somethings I want to keep, but there are things missing that I want to add for sure! It was kinda weird though, it didn't feel much like Christmas because we usually go down to Old Town Christmas Eve, but since my flight came in so late last night we didn't do that this year. Ah me...

Boycott...and a request...

I am boycotting my blog until after Christmas...so therefore this will be my well wishing post for the holiday...

Why??? Well, I have a lot to do (laundry, packing, room spotless so roommate doesn't regret allowing me to move in with her, oh, AND I have to work and fulfill my calling and have something of a social life...so) and I spend FAR and beyond too much time making posts and reading all ya'lls blogs...

Merry Christmas! Enjoy your time with your families/friends/loved ones...I hope we all take time to remember that Christmas is about the birth of our Savior, and that we are able to get away from the hustle and bustle of this busy season, forget about the upcoming arrival of Santa Claus for a second and take some sweet and quiet moments with our families, re-read Luke 2, re-read about Samuel the Lamanite and his prophecy in the Book of Mormon, bear our testimonies with our families...you know, the good stuff...the stuff that when we grow up we actually will remember...

...a picture of just me on a Christmas card would be kinda sorta lame...at least in my book...so I sincerely apologize for not sending out Christmas cards, but many of you will be getting me in person over the holidays, so I think that is FAR better than any picture of me would ever be...:)

I will be in NM from the 24th to the 29thish and AZ the 29thish (maybe the 30th) to the 3rd...if you happen to be in those areas during those times and want to do lunch or just see each other for the heck of it, give me a call! I have the same phone number I have had since 2000, so you don't need to wonder if that still is my number, because it is. I cannot guarantee I will be available, because I already have some plans, and family comes first, followed in close second by my two BFF's who I get to see AT THE EXACT SAME TIME and I cannot even begin to explain to you how truly excited I am about that!!!!

So there you have that!

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The request: please insert into your prayers that the weather will be loverly ALL Christmas Eve Day so that by the time they get to my flights I will be able to make it to NM in decent time...PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...

The return flight can be messed up, I don't really care...I am coming back a day earlier than I really need to, and I don't think the flight will be messed up since I landed me a nonstop flight back here (did NOT know they existed, and was far beyond excited when I discovered that...) and the weather here has been unseasonably warm...

The flight there is kinda essential in Elizabeth's world to be on time...better yet, early landing at home...:)

Thank you!

I wish you a Merry Christmas!
I wish you a Merry Christmas!
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Good tidings I bring to you and your kin!
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Nervous...

I have been nervous through out my life. Being a musician, we had to learn how to deal with it...so I learned, to a degree. It took a while before I felt comfortable performing before an audience...I would shake and so would have automatic vibrato because my bow hand was shaking so much...thankfully I got over that...

I have been nervous through out certain college classes, nervous that I was going to be asked upon to answer a question, and praying that I would answer it correctly...

I was nervous when I went and got my endowment, and for a few months afterwards I was still nervous going to the temple...

Nervous taking my comps...both times...SOOOOOO much relief when I found out I passed it the second time...

I have been nervous going on dates with guys...even if they were just friends, but especially when they weren't, or rather, when I didn't want it just to be friends. When I was in high school, I asked a friend of mine, a violist in the orchestra, to be my prom date...we had been friends for years at that point, and seriously, we were just friends and that's all we wanted it to be...but I was SO nervous!!! So you can imagine me when it's with a guy and I want more than just friends...

Nervous when given certain callings...would I really fulfill them well enough to pass the judgment bar? I mean, I am sure, every single calling that I have had, I could have done much much better than I did...

Why? What's the point of nerves?

I was thinking about this a lot this morning....I don't like being nervous...it takes a lot out of a girl!

So WHY? Do I think of a test as a threat to myself? I mean, I signed up for the class, right? Do I think that my callings are threats??? I mean, I accepted them! Do I think of guys as threats?? For crying out loud, I am the one that said 'yes' to the date...

Blah...not really a point to this post...just thinking out loud...or outpost...no, that doesn't work, outtyped?

A Lovely Story...and Morals...

I was at the Church tonight feeding Cody (down payment for giving me a ride to the airport Christmas Eve) when Bishop Wyatt walked out of his office doing tithing settlement wearing jeans, tennis shoes and a polo shirt...

In walks Bishop Martin (new Bishop of the new Northport Ward) 1 1/2 hours late for his interviews (he is starting early with the being late thing! actually, he was held up at work with a big project he is working on or something, poor thing) wearing his Sunday suit...

Bishop Wyatt looks at him in shock...

After Bishop Martin takes in his first interview, Bishop Wyatt sits down with the rest of us, kicks out his legs, hands behind his head saying in his heart warming Southern accent "give it three years, he will come to his senses. I did that for two years of tithing settlement...no more!"

It was an enjoyable moment for all present.

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So last night I watched a movie that I own. I bought it for $5 at Target or someplace...I don't really remember where, I just remember it being $5...

I went to bed thinking 'my word, that movie really isn't uplifting at all' and other thoughts that were not pleasant...

I threw it out when I came home from work today...

No, I won't tell you what movie it was, but I decided that it wasn't worth keeping. Great songs, songs that most people would recognize, but my word, the movie wasn't good...the story doesn't teach good principles at all...the story isn't even good...

I don't know what changed about me, because I have watched that movie a number of times...

I will buy the soundtrack. The movie is really only worth it for the music...

Answering Machine Messages...

What to do when creating a greeting for your voicemail or answering machine that people listen to before they leave YOU a message...

1. Do NOT start by saying any form of "hello"....especially with any sort of a pause after it...it makes the person on the other side sound really stupid because they start leaving a message and abruptly have to stop...
2. Read the instructions on how to make a greeting for the voicemail so that when you finish saying the greeting you can end it in a timely manner...it gets RATHER annoying if there is a 20 second pause after the greeting...
3. Don't have the TV on in the background...
4. Don't have music on in the background and attempt rapping, singing, or even rhythmicizing the greeting...it makes the greeting far longer than needed, and most of you are not professional musicians...
5. Don't have your kids do the greeting on your machine unless they can speak clearly enough to understand them...
6. If there is a part of the message where you are supposed to record your name, don't forget to say your name when instructed...otherwise the message is "We're sorry does not answer" instead of "We're sorry, John Smith does not answer"....

:)

We're split...and I need to get my eyes checked...

Well, they did it. I knew about it for a while, but they did it. The Tuscaloosa was split. We now have the Tuscaloosa Ward and the Northport Ward. I am in the new Northport Ward. I've dealt with reorganizations and splits and such a number of times, so this wasn't anything new to me. Still, it's exciting, considering where the ward started from. They did a split a while back, not sure how long ago, and it didn't last for one reason or another. But this time I think it will hold. There are very strong members of the Church in both units, and it will be very exciting to see where everything goes. Missionary work in the Tuscaloosa Ward has been good, especially with the growing group of Spanish speaking members.

I tell you what, the Tuscaloosa Ward is SMALL...I took a look at the map, and seriously, small small small.

Me being the good Stake Young Women's Secretary, I already talked with one of the bishopric members from each of the wards and asked them to tell me who the new Young Women's presidencies will be so that we can be in contact with them and train them ASAP. :)

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Ha, you would think I would recognize my own family! I played my cello for the Sacrament meeting musical number, and as I was setting up my chair, two gentlemen come walking up. One was the Patriarch who likes to inform me that he is looking for a second wife (it's a joke by the way, he's nearly 90 and quite endearing), but the other gentleman standing next to him didn't strike any sort of recognition with me except for the fact that he looked remarkably like my Grandpa Madsen...

It was my Great-Uncle Lowell! He and his wife (Bonnie) were in town for my cousin's graduation yesterday. My cousin of course is in trouble for failing to tell me they were coming in town for the graduation ceremony and that it was this weekend, but I was SO glad to see both of them! And how cool that they could hear me play!

Ha...and Batman...

So I decided to do what my cousin Janel did on her blog, so here goes:

I google searched "what Elizabeth needs"...evidently the following is what I need:

• Elizabeth needs protection (it's talking about kidnappers, so evidently I will be kidnapped at some point...hmm....)
• Elizabeth needs the fashion police...I will not argue if any of you put me up on What Not to Wear...
• Elizabeth needs a brewskie...umm, yeah...some people might think that is true, but I am pretty dang sure I don't need one, I am bad enough as it is...
• Elizabeth needs real love...I agree.
• Elizabeth needs to stomp that latin out...not sure what that means...I need to dance my head off? Or find my inner latin self...?
  
• Elizabeth needs loving...I am seeing a theme...
• Elizabeth needs your prayers today...(and yesterday, and tomorrow...and pretty much all the time)
• Elizabeth needs Frank...I don't know any Frank...
• Real Pearl necklace just what Elizabeth needs...:) I like this one...
• Elizabeth needs a nuk...I had to click on that one...evidently a nuk is some sort of a pacifier...what can I say, I haven't grown up yet...

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Re-watched The Dark Knight...re-loved it. :)

Pro-nun-cia-tion...and I should've been...

So we moved as a family to New Mexico when I was 12 years old. In the town we moved to, as with most towns in America, there was a street call Northern and a street called Southern...

I, being the smart person that I am, mispronounced the word "Southern". Because I truly thought that this was the correct way to pronounce it:

South-----ern. (the 'south' part of the word being pronounced like the word 'South'...as in 'North, South, East, West).

Somewhere in my elementary education, the fact that it was pronounce "Suh-thern" did not make it into my ear and brain...

Yeah...I am being serious.

Now, I still pronounce things incorrectly, most usually names...which is why sometimes I really don't like a certain part of my job...I don't mind calling people, but I do mind mis-pronouncing the patients name...and guessing whether the person on the other side of the phone is male or female...

It wasn't until about a year ago I figured out that this word: hors d'oeuvrves...

is a fairly common word that I have heard a number of times. I always figured it was spelled something like: orderves...:)

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I should've been a detective! :)

How???

???did New Orleans, which is much further south of me and MUCH lower in elevation than me get blanketed in snow, and we didn't? I am NOT complaining, it's just one of those weird things where a city that is lower in elevation AND much closer to the equator (which should mean that it is much warmer than a place that is further from the equator and high in elevation) gets a blanket of snow, and all we get is wet non-fluffy droplets of wetness that is now turning into ice...

Update...and HOORAY!!!...and sad...

I know all of you are on the edge of your seats for this, but I am fine. I did end up going to work, was miserable for the first half of the day, but was fine and dandy after that...so I don't know what was wrong with me, but whatever it was I am ever so happy it wasn't whatever everyone else seems to have...

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So, I don't remember, did I mention that the heater stopped working last week? Yeah, it did...NOT fun in the winter when you happen to be a wimp like me when it comes to the cold...

...anyways, the first thing I thought about when I was informed about the situation was...what do I do with Charlie? Charlie, if you don't know this already, is my cello. Charlie Brown is his name.

Charlie is very temperamental. He is a very old cello, and it is very easy for his seams to come apart with severe temperature changes...

So Charlie was sent over to the Hutchison's house. I worried about him a lot while he was there. Not that I don't trust the Hutchison's, but really, I am slightly attached to him...

And the house has been quite cold...we had a space heater in each room...but...

So yay! When I came home today, the house was too warm, because the thermostat was set FAR TOO HIGH...heater is mostly fixed...not completely, but at least the house is warm!

...I will sleep far better tonight methinks...

And even more of a hooray, Charlie came back home! :) Thank you Brother Hutchison!!! :)

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My Mom is the best...

...I am picky when it comes to my pjs. I am weird and actually wear them all year round, even in the hot Arizona heat of the summer. And no, it's not t-shirt and shorts, it's longsleeved shirt and full length bottoms...yes, I am weird...

...well two years ago I finally opened up and complained about the fact that Emily always got the colorful things and I always got the black, blue or brown things...ESPECIALLY when it came to pjs. Every Christmas Eve we opened up a gift and it always was pajamas...and every year Emily got the pink, purple, red, yellow, orange pjs and I got the blue, black, brown, green pjs...

So last year my Mom remembered my complaining (which I should NOT have done, and I am forever grateful that my Mommy has learned the art of forgiveness SO VERY WELL) and she bought me pink pjs with Santa's all over them...

I LOVE THEM...

SO much that I wore them A LOT over the last year...

...fast forward to tonight...I of course came home from work, went to my room and changed into...yes, the pink pajamas with Santa all over them...

...I sit down on the couch...all is well...I put my feet up...all is well...I sit indian style on the couch...

........all is not well...

...I heard it, but I didn't know what it was until I looked down...

...I have a MASSIVE hole in my pjs...

...I mean...LARGE...:(

I didn't realize how thin the fabric was...seriously, I am in shock...

Good thing Christmas is coming up soon, I seriously need a new pair of pajamas! :)

Patients and Patience...and sick??

"Hi, this is (insert Dr's name) office, I am calling to remind (insert patients name) of their appointment tomorrow at (insert time between 8:00am and 5:00pm)".

"You know, I don't think I should come in tomorrow, I have been coughing and wheezing a lot, and I just don't think I should come in."

(me, slightly confused by this response) "Well, I can cancel your appointment, but you do know that this is your pulmonary dr's office, and if you are having a hard time breathing you should come in to see the doctor."

"Yeah, but this is a different kind of doctors office...this is where people go to get oxygen and things like that...maybe you can help me, what should I do to take care of this?"

(me, wondering what this world has come to) "Well, I am not a nurse, I just call people to remind them of their appointments"

"But you see, I am..."

(me, not wanting to hear all the LOVELY details of her current sickness) "I will transfer you to the nurses voicemail, leave a message there and the nurse will call you back"

I relayed this conversation to her doctors nurse a few hours later...she thought I was kidding...

Seriously people...why would anyone wait until they were healthy to see a doctor? What is the point of seeing a doctor when you are healthy??? Is it just me? And this isn't just a once in a while thing, I get at least 2 people a week who cancel their appointments because they are sick with something that our doctors actually treat...

Come ON people!

Oh, I have had some crazy ones this week...

For example:

"No, my other doctors appointment is at 4pm, this appointment is earlier"

"Sir, I am looking at the computer and you are scheduled for 4pm..."

"Wait just a minute, and let me grab my calender..."

Five minutes later...

"Okay, now let me see...tomorrow is what date?"

(me, not amused...) "It is (insert day of the week, followed by date, month and year)"

"Okay (grand pause....) oh, you know what, you were right (chuckling), it is at 4pm, my other appointment is earlier that day"

"Alright sir, we will see you tomorrow" and not waiting for a response the receiver found itself back in it's home, slightly bruised by the effort I put into hanging it back up...

Oh boy, there is a reason why 'patients' and 'patience' sound exactly the same...you have to learn the latter to deal with the former...

At least I will have some GREAT stories to tell...

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Speaking of being sick...I have a very STRONG feeling that I will be calling in tomorrow...three people in our office have either had that LOVELY stomach virus that has been going around OR they live with someone that has it...and from what I understand (one being one of the doctors) it knocked all of them off of their feet...my stomach is doing acrobatics right now as I type this...I am not looking forward to this...:(

Much Better...Christmas...and Brain-Storm...

Sleep and full stomach does wonders...at least for me it does...:)

I missed breakfast, but I had a fabulous lunch (thank you drug rep Bryan) from Northport Diner (Chicken, Catfish, Green Beans, Creamed Corn, Hush Puppies, Corn Bread, Rolls, Banana Pudding...Oh SO Happy) and spent FHE tonight with Nichee instead of the YSA group...I talked her into making me her fried rice...I brought the ingredients, she did the master work...AND I have all the leftovers in my fridge right now as I type this...Elizabeth is eating well this week! :)

FINALLY finished watching the new Indiana Jones...man that movie is so freaking cheesy...

Watched a snippet of the Star Wars Family Guy movie where John Williams gets burned up...Nichee thought I would love it, but I mean, they burned up the London Symphony Orchestra for crying out loud! I will admit I had feelings of mortification before I found the humor in it...my word what is WRONG with me...seriously, I see any movie or commercial where a piano gets dropped and ends up in pieces and I cringe...maybe it's because of that one time when Southwest Airlines broke my cello...FRESHMAN year of college...right before juries and the last concert of the semester...yeah, that was BAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD......

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If any of you are trying to think of a gift for me, this would do: LINK

Seriously, I would LOVE to have it...definitely something that interests me...

I asked for the entire volume set of the History of the Church for Christmas years ago...finally got it last year...LOVED it...but unfortunately, that is among the many things that was left behind in New Mexico...still mine, but there just wasn't enough room for it...and everything else that made it with me...

Oh...and this: LINK

Just looks fun...:) Yes, Rocketgirl, I saw it on YOUR blog...

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K, so I am both playing my cello and singing Friday night...I can swing the playing the cello part really well, but the singing...that will be a first in a performance setting besides that one voice recital I did in high school...

So, what should I sing? I have "O Holy Night" down easy, I think I sang that at that one voice recital now that I think about it...but what else? Suggestions? And this is a work Christmas party; they are all Christian except two are Hindu...so I should also probably do something that isn't necessarily Christmasy...

I was thinking "The Christmas Song" (chestnuts roasting on an open fire...) for one...but what else?

There will be about 70 peoples...doctors, nurses, front office staff plus families...GAH! Yes, I will admit, feeling a little nervous...it's just been a while, that's all...

Frustrated

SO I came home tonight after spending the weekend up in Birmingham and I left feeling very frustrated about something. Actually, frustrated and confused...I can't share what exactly it was that I was frustrated about...or rather, I won't, and I am not going to explain it to you so don't bother asking, but I did make the following conclusion...

Frustrated and tired REALLY don't work well together...especially when you have a hour long drive ahead of you.

Which makes me thankful for BFF's like Becky who got me thinking about something else on my drive home which also helped me relax and put things more into perspective and yeah...

And thankful for roommates who listen and can empathize really well...

Now that I have all of you lovelies confused, we can return to our normal programming...

Anyone need a Cellist??? and one thing I learned today...

I have already played my cello once this holiday season. I am playing 3 more times within the following 8 days...if I was taking it home with me I have a feeling it would be many more times...

Yesterday: Relief Society/Elders Quorum dinner
Tomorrow: Funeral (I am playing a duet with a violinist in the ward of Silent Night...you might think it weird for a funeral, but re-read the text and then watch Elder Wirthlin's funeral on the Church website...for which you will need a whole box of tissues if you are anything like me...where President Packer's talk was a re-reading of Elder Wirthlin's last written testimony published in the Deseret Morning news...found...wait a minute, let me find the link...still looking...HERE...WELL WORTH READING BY THE WAY...)
Friday: I THINK I have been recruited to play for my work Christmas party Friday by one of the doctors...maybe...
Sunday: Church...I think...again, Silent Night duet.

So...I think we tugged a few heart-strings last night...it's the song, I swear it is. We didn't do anything special. And my cello, once it's warmed up, is just lovely. AND it's the Spirit. I swear, it's not me, I promise. I really am pretty rough right now...I REALLY need to get back into practicing...anyways, Silent Night just does people in. It's a GREAT hymn. It's just spectacular...

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Among the many things I read today, mostly all about Stravinsky, the one thing that I found extremely interesting is a bio on Walt Disney. I never have read much about him before. Minus the chain smoking which eventually led to his death and his questionable statement to congress about certain people and even SAG being involved in a communist conspiracy back in the days where that happened a lot, he was a pretty cool guy...

As I read his history, I realized how many of his films I don't have, which would be all of them except for Mary Poppins. 'His films' meaning the ones that he himself actually supervised and was alive while they were in production...yeah, not one of them. Except for I know I have Cinderella somewhere, I just can't find it...I mean, I collect Cinderella movies...I KNOW I have it somewhere...where is it anyways???

So on my Christmas wish list is:

ALL of the old Disney movies. (Emily, here is your hint...)

Seriously, he (by the way, I am talking about Disney) was a cool guy.

I looked at the list of all the Academy Awards that he won...for which he holds the record, and he also holds the record for most nominations as well...anyways, I know each movie, short, documentary, etc. for which he won an award quite well. I have probably seen all of them somewhere around a million times.

I watched the Disney Channel FAR too much as a child. I am glad that they showed all of the old Disney shorts though. I didn't realize until reading this bio today what a big deal the short Steamboat Willie was!

Birthdays...

Today is a big day for birthdays for me. Two very special people in my life came into this world today a few years ago...okay, maybe more than just a few.

The one I have known the longest is one of my two BFF's...the other is my brother in law. :)

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BECKY

My first year of college I was in a very large music theory class. I quickly discovered that there was a decent group of us who were Mormon. Becky was one that I didn't know was Mormon until further on into the year. At the beginning of our sophomore year, she spotted me walking out of the back of Grady Gammage, came up to me and asked me if I would be her friend. That was the start of our friendship together.

I love this picture because it shows her picture perfect smile, her lovely spunky attitude, and she is sitting in a teacup at Disneyland. We went there twice together, once just the two of us, the second time with two other good friends. She never was able to talk me into going on this ride with her, but I went on practically every other one there. Her family are Disney fanatics. And, a little trivia for you, her birthday is the same as Walt Disney's. Cool, huh?

Then there is Matt. I didn't like him at all at first, to be honest with you. But an old friend of ours pointed out to me that they were perfect for each other, and she was right. I was jealous of Matt, because he took up a lot of the time that she and I had spent together, but I was also so so happy for her...Matt hasn't been perfect of course, but he is such a good guy and I have grown to love him as well. He just was sent out to Afghanistan and he could use any other prayers any of you could offer...I am so happy that they were able to spend Thanksgiving together, originally he wasn't going to be able to but his schedule was changed (yay).

This is on their wedding day. I am behind the scenes when this picture was taken. I didn't have my endowment yet, so I couldn't go inside and help her change into her dress and get ready, which she really wanted, so she arranged for the church building next to the temple to be open for our use. Well, it was locked, and she nearly started crying she was so upset. It was all I could do to keep her from falling to pieces, and she had just gotten her makeup professionally done and I was not about to be the reason for it to get ruined. I was so touched that she wanted me to be such a huge part of her day. I was one of her bridesmaids and that was enough for me.

It took about a year after the wedding before she and I started talking on a regular basis again, but she has always been there for me. We don't always agree, and we are so very different, but we love each other dearly and I am so thankful for her in my life.

Happy birthday my friend! You are a year older than me for 5 months! :)

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ISON

Boy, when Emily told me she had met a guy, I was excited for her. Then she told me the story of how he got her number, and I was impressed. Then they started dating and I was amazed with how consistent he was, how his head was screwed on right, how he was so very patient with her...then I met him and saw the two of them together...reality sunk in...and I got nervous...I was losing my person that I called right after work a lot of days just to talk with...

And yes, I got jealous. Not from a 'I am the older sister so I should be getting married first' standpoint at all. I was jealous that she had a guy, for sure, and I didn't. But I was also jealous of him, but he was taking up the time that previously was occupied by me and then some. :) At least, that's how it was initially. But I already went through that experience twice with my two best friends, so I knew what to expect, quickly repented, and I got to know more about him and became more and more comfortable with the fact that he really was a great guy and worthy of my sister...and I have INCREDIBLY high standards when it comes to my baby sister...

He is a fabulous addition to our family. I really do think the world of him. He is fun, kind, tall, handsome, of good report, praiseworthy, etc. etc. etc. Oh, and my word is he a handy guy.

So, I am so happy you are a part of our family Ison, and I hope that you have a wonderful birthday!

Dreamer...

You know, I haven't had any memorable dreams for a long, long time, and all of a sudden I am having nightmare after nightmare...WHY!?!?!? I even watched a happy movie last night to not have another, and yet again...

Maybe it's because I went to bed at midnight instead of at 10:30pm and my mind is revolting against that decision so it decided to punish me...

I hate nightmares...

Passing of a Great Man

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin passed away last night. This really did sadden me, I will definitely mourn his passing. He lived a great and wonderful life, and I am glad that he is now with his beloved wife and other loved ones who had gone before. He has given a number of great and quite memorable talks. My visiting teachers used his talk for their lesson to me last month and the Relief Society lesson recently was on his last talk...that means that either I really need to focus in on that talk, or it was just that good...or both. I am a much better person because of his sweet testimony.

Oh By The Way...

Roll Tide!!!!

This picture is awesome because of two things.

One, we totally slaughtered Auburn Saturday (if you can't tell, the two on the left are the Auburn fans...) :)

Two, the two on the right are the newest members of the Tuscaloosa Ward. They got baptized the morning of the Iron Bowl.

Coolest story ever.

Before they came here to the University of Alabama they were dating and they really cared about each other. Cody (the guy if you haven't guessed that yet...) being totally the responsible one didn't want to propose yet because he felt like something was missing in his life.

They checked out a number of churches, and he all of a sudden became a fan of the BYU Cougers. Why, I don't know that story yet, but he did. He then learned more about the Church, checked out a Book of Mormon from the library, they read it, came to visit our ward, met with the missionaries, etc. He prayed to know whether the Church was true, so did Amy, they both gained a testimony, and he proposed soon after. The void that he felt was filled.

Totally awesome.