The Most Amazing...

Girls (and guys if you are into this sort of thing)...if you did not watch tonights Ladies Free Skate...you missed the most amazing figure skating that I have ever seen...

Kim Yu-Na from Korea put on the most amazing figure skating show EVER...

It's was technically perfect, the choreography was well done, her 'dancing' was very musical and artistic...her jumps looked easy...the whole program looked easy...what's crazy is that evidently she is the biggest superstar in Korea...the most recognizable face...she is on all kinds of advertisements and billboards...the girl pulls in 8 million a year...CRAZY!!! And all this for being a figure skater...so basically, she had to win the gold...it's like the New York Yankee's getting double what they earn now and not winning the World Series...incredible pressure for the young girl...

Her long program earned her 150.06 points...the next closest was 131...absolutely incredible... instead of posting how many points the next skater needed to take over the lead, they started posting how many points the next skater needed to medal in the first place...the score was just unprecedented...

LINK for the video...just BEAUTIFUL!!!

And then there were all the other ladies of the top 6...our young 16 year old American, Mirai Nagasu, got 4th...she will be a force to recon with in 2014...

Just beautiful...I was okay with the judges scores today except for our other American, Rachael Flatt...I think they deducted points on her jumps, but they really were complete revolutions...I will be very interested to see what the score card says once it's posted...(told ya, I follow this sport...)

Yay for ladies figure skating...makes me want to get on the ice...

My Thoughts on...

Two things: American Idol and the Olympics...

1) The guys are WAY better than the girls...I mean, WAY WAY WAY better than the girls...I was really 'hating on' the girls last night...I picked out the two guys to be voted off tomorrow as Tim Urban and the kid who looked like Paul McCartney...kinda...I think his last name was Lambert (I don't think he is any relation to the runner up from last season)...

There is ONE girl that I really like: Siobhan Magnus (I have NO idea how pronounce her name correctly) who surprisingly the judges didn't like last night, and three girls who are on my pretty good list: Crystal Bowersox, Michelle Delamor and Lilly Scott...all the others need to be GONE or need to step it up and prove to me why the judges thought they had a better girls group this year...

...oh, and I have to agree with Kara; Casey James is something special...he could sing that song to me any time, any place, whenever...he kinda has that Fabio look to him, but WAY better looking in my book...if he doesn't make it singing (which he should, because honestly he sounded better than most of the guys tonight), he should really consider modeling...

Probably won't watch Idol again until they have whittled it down to the top 10...that's when I start voting...

2) I am a bit obsessed with the Olympics...I wanted to be a figure skater SO bad as a little girl, and whenever I get on the ice I attempt spins and such (that's saying a lot for a klutz like me!)...anyways, my thoughts so far...

• Evan totally deserved the gold...his performance was MUCH better than Plushenko's, even without the quad. And I admit that I have the tiniest crush on him...and yes, he is 6'2"...:)
  
• I am feeling sooooo bad for the Dutch speed skater...that coach of his owes him a gold medal...and a world record...if you missed it, he was way out ahead of everyone, had the gold medal basically clinched, and his coach tells him to get into a different lane...just by moving into that other lane, he was disqualified...he got to the end of the race, pumps his hands, looks at his girlfriend in the stand and she has her face in her hands...at that point he realizes something is very wrong...just SO sad...he doesn't even get a silver or bronze...NOTHING...
  
• GO TEAM USA!!! For beating Canada in Hockey, and winning their game today against the Swiss team...and way to go Canada for giving Russia a good beating today...I really hope the gold medal match is USA vs. Canada...makes it a good game...
• I am planning my whole evening tomorrow around the women's figure skating tomorrow...it's my FAVORITE event...I am pulling for the Canadian woman...she totally deserves at least a medal just for continuing in the competition after her mother passed away suddenly on Sunday...I can't even IMAGINE what she is going through...very surprised by the USA girls, I didn't think they would fare as well as they have...and that Korean girl is AMAZING...best female figure skater I have ever seen, and I actually follow that sport pretty regularly...
  
• Boy, Lindsey Vonn isn't doing very well, huh? AND because of her fall today, her teammate isn't even in medal running now...just AWFUL...
• I LOVE Shaun White...he's just a fun athlete, and absolutely blows everyone out of the water with his half-pipe technique...absolutely amazing...I mean, did you watch his first run? Watch it, and then watch any of the other guys...the height he got on the first trick, the straight board? INCREDIBLE...

That's all for now...

1 1/2 for 2...

Halfway cooked dinner tonight (my idea, my recipe...well, Mom's recipe...but the lady of the house did help a LOT with it) and all the way cooked dessert...at least I thought I cooked it 'all the way'...

Chicken Pot Pie (Mom's Throw-together Pie)...I insisted on not putting more liquids into the pit, and I am glad I did...just the right amount of flavor, and it wasn't a soup...

Pumpkin Bars...with this amazing (and amazingly simple) cream cheese frosting...1 package cream cheese (8 0z), 1 stick butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla...mix until smooth...try not to eat all of it before you actually frost something...absolutely delectable...

Everything was going well until we actually CUT into the middle of the Bars...they weren't cooked all the way...yeah, kinda bummed about that...BUT they still taste yummy...I really am bummed though, because I tested the bars THREE times with the tooth pick, and it came out clean as a whistle...

Oh well...maybe tomorrow I will be more successful with food...

In need of protection...

Today was a rather usual Sunday...went to Church (great Sacrament meeting), came home, ate food...

This afternoon after eating with the family I am living with, I came upstairs to relax...check email, consider watching a movie, in my room...

...after a while I heard some unfamiliar laughter coming from downstairs, along with the families laughter...after trying to figure out the source, I decided to look for myself...

Went down the stairs and...

...suddenly I found myself at the bottom of the stairs...but instead of standing I was, well, not...

I don't think I passed out or anything...I obviously slipped, but I don't remember slipping...I do remember sliding down a few stairs, because that part hurt...really bad...I think I was so focused on figuring out who they were talking to that I just don't remember slipping...

...the father of the family was at the stairs in a flash...I was dazed and in shock to find myself in that fashion...(oh, they were talking to a friend of theirs in England using Skype, btw...)...I took a sec to take an accounting of my body...the back and shoulders will be VERY tender tomorrow, for sure...taking the Aleve tonight...

So it's decided. I need a bodyguard against myself. I mean, I nearly sliced my thumb in two a few weeks ago, then I nearly burned my left hand horribly bad, and now this. It's official, I need protection from myself.

It's About Time!

It's 62 degrees outside!

It's about freaking time...I took advantage and wore a short sleeve shirt, ankle capris and sandals...

So.happy.it.almost.hurts.

Washed the car, drove about, basked in lovely sunlight...

The park was packed! I didn't go so far as to go to the park today, but I did drive by it...it really didn't look all that appealing, with the grass being brown and all...but I do understand why all the parents took the opportunity to get out of the house with the kids...

See, cold weather just shouldn't exist. Moving to AZ ASAP!!!

And that's all I have to say...for the moment.

Encouragement...

First of all, thank you to all of you who take the time out to encourage me. There are very few people who are truly perfect at the art of sincere encouragement with no 'if's, and's or but's', and I am lucky enough to know some of them, so thanks.

I am reading a book by John Maxwell (never heard of him before) called 'Encouragement Changes Everything', and as I am reading this I can absolutely say this is true! It does change everything...my life is practically a case study of this fact!

And not just the 'good luck' kind of encouragement...real, true, sincere compliments and 'I know you can do this!' kind of stuff. Where when they say, 'I believe in you', they really mean it and you know they really mean it.

My middle and high school orchestra teacher Ms. Dollahon was one of those for me. She knew I could be better. She pushed and prodded and encouraged and challenged...you know, it's her fault I am still in music. I really try and be like her (I fail quite often, more often than I realize I think at this) in challenging people to be better than they are, especially when it comes to music.

Walt Disney (one of my favorites) said the following:

There are three kinds of people in the world today. There are 'well poisoners,' who discourage you and stomp on your creativity and tell you what you can't do. There are 'lawn mowers' - people who are well- intentioned but self-absorbed; they tend to their own needs, mow their own lawns and never leave their yards to help another person. Finally, there are 'life enrichers' - people who reach out to enrich the lives of others, to lift them up and inspire them. We need to be life enrichers, and we need to surround ourselves with life enrichers.

Boy, what a great quote...

We all need encouragers...people who strengthen, inspire, raise you up (to quote the Josh Groban song)...even the Savior, when in the Garden of Gethsemene, was weighed down with the unimaginable pain and anguish of the atonement, had an angel there to strengthen Him. We have need of a 'Comforter' in this life...Christ made it clear that He would send one...obviously encouragement is needed...

Karma...what goes around comes around...if you want an encourager, be one! Next time someone tells you their dream, don't shoot it down with 'and if it doesn't work out'. As long as it isn't morally wrong, why not encourage it? And LEAVE IT AT THAT...And they will survive if it really doesn't work out...they know the risks...they are sharing the dream because they are human/scared/unsure/insecure/whatever and are looking for good wholesome encouragement...not shoot-downs. And you know what...MORE often than not, they DO succeed. And they will love/like/care for you all the more for believing in them! Don't be a 'well-poisoner'...be a life enricher!

On the fly...

I tested out my cooking skills on a couple of kids tonight...I made Chicken and Rice (really putting myself out there) WITHOUT a recipe! I couldn't even tell you how much I used of everything...but these were the ingredients:

About 6 chicken tenderloins, cooked by my and shredded mostly by a 3 year old
1 Spanish onion (never used one before)
BUTTER...not too much though...
1 can cream of celery soup
garlic powder
thyme
sage
tarragon
water

It was yummy...the 11 year old boy asked me to teach his Dad how to cook it...pretty high compliment in my book...the 3 year old girl kept saying she didn't like it, and yet she kept eating it, so I am taking it as a big hit...

The only thing I misjudged was how much liquid I needed...I partially cooked the rice earlier, but not completely, and they needed more liquid than just that can of celery and the cup of water I used...I actually had to add it halfway through cooking the casserole in the oven...thankfully it wasn't a bust!

Woot for me and the cooking skills...it was nice to test them out today...tomorrow, spagetti and meatballs...I got some ideas online for ingredients for the meatballs, but again, no definite recipe...

Water for Haiti Orphanages...

Here is the 'long story short version':

My friend Michael is in Haiti, has been doing some amazing volunteer work with the orphanages there, has been saving lives, modern day super hero kind of stuff...he has finally gotten some major progress on getting long term help for these orphanages through the Salvation Army and the 82nd Airborne...and they are asking for some help:

They need water purification systems at these orphanages...they will be far more cost effective than shipping water in...they will give clean water for a family of 6 for 5 years, amazing pieces of machinery...you can read about them here HERE...(seriously, I want one for my food storage!)

They are $30...there is a factory that produces them in Port-au-Prince that according to my friend (see his blog HERE) is still producing them, and even if they can't, there is a factory in the Dominican Republic (right next door) that is fully able to supply them.

My friend asked us to purchase just one filter...he is trying to get enough for all the orphanages that he is tracking...if you can, go to the below website, purchase a filter, and be sure to put a comment/note saying that it is 'for Michael's Orphans' so that they get to the 82nd airborne for distribution...

http://www.filterpurefilters.com/

If you would like to get the long story, go check out his website:

www.michaelthemaven.com

I was about to apologize for using this blog for soliciting help, but I don't have to...it's MY blog! :) I can use it however I darn well please, and I am not sorry for this. I think it's a good thing he is doing, and I don't mind asking for people to help. I can't do much, but I can spread the word...I am a loud talker, ya know? :) Thanks for helping, and feel free to pass this along...it would be really cool if he gets a lot more help than he expected...

Digital Church...

Opened the email this morning, and I see an email from someone I don't know with a title that looks slightly similar to some spam that I have been receiving lately...I am about to click on the Spam button, when I actually focus in on the title...'VT Changes'. I think, what's the chance that VT actually stands for 'visiting teaching'? So, hoping for the best, I open it...and lo and behold, it's my new visiting teaching assignment! They EMAILED it to me...that's a first! I think it's awesome, cause I am in my email a LOT...

Last week I had to do some training for the young women leaders in my stake, and I mentioned that everything I printed out and trained them on was available on the Church websites. In fact, they were all on the Young Women website. I showed them that the Church has a number of websites, including a page on facebook (nope, still not on there, but I was able to look it up), youtube, and a new youth website with albums and videos available for download. I thought it would be good for them to know, since ALL of their youth are bound to be extremely computer savvy peoples...

One of the ladies kinda shocked me when she said that we needed to not expect that all the leaders have access to the internet. I know I am young and computer savvy, so it was a good reminder to me that not everyone does have access (which is why all youth leaders should have a subscription to the New Era!). But I tell you what, it makes my calling so much easier since I have a good email contact with every YW presidency in the stake. We save a LOT of money on postage by sending out emails with attachments. One of these days, I am sure the Church will set up a way that we can put any fliers and such onto a website so that the leaders and parents can just pull them off the website. That will probably be a ways down the road, but still!

I was amazed at the new youth website...did you know that there is a 'response' option (as opposed to a 'comments' option) on some of the items on there? But to make a response, you have to sign into the church website (same way for lds.org to get into your respective ward and stake website)...AND, as I discovered, you have to be 12-18 years old, because it wouldn't allow me to make a response (I wasn't going to, I was just seeing if I could). I thought that was really cool...

Boy, the Church sure is growing with the times...I mean, I get text messages when the First presidency makes any public statement, announces a new temple, or any important news flash. Really cool stuff, in my book!

The Forgettable...

Have you ever heard someone or read someone's blog and they recount a memory about themselves in which they mention important people that were involved in that memory...and they forget to mention you...

That's me...

No really, it is. I am the forgettable.

This is not to rant and rave or complain or whatever about it...I just wonder why that is.

I look at family albums and school outings and yearbooks and other such things...and I am conveniently out of the picture (I don't really mind that during my high school years, since I looked like an elephant with smallpox all over her face).

Now, I am not hard to miss. I am a 6 foot tall female, white as Destin's beaches, LOUD as all get out (seriously, those of you who haven't met me in person, I laugh so loud you could hear me a mile away during a hurricane), blonde...and yet I am out of the story all the time, whether or not I was a prominent part of the story.

Why is that?

I hope this isn't interpreted as 'gosh dang, she is a self-absorbed, selfish thing'...that is true some of the time, and I admit it freely...I am just wondering what it is about me that makes me so easy to overlook...is it my amazing ability to 'blend in'?...

(No, no one's posted, written or said anything recently that is making me think of this, I was just browsing around some stuff and came to that realization...and no, thankfully I am not wallowing in self despair or depression...)

Progress report: I can bend a little, but bending the knees is an absolute must to wash my hands or open lower cabinets or load/unload dishwasher/washing machine/dryer...

Sympathy Pains...

I failed to mention this, but after I talked with one of my 2 BFF's on the phone today, I thought I would...

When I threw my back out yesterday I received a phone call...and of course I was indisposed so it went to voicemail...I was being notified that I was being made Aunt Elizabeth once again at some point later that day. She was on her way to the hospital to give birth.

Convenient timing for me to throw out my back. She actually has chronic back pain so she empathized with me this morning as I told her of my ordeal and I sympathized with her as she described the pleasures of giving birth.

I was supposed to be there this time. She asked me to hang out with her and play card games and such while she was hooked up to IV's and contraction machines and such. I feel terrible that I ended up being here in Alabama when baby #3 arrived...but thankfully all went well, labor went MUCH faster this time, which is great, and he is her biggest baby yet. AND she wasn't stuck to a machine because they have WIRELESS contraction and heartbeat monitors now...she only had to carry around her IV as she got to know the floor plan of the maternity wing...

So...anyways, this is what I get for not keeping my promise to be there. Sympathy pains...

Baby Hyrum and Mom Julie are healthy and well...he eats and sleeps like a pro and he looks a lot like his older brother with good sized baby cheeks...

As for me, I can climb the stairs today without pulling myself up using the handrail (still hurts like the dickens), so that is a slight improvement, but bending over is an entirely out of reach goal.

Throwing it out...

Woke up, got up, took shower, and near the end of it suddenly this pain started in my lower back...

Evidently something I did in the shower didn't agree with my body...cause my lower back is completely thrown out of whack...

Oh.my.word.it.hurts.so.much...

Just sitting here typing this...there isn't a comfortable position...

Already took a Rx strength ibuprofen...in two hours I am starting the Tylenol...

Showers are supposed to make me feel better...dagnabit! And I am supposed to go to the temple tonight...I think there is a conspiracy going on trying to keep me away...it has been a LONG time since I went...

Oh...help...ah...I mean, truly pitiful, it hurts SO bad...

Deer in the Headlights...

I almost killed a deer yesterday...

Or rather, it almost killed me...

A few weeks ago, right after I moved into this new place, I saw a couple of deer as I was driving to the house. I mentioned it to the peoples of the house, and they said that they see deer pretty regularly...

Then nothing. Not a sighting. I was kinda disappointed to be honest with you. I wanted to see another one.

See. Not hit.

Thankfully I didn't hit the deer that decided to be suicidal the other night. I was driving along, kinda zoned out cause I had stuff on my mind. Then suddenly there was a deer racing me. And then it decided to cut me off.

I slammed on my brakes at the same time the deer did...it fell over just barely in front of my car, got back up and ran off...

I cannot tell you how happy I am that I did not hit that deer. I mean, really really really happy I didn't hit that deer. The last thing I need right now is a car that doesn't work because a deer decided it wanted to check out the pretty lights on my car up close and personal. And I am very glad the car behind me wasn't tailing me...I mean, I SLAMMED on my brakes.

Oh, and I am also glad I have new tires on my car. My car stopped so fast! Would not have been the case with the bald tires that were on my car...