The end

On Thursday night- I thought it was the end of the world! Never in my life had I seen a storm like the one that hit Phoenix!

We walked out of institute at about 9 or so and ran to the car because it was raining. This part is typical for AZ- it is Monsoon season. Rain just comes out of nowhere! However, once safety inside, I looked up and saw what was happening in the sky. Lightening. Not just any lightening however, constant lightening- one right after another. This happened for about an hour. It was incredible. One of the reasons it was so amazing was because it was so cloudy, the clouds would light up every 2 seconds or so. Only once in a while would you see the actual lightening itself. I even turned to my roommate and asked- "Are we being bombed?!"

It looked just like that! Even our conversation stopped because I think that we were all so shocked at what we were beholding.

The rain was coming down so hard and fast that the windshield wipers couldn't keep up. We could barely see. Everyone on the freeway had their hazard lights on- We assumed it was to help those around them see that they were there. We joined in, because as my roommate said "Might as well, you always want to use your hazards and never get to!" :)

Its a good thing that I have been working on my food storage and 72 hr kit! I was ready to hunker down and ride out the storm. However, out by our house, the rain wasn't so strong, but the heavens were still going crazy with the lights. Secretly, I was kinda hoping that they would call me off work the next day! Ü Unfortunately, that didn't happen!

The weather people the next day said around the valley they had winds reported from 69-100 mph and that it was basically like a hurricane (How do you get a hurricane without the ocean?!) They were all stunned because they too had never seen a storm like that in all their years of living here.

I took some pictures, but of course it never turns out like the real thing, but here it goes.

So here is a cool picture of how cloudy it was that night. (Have I ever mentioned how much I love clouds!

I love this picture because you can see the light from the lightening through the clouds. This is what it was like all night. Usually its so dark you can't see anything!

I was able to capture it right when the lightening struck. It was so bright!

I am thankful that we didn't loose electricity and that there were no injuries reported! I can't even imagine being in a real hurricane!

Ask and ye shall receive!

Just a quick update from my previous post. And this is no joke-

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I turned on the news. The first story that I hear totally catches my attention. The words on the screen said "Exercise in bed".

Did I not JUST blog about this?!

It was a very quick story (I couldn't find the link to put on here). All they said was how nursing homes are going to be putting treadmill in people's beds (How?! Who knows!) I was hoping for some video or something, but as soon as it started it was over!

But Hey! If they can build it and it works...I think that I may have an answer to my conundrum! :)

Oh happy day!

Answers from unlikely sources

So, I was talking to my roommate the other day about how I need to exercise more. I realize that it's time to step it up! Our conversation went like this-

Me: Holly- I need to start exercising again, but I hate running.
Holly: Well then don't run. You need to do something that you want to- and then you'll do it. So what do you like to do?
Me: (In by best whiny, sad, and pitiful voice) All I really LIKE to do is sleep!

I was relating this to my nephews tonight and who knew- they had the solution for me. It's really quite simple. You see-

According to the 11 yr old- I just need to dream that I am being chased, and then I'll run while laying in my bed. (It is possible he is referring to the way that dogs do. I'm glad he made that parallel between me and the pooch!)

The 6 yr old told me that I should just sleep run- kinda like sleep walking but instead I should run!

And last but not least was from 9 yr old- "Jill You just need to invent a machine that you put on your legs that makes them run and make you feel like you are running while you are sleeping. That way your brain can sleep, but you'll be running at the same time!"

Perfect! Now I just need to find someone who wants to invent this machine. He informed me that it would only cost 300,000- really not as much as I would have thought. Any takers?

Kids really make things seem so simple.

Happy Anniversary!

Well- Can you believe it?! Today is the 3 year anniversary of when I returned from my mission to Nicaragua. I can not believe it has been so long. Each day my thoughts are filled with the wonderful memories of that place. I'm feeling a bit sentimental right now, so please join my on a glimpse of the wonderful experiences and place that is my home away from home!

(Warning- you may feel the need to laugh as you see these pictures. Socks with sandals, no socks at all, frumpy clothing, slicked back hair, me a foot taller than everyone else! :) You will see in all it's glory- the missionary way of life in good ole Nicaragua! Just remember as you're laughing, I still got at least 2 marriage proposals a day! Maybe I should go back to looking like that! :)

Nicaragua is a land full of both beauty-

and a land of poverty-

But the people are so happy! I really miss them so much. They are a people full of love!

And don't even get me started on the adorableness of the kids!

The people were ready to hear the truth and it was an incredible experience to teach these people, see them recognize the spirit, gain a testimony and truly convert!

They also taught me a thing or two! How to dance, cook their traditional food, and carry my laundry "correctly"!

We faced the elements of hot hot sun (we search out shade probably as much as we search for investigators), the all of a sudden down pouring of rain, and lots and lots of dirt! (in one city, our feet looked like this every night!)

We ate lots of interesting food-Fruits that I had never had like Guava, re fried beans in a bag, and once I ALMOST ate chicken feet! (plus, much much more!)

I had so many wonderful companions from all over-

Which led to a whole lot of fun!





Yes, there were hard times of long days of tracking, and stomach aches... (pepto was my friend!)

But I wouldn't change it for anything!!!

I love you Nicaragua! I can't wait to return!

I do what I can

So I am somehow becoming an Olympic junkie! I come home from work and turn the TV on and don't go anywhere! I have become very anti-social! I just can't get enough.
Right now I am especially hooked on swimming!



And...I bet those of you are wondering how he does it. How does Micheal Phelps win every time he swims? Well... It's because I am here for him!


My roommate had just gotten back from swimming laps, so I put her cap on to see if I could send him some winning vibes! (According to my roommate, I had it on sideways, no wonder my head felt like it was going to implode! )


I think it worked! because he won again! :)



I did end up adding the goggles just for the affect! Instead of "Thinking Man" I call this "Thinking wannabe swimmer!"

And here I am in all my glory. I think it was this look that really helped him win the most! The Olympics are so inspiring! Its even making me feel like I can do it!

I know- I'm hot! huh! :)

Watch for me in 2012!

Life lessons...

Good Idea:

Playing basktball with your friends...

Bad Idea...

Playing basketball with your friends- without your shoes on- on the pavement in Arizona

The result: blisters all over the bottom of your feet!!! I almost couldn't go to church today! :)

Okay- just to clarify- It was at night and the ground wasn't too hot.... I'm not THAT stupid- right?!

Excuse me Sir- can I have some more?

Driving in Arizona isnt really something that I would put in the "These are a few of my favorite things" song. Adding to the headache of it all is that I live in "boonerville"- which is to be interpreted very very far away from just about everything! Thankfully, there are freeways- which is one of the reasons that we moved out here. They were just about finished with the freeway by our house. We were so excited because the freeway on ramp was going to be just around the corner-maybe .5 miles- from our humble abode! Life was going to be SWEET when they finally finished.

Or so we thought.

To begin- and for the purpose of this post to make sense- it is important to note, that I drive North to get to work. For the majority of my time working there, it should have taken me about 2 minutes to get to the freeway. However, since I had to travel through 4 traffic lights to get to the freeway- those 2 minutes could easily be turned into 12 if you hit them wrong. (I know, call the wambulance for me...). However, I sucked it up and dealt with it. Knowing that real soon- only 1 traffic light would stand in my way of zooming to work.

I was also excited because my drive to my brother's house would be shortened quite a bit as well. It is also important to note that he lives South (opposite direction of work) and the completed freeway would probably cut 10 minutes off the drive.

As the time approached to the finishing date of the freeway, we were all elated! Joy beyond control was running through our veins! We would finally be connected to the rest of the valley. (Yes, I know- 4 traffic lights was not that bad, but think of the possibilities! That could mean 12 more minutes of sleep in the morning!) Each day that we drove past the construction zone we would feel ourselves getting so excited about the upcoming change.

However, as I began to look closely to the construction, something hit me one day. And as the freeway finished and opened, what I feared most came to be reality. I give you exhibit "A"

An on ramp going in what direction? oh yeah- south. This- I expected. The quick drive to my brother Jeff's would now come to pass! I would surely need to be visiting them much more!

But wait...something was amiss..

Exhibit "B"

This direction is facing North. Are you seeing the thing thing that ISN'T there?! Excuse me sir- isn't this where the on ramp to go North should be?! The on ramp that was going to make my life so much easier? The on ramp that I needed to take EVERY morning to work.

So they don't give us a road, but they do give us a fence so that you can WATCH all the cars driving upon the freeway that you desire to be on as well.

And to show how kind they are, they also added 2 stop lights as well! So instead of this nice quick hop, skip and a jump away from zooming that I thought I was going to have-I now have 6 lights to go through which kinda makes it a hop, skip, jump, hobble, stumble, then zoom...

So nothing really changed with my commute to work. I still get on at the same place that I had previous driven to. Each morning as I pass OVER the free way and see the cars zooming by as I am stopped at the newest light, I find myself mumbling under my breath. I can almost hear the people mocking and laughing as they are already zooming on their way!

So I ask- why did they not feel it important to add the North on ramp? (and lets not forget that coming home from work, there isn't a South off ramp either! So the same 6 stoplights get in my way from getting home for a yummy snack!)

So please sir (aka city of Mesa)- can you please build some more freeway and help a girl out?! Each day I think that maybe- just maybe- they guy in charge is going to wake up and say "Oh NO! We forgot the north on ramp!" and then they'll get the team back to work and fix it! Ya think?! Hey- anything is possible!

It's about time!

Well, I finally did it. After 9 months of waiting and after many times of seeing my brother's disgusted face when he looked at my car, I finally got a new hub cap for buddy!

It did make me laugh that my brother was so against me leaving the front wheel uncovered however! Maybe it was a little too white trash for him. I think that there was a part of me that was NOT replacing it just to spite him! Today however, I decided to take action. I had gone to visit them and see the boys after their first day of school, so I asked Jeff to help me to finally cover Buddy's nakedness!

Who knew it would really only take a few minutes on the phone (and of course knowing the correct information) and Voila! A hubcap is ready to be purchased just down the road from where you are! I don't know who was happier, Jeff or I- but at least I don't have to hear about it anymore! :)

I was actually excited because the dealership was on a road named "Test Drive". I had recently driven by this road many times when Aaron was in town and I just found it to be quite clever- so I was pretty stoked (I haven't used that word in awhile so I thought I'd throw that in!) to have been able to actually drive onto Test Drive. Turns out nothing special happens on Test Drive, but I felt happy to partaken of driving on it!

Luckily no adventures happened. I just shelled out the money- which I still think was a rip off. I really should have gotten it for free since the silly thing popped off on its own! :) The guy was nice enough to put in on for me, which oddly enough was done simply by putting it in place and using his hand- not tools- and pounding it in. Now I fully see why the other one fell off! So- any bets on how long this one is going to last?!

So here his is- fully capped and ready to roll...

However, not all could be perfect in the life of buddy..oh no... not for him. In the drive back from UT he got a tiny crack in the windshield again. No biggie. Right?! Wrong. One day last week, as I was leaving the parking garage, I witnessed a terrible thing. Something with a poor defenceless car mixing with the fiery heat of the Arizona sun-- I watched in horror as the crack began to grow. What do you do in that moment? It's not like I have super magic powers in my fingers to stop it- even though sadly enough I tried and put my finger at the end hoping to accomplish that goal. Thankfully it did stop (so...maybe I DO have magic!). But, I think he may still fall under the category of white trash! Poor guy! So I ask- is it worth it to get another windshield yet? Or should he just ride in style for a bit?!

Plus, here's a bonus for you- you can see how pretty our bush is in front of our house! Aren't the flowers gorgeous?! :)

Keeping me laughing

Recently I have had a run on really funny experiences with kids in the hospital. I just thought I would share a few.

When working with a 4 year old she asked if I liked Hello Kitty. I replied "yes". She all of a sudden appeared to age dramatically. She began having a conversation with me just as 2 adults would, all about hello kitty and the great things about her. "They even had a hello kitty concert" she told me. Then she asked "When you were little did your mom let you go to the Hello Kitty concert?" After explaining that I didn't know about the concert when I was young she replied in a very disgusted voice, "Well, when I was little, my mom would let me go either."

Keep in mind- she is 4. I guess I always considered 4 as little, but...

I realized that in all the times I had prepared kids for getting a cast, I had never seen one actually come off. I went downstairs to the kids clinic and asked if I could sit in and watch one. There was a 10 yr old boy scheduled and he told me that I could watch. He was super cute. Kind of a little chunky boy (he actually kind of reminded me of the little boy on the movie "The Kid"). As the doctor got the "saw" out, the boy said to his brother "Take my cell phone and take some pictures as she does this ". The brother got ready but the said, "I cant! It says its full!" He paused for a minute and then blurted out "its all full of pictures of YOU!" To which the 10 yr old replied- striking a pose "Well, can you blame me?"

I guess there's no confidence issues there!

There was a 9 yr old that had been here for about a week. We had a great time together and she got to the point where she was very comfortable talking to me. Even though she insisted that she was "very quiet" and "hardly ever talked". I found that I could barely get her to stop talking! Ü Once while doing crafts, she began talking about her B.F.F.'s (for those unfamiliar with this term, Best Friend Forever). Most girls choose 1 and cling to that girl. However, she had 4 and I heard all about them...Megan, Cela, Rose and Alora. What I loved most about this conversation was that she was determined that they would all always be BFF's no matter what! (she apparently hasn't been in middle school yet! Ü) But she informed me that they were going to "live in an apartment together or one day live in a 3 story house!"

In talking to her it reminded me of my BFF. We too had the same plan. We were going to go to all the same schools, be in the same classes and of course marry brothers and always live right next to each other. However, one day in elementary school, while we were planning our lives, we decided that would be both go to Union middle school and Hillcrest High school. But then I realized something very alarming. Her family was U of U fans, and well my family had chosen "right" and were BYU fans (haha! That's for all you U fans out there!)

Seeing the dilemma I said "Well Allison, how is this going to work- I don't want to go to the U!" Her reply was classic. She got a similar look of worry as she said "Well, I don't want to go to the B!"

This one isnt a kid in the hospital, but I thought it cute none the less. One day while over at my brother's house his 5 yr old boy was playing. Something happened that made him upset and he left the room. A little while later I realized that I hadnt seen him for awhile. My sister-in-law looked in the livingroom and she found him.

No...He isn't hiding under the blanket, he is sound asleep! So funny!