Hello, Autumn!

I went to Wal-Mart with Beau yesterday and they had all of their autumn things out. There was a cute stuffed turkey that had written on it's belly, "Gobble 'til you wobble." I got so excited! I don't know why it is, but I absolutely love the changing of the seasons! So today, even if it might be a little bit early, I'm going to get out all of my fall decorations. I don't have a lot (I bought them when I was a poor college student and half my paycheck was going to rent), but I am excited to put them up! I might even get crafty and make a few of my own decorations.

I know this is a short post, but I figured it's better than nothing since I haven't posted for a while. I will strive to be better now that things are finally starting to settle down a little. Who knew married life could be so crazy?

My Brother's Birthday

Well, today is my brother's birthday. I'm at work so I can't call him like I was planning to, but it's slow enough that I can get on here and type him a birthday message.

Happy Birthday, Trent!!! This post is specifically for you. It's hard having you so far away in Texas. The other day was such a nice day that I was wishing you were here so we could go rock climbing. It was so much fun having us both live in Provo for a while. All the games, movies (especially the Garfield holidays), and Battlefront competitions . . . *sigh* I miss it. So many good memories.

I wish I could be there for your birthday. I'll be celebrating it on this end! I love you, Trent. Have the best day ever!!

Modern Movies and Sex Appeal

The new Batman movie is coming out soon so I watched one of the trailers with my coworker. It will be starring Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman, and this sparked up an interesting conversation between my coworker and I. Modern movies and sex appeal.

The conversation started that we were excited for the movie, but we were worried about Anne Hathaway playing Cat Woman. My coworker said that she was probably in it for the sex appeal. I'll be honest, in most modern movies I despise the female leads. They always get in trouble and cause problems for everyone else because they have to be saved in their helplessness. Or they are totally hardened and have become these dark, mysterious women who always find it essential to wear tight, shiny clothing for their line of work. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but . . . well . . . no, actually I'm not.

This is perhaps why I enjoy the older movies quite a bit better than the newer movies, especially when it comes to the chick flicks. The female leads are genuine, and they don't rely on their bodies to keep the audience entertained. They're funny, quirky, and just enjoyable to watch. Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie), Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched), Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), and Doris Day are some of my favorite actresses. Why? Because they could actually act. They were spirited, original, and quite simply, amazing. They got where they were because of their talent. Take Lucille Ball, for example. She was absolutely hilarious!! Every episode she had some hair-brained scheme that left the audience in an uproar. She would ad lib and just have fun with it, sometimes leaving the other cast members trying to stay composed and not laugh. These were the shows that left a lasting impression.

Now I ask you (and I asked my coworker this as well), when was the last time you saw a female lead in a modern movie play in the comic relief? And the flirting with the male lead does not count. Usually it's the male lead and the male lead's supporting actor, right? Why? Because today's media is so focused on sex appeal that the role goes to the body, not the talent.

It use to be that people had to be able to sing, dance, or act to be able to get into the movies. Nowadays, they just have to have low standards. And that's how the media portrays how women should be. But it's not. That is why I'm so hesitant of modern movies even when people say it's so good, and why I despise the female leads and refuse let them influence me.

We, as women, are better than that. We should be funny and quirky. We should have talent. We should be ourselves. And we should never fall prey to today's media and rely on our bodies to take us places.

Simply In Love

School and work are always enough to keep me busy, especially since now I'm playing catch-up from when I had my concussion. Lots of stress, lots of work, and little time. So when Sundays come, it truly is a day of rest. I woke up early this morning and since I don't go to church until 1:00 in the afternoon, it's given me plenty of time to just relax and listen to Sunday music, and ponder and reflect.

I already know that I am a terribly lucky girl, but in moments like this I get to look deeper and see just how lucky I really am. Today, among other things, I thought a lot about the amazing young man who wooed me and won my heart. I'm still not sure what I did to deserve such an amazing friend, who will soon be my eternal companion. He always treats me like a princess and just being with him makes everything better. Even when I'm ornery, he sticks it out until he can make me smile. Somehow he always knows exactly the right thing to say, the right thing to do, and the right time to say or do it.

I tried to keep track of all the reasons why I love him and why he is so amazing. But I couldn't keep up with him and I soon lost track. You know the saying, "I couldn't count them if I tried"? Well, I did try, and I couldn't count them. There are just so many, like his smile. He has a couple different smiles, and I love them all. I love to see him smile, especially when he can't help but smile. And all the little things he does for me, like scraping the ice off my car before he leaves for work, or calling me every day. This one I especially find cute. When we first started courting, he told me that he wasn't much of a phone talker and he didn't really like calling people. But now he calls me every day and will talk to me for quite a while. Last night I was home alone and he called me three times just to talk and make sure I didn't get too lonely.

He can always make me laugh and we just have so much fun together. He really is my best friend, and I love being with him. I could go on and on about all the things I love about him, and all the incredible things he does for me. I am so grateful for him. And I am so grateful to him. He means everything to me. And in less than two months, I'll never have to tell him good-bye again; it will just be "see you later."

I'm simply in love. And I have never been happier in all my life.

Good Night, Void

"Early to bed, early to rise
Makes a man healthy and wise."

Usually I'm not too bad when it comes to following this routine. The habit comes from my days on the drill team. And it helps that Tyler has to go to bed early because he works at 6 o' clock in the morning. That leaves me with, well, plenty to do, but missing him too much to really do any of it. Still, I get done what I need to then it's off to bed. Except on occasion I'll have nights like tonight . . .

So, what's so special about the nights I can't sleep? I will tell you. I don't know. If I knew why I couldn't sleep, I would find a way to fix it. Waking up in the middle of the night I don't mind so much. I really enjoy writing within that broken sleep (which is why I started this blog - take not of the title). I enjoy writing anyway, but there's something about having my mind still in the dream mode that makes it fun to write. But this isn't broken sleep. This is no sleep.

I can pull an all-nighter and be just fine until about 3 o' clock the next day. But usually with an all-nighter I'm hanging out with friends or doing something worthwhile. Tonight, though, is not an all-nighter by choice. Actually, I hope it's not an all-nighter at all; I really want to get some sleep before the sun comes up and I'm off to work and school.

No, tonight is different. Tonight is one of those nights where my mind is starting to shut down but my body won't. Tonight is one of those nights I aimlessly wander around the apartment trying to figure out what I can do to fall asleep (and trying not to eat all the cookies my roommate made). Tonight is one of those nights I get so lonely not being able to sleep but wanting to and not having anyone to talk to. I'm not moping, mind you. It's just a little bit frustrating, and I don't know what to do.

So I guess my question is: How? How do I convince my body to fall asleep on these nights that sleep just won't come? How do I convince the sun to sleep in a little bit so I can get some rest when I finally do crash? And how in the world have I been able to maintain the self-control to not call or text Tyler in the middle of the night when I'm feeling lonely? I'll be honest, I'm kind of proud of myself for that one. Anyway, I don't know how many people really read my blog. It's more for me. The writing, it just lets me escape. I guess most of what I write gets sent out into the void. But that's okay. The writing is enough. And it has let me relax enough that I might be able to get to sleep. So I guess I'll finish here and send this off into void. And hopefully sleep will take me. Good night, dear void.

What A Coincidence

Goodness gracious! What have I done?! I let October slip away with no posts and I almost did the same thing with November. This poor, neglected blog. Well, I've got one day left in November and I'm putting on a post. Deathbed repentance.

I've often heard that coincidences are instances in which God chooses to remain anonymous. And there are many coincidences out there. The door just happens to be unlocked on the days I forget my keys. Moose Tracks icecream just happens to be left in my freezer when I'm having a rough day. There just happens to always be someone to talk to when I go to the mailbox. There just happens to be someone who has some connection with Blanding no matter where you go. (This actually happens quite often. In fact, it happened just today.)

But how about this one? It just so happens that the holiday on which we celebrate Jesus Christ's birth falls directly after the holiday on which we give thanks. We have two major holidays to remind us of what truly matters.

Let us start off this Christmas remembering the true reason for this season. And let us make it a memorable Christmas full of peace, joy, and love. Christmas 2011 will never happen again - let's make it worthwhile.

~Tis The Season~

The Best Childhood

Last week we had a Stake Activity and fireside. Casey and I made lots of new friends that we've hung out with this past week, many of them from our ward. And we got free dinner. Really, why would anyone pass that up? You can never plan too far in advance for free food.
For the fireside, Bishop's wife spoke and another girl sang intermittently. It was a beautiful and very spiritual presentation. It was mainly focused on the Atonement as Bishop's wife illustrated it through the story of her conversion. Even though it was lined with hope from the Atonement, the tale itself was a rather woeful one. Bishop's wife and her older sister and grown up with an alcoholic father. Her mother passed away when she was only 11 years old, and her father passed the following year near Christmas time.
Her and her sister went to live with a family that wound up introducing them to the Church (and the two were later baptized). However, they never really felt like they were actually a part of the family, or that they were loved as much as the other children. The story was heartbreaking and brought tears to many in the audience, myself included. Yet, she showed us how much the Atonement had helped her in her life, and the testimony that she bore of it was powerful. I absolutely loved the experience I had listening to that presentation.
However, there was something else that tugged at my heart besides what the speaker had intended. The whole time I was listening to her story, the only thing I wanted to do was run to my parents, give them a hug, and tell them, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for loving me as much as you do. Thank you so much for all the opportunities you have given me. And most of all, thank you so much for giving me a childhood that I can look back on and smile."
Since I moved up to Provo I've heard of so many people who have had bad childhoods. I guess I never realized how common it was since it had never applied to me. I feel sorrow when people tell me of some of the things that happened in their childhood, or the relationships they had (or still have) with their parents.
I am so thankful for my parents. They helped make my childhood, in my opinion, the best anyone could ever ask for. I never have to look back on my life with regret and sorrow.
So again, I say to my parents, "Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me such a wonderful life!"