Anya Sees the Gulf of Mexico

Finally I have finished (I think) my poem about this picture of Anya. I've been working on it for several weeks. I think this might be the last draft I make, at least for a while. I hope you enjoy it.

Anya Sees the Gulf of Mexico

Corpus Christi wind whips
her red hair.
Grainy sand rubs
against her feet and hands.

Brown, pink, blue, and green
striped bum
doesn't quite touch
the sand
as she crouches low,
for she doesn't want to get dirty.
Mother says
she must wear pants,
so they compromise
and she wears
her favorite shorts
over them.

Cerulean shovel
matches the sky,
matches the water
that laps up on her feet.

She digs to China,
will sail to the distant country
on the USS Lexington
that sits at bay
across the water
a couple hundred feet.
She'll cuddle
with the pandas,
talk to them,
roll around with them,
gnaw on bamboo with them,
sleep with them.
And when she wakes
she'll venture
back to Corpus Christi
and her family.

Anya sees the Gulf of Mexico.
She soaks in the sun,
imagines,
digs.

after the magic

This is my latest poem. The assignment was to write a non-sentimental poem about Christmas. I tried to stay true to our family's Christmas morning, though I may have exaggerated the negative for the purposes of the assignment. I just want that to be clear so you don't think all I remember is the bad. I basically took a spin on some of my best holiday memories.

After the Magic

Branches hang limp and tired after being cut

from their roots two days after Thanksgiving.

Hundreds of needles blanket the floor,

and the green Sprite bottle that Dad rigged

to water the trunk

sits on the rust-colored carpet.

Sweet smells of pine, frosted cookies, German pancakes, syrup,

and smoke from an old, dirty wood-burning fireplace

are gross smells to tired noses.

Presents have been opened and sit idly on the floor

amid green, red, and gold bows and paper--
Christmas vomit--

that only hours before had been beautifully wrapped

around big and little rectangle boxes and stuffed beneath the tree.

Cabbage Patch dolls, bright pink Barbie cars,

jeweled trolls with blue and orange and green hair,

Legos, Connects, Micro Machines,

makeup, CD players, and New Kids on the Block posters

now lie scattered around the room.

Chocolate oranges cracked against the hard piano bench,

lifesaver books torn apart by sticky fingers,

and seven pairs of bleary eyes look around the room,

one big holiday mess,

and no one can eat breakfast

until the paper has been burned in the fireplace

and the bows have been gathered in garbage bags,

imitations of Santa's bundle,

and saved for next year.

"Don't touch my cars!"

"Give me back my Barbie!"

"We're going to be late to Grammy's house!"

"Come help me set the table!"

"Don't burn those bows!"

"It's my turn to take a shower!"

"You're not helping clean up!"

The holiday magic has been replaced by the whines of children and parents who awoke

three hours before the sun came up.

sd cards & other novelties

Blessed BYU-Idaho gave us a whole week off for Thanksgiving. I definitely needed it. Every time I tried to do homework I fell asleep. (You would too if you had to read Herman Melville!) Needless to say I did not get anything done. That's okay, though. I had a productive day today, and I'll be working my butt off the rest of the week. It will feel good, though, to have actually accomplished something after a week-long absence from accomplishing anything.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. I took two naps! Any day with two naps is incredible. We ate with Heather, Becca, Brandon, Calvin, Larry, Vicki, Barry, Lara, and Mason. Nicole was also there, but I don't consider her a guest anymore. She's there as often as I am. :) We had a wonderful dinner, and went to bed too late for our 2:00 wake-up calls. Okay, I'll be honest. I didn't get up until 2:30. We were out the door by 3:00 Friday morning for our 8-hour shopping trip. I was able to get presents for my nieces and nephews, which was a great accomplishment for me.

On Saturday we decorated for Christmas. And when I say we, I mean Mom and Stephanie. I attempted to do my homework, but I got lost somewhere between Facebook (the devil's most cruel time-waster), the BYU/Utah State football game, and YouTube videos. I did help Stephanie put lights on the downstairs tree while watching the football game--BYU won, if you were wondering--and the two of us put all the ornaments on it on Sunday. The pictures I took for this post are of the upstairs tree, mom's village, and the downstairs tree, respectively.

This brings me to my nifty SD card. My phone has a little chip that you put in an SD card, which goes right in the SD slot on my computer, and I moved all the pictures and videos from my phone to my computer. It's ingenious, really.

Nicole and I drove back to Idaho yesterday. I'm not ready to be back in the loosest sense, but I'm trying to look forward to my nice, long break after the last three weeks of the semester. I can make it! ...Right? I guess we'll see if I can pass my classes and submit my dear Carmen for publishing.

goodbye, farewell, and amen

I finally finished all eleven seasons of M*A*S*H last night. I had already seen many of the episodes on TV, but I bought the entire show on DVD over a year ago and have been watching it little by little. I watched all the episodes in order. Now I'm going to work on the bonus material. I also have the movie, but it's rated R, so I'm opting out of that one. It really is my favorite show.

cloud cover

Here is a poem I wrote awhile ago, but I thought I'd share it since I don't think I've ever shared it before. It's pretty cheesy, but maybe looking at this poem I wrote at the beginning of my college career and comparing it with more recent stuff will show that maybe I have made a little progress in my writing.

Cloud Cover

Oh, how blissful

kisses on the cheeks from clouds.

Are they heaven's tears?

Heavens no!

Kisses that bring life to the green

carpet that covers the earth.

The clouds roll in, stormy they seem.

but they are only bearing the gift of life

to God's creations.

Pooling together, streaming down the streets,

splashing and running.

When will it stop? When will the sun break?

Oh, the beauty of endless clouds.

They will not be defeated so easily.

Here to block the heat of day

from farmers' necks and little girls' cheeks.

Yellow slickers and orange rain pants,

blue umbrellas and red galoshes.

A playground of such brightness

that no sun can create.

Screams of delight as little once prance.

Mothers and teachers welcome the moment

when the outdoor smells are drawn in,

when it's soup and cocoa and homemade bread.

Not heaven's tears.

No, they're kisses instead.

save me

Here is my latest poem. I actually have one that I wrote before this called, "Anya Sees the Gulf of Mexico," but that poem is still under construction. I'll post it once I've finished it.

The assignment was to write about a phobia or anxiety using understatement. Of course you all know that my list of phobias and anxieties is never-ending, so I picked the first phobia I remember having. The picture I selected for this poem made me sick to look at. I hope you enjoy.

Save Me

Button eyes, fuzzy down,

bright green wings,
a small red head,

and a peach face.

A beautiful creature

made by the hand of God.

Once an egg

and now a live thing.

Her tiny talons

aren't really that sharp,

and her smooth beak is blunted

a little bit.

She searches the house,

scavenging for food.

It's what she was born to do;

to feed her babies.

A small child plays

with paper dolls

that have been chewed on the edges

by the clever little beak.

The bird calls

when she has found

her little piece of prey

in the living room.

Screams, but not very loud,

and a mother runs to find

the source

and to comfort the child.

The ear doesn't bleed much,

and Chewy is put back in her cage

to think about her naughty

deed that she is sure to try again tomorrow.

carmen

Most of you know that I've been working on a novel for seven years. I am not used to calling it that. It's always just been "my project," but I am learning that I need to call it what it is. For one of my creative writing classes this semester, my final project is to submit a work for publishing, and I decided that I'm ready to be done with Carmen. I've been tweaking her for so long that I wouldn't just finish it, and the time has come for me to move on.

The idea for Carmen came to me in high school. I first started writing her one Sunday in a sacrament meeting when I was having a difficult time concentrating. Rather than writing the story chronologically, I wrote different sections at different times, and eventually I had all these little pieces of a story that I then put together. Now that I have the whole story down in sequential order, I'm in the editing process.

I would tell more about my baby, but I'm not quite ready to share more than this. I hope that soon I will be able to show it rather than just talk about it.

tale of two poems

In one of my two creative writing classes I have been writing poetry. I have two that I would like to share. The first is from an assignment in which I had to interview someone 75 or older and write a poem about them. I decided to interview Grammy, and I had a wonderful time talking with her. She gave me a lot of information, which made the assignment much easier. The second assignment was done in class today. We picked 3-5 cards that had words and images written on them. One said "amulet," one said "size," one said "archetypal helper," one said "river", and one was a picture of hands. Anyway, I had to write a poem connecting the objects/words. It was not an easy task for the half hour we were given, but I came up with something, and that is the second poem.

Dancing

The lights blaze and the music pounds
from the nickelodeon.
I'm just a young girl who works
in the Chocolate Shop in Bisbee, North Dakota.
I dance with Harold,
a sister and brother.
We dance all night. A nickel per song,
and we dance until every song has been played.

Dad doesn't drink these days
He doesn't argue, doesn't beat up Mom.
These are the sweetest days.
We're happy.
I'm happy.
I dance.

In the morning I go to school,
the only school in Bisbee,
and I jump and dance with the rest of the cheerleaders,
"Bisbee can do what Cando can't do,
Cando can't do what Bisbee can do,
Yea Bisbee!"

Harry is in the Navy, Blanche lives with Marv.
When they come back home they refuse
to stay in a small town for long.
Mom won't live without her children.
And so we move
to Renton, Washington.

It's less than glamorous.
We live in a tent.
No bathroom. No running water. No electricity.
Worse than the primitive farm in Bisbee.
The cold seeps through the thin canvas
That shelters us from the weather.
I cannot get warm.

I start at Renton High School,
and we move to a new home.
Floors, walls, and ceilings.
Three small bedrooms,
a table and chairs and beds.
Pots of food are left by the previous tenants.
Feces on the walls.
But it is luxurious to us,
very different from our tent.

Mom buys her beauty shop, a beautiful
small shop in Skyway
next to a barber shop.
But Dad comes home drunk
and Mom has to hide us so he can't
beat us like he beats her.
He stabs her in the rib with a butcher's knife
and she files for divorce.

We do not live in fear after a time.
He's not coming back.
We live. We work. We host parties.
We dance.

The Amulet

The river widens at some points
And thins out at others,
But all the points still fade
Into the vast horizon.
It beckons me, calls me, pulls me
In with more force
Than I can stand.

Come to the amulet, it says.
The amulet knows all.
It will give you peace.
It will make you rejoice.

I walk, slowly at first,
Along the river’s bank.
Perhaps I am traveling a great distance,
But perhaps not at all.
The horizon never seems to get any closer.

I see a man beside the river,
A man who searches for water but cannot
Find the rush of the liquid before him.
“Here,” I say, dipping
My hands into the river.
“Drink, and be renewed.”
The old man drinks,
But once he has had his fill
He leaves without uttering
A word of thanks.

I feel the power of the amulet
Again calling me.
The river calls me.
It shows me the way.
But once I reach the river’s end
I only find a crystal lake.
No amulet, just my own reflection
Staring back at me.

unorganized

This semester is already almost half over. I can't believe how fast the time has past. Between trips home to Utah and going to classes (a much more difficult task than it sounds), I feel like I'm always incredibly unorganized. One look at my desk shows you how crazy my life has been. I haven't looked at my planner in a few weeks. I've been, to use a cliche that I hate, "flying by the seat of my pants." But I am still breathing. I am still living. My roommates are great. Every night we have apartment prayer, and that has become a great bonding time as we laugh and joke about the day and then calm down enough to pray. Sometimes it's difficult to settle down once we've started laughing. I am no longer the oldest girl in my apartment. NaDene and Monica recently returned from missions. They were companions, and together they bring a lot of life to the apartment. Clarissa and Izzy were in the apartment with me last semester, and they are both sweet girls. Emily is also really nice, though she is not often at the apartment because she has a boyfriend. Together, we all balance each other out, and we have yet to have any big conflicts. I really couldn't ask to be with a better group of roommates.

young adult lit blog

I don't know if any of you are interested in reading young adult books, but I have some great books that I read for the young adult literature class I took last semester. One of my projects was to create a blog of the books I read. I am continuing to add other books. If you haven't read many young adult books, I suggest you read some. They are wonderful because they're quick and entertaining, while they still have some very mature themes and concepts that apply to adults. So if you want some recommendations, click on the link on the side panel and it will take you to the blog.

monday, monday

Another beautiful day in Rexburg, but today I actually wore long sleeves because it was a little chilly outside. This semester has so far been very busy, and I can't believe how quickly it's passing. Actually, I kind of wish it would hurry up so I can be done with classes. How stressful. Five classes this semester in addition to my job at the McKay Library Reading Center. I am taking two creative writing classes, A LOT of work, an American literature class, also a lot of work, a church history class, again a lot of work, and art. I'm not talking the easy "draw-a-circle-and-you-get-an-A" art. My perfectionism is almost too much for me to handle sometimes. I'm working really hard to not let it become an issue. However, it's hard to change a personality trait I was born with. Classes are going reasonably well. I just need to work on getting caught up and staying caught up.

That's all for now. Hope everyone is doing well!

the most magical place on earth and other fun places

The last month or so has been so busy. Sarah, Jessica, and their kids came to visit us for a few weeks. We had so much fun playing with the kids. Lily is getting so big, and is such a sweetheart. LaMar and Rochelle are growing up so fast. LaMar slept on the floor in my room, and my favorite part of the day was bedtime when I got to put him in bed and read stories. He is a sweet boy. Rochelle played dress-up and house, and all kinds of things. Sophie is no longer a baby! She is still as friendly as can be, and she, too, is sweet and fun. She is full of mischief. Sierra is a beautiful girl, ready to go into young women's on Sunday. Her twelfth birthday is on Saturday. She started junior high yesterday. I can't believe how grown-up she is.

For Stephanie's and Sierra's birthdays, the three of us spent three days in Disneyland. It was so fun going with Sierra, who had never been before. We went on almost every ride, met several characters, and went to some shows. My favorite was Soarin', a ride/show about California. You sit in front of a huge screen, they move the seats up high so you feel like you're in a hang-glider, and you see, hear, and smell beautiful California landscapes. Next to that, my favorite ride was the good old Space Mountain. I love not knowing where the track is going to take you. It makes the ride so much more exciting. Sierra's favorite ride was the Hollywood Tower of Terror. They take you up into what is supposed to be an old hotel where the elevator stops working at the top of the building. Then you plummet, free falling down, shooting back up, then dropping again. It is by far the scariest thing I have ever done. Thank goodness for anxiety meds.

After coming home from Disneyland we drove to Washington for Brianne's wedding. She was a beautiful bride. I still have a hard time believing that she's married. While in Washington we were able to spend more time with family. Rochelle and LaMar were part of the wedding party, so they were all dressed up. It was so cute. At the reception we danced with the kids. Justin and Jessica danced, and Rochelle and LaMar were trying to copy everything their parents did. It was funny to watch Rochelle, who is quite a bit taller than LaMar, try to spin into LaMar's arms and dip like Justin does with Jessica. What funny kids.

I'm going back to Rexburg on Tuesday. I'm grateful for this break, but I'm kind of ready to get back into school. I'm starting to get what I can only guess is the beginnings of senior-itis. I changed my major to English education, and I am ready to finish school so that I can start working, making money, and moving on with my life. I think I'm done being the student. I want to be the teacher for a little while. Stephanie's going back to school has made me want to become a teacher even more. I know it will be difficult, but I think I'm up for the challenge. I guess we'll see how ready I am in a year or two!

remember how merciful the lord hath been

The title of this post comes from the title of a talk by Elder Neal A. Maxwell given in the April 2004 General Conference. This was one of his last Conference addresses if not the last. It comes from Moroni 10:3.

Right now I am overwhelmed by the mercy and love of my Savior and Redeemer. This last semester has been horrendous. I didn't think I'd be able to pass any of my classes. I just saw my grades. One D-; three C+'s; three B+'s; one A-; and one A. I couldn't be happier. I know know that I have witnessed true and tender mercies of the Lord, and I am so grateful. I worked so hard and was certain it wouldn't be enough. Through His great goodness the difference was made up so that I could finish the semester and actually pass all nine courses.

oh how i love them

the evergreen state and other green things

Last night I returned to Rexburg after a wonderful trip to the great Pacific Northwest. Each trip reminds me how much I love the green and how much I miss it while I am away. This last trip went too quickly. Brianne and I drove to Twin Falls on Thursday after class, where Mom and Dad picked us up. We drove all the way to Washington and arrived on Friday morning. We drove the entire way back to Rexburg (via Twin Falls) on Monday.

Friday was Sarah's birthday, so we went to dinner and then spent time at Justin and Jessica's house. We were fortunate enough to have our entire family together. All seventeen of us! It was wonderful. I am truly blessed to have such a great family, one that thrives on getting together every chance we get, one that actually gets along when we meet together. I am blessed to have great in-laws who have quickly become my siblings. My nieces and nephews are beautiful. I know you all know that, but I had to share anyway.

Being back in Rexburg is good for me, though it is not easy. I miss my family already, and I came back to an enormous pile of homework and a somewhat less-than-enthusiastic greeting from a pile of close and other things on my bed and floor. I was not so happy to have to clean all of that up before I could sleep. The good news: I changed my sheets and showered. There is nothing better than getting into fresh, cool sheets after taking a hot shower.

The weather is gorgeous in Rexburg. Of course we have the never-changing Rexburgian wind, but the sun is shining, the tank is clean...Okay, that was a Finding Nemo moment. I am grateful to be in Rexburg for the beautiful sun. The grass and trees are green. Flowers are blooming. The sun is out enough to give me some pretty intense sunburns. Oh, how I love the warm breeze and the green grass and trees. I didn't know what I was missing before! I'll exchange winter for spring any day!

ever changing, ever busy

I'm sure I don't have many readers, especially readers who don't already know what's going on in my life. But just in case I do have a reader or two whom I don't talk to every other day, this is a little taste of my life...

My golf class is difficult, but I am enjoying all the vitamin D from the abundant Rexburg sun. I didn't know Rexburg weather could be so beautiful and warm! The wind hasn't slowed down, though. This last week we had 40-mph winds. I thought I would literally blow away. My young adult literature class is tons of fun. I am glad I was able to take it again. Third time's a charm! I am determined to get through this semester and actually pass that class. Not that I don't love taking it over and over. I've found some amazing books. But I would like to graduate in this century. My religion class is wonderful. We are focusing on The Family Proclamation. I didn't realize how specific, inspired, and prophetic that document really is. My job at the Reading Center in the McKay Library on campus has slightly changed. Originally I was going to be a tutor, but the prospect of tutoring was a bit too much for me to handle this semester. Instead, the dear Sister Engstrom has made me her "slave," as she says. I look at it as getting paid to do things I enjoy. I have been editing many of the lesson plans, etc. for the Reading Center. It is similar to the work I did as a Scroll copy editor, but it is not nearly as stressful, and I don't have to deal with flack from everyone around me (Scroll is infamous in Rexburg--more than famous, but not in a good way). I didn't enjoy Scroll. Working for Sister Engstrom is great. She is so fun to be around, and has created such a low-stress environment for me. I actually enjoy going to work. I couldn't imagine ever feeling that way.

The seventh grandchild, fifth girl, was born in my family this week. Liliana Kay (Lily) joined Justin and Jessica on 13 May. I have only seen a few pictures of her, but next weekend I am flying to Washington for a few days, and I can't wait to see all but two of my babies--Lily, Sophie, LaMar, Rochelle, and Sierra. Yes, they are all my babies. If I can't have ones of my own, I will just have to live vicariously through my siblings.

In the next few days I am going to start up a young adult literature blog for my class, and I will be posting a link to it. It will basically be like mini reviews of the books that I'm reading for class, but I will probably continue using it even after the class.

Bye for now.

early sunday morning

This is the earliest I've gotten up without someone or something waking me since...I don't know...last summer? I don't know exactly why. Maybe not taking any sleeping pill, or even this pill that sometimes makes me tired, had something to do with it.

I met the next Greg Olsen or Del Parson a week or two ago. He was visiting my advisor in the Reading Center on campus (where I work), and he gave me one of his business cards. I got on his blog immediately when I got home that evening to see all his work. It is truly amazing. He has had work in the Friend and the Liahona. Check it out here:http://www.jamesjohnsonart.blogspot.com/. My favorite painting of his is "Eve's Temptation," which is pictured here...
I survived two weeks of school. The first week went really well. The second week was incredibly overwhelming. Lucky for me, my cousin Brianne made a trip to Utah for her birthday and engagement, so I rode with her to spend the weekend with my parents and sister. It has been a relaxing and fun trip. I slept in on Saturday and we went shopping. Today I am going to Stake Conference with Stephanie, which is in the Ogden Tabernacle (the reason why I needed to get up in the first place). I love my family. I don't know what I'd do without them. I don't want to even try to find out. After such a bad week, I needed to come home to outstretched arms. They--despite what they might think--are my greatest love and joy in my life. I can't wait for the day when all seventeen of us will be together.

I love you all!

back to the 'burg

Saturday was the big move-in day. Mom and Dad brought me up to Rexburg and helped me move in. I'm still trying to get completely settled. This week has felt like two weeks...and it's only Wednesday. I have been walking too much, probably close to four or five miles a day, between walking to and from and all around campus. Next week I start golf, which mean adding another seven or eight miles each week. Every night passes far too quickly. I don't have enough time to finish my homework and get a decent night's sleep. Usually I decide that if I can't have both, I'll choose neither, thus resulting in a night of laughing and talking until midnight. So far I have been fortunate enough to sleep in on Monday and Wednesday morning, but that won't last for long. Adjusting to a regular schedule has been difficult so far, but I have to remind myself that I haven't even been here six days. For now I am enjoying my classes: golf on Mondays and Wednesdays, and family foundations and young adult literature on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Next week I start work in the Reading Center, and the following week I'll start tutoring in the Reading Center. I am so grateful for the dear Sister Engstrom, the patient and loving woman in charge of the Reading Center. She has been a true answer to prayer, providing me with a job while still being understanding, patient, and supportive enough to allow me to work as little or as much as I want.

Living with Andra has also been a great blessing so far. Already I'm wondering how I ever lived without her. I have missed her so much while she was on her mission. We lived together at Colonial House during my first two years of school. She is like another sister to me...my favorite person ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever in the world. (She told me to put that, but I'm not going to lie. It's true). She is also the T.A. for my young adult lit class, which means she will be grading my assignments...I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing...

adventures with talbi & ani part II

After another few--very busy--days in Texas, and I have officially decided that I could live here only if every month were April and I could sit under a try all day! The weather has been gorgeous and hot; nevertheless, a wonderful breeze has helped me get through the heat. I think at last I am becoming exhausted, dehydrated...probably both. But still we keep going every day.

Monday morning we drove to Corpus Christi, which is near the Gulf of Mexico. It was a very appropriate activity, I thought, to do on the day so famous to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, April 6th. It was a long drive, but I was happy to pass the time away talking to Brandon as she drove. When we got there we checked into our hotel, the Radisson, and then went on a few tours of the U.S.S. Lexington, the only WWII aircraft carrier left. It was featured in the movie Pearl Harbor. The ship was huge, and had steep stairs. We all got a great calf workout for sure. While we were walking around, I remember hearing a little pop and my ankle started hurting a bit. I didn't think much of it and continued to walk on it. When I woke up on Tuesday morning my ankle was throbbing and I had to wrap it in an ace bandage. It still hurts a little, but not as bad as before. The hotel was right on the water. It was absolutely beautful. Corpus Christi is actually in an inlet or bay of the Gulf, so while Talbi and Ani went with their parents to our next destination on Tuesday, the rest of us drove to Port Aransas (pronounced "air-AN-sis,") to stick out feet in the Gulf. We rode a small ferry to the island of Port Aransas. The weather was absolutely perfect--because we got there in the early afternoon, the sun was almost directly over us, but we still had a nice breeze. The sand was much finer than the beach in Corpus Christi, and the water was warmer as well.

After an hour or so in Port Aransas, We drove up to Gruene (pronounced "green") to stay in a time-share. Dad turned on Betty, his GPS, which took us on the "scenic route" to Gruene. On Wednesday morning we spent in Gruene, which is a little German town. We went into little shops, which reminded me a lot of Leavenworth, Washington. My favorite store was a large antique shop. I could have spent hours in there if we had the time. While there I bought a book from 1924 called Essentials in Journalism. Inside I found an old English assignment and some notes. I had forgotten how much I love old books, especially ones that have to do with English.

Next we had a Subway picnic at Landa Park, which is close to Gruene. I sat in the shade the whole time. Again, the weather was perfect in the shade where the breeze was warm but still cool enough to keep me from getting hot. Some friendly squirrels found me, and we all had fun giving them peanut M&M's, which they ate quickly. A few of the squirrels burried the M&M's. I wonder if they'll still have their candy coating and chocolate after rain. We then drove back to San Antonio and went to Build-a-Bear. Steph made "Troy Bearton," a High School Musical bear. Talbi created "Fluffy," a puppy that he turned into Spiderman. Ani picked a pink monkey that she put a swimsuit and goggles on and call "Charly." Mom and Dad took a bunch of pictures and filled the memory card on their camera. We went to Rudy's for dinner, a barbecue place, and then we rented Bedtime Stories and watched that after Talbi and Ani went to bed. Such a good movie!

Today has been a low-key day. We've been playing Wii. Aaron has some games that we don't have, so we've been having fun playing Wii Dodge ball. Talbi amazes me with his crazy mad Wii skills. I am glad to rest my ankle before tomorrow's trip to Sea World. My sleeping pills knock me out for several hours, so any time I can get extra sleep is good--like this morning when I slept in until about 11:00. How good that felt!

adventures with talbi & ani part I

Day two in San Antonio. It's hot here. And humid. I stay indoors because I'm terrified of becoming burnt chicken. I've given in to the inevitable frizzy hair and mousse and diffuse it--better to start with and end with the curls and save the frustration of partially straight hair. We watch General Conference. We watch Marley and Me. Marley and Me reminds me of Scrat. I feel a little homesick. I have my first taste of Blue Bell ice cream. I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to pass the time until I sleep. I text Ben. I text Elisabeth. I text President Moyes. I text anyone who will give me a little taste of normalcy. I eat curry for the second time in my life. I like this curry better than before. I take endless quizzes on Facebook. I play several rounds of Text Twist. I check my email fifty times. I check my Facebook fifty times. I discover online Jumble--a newspaper classic. I solve many Jumbles. I love work games. I try to sleep. I fall asleep on the floor. I wake up with imprints from my computer keyboard on my cheek. I wake up shortly after Conference has started, but in time to hear the first speaker. I listen to Conference. I shower. I eat lunch. I begin typing, and find what little I've actually done.

A bleak paragraph, I know. But as I type and Ani sits next to me, watching me pound out the words on my keyboard and looking adoringly up at me with her beautiful blue eyes and gorgeous dimples, I realize why I'm here. Tomorrow we head for Corpus Christi and are going to spend some time lying on the beach. I am so glad that I get to spend more time with these kids. Talbi is so smart. He plays the piano like you wouldn't believe. And Ani dances like a pro. The life, the learning, the Spirit in this home...it's amazing. So far my adventures in Texas have not been all that exciting, but they've been simple, which in many ways is so much better.

pray for your own dam rain

Anyone who has ever lived in Rexburg or who is closely associated with Rexburg knows that the best thing about living in Rexburg is the plentiful supply of dam jokes. I love them. It's like when the opportunity arises to read a scripture in Sunday School that has a "bad word," and everyone volunteers because it's an opportunity to say a "naughty word" in church.

I was thinking about how every year there's a "water shortage." We're always in a drought. But one of the very few things I learned in my three attempts at my geography class is that drought + rain = flooding. And then everyone complains because they have to travel to work in a life raft, they have to sleep in life jackets, their carpets are ruined, yada, yada, yada...whine, whine, whine.

I love rain. It's my favorite kind of weather. Don't get me wrong. But this whole, "Everyone needs to pray for rain" mentality...I'm not so sure about it. "Let's pray for rain, but then when it starts raining, quickly switch to praying for sun."

In The Other Side of Heaven, I am deeply moved by one of the lines that says, "We are praying for a south wind. Others may be praying for a north wind. Perhaps we should be praying for a good wind." And so, as we move into the drier months of the year, perhaps we should be praying for "good weather," not for sun or rain or (for the mentally unstable) snow.

If you want to pray for rain, pray for your own dam rain.

where i've fallen

Somewhere in my incredibly busy life (to be said with incredible sarcasm) I found time to clean my room. Who knew that I had a floor! All this time I thought that if I were to remove the clothes and papers and books and empty orange G2 bottles (by the way, my FAVORITE drink, besides Barq's of course), I would fall right through what should have been the floor and land in the downstairs bathroom. I forget how big my room really is--it's really not big, but when the floor is clear, it seems a lot bigger. Instead of falling through my floor and into the bathroom, my life has taken some interesting turns, and I've fallen in some unexpected territories.

As most of you know, last week I made a quick trip to Washington. It was definitely too quick. I had so much fun playing with Sierra, Sophie, Rochelle, and LaMar. I also forget how much I miss Sarah, Brian, Justin, and Jessica. I had just as much fun with them as I did with their kids. I also forget how much I miss Grammy and Pa. I went to their house one night and had such a good time watching Dancing with the Stars with Grammy, our favorite past time when I was living there. And--SURPRISE!--I went on a date when I was there! The first one since Senior Ball. No, not a big deal, though, so don't get your hopes up. I went to Jamba Juice with Nathan, a friend that I've known since third or fourth grade. We had a great time talking until we were kicked out at closing time. I've never been kicked out of somewhere before. What an experience! We had a lot of fun, though.

In less than two weeks I'm going to San Antonio. I'm SOOO excited to see Aaron's family. I haven't seen them in a while. I have been rotating through pictures of my nieces and nephews on my desktop. Here are the featured pictures so far, starting with the first I put on, down to the one I have on their now:

No matter how many times people ask me, I cannot pick a favorite niece or nephew. I love them all equally. So these pictures are in no particular order. In a few weeks I will put this picture up of Sierra, and then I'll start all over:

I am putting a new feature on my sidebar--on the desktop. That's where I'll put my current desktop background.

For those of you who haven't heard yet, I'm officially changing my major this next semester. I have been a creative writing English major since I first started at BYU-Idaho. Not much is changing though. I'm just going into English education with a focus on creative writing. You all know how much I love writing and reading, so I've decided to share that love with other people. This way I'll be able to have a steady job, and I can spend my summers writing. I think it's a good arrangement. Now the issue stands with what language I'm going to learn. In high school I studied Japanese, but BYU-Idaho doesn't have a Japanese program. So, look to the sidebar poll and vote on which language you think I should study!

I am going back to school in a few weeks. It's coming up fast! I can't believe how the time has gone, but I'm glad. I'm ready to dive back into school. I can actually say now that I will miss Utah. I have become very active in the Singles' Branch, and I will miss that. But I'm also excited to be a student again.

Until next time...