Blue Teeth

Some thoughts that wandered through my head today:

I wish my boots were waterproof.

I want to be at home doing a puzzle right about now.

Remember how when you were a kid, you'd purposefully eat the blue or green or purple candy so your mouth would change color? Wasn't that fun? Now, eating a blue candy cane makes you dread opening your mouth.

Blue teeth are cuter on a five year old and that's a fact.

I love turtlenecks.

How awesome would it be to work at a hospital in New York?

Why am I so obsessed with New York right now? Is it from the Jay-Z song? Maybe...

Why am I so obsessed with turtlenecks?

How awesome would it be to have money so that when I get the urge to travel, I can?

I wish I knew what I wanted to study earlier so I could be closer to graduating.

I wish I knew what I wanted to study still...

I wish I really truly didn't care about dating. It's so much more fun that way.

I wonder what happens next in "The Hunger Games."

I think I'll read after work.

I need food.

I think I'll make sweet potatoes tonight.

Maybe I can go home a day early and eat the fam's food...

I don't want to spend over $300 on textbooks this semester. Sigh...

I wonder if that cute guy will be working down the hall again this semester.

Curse you, blue candy cane.

-- There you have it, a real life glimpse into my thoughts. And yes, they came in this order, and yes, they are always this random.

Darth Leia Skywalker Kanobi

Today I wore a turtleneck and sweater-tunic type deal, completed with skinny jeans and boots. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail, glanced in the mirror, and thought, "I look like a Jedi off Star Wars." And it is true, I do. It doesn't help that my color scheme is gray and brown.

But I got my Jedi-costume for Christmas and it is warm and I love it. It just wasn't meant to be a jedi-costume. Whatever, some guys dig the jedi look. Probably not the ones I want to date though.

Background Schmackground

I think we already know I have way too much fun with these backgrounds but I think the boy scouts will stick around for awhile :)

DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE

Please sing the headline to the tune "Down" by Jay Sean. Thank you.
I'm finished with finals! And miraculously I think they went very well. I zipped right through the two yesterday which kinda had me worried and I even had a dream last night that I answered a question completely wrong...haha oh brain, just let me relax already! I'M DONE!

I saw "The Blind Side" last night. Great movie. I recommend you see it.

The days are counting down to when my crazy marathon training starts! I'm just running right now, but January will throw in a little extra to my routine. I'm excited that I'm actually doing this!

Ch ch check it out

Like my new background?
It's called "Cheetah Charm"

We'll see how long I can keep this one up before I get sick of it. It's so pink and cheetah-y...

And I'm actually just trying to take up space so that this post is longer and the video post below it won't cover the side pane. I am not techy enough to know how to fix that without doing what I am doing right now so you just sit back and enjoy yourself a good ramble.

It is currently the last week of school. Three more days of classes. Three more papers due (one due today, one Friday, one next Weds).
Of course I forgot my jump drive where these papers are saved so we're starting out on a high note. And my motivation level is dangerously low.
And it's snowy/ing outside. And my boots have no traction so I slide to school.
And I went sledding last night for the first time since I broke my back. Let's just say I was a total chicken and played it safe. No jumps, rode with other people so it was heavier... But even though I was Captain Lamesauce it was still fun!

There's your day in the life of me. Hope you had fun.

Current Faves

Songs:

1. Empire State of Mind [clean] - Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
2. Do You Remember - Jay Sean
3. Sweet Dreams - Beyonce
4. Meet Me Halfway - Black Eyed Peas
5. Down - Jay Sean
6. The Fear [clean] - Lily Allen
7. I Got You Dancing - Lady Sovereign

And always and forever Ingrid Michaelson

Granted, some of these I like because they are just really great to run to.

Siblings:

Just kidding.

Snack:

1. Graham Crackers and frosting
2. V8 Splash
Always and forever Chips and Salsa

Boyfriend:

Like I have more than one to choose from.

Activity:

Sleep
Run
Procrastinate
Listen to music really loud and possibly dance along.

Really Lame Lyrics

So Jesse McCartney has this song "Body Language," that I've been hearing on the radio lately. Sounds awesome doesn't it? It's pretty dumb actually.
I just wanted to point out one thing. In his song "Leavin'" he has a line that goes a little something like this: "that thing you've got behind you is amazing."
Why, thank you, Jesse. Words of a true gentleman. Of course I would want to date you if you said that to me.
Not.
But anyways, this song "Body Language" repeats that line (over and over). First of all, it's hardly a good one. Second, it's the exact same as in his other hit song word for word. Seriously can you think of a better way to phrase that? And third, it's just kind of weird...it's like, what, does she have a tail or something? Is there a really cool dog following her around? What thing is behind her? Ohhh....you mean her derriere? Yeah last I checked that was part of you and not behind you. Although it is called your behind. Maybe poor Jesse was just confused.
That's all. I just thought it was funny and I wanted to point out how creative my man Jesse is. So glad you became a pop star instead of going to college.
There are tons of songs out there where you just think "what the heck?" Next time I hear one I'll let ya know. This reminds me of Dave Barry's "Book of Bad Songs." Such a funny man -- look it up.

BYU Football

What a game!
And after the game when we rushed the field I accidentally got smacked in the head by Coleby Clawson's shoulder. I only come up to his shoulder. It was awesome.

The Game of Bonnie's Life

I have too much fun writing weird and random thoughts that I don't really dish out the dirt on what's really happening in my life right now. Welp, too bad.

My dear friends and family who live far away, this is for you.
And to my dear friends and family who are nearby: Do you see that little "x" in the top right corner (top left for you Mac user's)? Yeah, go ahead and click on it because this isn't for you.

The Game of Bonnie's Life
Rules: Match items 1-5 with a-e. If you get them all right, you WIN! If you don't, you LOSE! What Fun!

1. I went crazy.
2. I went crazy.
3. I went crazy.
4. Well I already went crazy so...
5. I'm super duper excited about...

a. I am taking Volleyball next semester. And mission prep and marriage prep (Like my Dad said, I'm covering all my bases).
b. I am running a marathon in April.
c. I am an English major.
d. I have no clue what to do with my English degree (assuming I get it).
e. BYUSA

Was it a little trickier than you thought?
Here are the answers:
1. b (or c or e)
2. c (or b or e)
3. e (or b or c) ...maybe even a?
4. d
5. A!!! (and b. But maybe just super excited or just duper excited. Not super duper excited).

Now for the explanations:

1. I went crazy because I am running a marathon in April. Does that really need elaboration? The thing is I paid for it already and it is non-refundable. I did that because the earlier, the cheaper, but now I am bound. Like I said 2 seconds after clicking "submit" - I sold my soul. So now I am training and hoping my knees stay tough and I don't break my back or anything before because that's my money down the toilet. But the good deal is my Daddio is paying for it so long as I go through with it. What a nice guy.

2. I obviously went crazy because I am an English major. Frankly, I want to finish school so I do not want to change my major again. I like it most days, love it some, hate it some (everyday with Engl 291) but figure I'm not going to do what I really want with just a BA in English anyway so I'll be heading off to Grad School in something. We have to read so much though, dang it.

3. I went crazy because I decided to spend my spare time on BYUSA. It's actually probably some of the best spare time ever spent. Did that make sense? Probably not. But basically, I love it. I don't have as much time to just relax and play since my schedule is always work, class, homework, BYUSA (BYUSA and homework will always fill in the cracks) and marathon training, but it is fun. I've helped with Fall Fest, Homecoming After-Party and Battle of the Bands and I'm not done. I'm getting friends and skills. I love it.

4. I already went crazy so now what? This refers to the lack of direction in my life at the moment. I already went to crazy town so I don't know what's left. I'm an English major and don't know what I want to do. Sounds like a lot of English majors. But some Englishers dream of writing for the rest of their lives...I don't really.
Teach? Nursing? Business? Communications?
Run away? yes.

5. I am soooo excited! Next semester will rock my socks. I'm only taking 2 English classes, one of which is creative writing so that should be fun and then I have awesome Volleyball. I am taking Physical Science though (finally) so that'll probably be the only dampener on my schedule. Unless I get a really cute guy in my class...

Be wise, Sanitize!

I think I should go into slogan making. I guess that's the same thing as advertising. I should go into advertising. Doesn't "Be wise, Sanitize!" make you want to just go and grab the nearest bottle of hand sanitizer and load up? I thought so. It makes me want to grab my hand sanitizer and my boss's and my neighbor's and my neighbor's brother from another mother's mother's. Suckas.
How about: "Be fit, drink your spit!"? I'm sure there are some people out there (probably girls ages 12-17 and guys ages 18-29) that would actually believe in some crazy rumor that I'm starting right now that drinking your own spit will help you lose weight or something. That's nasty though, I have no idea why it was the first thing to pop in my head. I apologize.
Anyways I should probably be hired right now because I am really good at rhyming and I heard that due to the economic recession there has been quite the decline in good rhymers. Don't ask questions. Just trust me.

Ok.

"Be fit, drink your spit!"

Favorite Band Party

Check out Ingrid Michaelson's new album "Everybody." She is awesome.

http://www.ingridmichaelson.com/music/

She's coming to Salt Lake on Saturday, but I can't fork out $60 for a ticket at the moment :(

Why so much??

So I may just have my own Ingrid Michaelson party and listen to my favorite songs and eat my favorite foods and be with my favorite people. Whoever wants to join me, let me know. I'm serious.

...maybe I'll have other favorite band parties too...

I Have Two Brothers, Hey Hey Hey!

I was just thinking, my main picture on my blog makes it look like I don't have any brothers but I actually have two: Ian and Christian.
Check out these handsome men in my life:

Brother #1: CHRISTIAN!

Christian is almost 22, 6'4-5 ish, talented, and oh so cute! Yes, ladies, he has dimples. He is fluent in Dutch (just got home from the Netherlands!), a very talented artist and musician, and knows how to crack a corny joke. Ok so this isn't an ad to date my brother. I just want people to recognize he exists and I love him!!! Chris is not quite 2 years older than me so we've been pretty close through the years. Back in the day we'd build lego contraptions or Playmobil castles. Or I'd watch him play video games :) Then I'd go play Barbies with Kat. I'm a very versatile woman. We'd build forts almost every Sunday and got to be pretty good, though he was definitely the mastermind behind them. So it fits that he is now potentially looking into Architecture as his field of study. He's also just a super easygoing guy to be around. What awesomeness and attractiveness he brings to my fam. The girls go wild over this one.

Brother #2: IAN!

This is probably the craziest, cutest, 12-year-old I have ever known. Just yesterday he was bragging to me how he can now do a backflip on the trampoline and will have to show me next time I come home. And who could resist those dimples?? (Note: the boys were blessed with the dimples and the girls not so much). He is also one of the funniest kids in the world. This kid has wit. Of course he gets special attention as the youngest and a guy but he definitely deserves his own credit for being the clever kid he is. Plus he's one of the few remaining who will crack up if I do something immature...in some things I am still on the same wavelength as this boy. He's always out playing sports, likes to read (mostly "Calvin and Hobbes" or "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"), plays piano, is a little smarty pants and basically the leader of his little neighborhood friends. He's a good kid. He also brings such awesomeness and attractiveness to our clan. Plus he's already got some pickup lines down...watch out!

The First Time Ever...

...I withdrew from a class. I always take on too large of a load and for some crazy reason I thought I could handle it this time around. But apparently English majors have to read a lot or something and it's time consuming. Why I didn't fathom it would be, I don't know.
So I dropped Finance :(
I really liked the course but I'm just concentrating on what counts towards the major right now. But on the bright side I have a 2 hour break on Tuesdays instead of only 30 minutes!

New Song

Inspired by my roommates:

Katelyn has such beautiful hair
She's right over there
Just look at her hair!
People just can't help but stare
At Katelyn's hair
Because of the glare
Katelyn does her hair cute and curly
And it smells kinda girly
Cuz she uses perfume.
Know how she gets such a good poof?
I'll give you the scoop.
She uses a vacuum!
Oh Katelynn! What's shakin?
Let's make bacon! Can we, Katelyn?
Jenny has such nice hair too
Cuz she uses shampoo
And Katelyn's conditioner too.
She's so nice she'll lend you a penny
And probably many
like one hundred and twenty!
That Jenny girl, she sure is funny
And she'll give you money.
Like a penny. (Thanks Hunny!)
She rides her bike, "Susie Q"
All the way to the zoo.
And if you just ask,
She'll probably take you too.
Oh Jenny! Where's Kenny?
Who's Kenny? Is he taken? By Katelyn?
You know who else has great hair?
Let's stop. And stare.
Its Stephanie Claire.
Actually that's my middle name.
Her's isn't the same.
It's Marie.
Steph-hunny sure likes to dance
and she wears cool pants.
Probably borrowed from me. (Just kidding)
Probably borrowed from Katelyn.
As funny as two guys on a scooter
But she's ten times cuter. And she owns a car.
Steph-hunny! Oh so funny!
You're nose is runny. Cold, Steph-hunny?
Now I guess I'll tell you bout me
I live in a tree.
But I'm no hippie.
Even though I like Bob Dylan,
and I'm good at chillin,
and my hairdo is killin...
We're back to the subject of hair.
Mine's right up there.
Feel free to stop and stare
...at Katelyn!

There are three reasons I haven't written anything for awhile:

1. I have not felt very creative. I still don't but whatever.
2. I'm kind of busy.
3. My internet at home stinks and I haven't had the patience to wait 20 minutes for each page to load.
4. ............Nope, there are just three.

Anyways, in the time between the tale of the trash cat and now, a lot has been going on. Oh speaking of trash cats, I've seen a few that live under the dumpster outside my place. We also have raccoons. That thing reeks. Kind of like dead cat, actually....come to think of it I haven't seen them in awhile.

On to life:

School started. That's good and bad. But mostly good.
Fall Fest ended. That's mostly good too. I actually had a lot of fun...But now I think I'll join another BYUSA committee because I don't know what else to do with myself.
I moved. And our place is cute just like my roommates and I bought a bookshelf on Saturday so I can stop stacking my books under my bed and it is so cute and organized (just like my roommates) and then I felt good so I could finally do my homework and not have the stash (of books and junk) under my bed nagging at me.
I grew. Older, that is. And probably wiser. And maybe funnier, just not today. I had a birthday you guys! I'm, like, so big now! Like, 20! OMGoodnessgracious. That was a great day. I have awesome friends. My little brother gave me a penny which was the best present ever. He knows I'm crazy for Abe Lincoln. Definitely one of my favorite dead guys. My bro is definitely one of my favorite alive guys (just to be clear).
I'm still an English major. I have set a record. But it kinda doesn't count because I had summer between the time I declared it and now, so of course I wouldn't change my mind. I have to read ALL the time now. Rough life. Good news -- I am taking Advanced Writing which means I'm learning some grammar so maybe my posts will be grammatically correct. Maybe.
And I am looking into grad school. That's exciting.

That's all. And people keep getting married and having babies and stuff. What are they thinking? (just kidding...)

The Cat in the Trash

I'm baaaack! That reminds me of that dinosaur movie. I like that movie. I can relate to it because I am hungry and intelligent and non-violent, just like those dinosaurs.
I haven't written anything in a long while and had a funny experience at lunch today that I wanted to recreate via song. I'm really nervous, and not much of a singer, but here it goes:

Lunch with the Kitty in the Trash

We were sitting at the table under the tree
Just minding our business, Mallory and Me.
When out from the bush by the library
strolls a little kitty-y-y-y-y.

While eating our lunches
We had hunches
That kitty wants lunches too (ooh ooh)
That kitty wants lunches too.

While sitting at that table under the tree
Just watching the kitty, Mal and Me,
We saw that kitty jump for glee
On the trashcan behind the library.

While eating our lunches
And watching cat lunges
We had hunches
That kitty will fall in soon (ooh ooh)
That kitty will fall in soon.

Speculating at that table under the tree
About how funny it would be
If the kitty on the trashcan fell gracefully
Into the trashcan's contents of food smelly.

Our hunches were right
With a look of delight
As we heard the kitty thumped
Because it overjumped
Right into that garbage oh-so smelly.
Locked away for time and eternity.
(cue "Smelly Cat" by Phoebe Buffay)

I think that is an appropriate way to end the song.
Just kidding. I will take the time to tell you how the story really ends in case there are shocked and tearful cat-lovers out there.

The Sequel: Lunch with the Kitty in the Trash Gets Out of the Trash

I was sitting at the table under the tree
Eating my lunch and laughing-ing
Mal poked her head around the trash with the cat
Afraid to put her head in and get scratched.

That trashcan had a lock and it had a lid
So if the cat jumped it might knock its head (pronounced "hid")
So what my pal Mallory did,
Was call Grounds Crew (oooh ooh)
That Mallory called the grounds crew.

We had a clue
That they had a tool
To let that kitty fool
Out of the trashcan (yeah, man)
They could let the kitty out of the trashcan.

While sitting at the table under the tree
Mal called the man, so heroically,
To let out the smelly kitty-y.
And then we waited patiently.

We had a hunch
That kitty had its lunch
And then it lunged
Or rather it plunged
Back into the bush behind the library.
Before the man came to rescue she.

Once again our friend, the kitty was free
It was able to jump, actually...
So our lesson as you can see
Is never underestimate one's abilities.
Never underestimate one's abilities.

Christian is HOME!!

Ah the day has finally arrived.
My dear brother is home, alive.

No, I am not writing another poem. But we are really excited Elder Kirkham is home! (The fact that those rhyme is just a coincidence). There was quite the crowd at the airport last night, many of them waiting for their missionaries. So when they all FINALLY came down the escalator (pretty much all of them came together), the crowds went wild! wooohooo!! Christian looks handsome as ever. It's great to have him back. He smelt a little funny though. But at least he knew it.

On the way home we saw some fires just off the highway, you know, the usual. Welcome back to America! Ahh we are on fire! That kind of thing. It is so much fun having my big brother around again. Now he can beat up the kids that make fun of me on the playground.

I will get pictures up when I find some. My camera is still kaput, so I'll bug my mom or something. Angel has uno photo on her blog. Check it out.

My Background Is Sassy

I hope you have noticed my lovely background. I chose it because the title is "Sassy." I have always wanted my background of my blog to have a title that reflects a little bit of myself, ever since before I even knew what a blog was and always thought people wrote "blobs." Ever since I was born. Finally, my wish has come true. Children, no matter what people say, wish on stars (both shooting and stationary) and wish when you blow out your candles and when you hold your breath the whole way through the tunnel and when the clock reads 11:11 and when you cross a black cat's path and when the fat lady sings (wish twice if she dances), etc. I have done all the above (simultaneously) and my wish came true. My background is "Sassy."
Dictionary dot com defines sassy as the following:

1. Rude and disrespectful; impudent.
2. Lively and spirited; jaunty.
3. Stylish; chic: a sassy little hat.
4. Bonnie: a sassy little chick
   

Just ignore the first one.

Children, when you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, if you're thinking of bein' my baby, it don't matter if you're black or white.
What I'm trying to say is, when you make a wish sometimes there will be little or big obstacles to distract you and then you will think you made a completely different wish and then it won't come true because it's not the wish you made in the first place on all those things which are guaranteed to make it come true like blowing your birthday candles and catching a falling star and putting it in your pocket but since it's not the one you made in the first place it won't come true and you are just holding your real original wish back from coming true by trying to make your fake wish come true. I hope everything is clear as a crystal now. Please observe the following true-life scenario:

One day my little sassy self had the opportunity to choose a new background for my blog. "Oh, my, this is like a wish come true!" thought meself. I browsed through cutestblogontheblock a little and lo and behold, found "Sassy," which described me to a B, maybe an A-. Just like I had wished when I blew out my first birthday candle years and years ago. Content with the new background and all it's stripey sassiness, I decided to just peruse through the others to see what other pretty backgrounds there were.
Bad idea.
Suddenly I saw all these other titles which sounded so appealing, (who cares if they looked good or not?) I saw "Uptown Girl (in Pink and lime)," "Sassy Dots," (not just Sassy, but Sassy Dots) and "Zebra stripes." The decision was suddenly so hard. I began to convince myself I wanted sassystripedotzebragirl all along. I saw "Olive Drab" but it sounded, well, drab... and I thought about "Birdy Love" because I love birdys...talk about tough decisions.
But then there were the obvious NO's: "What's cooking," and "Giddyup Garden." If you know anything about me, you'd know those are definitely not me. Someday when I'm a homemaker and I make my home, the words cook and garden will totally captivate me. Not yet.
So my mind was all a muddle, "I don't want THAT, oh but I do..." and "that is soooo me, wait, no it's not!" I wreaked my mind for a solution knowing that way back when, something on AFN taught me what to do in these kinds of situations. "Stop, drop and roll!" Wait...that's for a fire. Then it came to me. I stopped. I breathed. I counted to three. And I remembered: All I wanted was for my background to simply describe myself (there goes "Touch of Sweetness" and "Star Student"). I breathed again and counted to ten. I closed the website. "Sassy" is perfect.

And if I change my background, don't worry about it. Change is good.

Let's Celebrate!

My Birthday is coming up so I thought I would share a few of my favorites:

My favorite present: a new shiny mac
My second favorite present: a new shiny car
My third favorite: a new shiny tooth since the Dentist recently stole mine and charged me for it.

....just kidding.
My birthday is really a whole month away and I don't know what I want, so there.
Angel's birthday is coming up in a week though and she should probably tell me what she wants. I think the older you get, the nicer your presents should get too so you don't feel so bad for aging because you have all these great new toys. But it seems that as people get older they would rather forget it's their birthday and pretend they're still in their 20s or something. I was just talking to my Dad the other day and for a second he thought he was one year younger than he is. Then we did the math together...poor guy.

It's funny because (generally speaking) when you are younger you want to be older, when you are older you want to be younger, when you have beautiful curly hair you want straight, when you have beautiful straight hair you want curly, white people want to be tanner, and (Dani told me) some Africans actually want to be whiter...that's probably not the best example though.
Of course, this doesn't apply to everything but it's a pretty common thing. We'll call it, "wantwhatyoudonthavealiatitis."

Here is a crazy idea: be happy with things as they are.
"Happiness is not having what you want, it's wanting what you have"
So there! It's good to have dreams and goals and stuff so you are motivated to work hard but some things don't matter.
So all three of you who read this: want what you don't have.
(haha I mean want what you have of course! Or just like it or something.)

Thank you and Have a Nice Day

Countdowns (7 days...)

7 days...muahahaha. Seen "The Ring," anybody? Well I haven't but as the quote is quite famous I used it anyway.
Guess what? Dani came back from Africa early. She surprised me at work and then we hung out for the day just like old times! (Not that old...it was only 2-3 months that she had been gone). But it was fun! I missed that girl!
Today is July 30th. My brother will be home in one week. My sister will be here in two days.

My excitement for both is spilling over.

My room needs to be vacated and I'm nowhere close.

An Ode To My Blog

My dearest blog,

Please forgive me for neglecting you so.
Maybe I'm working or maybe I'm lazy,
That's no excuse for ignoring you though.
I have many thoughts and many stories,
I just don't know which ones to share...

And I'm afraid most of them are pretty boring.

There's the giant moth in the hall,
The cleaning lady who glares?
The lady that always uses the same bathroom stall
...she works downstairs.

Or there are those random times
When other working boys
Pay a visit to this office of mine.
They might be attractive, maybe not.
Maybe my copier really keeps breaking,
Maybe I just get lonely a lot.

I can only imagine how you might feel
When I don't feed you with my stories,
But some things you just don't want to hear.
But for our sanity's sake, I'll fill you in
With my adventures,
With what's been happenin.

Last weekend I went shopping with my Kaleigh-dear.
We sang, we danced, we bought things
And praised the sky that was oh-so clear!

Last night I saw the Harry Potter movie
I didn't plan on going so soon
But my friend had tickets so I said...groovy.
(I liked it...Snape makes me swoon)

Tomorrow I get my wisdom tooth taken out
Yes, I only have one (I'm an alien)
I look forward to drugs and not knowing what I'm talking about
(and a face more stout).

So, my dear blog, please forgive me,
I'll write more on my life.
Maybe I'll even write a melody.

Love Always,

Bonnie

Just a thought, if I maybe had more readers
I'd write more things for those readers to read.
So readers - comment so I know you exist...please.

How To Improve Your Summer

I'm a busy little camper. And a happy little bee.
And I sure have been busy.
Besides work, I play. And get bitten (bited, bot) by mosquitoes.

Based off my experiences, here are things I recommend the rest of the human population give a try:

1. New Student Orientation - Lead those new students around campus and give them a sneak peek of BYU's {insert whatever university here} greatness {use another adjective, preferrably with a negative connotation, if said university is not BYU} .
2. Softball Intramurals - Start off the Summer with a bang! ...and 2 losses in my case. It's very humbling. But it's co-ed :)
3. Go Outside - who cares if its been raining for the entire month, nothing is as therapeutic as the great outdoors. For ideas of what to do outside, read on. WARNING. Outdoors may also involve mosquitoes, who have decided to increase their population 10 fold this summer.
4. Play Volleyball - in the sand. Again, outside = character building, physically strengthening, and lots of smack talking/flirting.
5. Hike - Nothing like a little bit of sweat and a great view. All it takes is pushing through the muscle soreness and pieces of conversation (ex. excuse: I'm a little out of shape, okay?). Who cares if its been raining all month?
6. Camping - deer, bugs, hiking, feeling hardcore, dirt, great tan-lines, cold nights, starry nights, endless powerade, endless bathroom trips, birds, cookouts, s'mores, guitar/singing (kumbaya, this land is my land, etc.), ....need I say more?
7. Go Indoors - nothing like the great indoors. It's very therapeutic. Especially if it's been raining the entire month. For ideas, read on:
8. Phase 10 - or any game for that matter. It doesn't matter what you do, it only matters who you're with. So if you're with the right people, fun is in order. Other family favorites: Catch Phrase, Apples to Apples, Chronology (who can beat Dad??), Cranium, and anything but Trivial Pursuit. Good thing Dad likes Chronology so much.
9. Watch a movie - Go catch a new show, like UP (but not Transformers 2 I'm told). Or thanks to Netflix, have a movie sent to your very own household where you can enjoy the company of select loved ones (aka "family time"). Might I recommend favorites such as "Annie Go Get Your Gun," "Annie," "Pollyanna," "The Sound of Annie's Music," "Wizard of Annie," "O Annie, Where Art Thou?" "My Fair Annie," or "It's A Wonderful Life."
10. Other - go to the dentist, sample food storage, babysit, buy another bridal shower gift, organize (it's character building, therapeutic AND fun), listen to music, make music, make food, sleep, read (see list of books I recommend, or ADD to it, even), mope (spelling error, I mean mop...as in clean), and love your life.

I hope everyone has a fabulous what's-left-of summer, although it'll be pretty hard to top mine. Just make sure you choose location carefully (smaller populations preferrable) and always wash your hands. Swine flu, people.
And don't get too friendly with them mosquitoes - apparently West Nile Virus has been discovered in Happy Valley. And if we all got West Nile it might have to be renamed to Unhappy Valley, and I would not want that to happen.

Books Everyone Should Read

I'm compiling a list of books/poems/short stories, etc. I have read that I think everyone should read. Of course there are many great books out there which I have yet to read, so if anyone has contributions, please comment (it'll give me good ideas of what to read next too). And as long as I keep reading and keep loving it, this list will grow, so please return.

Everyone Should Read This, According to Bonnie:

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry
2. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
3. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
4. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
5. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
6. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
7. Left To Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
8. Fire of the Covenant by Gerald N. Lund
9. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
11. Harry Potter (preferably all of them) by J.K. Rowling
12. Night by Elie Wiesel
13. 1984 by George Orwell
14. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
15. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
16. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
17. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
18. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
19. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
20. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
21. Poem, "If" by Rudyard Kipling
22. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
23. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
24. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
25. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok


to be continued...

Tubby Ruesdays

Going out to eat as a family is always an adventure. I can't imagine what it would have been like with all 8 of us, it's really quite chaotic enough with the youngest 4 (me, Kat, Kal, Ian).
During our Park City vaca we went to Ruby Tuesday's the night Dad got in. I don't think any of us had been before. Mainly because we kept forgetting the name. Between originally forgetting the name and the game which it led to, we came up with like 20 alternate names for this restaurant. I'll have to ask for some from my fam but some I remember are: "Ruby Friday's," "TGI Tuesdays," "Tubby Ruesdays," "Rubby Tummies," "Tooby Tuesdays," etc. Wow we're funny. And that was before the meal even began.

The meal in itself was pretty funny. I have this effect on my siblings where I can get them pretty wound up if we're in the right mood. We'll just say it's one of my parent's less favorite times, especially in a public venue. Like a restaurant for example, or a "Rudy Moosedays," for a better example. On this night, our moods were coinciding perfectly.

First of all, I didn't know we were going to go out to eat, so I had just barely downed my sister's leftover Cafe Rio and wasn't hungry. But I had a killer headache and lots of thirst so of course I got water. I wish I counted how many I drank. When it came to ordering, there was a little bit of drama (typisch). You see, Ian was very hungry so did not want something from the Kid's menu because it would not be enough. He's a man, so of course wanted the manly meaty meal: a mean platter of ribs. It's a lot, so there were some debates, but he eventually split it with Pop. They both had a little bit of ribs and potatoes, and Dad got the veggies. Sounds even to me! Meanwhile I drank my water...and Ian's...and snuck (sneaked) some of Katherine's...and sampled Kat and Ian's Lemonades...and drank more of my own waters which the waiter kindly kept filling for me, without passing judgment. Dad tried telling me how I could die from drinking too much - water, that is. But since I hardly drank anything all day I think I was still deficient. I don't remember if my headache went away.

Then Mom and Dad went to the Salad bar and the fun began. I'm hesitant to write this because if Dad reads it he'll know what went down. But we weren't loud, we were goofing off very secretively so I doubt the people in the booth next to us even fathomed that we might be rambunctious kids. But Ian, Kaleigh, Kat and I played telephone. It didn't originally occur to us that without a full circle it won't work as well, but we pulled it off in our own way. We told secrets about other customers. Just kidding we didn't do that of course. But I overheard that there was another Bonnie at the table next to ours, I never did figure out if it was the Mom or the little girl. And there was a pregnant lady and her friend who came in and the waiter was leading them to their table when they just sat down at another one. The waiter said, "Oh - would you prefer to sit there?" Haha well the ladies just thought they were being guided to that table....oops. I blamed it on her "pregnant brain." Those pregnant people sure are crack-ups.

This whole time, Kat, of all people, was telling us to behave. Really? I mean I'm sure it didn't look too out of place: Ian laying on the bench, claiming there was gum under the table, Kaleigh and her long gangly self trying to stoop down to also get a look. I was just sitting there innocently (maybe...I might have looked under the table) and Katherine was trying to pull Kaleigh and Ian up telling them to "behave," and while she was distracted I may or may not have stolen her lemonade. Oh I love my family so much! We're fun. But then Mom and Dad came back so we had to be good. They have that effect on us. Kaleigh insisted we were the favorite customers that night. I think she was right. We're fun AND we're cute. Our waiter was married anyway so I don't think he cares how cute we are (I promise I wasn't checking him out, I just noticed when he poured my water). Besides, he's not my type.
The guys that work at the Alpine slides though...that's another story ;)

Park City

Woohoo an actual vacation to record! Well I guess camping counts. On Monday (June 1st) I went to Park City with my fam! Dad was still on a business trip but I went up with Mom, Mal (she helped make it feel more Kirkham-y by contributing to severely outnumbering the men), Kat, Kaleigh and Ian (our lone man for a few days). We basically went to Paradise Resort in Park City and had a very relaxing getaway! I kinda wish I was still there...

Here's the general breakdown:
Monday I went to work...then we drove up that afternoon. Park City is amazing. It probably bears the closest resemblance to Garmisch that I will ever find in Utah and I bet in Winter it's even more similar. The resort was beautiful with an indoor/outdoor pool, sauna, steam room, workout room, tennis/bball courts, spa, etc. You could just feel relaxed looking at the place...haha. When we first got there we didn't really feel like going to town or anything so we just chilled around the resort, mainly at the pool (which basically became my favorite spot for these few days...I have the sunburn to prove it). That evening we watched a movie...or two. Both of which I fell asleep in but woke up just in time for the ending.

The next morning I woke up just before 7. Not on purpose, mind you. I happen to have a family full of early birds. I don't know what these kids are thinking, it's summer!(None of the good TV shows are on that early so that can't be it...) But I guess they did just get out of school and aren't adjusted so I'll cut them some slack. Props to Mal though - she slept through everything. Nice work. So my mom and the sibs all went to work out, and Mal was still sleeping, so I read my book and slept a little more too. Reading does that to me.

When they came back and Mal was up we went and did a tour of the Olympic Park place (sorry, the official name seems to escape my memory). Our tour guide was interesting. She made me laugh. Maybe it was the sarcasm? But she seemed to get a kick out of telling us all the bad things that can happen with these dangerous sports. Trying to frighten the little ones.

The ski jumps. An 11-yr old holds the record on the biggest one.


Me and Mal, and Me and the sibs

After our tour we went through the museum. It was cool - stuff about skiiing, the Winter Olympics, etc. They had all these cute, fun games too - one was kind of broken and so when I played it, the ball started before the timer...so when I finished it looked like I had this amazing record time. So if anyone goes and plays the ski slope game with the ball, and the all-time record is 0.6 seconds, that was me. Unfortunately it's not from skill, but strangers don't know that :) I'm a legend.

If you go to the museum you simply must take a photo here. The sign says so. Ian's expressions are my favorite. See the image below...

I don't think I could ask for a funnier little brother.

Afterward we grabbed lunch at good ol' Cafe Rio and then returned to our little home. So of course, Mal and I went to the pool. We just lounged: reading, sleeping, chatting, loving the sunshine. Later that afternoon Mom, Mal, Kat and Kaleigh had to head back for various reasons so Ian and I got the place to ourselves (just for that night, they were coming back the next day -but without Mal, she decided one day with half the Kirkham's was enough...or maybe she had work. Or both).
So Ian and I went back to the pool (I told you I spent lots of time out there...maybe it's because of those high school boys... I'm most definitely kidding by the way. Gross).
But I just played with my bro and of course, read more. I'm reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. He wrote "The Kite Runner," which I have yet to read. It's mainly about women in Afghanistan and just shows over three generations how women rights (and people's freedoms in general) have been repeatedly granted and taken away from them. But even if the law dictated one thing, much of what the woman could or couldn't do was determined by the man of the household. That's what I've gotten out of it anyway. It's good. Sad, but good.
After swimming Ian watched a movie and I read my book and watched some TV and just lounged. I got the massive bed alllll to myself. I love my life.
Next morning I slept in later than the day before and my Mom and sibs got back around 10 or something. So we went outside and played tennis. I wish I had a video. It would be highly entertaining. I'm terrible. It's really been years since I've played. But it was tons of fun, and this is a sport that is just embarrassing for me to play so now I'm determined to get good at it...well decent. I want some good rallies. After tennis I ran a little (I decided I want to do the 10K with Mal in July), then we went to the alpine slides. That was fun. On the ski lift ride up I was mainly concentrating on not losing my shoes...I eventually took them off.

Alpine slides: I beat Ian. But I'm pretty sure it's because I'm like 50 pounds heavier than him.

Kat and Kaleigh on the zipline

Ian flipping like crazy. He's awesome

After, we got some ice cream and drove around Park City a little, then went back because Dad was coming home! Oh and I decided I love the blue houses with white trimming and if I ever get a beach house, those are the colors I want. Anyways I found out my Dad saw one of my friends who is on a mission in Hungary at church last Sunday! So that made me happy - small world. with our more complete fam (well still just half the kids) we went swimming and tackled the tennis courts once more. Which I am feeling today. Guess I just keep rediscovering muscles. Then we swam more and had dinner together. Dinner is a story in itself...which I may or may not tell.

After dinner we went back to home sweet home and I went to the pool. Again. Those sweet little high school boys tried to get us to play tag. I think makeup-less I actually look their age. But I still told them I'm going to be the lame old one who is too tired and does not want to. And honestly I wanted to finish my book. Well it worked and they were able to round up my sis and bro. And one was pretty set on trying to get Kat out...he had a little crush on that girl, was following her around like a puppy dog. Cute. She said no too. We play hard to get. NOT - we're most definitely lazy. We watched a movie/read instead.

The next morning we just packed up and drove home, and I went straight to work. It was like I never left. It was kind of a bummer that Dad only got one day but all-in-all it was a much needed break and it was absolutely relaxing. I loved it and I think the fam would say the same!

Adventures With Mallory Round Two

Mallory and I seem to have some pretty exciting things happen when we are together. Such was the case yesterday...which I am about to write about...

Yesterday was another all-around good day so I'm going to start with the beginning. First off, I was running late for work. I usually try to get out of the house by like 7:30 but it was 7:48. Needless to say I was in a bit of a hurry. But all the lights were working in my favor, and at one point, I passed a cop which I had not noticed and he didn't bust me for going too fast. But I wasn't going too too fast at that point (not that I ever do, Dad). So I made it to work pretty much on time! And there was probably good music on the radio...who knows, I was super happy though.

At work it was pretty busy, which is how I like it. And I got to run an errand which was all the way across campus, so I took a nice long walk in the sun. And I had lunch with Mallory and Kyle. And I got sunburnt, which will turn into a tan (jk I'm not as proud of being burnt - I once wrote an article all about skin damage from tanning/burning so I'm not really happy about seeing the whole process unfold). Anyways, great work day.

After work I went and played volleyball with Mal, Kyle and Jay, and others that joined later. They were highly entertaining. Then we watched the Cavs win (I admit, I doubted them periodically throughout the game - or match, as Mal would call it...) It was great.

So now the point of this post - There's this place right next to the Riv where you can park after 7:00. So whenever I am over there, I move my car sometime after 7:00 so I don't forget to get out of the Riv parking lot later and get busted. After volleyball I decided to go ahead and move my car because it was after 7:00 -- as in 7:10. No big deal, but might as well do it before I forget. Well during the basketball game, 2nd quarter-ish, I glance out the door and see a tow-truck TOWING MY CAR.
I say, "What the heck? He's towing my car!"
Mal, who thankfully has shoes on, jumps up and runs out the door. I throw mine on and run out too. First of all, I'm pretty sure us running after the stupid tow-truck, screaming "Hey! Stop!" was a funny sight. When we got to the truck I explained, as if he didn't know, that I'm allowed to park over there after 7 and he says "I'm pretty sure you were there before 7, I thought I had just missed your car earlier...blah blah" So I explain, "No...I checked my phone, it was 7:11 to be exact, I saw another car that had been booted and just pulled up next to it. I know the rules, I park here often." And he goes off about how people have been parking there all day and going to the event across the street and he thought he saw my car earlier and had just missed it. Then he busts out the ticket he had written for me, apparently he had put a boot on at 7:10 - so really, like right after I parked and left, plus he shouldn't be booting after 7 anyway even when he "just thought he missed me". Then since I didn't do anything within an hour, with the boot that should not have been on my car, he was towing. Well the whole time Mal is backing me up, more like taking charge, and thankfully she goes "I'll call the cops!" and he's like "No, no, I don't want you to call the cops, I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt, I'll trust you..blah blah" Yeah smart move, Tow-man.

So I am so grateful for Mallory for these reasons:
1. She wore shoes
2. She yelled and got him to stop
3. She got to him first.
4. "I'll call the cops!"
4 1/2. Because the guy was not buying it at first, I was getting kind of upset. Not like crying upset, more like stubborn, angry upset and I was NOT going to let him leave with my car. So Mal saved me from freaking out at the man. Once again, grateful for the "I'll call the cops"
5. She was nice to him after.

But this had the potential to be my Karma for speeding, etc. in the morning. I'm a lucky duck!

So to wrap things up, that evening we went and grabbed Cafe Rio after the Cavs victory and ate at Rock Canyon Park, the very one where I broke my back 5 months ago. We even sat in the pavillion that I sat in right after it happened. Maybe it gave me closure...haha I'm not anti-sledding or anything, heck, I'll be doing it again next winter, surely!

Then I drove home in my car that was not towed. GREAT DAY

The Day My Family Beat My Friends At Volleyball

Memorial Day!

Today I didn't have to go to work, which in itself is just fabulous, and then I had a bunch of friends over in the afternoon to BBQ with my fam! I'm really not much of a cook...at all...so I am happy things worked out! I was worried I ruined the potato salad because I let the potatoes soak in water overnight...oops. But they weren't soggy. Them tough potatoes. And we had plenty of food, so all my worries vanished.
So we just sat around and talked and ate, then we played volleyball - My Family vs. My Friends. Of course, I was on my family's side. They needed me...just kidding. We won. I'm actually pretty sure we did not win, but once most my family left and Garyn came on our side, we were definitely kicking some trash. I should probably mention everyone who came! There was me, my fabulous family (Mom, Dad, Britt, Sam, Kat, Kaleigh, Ian...baby Maddie), Marissa (Kaleigh's BFF) Mallory, Kyle, Jay, Garyn, Crystal, J'neen, Adam, Sean, and Hannah (and two of her friends...their names escape me...Jorie and Emily?). So I didn't actually know everyone but it's always fun to meet new people. And yes, Garyn blocked my Mom once, but whatever - she showed him up in everything else (my words, not hers). And Kat's serves were simply amazing. Anyways it was just a nice afternoon with friends and family!

Later in the evening I went with some of the people who were at my BBQ to play baseball...or softball, rather. That was fun too. Then we wrapped up the evening with a movie (Night At The Museum) and I went home. What a day!
It finally felt like its really summer and I love just playing sports a lot now! If breaking my back didn't teach me enough patience and allowing people to help me and whatnot, it most definitely has made me so grateful for my body and just being able to run around and play! Life is wonderful.

P.S. Sorry I have no pictures! I'll have to see if my Mom took some or something...Posts are so boring without pictures

That One Really Fun Weekend Leading Up To Memorial's Day

It's about time I update again. I'm sure everyone is just on the edge of their seats with the anticipation of hearing what's new in my super exciting life.
Excuse the sarcasm - I had a teacher who absolutely hated sarcasm, so I'm trying to quit. I didn't like her that much though so it didn't motivate me too much. But for the common good of everyone else, I'll try...
We'll talk Memorial Day weekend now.
Friday night I watched Back To The Future for the first time in my life. I think I saw the end of it on TV once though. That night I stayed with Mallory at her apartment, then in the morning we dragged ourselves out of bed to go hike the Y! It was my first time hiking it during the day, and second time hiking it ever. It was fun! I can tell I am totally out of shape though, but I'm working on that still ;) Now that Physical Therapy is over I have the green light to run, play sports, all that stuff, and I plan to take full advantage of that opportunity! I think my favorite part of the hike was our friend "Fritz" and his Lederhosen. I have nothing against Lederhosen. Living in Germany for awhile, I think they are cool, but it's probably not the best thing to wear on this hike, that's all. Poor boy was definitely feeling the heat in those leather pants, thick socks...oh man. Love that Fritz.
Then I drove up to Salt Lake City to visit my friend from High School, Gabby! We played Volleyball and Basketball together in school. I could not believe it had been two years since I had seen that girl. We definitely had tons to catch each other up on! I had lunch with her and her friend and we all just visited for awhile. It was great. Then I did a bit of shopping, for clothes and groceries for my BBQ on Monday! I debated washing my car, but thankfully I didn't because it rained later. Aber, naturlich.
There's my day. And what a great day it was.
Sunday was relaxing and just glorious, as should be. I was BBQ'ing the next day so had to get some of the food ready. I basically just mixed up the Texas Caviar (it tastes better after sitting overnight) and boiled potatoes for potato salad and goofed off with my siblings of course. It was actually a really fun night. Who knew cooking could be so fun?

I Went Camping!

First of all, I should mention that pretty much all the photos on here are not mine. I went through the past year with a broken camera so all my pictures are "borrowed" from my friends that have functioning cameras. Ok got that business out of the way...now the fun.

Last weekend (Which I guess is now a week ago) I went to Bryce Canyon for the first time ever in my life. It was so much fun and so beautiful! We drove up Thursday night - we meaning myself, Britt, Ayisha, Kyle, Garyn, Becca and Sam. (In no particular order... I could alphabetize it if you want. It was Ayisha, Becca, Bonnie (me), Britt, Garyn, Kyle, Sam). Then Tiare and Rachel came on Friday. Anyways Thurs we really just got there and went to bed.

Friday was a fabulous day. I woke up at 5 something (closer to 6). Too bad my body is starting to be programmed that way. Or maybe its a good thing...but I was walking to the bathroom and there were deer like 10 feet from the door! One was a buck. And right as I was thinking how cool that was, a bird flew into the window! I must admit I laughed a little. The bird was okay though so I'm not a terrible person. Stupid bird... So my morning started out real swell. And the rest of the day was just as good! We left sometime after 7 in the a.m. and hiked around the canyon for a few hours. It was perfect temperature and sunny and amazing. I met an older German couple so I chatted with them when we stopped for lunch. It was fun speaking German again even though I feel like I have lost so much of it!

The group! Becca, Kyle, Me, Britt, Garyn, Ayisha, Sam

Bryce Canyon in all its awesomeness


We thought Bryce deserved to know how much we loved it!


After hiking we went back to the camp and just soaked in the sun - sleeping, reading, enjoying being out of Provo. I must say I was very good about putting on my sunscreen. My mom would be so proud. No sunburns! Tanning is a lost cause anyway...

Hey Look! No Body!

In the evening we had probably the best camp out food ever. People shouldn't eat so well when camping, seriously. We had cheesy potatoes. They were definitely cheesy and oh so delicious. And we had BBQ. I think it was beef. I don't know my meats very well. Whatever it was it tasted good. And Apple cobbler for dessert! And Koolaid Squeeze-its! I was a child again for the 10 seconds it took to down one. I still remember the commercials for those things. Then we all went to the lookout point and saw the stars. It was super windy but so cool. I like stars a lot. I don't see them enough. But I wish I knew more constellations than the big and little dipper. I'm a lost cause. Oh well. Then we all stayed up chatting and went to bed.

It was very cold at night. And that's all I have to say about that.

Saturday morning we got up early and went to watch the sunrise. It was pretty. I was half awake. So I went back to sleep for a few hours when we got back to camp. Then we all packed up and left! 3 and a half hours and many squashed bugs later, I was home. Back to life.
Here are pictures! They're Sam and Britt's though. I'm "borrowing" them. Thank them for me. PS I think it's funny I just said Sam and Britt because those are my sister and bro-in-law's names! These are a different Sam and Britt though...

Playing Titanic - I wonder how many people have done this standing there

Let Me Be A Little Kinder

I really like this song.
I owe my fondness for any folk song to my Dad, that's for sure. Anyways, here are the lyrics:

Let me be a little kinder
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me
Let me praise a little more

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me

Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am strivin' for

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me

-- Glen Campbell

Alarming

I have this thing with alarms, I tell ya...
Last weekend Mallory and I joined some of our friends "camping." Which basically consisted of us driving to the campsite (getting semi-lost), eating stew and S'mores, and leaving. Well on the way back we needed to swing by a gas station to use it's facilities. It wasn't too late, just a little after ten. So we found a gas station, which looked closed, but we tried the door and it opened! Whew. Bathroom, thank heavens. However, we heard this faint high pitched sound and Mallory asked if we set off an alarm. Right as I was saying, "no," a definitely more distinct, siren-noise sounded. Oops. I guess we did. So we washed our hands and left...we kinda hung out (for all of ten seconds) to see if anyone showed up, but then figured we're on the cameras just going in the bathroom then out again so we're in the clear. And look, one week later I am still here to tell the tale. Poor guy who works there probably got busted for not locking up...shame, shame.

And to think this just happened a few days after my "alarm" post, oh the irony!

A Farewell to Dani

It is beginning to look like I don't have a life...well I kind of don't outside of work. But some fun has been had, so let the documenting begin.
Dani decided she wanted to jet to another continent - Africa, to be more specific. So before she left to go "save the African orphans in Uganda" we had a party. What better way to say goodbye than invite 20+ people to Cafe Rio? There is none. Within our college-student budget at least. Pictures below. Viewer discretion advised....Just kidding.

Precious

The "Lone Peak" Group...and me.

Mallory decided to call us 3LW, then she learned it's an actual band.
So there you have it, 3LW: Bon, Dan and Mal

I'm going to miss my best bud!

Dani and Mal Pal

I Should Probably Grow Up...

So I was walking into work today after my lunch break and I usually take the stairs because its just one floor up. Well, directly at the top of the stairs is a fire alarm. For some reason I want to pull it SO BAD. Of course I don't, that's just dumb. But this wasn't just a today thing. It's pretty much every day that I see it. And the fact that I am no longer 7 and still tempted to pull those things really causes me to question my maturity.

So Dad - consider this my excuse: As long as I still want to pull fire alarms, I'm not ready to get married :) whew.

It's just asking for it, no glass or anything

My Blogging Beginnings

Consider this my official declaration of jumping on the blogging bandwagon. My summer will consist of working full-time in an office so what better time to begin? Also, Dani decided she'd rather go to Africa this summer than stick around so I have no one to visit randomly throughout the summer. And I can comment on my sibs' blogs now.
I have finally moved home which I was definitely ready for, although I will miss a lot of my friends. But this past year, especially winter semester, has been crazy so home is nice. Not that home is very far...

Anyways, here's last year:

1. Moved to Glenwood with one old and four new roommates - two were Taiwanese.
2. One of those roommates harbored a (whole) squid in the freezer.
3. I could probably dedicate many points to those very roommates.
4. Angel ditched BYU (and me...us) for Med school. It's a good kind of ditch.
5. Britt had her baby, Madelyn. She's adorable.
6. I broke my back sledding and wore a brace for about two months, nicknamed "Posture Petey"
7. Changed my major to English (hopefully this one will stick).

Note: Number 2 definitely deserves it's own spot. It only touches on some of the small delights which were had living with my Taiwanese friends.


Wilkommen!

Sarah and I at BYU football game



Lara, Myself and Sharon making Caramel apples



Freshman year room's (minus Jen)



The same Dani who is leaving this summer

Fun at Whitney's house. That's my brace -- Love that thing.


More fun at Whit's