Long time gone.

So, I love that song. Apparently, I struggle with blogging. Though to make up for it, go read this. Cracks me up. And actually makes me feel better about my job... Oh! And p.s. the temple has been getting busy again and we've had some really interesting living ordinances lately, including a 90 year old woman that only spoke Spanish and couldn't read. Good times. I LOVE my calling.

Lately, I feel like just as I start coming out of winter hibernation another snow storm hits and I'm left cursing Mother Nature (which could be why she seems so mad at me) and canceling tennis. However, I totally broke out my scooter, dear little Trixie, last Saturday and read a book in the sun after early morning rollerblading, so life in general is good. :) I rode my scooter to work today as well, but I am now going to hurry home after work, change, and speed back to Provo for some tennis with Gretchen--the receptionist at my chiropractor (love them!) who has become one of my favorite people. I love making friends in random places. I keep tennis gear and blades in my trunk for occasions like this, but no room with my scooter. It's going to storm again tomorrow so I'm gearing up for a headache and no tennis for the weekend. (Life is so, so terribly hard... haha)

I haven't taken any pictures at all lately. Oops. Sorry Nanny! I'll get some next time I'm at Jo's. I can't believe how big those kids are getting. ADORE them.

Some of my most favorite people ever have just had babies (Laura and Jennie and Melissa!) or are about ready to pop (hang in there Jess and Adrianne!) and Kristy's home from Korea and plays tennis with me and life in general is exceptionally fantastic.

Work is busy. Insane. Stressful. Fun. All of the above all mixed together into a daily dose of insanity with a certain amount of satisfaction that I get to be in charge of a few key elements. I'm responsible for creating policy and am starting a few intense assessments. I'm just glad I have Lauren to help me make it through the day... There's been drama and lots of upcoming changes that no one is quite sure what/when/who/where... Just that we know things are going to change. I AM getting another person to help me with research, so if you know anyone that needs a low-pay, high-stress job with occasional food perks, let me know! :)

Oh! And happy news for my bud Kate... She's engaged! Yay for Kate! (Sad for me though since I just barely finished moving all my stuff in to her place.)

Update:

I should probably give an update on my surgery for Nanny and anyone else who's curious... I'm still glad I had the surgery. I've had a lot fewer migraines for sure. Still get headaches and have had several killer migraines, but the number has been drastically reduced. So that's the fabulous part. The not-so-fabulous is that I still have to take drugs and will most likely schedule an appointment with a neurologist once life settles down enough that I can be sure I'll MAKE it. Oh! AND the hair over my scars is starting to grow out and it means that I have bits of hair that stick straight up when I pull back my bangs to blade or play tennis. HA. Good times.

The Parental House

So, this is for Laura and Joelle and Nanny and Leslie. :)

Interesting Conversation

"That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither."
--C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Lately I've pondered what it means to be Christian and what attributes are most closely associated with Christ and His followers. I think this quote embodies most of my conclusions. I've had some good conversations with family and friends lately that reaffirms why I believe what I do and why I choose to live the lifestyle I do. To me it is more important to be loving, kind, tolerant, open, friendly... than to be visibly "righteous" while inwardly critical, competitive, and ornery. While I'm entirely far from perfect, I am trying to be better. I feel like it's only fair to give other people that same benefit of the doubt--assuming that they are trying their best. We all make mistakes and who wants to be reminded of them constantly by people that are supposedly friends? I feel badly when I make mistakes, but it's not a feeling of "I'm never going to be perfect and now I'm a horrible, very bad person" but more of an, "Drat, hope that didn't hurt anyone... I'll be better about that." Off the soapbox (but still thinking and hopefully learning).
The end.
Oh, and just in case you haven't seen this:

Park City Shopping Spree

My friend Kelly came to town for a Conference (which is ironic since we MET at a conference, and by ironic, I really just mean an somewhat interesting tidbit of info) so I got some of my favorite people to come with me up to Park City. These pictures? I'm FREEZING. Good times. I got some shoes and a dress and spent the least I've ever spent up there. FOR ME. But I made Marianne spend oodles of money so I still did my part in supporting their business. :) I was super tired, as in almost delirious, so I even sang in the restaurant. Yeah. I don't normally DO stuff like that. Hmm.

From Nanny. (And courtesy of YouTube)

Mole Removal

I decided that since my head is starting to feel better I should make my face hurt (which, somewhere in the back of my head, ALWAYS makes me think of my brothers saying "it's killing me" and I'm scarred).

Skin cancer runs in my family and I've had nightmares of my whole face having to be dug out because I didn't have these moles taken off early enough. So. They're off. And my cheeks hurt so smiling is awkward. ha.

Oh! And my head is feeling lots better. I'm thinking in a few more weeks I'll be golden. Woot!

My family is too cool...

So, I think one of the reasons that I don't update this much is that there is always so much to catch up on. Here's some updates. I'll bullet them, because I just typed out all these procedures for work and now I'm in that mind frame.

• Dad got a job! He's going to Greece on Monday and will be there for a week (luckily, I had all the books for him. ha) and then in Chicago for a bit and THEN he'll be in North Carolina starting up a new food plant. Mom will stay here in Logan with Scott and Eric (who's going to be staying up here so I think I need a roomie for a few months. maybe.) to help her get the place ready to sell. If you know anyone with a burning desire to move to Logan--it's actually a really nice house and she's putting in new carpets and windows and all that jazz.
• Joelle and Stevan bought a house! Crazy. Really cute. I like it. Especially the pink bathroom. heehee They'll re-do that. But it's in SLC and in a really nice area.
• Matt signed up for an extra year teaching but will move up to New Haven and teach in a charter school--still through Teach for America and still in the ghetto, but it'll be HS instead of Jr High. He's so pumped about teaching. I love it.
• Josh and his cute family are heading back to Florida today and leaving all their newly bought snow gear. If you know anyone that needs any... :)
• Scott fixed my car yesterday. Old Georgia was having "issues"...
• Eric's meeting with an Air Force recruiter on Monday (I think it was Monday) and so I think I'm getting rid of some furniture... At least in May or so when I move.
• I am going back to work on Monday and have SO much policy to write. I've been thinking about my job and how I really get some pretty killer experiences. I think that's why I'm still working there. My goal this year is to really figure out where I want to be heading career wise and do what I can to be preparing for that. I like my job, but can't see myself doing it forever. I have three other goals: flossing (at least once a week) and reading scriptures daily without fail (sometimes I miss) and taking care of my head so I heal properly (I've had relapses and still am taking narcotics which isn't my fav).

Anyhow, I'll put some pictures on here, but that's the latest. Oh! And I'm STILL not allowed to exercise and am not quite sure how to not. It's weird. They said that as soon as I feel my heartbeat in my head I have to stop--apparently feeling that daily is a bad thing... oops. I guess cross country skiing was probably pushing it. ha.
Much love!