Football

This weekend BYU played Georgia Tech at Georgia Tech. It was a fun game to be there for. Thankfully we were in a section mostly with BYU fans. But there were several, namely a ginger that both Jennifer and I wanted to deck. Every time GT would get a first down he would turn around and point to us and say first down. I wanted to respond back with "look at the score board- oh wait you're like 20 points behind". Stupid GT fans.
BYU ended up winning 41-17. Clearly the GT fans needed to look at the score board more frequently before they started poking fun at us. Our defense was awesome and held GT to only 50 yards rushing.
So proud of the boys in blue!! They played an amazing game and I am so glad that we made the trip down to Georgia to see them play again in person!!

Venting

When people complain about things that are going on around them my first thought for them is to do something about it.
If you want to move out of the area so you can get away from everyone that has known you for years and knows everything about you then make the jump and move out of where you are. I've done it before. It's never an easy decision. It's often scary. But if you never leave then you don't have the opportunity to grow. Move out of the state you've always lived in, make new friends, get away from some of the influences around you, get out of your comfort zone and be the person you want to be.
If you think about it, often you've gotten yourself in the situations that you are in. Stop wallowing in them and the consequences of the decisions you've made and move forward. Grow up, act your age, realize that you can change your life if you really wanted to.

On another topic-
You told me that you never say never. But that you usually don't keep in contact with those that you break up with. However, there is one that apparently you do. You would have phone conversations with her even when in the company of friends and me. You're apparently hanging out with her now. Your mom even told you that she wasn't a good girlfriend for you. Or was that something that you just told me to see what I would say? Is this the person that you were engaged to for awhile? Is she still with her boyfriend?
Don't tell me that we have too many differences that you can't get over. Don't tell me that you want an easy relationship. That you don't want to work at it. All relationships need work. Relationships aren't meant to be easy. Any relationship is at least trying for. It may not last in the long run but if it doesn't then you can say at the end that you've tried. Even if there are differences, a relationship that is built on a solid foundation can make it. Relationships are also built on compromise, give-and-take. Once this is learned relationships will be so much better.
Beginnings of relationships are awkward. The middle is great. The ending- someone usually gets their heart broken.

Mr. O

Today we lost another one of our kitties. We've had Oreo for about 17 years. He was getting old but that doesn't make the loss any easier. He was Jennifer's cat but he was loved by all of us. Oreo- you'll be one missed kitty in our family!!

Soft kitty
Warm kitty
Little ball of fur...

25 random facts

25 things about me in honor of my 25th birthday!! Some may know lots and some may only know 1. Can't believe that I'm 25 now. Quarter-of-a-century!!! :)

1. I'm allergic to kiwi. Haven't been officially tested for it but I'm pretty sure that's true. 

2. I've only had 1 boyfriend. Yep. Ok. Moving on to #3...

3. I have 3 degrees from 3 different universities in 3 years. Associates degree- BYU-Idaho, Bachelor's degree- BYU, Accelerated Bachelor's degree- Duke.

4. I love roller coasters. Wooden. Metal. Kiddie. Trill. Doesn't matter.

5. I hate wearing a watch.

6. I dressed up as "Jim" growing up so I could go on church father/son camp-outs with my dad and brother. Ball cap, polo, suspenders, jeans and tennis shoes. 

7. I think I may have OCD. I have to make sure the locks on the doors are locked before I go to bed.

8. I don't call myself a picky eater but I can be and I don't really like my foods touching on my plate.
9. My favorite holiday is Christmas. My least favorite is Valentine's Day.

10. I've gotten 1 ticket and have been in 1 car accident- neither of which should have been my fault.

11. I have an irrational fear that I will never be loved by someone.

12. I have only lived in 4 states- Florida, Idaho, Utah and North Carolina.  

13. I hate stopping at the top or middle of bridges- over water or roads. I have a fear that they will break and I'll go crashing to my death in my car.

14. I feel like a 5 year old every time I go to Disney World. Literally.

15. I'm the youngest of 4 children.

16. I hate wearing shoes. Socks too usually. Flip flops or bare foot is the way to go.

17. I play the flute and piano. 

18. I cannot look at people passing me in cars whether I'm driving or a passenger, mostly as a passenger. It stems from when a lady pulled a gun on my dad and I as we were driving home from church one Sunday, years and years and years ago.

19. I really like taking naps.

20. My favorite color is blue. Pretty much any shade.

21. I love the smell of rain.

22. My favorite thing on playgrounds are the swings. Ironically, while attending Montessori school I had 2 or 3 swings break while I was on them. 

23. I love chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Really anything that involves chocolate chips, I think. 

24. I love snuggling up on the couch with a cozy blanket to watch a movie. 

25. I'm grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm grateful to know that a loving Father in Heaven knows me by name and knows what I need when I need it. I am a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.

By faith all things are fulfilled

Throughout conference I kept getting the message of "in the Lord's own time, be patient and things will work out how they are supposed to". 
He can see the whole picture. 
He knows the end from the beginning. 
He knows the plan that's in place for my life. 
He knows where I'm supposed to be, when I'm supposed to be there and who I'm supposed to meet in those places. 
He knows all the above but I do not. I can only see a little bit ahead of me, maybe only 1 step. Sometimes and usually the path is dark and I have to take a step into the darkness. It's called faith. It's scary but it's required. 

...

I do not know where my life will lead. 
I do not know when or who I'll marry. 
I do not know if I will always live in NC. 

But I do know this;

I know that if I'm sensitive to the Spirit while making every decision in my life, I will be happier than I could ever imagine.
I know that I will be blessed with a choice guy, a wonderful son of God, to be my husband and I will love him deeply.
I know that my life may go in a completely different direction than I expect but if it's the Lord's will and in the Lord's timing, I will know that it's the best thing for me.

But all of this is in His time.
He knows me.
He loves me.
He guides me.


(Last part adapted from the Mormon in Manhattan blog.)

Visible

I haven't been watching Glee on a regular basis for awhile now. However, this week's episode got something right.
Rachel: "Don't you get it? No matter how rich, famous, or successful I become, when it comes to you, I'm always going to be that moon-eyed girl... You were the first boy who made me feel loved, and sexy and visible. You were my first love..."

As silly as it sounds that's how I've felt for about 2 months now. There was this boy. Still not sure what all he found attractive in me. But he saw me. He was the first boy to ever do so. It felt good to feel "loved, and sexy and visible". Now I've been working on getting over not feeling that everyday. I'm working on not expecting a text from him. I'm working on accepting that I'll probably never hear from him again. It's been a sad realization because I'm pretty sure he's been doing just fine and hasn't had a single second thought about me. It's times like now that I hate being a girl. There's so many emotions and thoughts and everything else that get everything tangled up in a big ol' mess.

Think Like A Man part 3

3rd and final segment.

Part 3: The Playbook

• "I became the man she needed me to be because she had sense enough to have requirements- standards that she needed in her relationship in order to make the relationship work for her."
• "If you tell us what you like and what you don't like, we'll do anything we can to make sure we live up to your expectations, particularly if we're interested in forging a relationship with you."
• Don't give him a blueprint of everything that makes you happy- let him figure some of this out on his own. 
• 5 questions that every woman needs to ask before she gets too deep: What are your short-term goals? What are your long-term goals? What are your views on relationships? What do you think about me? How do you feel about me?
• Ford Motor Company has a policy where you have to work for 90 days before you get their benefit package. It's an easy equation: work hard, prove yourself, get the benefits. "Why, ladies, are you passing out benefits to men before they've proven themselves worthy?"
• "...your benefits- are special, and that you need time to get to know him and his ways to decide if he deserves them."
• There are other forms of payment. "Hugging? Payment. Kissing? Payment. You getting dressed up? Payment. Going out with us? Payment... But if he wants to sleep with you? Those are benefits." 
• How does he react when you tell him you've got some problems? How does your man react under pressure? How does he react to bad news? How does he react when he's told "no"?
• "Your man hasn't asked you to marry him because... you haven't required him to marry you or set a date."
• Say "I respect you, I adore you, I'm affectionate, I pay attention to you, I'm punctual, I'm kind, I'm loyal,... I need your time, loyalty, support, affection, attention, punctuality, kindness, gentleman ways- I need the doors opened, chairs pulled out, your respect, and above all else, your love. I also expect a diamond ring and a walk down the aisle."