#4. What you would tell your 16 year-old self

4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

Now THIS is a great question!

1. Don't stress so much about school. Get good grades, establish good habits, but loosen up a bit and don't sweat the occasional subpar grade. It really doesn't matter!
2. Watch out for that policeman right next to your house the first day you start working at the pool. Oh, and the policewoman who was hiding down that forbidden route "closed" road. And let's not forget about the motorcycling popo who got you on your way to school on comando Wednesday! Oh, and watch out for that parked car on the way to seminary. Yes, parked.
3. Establish better habits of reading the scriptures and praying. Start working hard to get that testimony so that some of the struggles in life will be a little easier. Besides, little do you know... but you'll be going on a mission - so start preparing now!
4. Write down EVERYTHING. Take pictures! I wish I could remember all of the crazy stuff I did when I was younger. I was at a Camp Meeting last night and the girls were talking about all of the fun and crazy things they did at camp and I wish I could remember it all. I treasure the memories I do have, but I wish I had more.
5. Be more grateful. I think it is so easy at that age to take everything for granted and feel entitled to all the good things in life. You do not deserve anything, so be grateful for what you do have! Tell your parents thank-you more often and show your appreciation by doing things for them. You'll be happier, I promise!
6. Treasure the time you have with Dan and Jen. Dan will be leaving on his mission soon and after that he'll be in college, getting married, and moving across the country. You are going to be going to college soon too and won't be able to hang out with Jen every day! Do fun things with them, make some memories, and try to always be nice :)
7. Don't find your self-worth in others' opinions. Your self-esteem does not need to depend on what other people think. You will not and cannot live up to everyone's standard and expectation. Do what you can and be happy with that. The only person you should worry about disappointing is your Father in Heaven.
8. Don't obsess over food. Eat healthy, be active, take care of yourself, and enjoy life. If you don't kick this "food guilt" habit early, you're going to be 25 and still working on it (trust me, I know). 
9. Develop closer relationships with you grandparents. They only stick around so long and they have loads of wisdom to pass along!
10. Wear sunscreen (I got this off of an ad I saw (see bottom of post), and think it's great advice - who wants yucky skin?!)

My 16 year-old self: Springboard diving team, Lake Powell, swim team coach, my 16th b-day, and friends!

#3. Describe your relationship with your parents.

3. Describe your relationship with your parents.

To put it simply, I just adore them! I feel very blessed to have wonderful parents who listen to me, help me see the good in life, give me guidance, love me for who I am, and push me to be my best. What more could a girl ask for?

My mom is one of my very best friends! She is always willing to talk to me and listen to my woes and about the good times too. I don't think I ever realized how selfless she was until I moved out and was able to recognize all of the work she put into raising us kiddos. She wanted us to succeed in every way. She tried to make us eat healthy (always carrots in our lunches and vitamins at dinner!), she pushed us hard in school (I can remember her having us do extra spelling tests at home so we could be a step ahead at the beginning of the school year), she supported our interests and hobbies (who knows how many hours she spent at soccer games, tennis matches, gymnastics practices, swim team practice, etc etc), and she encouraged us to be interesting and interested ("If you're bored, you're boring!"). I have looked up to her my whole life and I know that I still have no idea how much she really did/does for me. Oh, and we can't forget how hilarious she is - she is so fun to be around. I am so glad that she is always just a phone call away!

There is something special about the relationship between a father and a daughter. Maybe because while growing up, us little girls find out that our dads can do anything! That is the type of guy my dad is. He can fix anything, find anything (seriously, he's our go-to guy for lost items), give advice on anything, pack up the car better than anyone I've ever met, and he's a really hard worker. That's my kind of hero! He never complained about going to work all day while we got to do fun things like go to the pool. In fact, I don't know if I can remember him complaining about much of anything. He is kind, compassionate, and humble. He is easy to talk to and likes to give out pearls of wisdom. He has so much faith and is not afraid to share his testimony with his family. He is so great at helping me see the bigger picture and realize that things like traffic tickets and popped tires are not the end of the world. I am happy that we have a great relationship!

Man, this is making me miss them even more! I think it must be time for a visit to New Mexico again.

click here for links to the other 30 questions :)

#2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have

2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

Getting OLD

Now, I mean old, not just older. I don't mind the thought of getting older, having some babies, Brian having a real job, etc. That actually sounds great. The old I am talking about involves having a body that doesn't work quite right anymore. I dread the day when I realize it hurts to get up, move around, and function as a normal human being. I am afraid of the pain that comes with that and the decreased quality of life. Luckily, I know that I have a phenominal husband and we will take care of each other... which makes me think of another fear that comes along with getting old - losing my spouse! Ek, I don't even want to think about that one. I think my fear of getting old comes from the experiences I had as a nursing student working at nursing homes. Talk about depressing. I remember back when I was told I had HIV, that was one of the few comforting thoughts I had - I wouldn't have to get old! Turns out I don't have HIV (thank heavens), so I'm going to have to face this fear sometime!

Murderers

Especially in my shower! I think having the shower curtain closed makes the bathroom look nicer, but if I ever have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or if I am going when I get home after being gone all day, I always have the awful thought of "What if someone is hiding in my shower?!" I am also scared of people hiding under my car, ready to cut my achilles tendon (OUCH! and then you can't run away :/). I actually saw an ad once for socks you could wear that had some sort of metal in the heel so nobody could do that to you. Scary. Anyway, this fear probably comes from watching the news, scary movies, and reading articles I shouldn't (like the one on Ted Bundy I read a few weeks ago. Yeah, he was psycho.) Anyway, Brian and I have recently looked into buying me a taser for when I go running. 

Complacency

I have this fear that one day I'm going to look back on my life and be very disappointed with what I see. I am afraid that I won't have become the sort of person I want to be and that I will be full of regret. I know of at least one thing that has contributed to this fear. I was driving home from Utah to New Mexico for Christmas with my grandma one year and she told me about one of her biggest fears. She was afraid that when she went to heaven, she would get to watch a video of her life - all the ups, downs, in betweens, successes, failures, etc. But then she was going to be shown a video of what her life could have been, had she made some changes. Talk about a guilt trip!

Some other ones Brian said I have:

bad breath, spiders, bees, mistakes at work, dark places, cluttered rooms, pain, financial insecurity, my car breaking down


click here for links to the other 30 questions :)

#1. List 20 random facts about yourself

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.

In no particular order... I'm just going to write them down as they come to my head.


1. I love to laugh! Luckily, with such a wonderful guy in my life - I get to laugh all the time! We recently had a little episode with the police that still has me laughing :)

2. Learning how to be an adult is difficult for me. While I do appreciate finally getting paid for the work I do in the hospital, I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that I have a real job. Good thing that you can always be a kid at heart.

3. This one is not a mystery to anyone who knows me... I love ice cream. I could eat it all day, every day (I would appreciate a few flavors, however). Other foods at the top of the list: brownies, cookie dough, lasagna, Mexican food, and soup.

4. I love being married! Nothing beats being with your best friend.

5. I'm LDS (aka Mormon) :) I was so blessed to be able to serve a mission in San Diego, California a little over 2 years ago (Has it been that long already? Yikes!). I love the gospel and am especially grateful for the doctrine of eternal families.

6. Currently, my favorite nail polish color is silver sparkles.  

7. Holidays are my favorite days. I just love having an excuse to celebrate! We like to go all-out on birthdays, dye our milk (and whatever else we could) pink for Valentine's Day and green for St. Patrick's Day, and even have parties for MLK Day. Holidays = happiness. We should have more of them.

8. I have a weird green spot on my left eye. You can see it in some pictures, but especially in the sunlight. I like to believe that one day the green spot will take over my whole eye and then I can have green eyes. Yes, I am weird.

9. I am a nurse in what I consider the best nursing job out there -the NICU (ok, so maybe I'm a little biased). Many people ask me if I get grossed out by my job. Luckily I don't because of two reasons: 1) I work with babies. Baby poo, throw-up, and any other bodily fluid really doesn't gross me out. Adults on the other hand.... 2) Blood isn't a problem for me unless it is coming out of a family member. Weird, huh? Hopefully I'll be able to get over that small problem. The only time I actually passed out during clinicals was at the Burn Trauma Unit. I won't go into details...

10. I am trying to stretch my musical capabilities by learning the guitar! I took a class last summer but I was using a borrowed guitar that had to go back to the lender after I was done :(. Much to our surprise, we recently received a surprise guitar on our porch! Talk about awesome! So, I have taken it up again and can now proudly play "Puff the Magic Dragon," "When You Say Nothing at All," and most of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Snazzy snazzy. I'm hoping to get good enough to play some sweet tunes at Girl's Camp this year... which leads me to my next one.

11. I love the outdoors! I think the worst part of studying for the NCLEX was staying inside all day long with my books. Yuck! I much prefer to be outside (unless it is freezing). Therefore, I am quite excited about my assignment as the girl's camp nurse this summer.

12. Colors are a new obsession. I really like seeing them, wearing them, trying to put them around the house, etc. I'm really wanting some red or turquoise pants.

13. I speak Spanish/Spanglish. I have not been able to use it as much as I wish I could since getting back from my mission, but I think I will have more opportunities at the hospital. Meanwhile, I try to read in Spanish frequently, always pray in Spanish, listen to Spanish music in the car, and teach Brian a little here and there. I don't want to lose it!

14. Reading is one of my favorite things to do - especially children's books. Brian and I try to make a regular visit to the library to pick up some new ones. Our favorite has been holding strong for quite some time though - Cinder Edna. If you haven't read it, I would highly suggest it. Brian and I also talk about how fun it would be to write and illustrate children's books... we have tons of ideas!

15. I want to adopt a baby from Guatemala someday. Cutest babies ever. Seriously. Don't believe me? Just google it. That would also give me an excuse to go to Guatemala again on the regular.

16. I bought my car on eBay - yes, I have since learned that this was a very risky move. But, it has been a wonderful car the last 6 (?) years. Her name is Crayola Rex because for some reason she always smells like crayons. Go figure.

17. I have the craziest dreams. I rarely have a night without dreams. Last night I had one where I was riding around in a giant bowl with a few other girls and we were fighting dinosaurs. Aren't you supposed to grow out of those kinds of dreams?! I need to get a dream interpretation book.

18. Checking the mail is one of the highlights of my day. There is nothing better than getting a letter!

19. I'm from New Mexico. The typical reaction I get when people learn that fact is pity. They just don't know what an awesome place it is! I miss it - and especially my family that still lives there.

20. I really like taking pictures. I'm currently saving up for a camera purchase... now it's just the ongoing debate of Nikon or Canon.

click here for links to the other 30 questions :)

Baby Lizzy

OH! And a special shout-out to my lovely sister-in-law and her beautiful family! They welcomed an adorable, healthy baby girl into their family yesterday. Lizzy Rebecca Pearce. Here is the only pic I have of their family and that was from our wedding (she was just barely pregnant I think). I just love those kiddos - Ty, Addy, and Paige. Congratulations Emily and Wayne!

30 questions to get to know yourself

One of my goals for this year is to get to know myself better. I believe that the better you know yourself, the better you can get to know other people.

Theory: If you haven't figured out how to get to know yourself, the person you are with 24 hours a day, then how are you going to get to know other people on a deeper level? Maybe I'm wrong, but for now, that's what I'm going with. So, I'm beginning my own "get to know myself" exercise.

Just click on the question for the link to the post where I answered it.

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

Have a wonderful day and try to get to know yourself a little better too!

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List courtesy of this blog post.

introducing my husband, the drunk driver :)

Friday night we were coming back from a friend's wedding reception (congratulations, Rachel & Ryan!) and Brian was driving. We were just pulling onto 300 South from 900 East and suddenly there were flashing lights behind us.... dun dun dunnnnnnn.

Brian pulled over and the popo man came to the window with his flashlight looking very suspicious. He checked out the back seat and the front seat and appeared to be looking for something. What was that something? Alcohol!

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"No officer! I'm very confused - I was definitely going the speed limit!"

"Well, you have a taillight out, you were slow off of the light, and I believe you have a headlight out too. This is very typical of driving while intoxicated."

"Oh no, officer! I'm not drunk!"

Then I chimed in from the passenger seat... "Make him walk the line! Walk the line!" (Brian didn't appreciate that)

"I think I'll let you guys go.... But, why do you have a driver's license from Arizona, license plates from New Mexico, and you're driving in Utah?"

"Newlywed students."

"I see. Have a good night and get your lights fixed!"

Phew. I must say that I find it very amusing that my husband was pulled over for drunk driving. Only in Provo I guess. I think Brian would be the last person I'd ever expect to get a DWI.

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Other news...

I did my first night shift and boy was it weird. Brian was kind enough to make a cave for me in our bedroom by putting a few blankets over the window to make it completely dark. I tried to sleep the day before, but it is tricky. My body thinks it's time to go out and do things but my brain is telling it to go to sleep during perfectly beautiful daylight hours. Consequently, even though I gave myself time for a 4 hour nap prior to going in for my night shift, I woke up every hour. Hopefully I'll be able to get a hang of this whole sleeping during the day dealio. If anyone has tips, let me know! 


I am working a three-in-a-row night shift stretch this weekend. Seeing as it may kill me, this might be my last blog post.

Night shift humor

Happy Birthday! (lots of photos...)

Some say that the older you get, the less excited you get about your birthday. 

False.

Or, at least not around here. A birthday is a good reason to celebrate, see good friends, eat delicious food, and... get spoiled a little bit :).

Because I have managed to survive 25 years (truly miraculous when you consider I've been in Utah for the last 5 years or so around all of these crazy drivers...)... Brian decided that he wanted to celebrate the fact that I am now a quarter of a century old. So... he woke me up with this GIGANTIC pile of chocolate chocolate-chip pancakes cut into "quarter" pieces. Yum!

Please ignore the hair doo... I just woke up!

I found a pile of quarters in my car. I was informed that these are to be used on the vending machines at grocery stores so I can buy tattoos to my heart's content!

Later I was sent to the tennis courts ("quarts"), where we play tennis and had to find a little present he left for me there. After I got to plop down on a blanket and read a good book. I am definitely enjoying the extra time I've had to read some books that I actually want to read for a change... and I am absolutely in love with the weather lately. Sunshine!! (Sorry, no picture of the courts, just some of my favorite shoes!)

Next I came home to a quart of ice-cream! Ohhh how I love icecream.

We had a fun party that night and finally busted the piñata we've been hoarding for over a year. It was time for him to go...

Yes, that is definitely a frying pan...

Inspired by one of the best movies ever!

We also had the option of using one of Brian's old crutches or a broomstick.

Hannah finally killed it!

Brian made me the coolest cake! I found it on Pinterest a while ago and told him I wanted it for my birthday. I couldn't believe he remembered!

Check out the colors! It's a rainbow cake!

Lots of things happened last year... got married, graduated, got a job... we'll see what age 25 brings!