New Year's Resolutions already?!

yes, i have been thinking of them already, and i know that if i don't write them down somewhere, i'll forget them (which maybe means they really aren't that important?) So, to my TWO readers, here you go, please make sure i follow through with them!

1. GO TO ALL MY CLASSES! i don't care if i'm tired and haven't had 10 hours of sleep, it's important, i'm paying for my education, i should actually attend the institution in which i am enrolled, just so they know i still exist.

This also means SETTING AN ALARM and NOT INTENTIONALLY SLEEPING THROUGH IT. Yes mom, i tell you that i "forgot" to set it, but i'm lazy and tired and all i want to do is stay in my cozy, warm bed.


2. Be more social. I've never really been one of those girls who had 15 "super close girlfriends" or even wanted to. But after moving to Boise, i never really made the effort to find a few close friends, i just kept in contact with all my San Diego friends (who are still some of my closest). I feel like i am missing out on the whole "20's experience" by not going out on Saturday nights (i've been using the excuse of 'oh,well, i don't get off work till 11pm so i should probably go home' for the past two years, but NO MORE!) I am going to be a PARTY ANIMAL in 2010.

3. MOVE OUT. yes, i don't care if i can't go out and go to target whenever i feel like it (sucks, but i have to do it if i want to be on my own). I want to live downtown, in Hyde park. I've always wanted to live there, it is so beautiful in the summer and right next to the foothills. That's what i want.

4. Get a job in my career field. I want to work with kids, either as a after school teacher or continuing with my soccer team. I love kids, but being WAY too young to have any, i think that this is also very good birth control!

5. Be more appreciative of the things i have. Even though it's been a year after the fire, i still think i can be more thankful for the things i have been given. I want to volunteer more and give back to those less fortunate.


Thats just a start, but i want to follow through on ALL OF THEM! :]

Keeping up with dani

So things have been pretty busy on the home front. school started, ALREADY at midterms, which i think is insane, we just started! i guess i better get my act together! We moved into our new house, its such an amazing feeling to be home again even if it is still under construction (see previous blog).

And since Italy didn't happen ( i WILL study abroad...someday), i decided that i didn't want to sit at home all the time, and since i'm not a super social person, i knew that would be exactly what happened if i did. So, on a whim, i signed up to coach a u6 girls soccer team. I remember when my dad coached me and how much fun i had with him, and i wanted to make him proud. So, for three days every week, i spend an afternoon with six rambuncious girls who have the attention span of a goldfish, but i wouldn't trade it for anything. Our team name is the 'red sparkles' how cute is that?! I think this is something i want to do again, plus, it's good practice for my major (and really, really good birth control!)

And in my attempts to be more social, i have been trying to get out more and do things with people my own age. I still feel extremely uncomfortable sometimes, because i just don't understand why they do half the things they do, but i sit back and watch as they partake in whatever it is they are doing, in order to show that i am making the effort.

It's finally finished. Ten long months of stress, emotions, hugs, tears, laughter, everything you could ever imagine. I can't tell you how good it feels to be home again. Sleeping in my own bed, eating in my own kitchen, even picking up dog poop in the backyard makes me happy, because it's where my family is. Although the road to home was not one that i would have chosen, it wouldn't change anything about it, because the outcome was totally worth the hardships. BIG props to my mom, who has dealt with everything, from processing every single reciept, to picking out furniture (which, after a while, isn't as much fun as you might think), to picking out doors and hardware. I can't even imagine how she did it all, but i am so greatful. Thanks mom.

SUMMER does not equal SCHOOL

For the first time EVER, i am taking summer school. No, i didn't fail any courses, and no, i do not enjoy sitting in a classroom at 7 AM (yes, that is AM, IN THE MORNING!). But in order to get some money from the government, i have to have a certain number of credits, and after this class is finished, i get finally get money!
Anyway, these past few weeks have been kind of stressful. First, everything with Italy is so time consuming and every little detail has to be looked at and done within a certain amount of time. Like yesterday, i realized how many little things i needed to bring with me that will take up so much room in my ONE SUITCASE that i am allowed to bring, things like sheets, towels, dishes. I am going to have to find the world's largest suitcase to carry everything i need to bring. I'll be lucky if i can get everything done before i leave. So cross your fingers!
Second, the house is near completion! August 19th is the finish date, and Sam and i both leave soon after. They are finishing painting the interior, and the landscaping is all finished, and looks GREAT! Then flooring goes in, cabinets, and lighting, then BAM, a finished house! Third, saving money is a lot harder when target is right up the street. Seriously, i need to invest in some target stock because i probably would have been a billionaire by now. I decided to sell my car to raise funds for traveling around europe on weekends, and work never seems to bring in enough income. I wonder why that happens...

On the positive side of life, i took a trip with my grandma and grandpa from emmett and drove down to utah for Jacie's wedding reception in ephraim. Although she got married in california, she had a separate reception for those of us who couldn't make it down there. So I have never been to Utah, shocking i know, and was actually looking forward to this little trip. Oh my gosh, let me just say that i am in LOVE with Salt Lake City. I would move there tomorrow if i could. The city is perched right up against the mountains and the capitol is up on a hill, and the temple is breathtaking! They even have a nordstroms AND a NORDSTROMS RACK! i'm in heaven. Maybe i'll look into University of Utah? who knows.

So we drove to ephraim, a little town in the middle of the state, and went to my new cousin-in-law Shane's house for the reception. It was great to see Jacie, who i haven't seen since Hawai'i (i can't believe it's been that long!) and i can't believe she is married! Congrats to the newlyweds.

power is powerful

Beginning in probably middle school, i knew i was different from the other kids my age. I didn't feel the need to cheat on my homework, i always felt the guilt that would come from it for even thinking it, i never had a wild spell like most, i never even drank in high school. And though i am praised by my parents for standing up to peer pressure and doing what was right, i feel like an outcast for not partaking in events like that. I would always hear girls gossiping on monday about the awesome party they went to that weekend, and who they hooked up with. Don't get me wrong, hooking up with random guys on the weekend is not my idea of fun, but i always felt like i missed out on the experience of being a teenager for doing what was right, and i take a lot of crap for it, i even beat myself up a little bit for it.
As my 20th birthday nears, i am constantly wondering on what i missed out on. I know looking back isn't helping my cause, but did i waste these years of my life sitting at home on friday nights wondering with all my friends were doing? I wish i had taken more risks, played a little more, and had opened myself up to more people.
But hey, now that i know what i want, i can accomplish that AND more in my twenties. And probably have more fun than i would have in my teens!

June

I am pretty sure the weather is confused right now. It has been raining for two weeks straight, and it hasn't even hit the 80 degree mark yet! Don't get me wrong, i love the rain, but it's SUMMER FOR GOODNESS SAKES! I want to do all the fun outdoors stuff, like floating the river and going to eagle island, but i guess I'll have to wait a little while longer.

So school is out, and that means working, a lot! I love my job because i get to participate in cool events for advertising purposes. A few weekends ago, we had a booth at star mule days (you know you live in a small town when everyone comes out to mule days), where we served barbecue tri tip sandwiches and strawberry lemonade. OH MY GOSH did i inhale those, i probably ate more than i should have but i couldn't help myself, best i have ever had! And not only did i eat those, but 'fair code' requires you to trade with other vendors ;] so we got to try everything there. I had three different types of funnel cakes, a foot long corn dog, thin cut fries, and i lost count after that, i went into a little food coma. But the best part about it was getting the opportunity to be out of the kitchen for a weekend, which was awesome, because it is super stressful sometimes.

All was fine and dandy, until the rains came. It was POURING, and the weather didn't want us to come out dry, so they brought in winds that made the rain come at us from the side, so we couldn't hide from it. So cooking on the bbq + rain coming from all directions = a good time.

Then we participated in eagle fun days this past weekend, but instead of having a booth, we were in the parade! Every year, the parade has a wet and wild theme, so all of the 'dry' entries start off the parade, and then the second half, the 'wet' part, is when all of the fire trucks in eagle come down and hose down the crowds who are eagerly waiting with their super soakers, hoping for a victory, but really, who is the winner when you are getting soaked in the freezing cold, and it's still raining?

Some of my co workers dressed up like rodeo clowns, and handed out candy to little kids, and squirted them with silly string. Others passed out flyer's and the rest sat in the float and perfected their waves.

Then, our family photographer, Brenda, took our annual family pictures down on the greenbelt, and they turned out AWESOME! I worked with brenda at coldwater creek for a few years, and she took my senior pictures as well. Her work is amazing! Thank you Brenda!

visit her website: www.leapphotography.com
she also has a blog, you can find her on 'blogs i follow'

And the Italy countdown has begun! 77 days until i depart. And for anyone who is keeping track, 84 days until my 20th birthday!

SUMMER

IT'S SUMMERTIME!!!! :] but where is the warm weather?! it's still a little chilly here in good ol' Idaho, but that'll change soon. Idaho weather is funny like that, one minute its hot and sunny, then 15 minutes later, the clouds gather and explode. It's kinda cool, cause you never know what is going to happen. Especially during the summer, the thunderstorms just sneak up on you it's really cool.

Anyway, school is OVER! first year is DONE, it should be the second year, but since i took a year off, i am a little behind. I took my finals early, and moved out of my dorm a few days early, just because i was anxious to be home, even though it is only, like, ten miles away. It definitely feels good to sleep in my own bed, and to be with my dogs too. I am so glad that i decided to move on campus. It was an experience that made me a stronger person, and it brought me out of my shell a little bit. I tried new things, made new friends, became more social, and faced my fears head on, because i had to. I couldn't hide behind my door anymore, and my roommates helped me conquer some of my irrational fears of things, for which i will be eternally grateful for. So thank you Tess, Becca, Lacey, Kara, Taylor, Joclyn, and Courtney. You guys are awesome.

So i have been back home, trying to catch up on sleep, which has been very nice. For those of you who don't know, i sleep a lot, like 14 hours a day. It's just something that i do, i am an amazing sleeper. It is one of my favorite things to do; in my bed, in the grass, in the sun, anywhere, as long as i can sleep. So that is all i have accomplished in the past week, and i am still a little tired.

Also very exciting, construction started on the house!!

We are hoping that it is done by the end of august, which would be right when sam and i leave for school, bummer.

I'll post more pics and such later, i feel like this blog is long enough. Plus, i am going to the Taylor Swift concert tomorrow!! She is my favorite!

This blog post is dedicated to grandma great. December 15, 1907-May 12, 2009 ♥

Easter and such

It is quite loud in our dorm tonight. why? very good question, i would like to know that too. I think it's national play your music as loud as you can, scream at the top of your lungs when your roommate has class in the morning, day. So i thought i would take this time to blog instead, let my frustrations out.

So this past weekend was full of events, a few of which i missed because i SLEPT THROUGH MY ALARM! i need to find a new method of getting myself up. I was supposed to run a 5k on saturday morning, 'bete coach pete' where our football coach challenges anyone to beat him in a 5k, and if you do, he'll donate $5 for each person who beats him. I had stayed up pretty late the previous night, because i was going to be the designated driver for my roommates, but some of them decided to leave really late, so i stayed and someone else was the dd. So after sleeping through beat coach pete, i was kinda upset with myself, and decided to go home to see my family, and my dogs ;] but my family wasn't there, so i hung out with my dogs.

Sam went to his senior prom on saturday, which is weird, because it just seems like yesterday that it was my senior prom, but sam and his date were so cute :] Sam decided that he will be going to the University of Arizona next year, majoring in physics.

Then on Sunday, which was easter, i got someone to cover my shift at work, even though i probably shouldn't give up my shifts, but i got to sleep in and not have to worry about sleeping through my alarm. Then some of my roommates decided to have a bbq in the little quad right outside of our dorm. We invited all the kids in our building who couldn't go home for easter dinner, and we made hot dogs and hamburgers, and brownies. It was such a beautiful day outside, that we all just layed in the sun. They we decided to have a scavenger hunt around campus, looking for things that our school is well known for. We got into groups of 3 or 4 and took a camera with us, to document that we had gone to every point. I have to say, Boise State is a pretty big campus, and with points at both ends, i was so tired and out of shape i couldn't keep up. It was pretty embarrassing. Our team didn't win, but it was an awesome day.

Then on monday, construction on our house started!! It has been about 5 months since the fire, and we are MORE than ready to rebuild. They expect to be done in about four months, so hopefully, Sam and I will still be here when it is finished.

What a BEAUTIFUL day

I love the days that are so warm and refreshing, that it is hard to stay inside, and today was definately one of those days. I don't have class on mondays, so i woke up and kinda lingered around until i went outside and felt the sun on my skin. I don't think there is a better feeling of sun on your cold skin in the beginning of spring. It means SUMMER is coming! But then reality set in and i had to study for an anthropology midterm. I do NOT reccomend this course, it is boring, and difficult, and i find it hard to put any effort into it because i have no intrest.

I need to catch you up on the weekend stories, which there are plenty of. So friday night, i went to work, and didn't get back until around 10, and by that time, my roommates were already pretty far gone, and were planning on going out. I offered to drive them there and back, and they were very 'greatful' for that. I have never really experienced anything like that in my life. They were very touchy and happy and just very playful. And LOUD. Oh my gosh were they loud, but i loved watching them, it made me laugh. It was probably one of the funniest nights of my life.

(me and taylor and cass on friday)

Then yesterday i went to Barnes and Noble on my way to work, and bought Rosetta Stone, the one that is on the infomercial, where you can learn any language fast. I just want to say, this is the BEST thing ever invented hands down. I am so obsessed with this thing, i am finding it hard to do anything else! I will be fluent in italian in about 2 seconds. If you are ever looking to learn a new language, i would reccomend this in a heartbeat.

And now i am sitting in my living room with some of my roommates, getting ready to watch the hills! There isn't very many times when all of us are together, but it is always a trip when we are.

hi friends

So i haven't written on here in almost a year, weird how fast time flies, and how much things change. So many things that have happened in the past year that have changed my life for the good and for the bad, but i believe the bad things have made me a stronger person.

First, i finally started college, after taking a relaxing year off which was needed. a lot of people have asked me if it was hard to take time off and return back to school, and i didn't have a problem with the transition at all. I am so glad that i took the time off so i didn't burn myself out on school. I stayed local at Boise State and i LOVE it. If you had asked me a year ago if i would consider going to bsu, i would have said no way in a heartbeat, but i am so glad i stayed close to home and i have come to love bsu and Boise even more.

I got a new job in the summer of 08, at a steakhouse called 'cool hand lukes', which is based in Fresno, but opened 2 locations in Boise. I was hired to be a hostess but have been promoted TWICE and i am now head expo, and received the honor of employee of the month in February 2009! I love my job and am grateful for all the opportunities i have been given there.

Then in November 2008, our house burned down. It is the weirdest feeling to leave your house, expecting to return later, with everything where you left it, and come back and find nothing. I am so so grateful for the outpouring of support from the community and friends who have done everything possible to make this situation feel normal. People who we didn't even know were bringing us dinners (which were AMAZING, btw), clothes, toilet paper, things that you don't really think about until you need them, like nail clippers. I am also grateful that grandpa convinced us to install our dog door a few months before, because it saved my dogs. I am so grateful that there was no loss of life that night, and i am grateful that our neighbors were there and made sure we were all out.

This who experience has made me realize what is really important in life. I know that sounds cliche, but it really is true. I don't miss my shoes, i don't miss the posters on my wall, i don't miss having to clean out my closet, with junk that i don't need. The only things that i wish i still had were some pictures that were in a picture box, my diploma and tassel, and a doll that i got when i was born that i slept with every night, and i still have a hard time sleeping without. About a week after the fire, we knocked down the house in preparation to rebuild. We are still currently in a rental house, and hope to begin construction this month.

Then in January, i decided on a whim to apply for a study abroad program through Boise state to study in Italy for a semester! i don't know what came over me, but since losing the house, i have had an epiphany that life is short, and to take advantage of every opportunity that you are given. I know it will be a challenge for me, to be away from home for 4 months, but i am hoping that i will have the strength to do it. I am going with one of my really good friends, Michael, who i met when i first moved to Idaho on my co ed soccer team! he is a great guy with a lot of energy, who will push me to try new and exciting things, which i probably wouldn't do if i was alone. I recently got my passport and will be applying for my visa shortly, and i couldn't be more excited.

I am now in my second semester to bsu, and i moved on campus, in an 8 room suite with 7 other girls! Taylor, Tess, Kara, Courtney, Lacey, Joclyn, and Becca. can you say LOUD?! holy moley, these girls know how to stay up all night! they are all so different, but i love them all. They do like to party, and they know i don't, and they don't pressure me to do anything i don't want to. But the little worrier in me is always offering to come pick them up, no matter the hour, if they need me to, and i think they appreciate that. The only thing i regret is not moving in sooner! i love it, and i will be very disappointed when the semester ends and i have to move home.

If you asked me a year ago where i thought i would be, i wouldn't be here. It is so weird how much we all mature and all grow up in 365 days. It's weird to think that two years ago, i graduated from high school, and went to Hawaii with jacie. It's weird to see kids i know from school getting engaged and married, but i am so happy for them. It's weird to see lucy driving, and sam graduating. I don't want life to pass me by anymore. Let's just make it stand still.