November 2009

I am forever grateful for Mr. Alexander Graham Bell because he invented the first telephone! What would I  if I couldn’t talk on the tellie? I guess I would write more letters, which I should do anyway.
I’m also grateful that cell phones were invented too, and that they aren’t as big as a toaster anymore like they used to be. And I’m especially grateful for cell phones because then I can talk to whoever, whenever, wherever. Isn’t it incredible?

I called my uncle Jaret tonight to wish him happy birthday and it was so fun talking to him. He’s pretty much the most hilarious dude on the planet. He cracks me up. I tried convincing him to come to AK for Christmas. Really really hope he does!
So a big thank you to the geniuses who have revolutionized the communication world.

As for texting… hmmm… I don’t. But these days, I kind of want to a little bit. But I’ve just been kind of anti texting for so long. I suppose that’s a bit irrational though. Texting is pretty good, I just hate when people are obnoxiously out of control and rude with it, which happens. Hmm, maybe I should become more pro texting and cave to the societal pressures forcing themselves upon me. 

Today is Thanksgiving. It’s all about gratitude. I am most thankful for:

<> Family

*Mumsy, my favorite person in the world. I love her so much and don’t know what I would do without her. She does anything and everything for me, plus, she makes delicious cookies. She’s kinda crazy but pretty hilarious. She is so wonderful and giving to eeeeveryone. Wow. I just really like her a lot and can’t wait to see her!

*Daddy O, my most favorite dad of all dads in the world. He is also quite hilarious. He just cracks me up! Like me mother dear, he has also dedicated his entire life to me (as well as my other siblings). I am so grateful for ol’ pops because without him, my life would be way less cool and I would’ve experienced and learned so much less. He’s a very good dad, my dad is, and I love our grand adventures we’ve had.
   *Lee, I’m thankful she’s my dear ol’ Dad’s wife, bringing him happiness. She does a lot, busy with work and the Ark all the time. Someone has to manage and she does it quite well. She’s also brought those two girls, which she and Dad have done so so much for, improving their lives immensely.
   *Reanna, my step mom’s granddaughter, I suppose that makes her my step niece. She’s had a lot to deal with in her life, but she’s done so well. She’s such a wonderful girly, and she’s an incredible older sister, really incredible. Reanna’s so good, hugs me every time she sees me, and not only that, but she has some wicked awesome green nail polish.
   *Lauren, my other step niece, and a crazy cool girl. She’s so happy and cutesy and always up for anything. She and Reanna are such good sisters, even though they are like five years apart. Lauren also hugs me when she sees me and… she can stand on her head like no one else I’ve ever met.

*Holly, oh my wonderful sister Oolly girl. She is definitely quite an amazing person. She amazes me, that’s why she’s amazing. She always does so so muchos for others, and she makes really yummy food. Holly girl’s life is just full of service all the time. I just love that inspiring sister sister of mine.
   *Jordi Jordin, H Girl’s husband and my excellent brother in law. My dear sister just loves him so so much and he loves her so so much and they are so good to each other. I’m grateful for him because of how good and happy he makes my sister’s life. And he’s a pretty cool dude too. He’s just a good person. I’m so glad he’s in our fam, makes it so so much more exciting.
   *Miss Natalie Ann, my darling three year old niece. Oh that girly makes me happy. I’m so so grateful I got to see her come into this world. Wow, that was incredible. But little Natalie just gets cuter and cuter everyday! I talked to her on the tellie the other day and I had forgotten how cute and lovely she was. I can’t wait to see her soon and play with her funny little self. I like to get in giant boxes and color them with her, and I still like to do it even when she gets out, but I like it better with her in.
   *Katy Lynn, I’m thankful for my one year old niece too, who is also so so cute. She just came out here to Hawaii with Holly and I had also forgotten how darling she was. I love her! These little girlies are just the greatest! I love being an aunty and I love having darling nieces. Katy potatie is a bit of a fuss bucket, but so darling anyway.

*Stacy girl, my roomie. What would I do without that crazy head? She seriously is a crazy head, people just don’t know like I do. And I’m so lucky that I know, because I really like this girl and I’m so glad we live together. I even like sharing a room with her. Weird, maybe, but not really. I love this sister of mine because it’s just so comfortable with her, sisters are just so good. And I really love her because she’s hilarious. She cracks me up in a knee slapping kind of way. “Sistaaaa!”

*Jakey boy, my dearest brother, who I often refer to as Best Friend. I just think he’s super cool, one of the coolest dudes on the planet. I love Brother. And guess what, he’s going to be a dentist in a few years. Is that incredible or what? I’m so proud of that brother of mine, doing good things. Aaand I also looove fishing with him. Capt. Jake is the coolest cappie on the sea. I really like playing with him in the summer, fun summer fun. I just really really love the brother of mine.

*Robbyyyy Reeves! I love Robby Reeves. He’s basically my brother and I love him a lot. He’s the coolest happy kid ever. He doesn’t live with us anymore and I miss him a lot. Robby is for real the best. He’s the happiest, most content, unconditionally loving person ever. I miss Roberta, playing with his cars, shouting into his microphone. Oh he’s so good.

<> Friends

*Carlita Deefinbooger, more commonly known as Carla. My bestie friend since age 8, my bestie friend now, my bestie friend forever. I can’t tell you how much I love this girl and how thankful I am for her. My life would be significantly less cool without her. Though she moved away when we were 14, we’ve only become better friends. We still see each other whenever we can and we always always have the most fun! I just loooove Carla and how much fun we have and how perfect it is with her. It’s just so natural and easy and absolutely wonderful. You don’t get best friends like her very often. I’m such a lucky ducky.

*Janey, one of my greatest friends since we were wee little ones. Played together all the time. Happy happy. I’m grateful for Jane and her funny self and her sweet minivan and her coolness. Jane and I have had the greatest times ever, swimming in the ocean in a blizzard, climbing trees, jumping in the harbor, playing super nintendo, making movies, cross country skiing… ah… so fun. So lucky to have a wonderful little friend like Janey girl.

*Lilly girl, the greatest roommate anyone could ever ask for. We were roomies in Hale 2 for three glorious semesters. She’s from Fiji and she’s incredible. I learned so much from Lilly because she is absolutely one of the best people I know. I love her so much and am so grateful she taught me all she did. Oh that girl is good. I miss her a lot a lot.

*Sisterhood love, Leana, April, Katie, Rachael, Anita, and Sasha. My most favorite girls at BYU Hawaii, who have brought me so much fun and happiness and love. Each of these sisters of mine is so wonderful and beautiful and I couldn’t ask for better people to be with here at school. So much love and gratitude for these girls, such wonderful friends.

*My favorite twinsies, Alexis and Elena, or Lexy and Lenny. :) They are such funny wonderful girlies and I love partying it up with them. I always am laughing so much with them. They are crazy! I love hanging out in 216 with them and doing random things. Oh and those girls are very very excellent at sending mail, and they’re geniuses. So much to learn from them.

*Dead Tree peeps, I am so grateful for them. My wonderful group of friends here at school. Members… a lot, a lot of people in the Hale 2 gang. They are the coolest. We had so much fun my first two years, partying all the time, in the lounge, out and about in Laie, oh it was grand. It is so awesome and so so nice having a solid wonderful group of friends that you always hung out with. Love them.

*My Jerusalem roomies, Lauren, Shamra, and Carly. We lived in Jerusalem together for four perfect months and it was indeed perfect. I loved our fabulous 408 room. It was the greatest! We had so much happy fun in there. Oh I can’t tell you how much I miss it and how much I miss those wonderful girls. Lauren and her happy happy laugh and her sweet Shabbat morning jams. Shamra and her giant tshirts and Christmas socks and irrational fears. She is hilarious and so one of a kind. Carly and her HP love and lovely Alice self. Our 408 room was perfect. I can’t tell you how much I miss it.

*My Jerusalem triumvirate, Marianne and Kara. It was us three in the Holy Land, always together, always adventuring, always happy. It was the best with them. We were the perfect adventure group, always wanting to do the same things, see the same things, buy the same things, it was the best. I loooove Kara and Marianne! They are the funnest two people to travel around the Holy Land with. I foresee more adventures in our future. I’m so grateful for those girls because the made my Jerusalem experience absolutely incredible.

<> Places

*Alaska, my home, I love it so so so much. It is the greatest place ever and I’m so glad I lived my first 18 years all in Homer, AK (and a few years in Anchor Point).
*Hawaii, my place of school, no better place to go to school. And BYU Hawaii is the absolute greatest school on the planet. I looooove how multicultural it is. It’s the greatest!
*Jerusalem, my love, my place of study, my new passion. The most incredible. I miss it so much, every single day. I love the Holy Land. Ah… peace. Jerusalem I love you immensely. Soooo lucky I was able to study there.

<> The Gospel

*Where would I be without the Gospel and with my knowledge of it? No where. I wouldn’t be here that’s for sure. The Gospel makes my life so wonderful and I am so so grateful to be brought up in the Church because it makes me happy happy! This is the foundation for the rest.
*Scriptures. Prophets. Prayer. Revelation. Church. Patriarchal Blessings. Spirit. Atonement. Seminary. We’ve got it all. It’s the best.

<> Jolly Goodness

*smelling fresh plumerias
*oatmeal for brekkie
*apple cider vinegar
*driving my sweet subie at home
*Christmas lights
*camel stickers
*Costco samples
*iTrip
*wedding invitations
*sand
*tanlines
*good neighbors
*independence
*education
*plush carpet
*mama’s fresh bread
*shabbat shalom
*happy dogs
*reversible skirts
*macbook
*puffy coats
*cooking
*quinoa
*kitty magnets
*veganism, hooray for only eating plants!
*podcasts
*ice skating
*scrubbing boats
*being caught in a Hawaiian down pour
*freshly ground almond butter
*bike bells
*polka dots
*cartoons
*sweet jams
*my good life

<>HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

Today I tried not using my thumbs for a while. It’s very very extremely difficult, but I definitely recommend it. I now have whole new appreciation for my thumbs!

If I didn’t have my cute little thumbs:
  *I couldn’t type as speedily, trust me, I’m trying right now.
  *I couldn’t eat my oatmeal very well, or anything actually, toast, apples, everything yummy
  *I couldn’t hitchhike, not that I ever have anyway
  *I couldn’t give thumbs up anymore
  *I’d be the worst super nintendo player ever
  *I couldn’t wash my hair very well, I tried this morning. You can’t shower without those thumbs.
  *and as for going to the bathroom… I didn’t try, because I knew I would fail.

I am so grateful for my thumbs, which do nothing but create ease, beauty, and happiness in my life.

I talked with Bishop tonight and wow, he is really wonderful. All bishops are so wonderful, just incredible men. So giving, so dedicated, so loving. I’m so so grateful for bishops and their guidance and their service and the endless hours the devote to the ward. What would we do without them? Thank you bishops.

Mahalo to podcasts!!! I love them! They teach me soooo much. Some of my favoritos are Vegetarian Food For Thought, Holistic Health & Wellness,  Stuff You Should Know, and of course LDS General Conference. They have podcasts on eeeeeverything. I highly recommend you start listening to them.