Day 31 → Memorial Day

Any of you who know me at all know that I love soldiers! I love those who serve our country. I can go on and on (and have several times) about how much I appreciate the sacrifice they make for me, my friends, my family and our country.

As I was thinking about what to post on this last (and possibly most important) day of May, these videos came to my mind. I have had them saved on my computer for over a year and often look at them. They make me cry. They make me proud. They make me happy to be living in the United States of America. They make me appreciate so much the people who choose to fight for my freedoms.

I hope you took the opportunity today to remember those who have fallen for us. I also hope you took the time to remember their families who made the ultimate sacrifice as well. There are no greater heroes than these men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedoms. I want to say "Thank You"! Thank you for fighting so I can be free. Thank you for doing something that I can't do for myself. Thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice on my behalf.

I want to end this post with something that General George S. Patton once said. "We should not mourn those who died. We should thank God that they lived!"

Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy

Today what tickles my fancy is this...I'm tired! I feel like I've used up every last ounce of energy this past month. I need a nap!

I have had a great month. I've struggled at times to post every day, but I'm glad I took the challenge and finished it! I feel like I should take at least a one week blogging break. But I have the fireman breakfast and our family reunion to post about, so a hiatus is unlikely. We'll have to see how tired I am tomorrow and whether or not I have the energy to post.

Right now I am tired...so goodnight! =P

Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

We're almost there!

My hopes, dreams and plans won't take long to share. I don't have huge unattainable goals. I just want to be a better person. I want to make new friends and become better at serving those around me. I want to start to date more (and considering how long it's been since my last date, even 1 date will be "more") and become more social. I want to better my church attendance. I want to graduate school. I want to find ways to better myself, my family and my community. I want to find a job that will help me make a difference. I want to become more spiritual and gain a closer relationship with my brother Jesus Christ. And I want to be happy. All of those things are things that can be achieved if I put forth a little work. And I'm willing to do the work!

Day 28 → This year, in great detail

Wow. Thinking about writing a whole past year in great detail gives me a headache! I blog regularly so I don't have to write a whole years worth of living in one sitting. So even though I've summarized the last few posts, I'm going to summarize this one even more.

The last year has consisted of family, friends, work, school, playing, learning, growing, hurting and experiencing.

See...summarized...told you! =P

This past year has been great. Of course there have been difficult times, but that's life. And I've grown through the bad and good and have become a stronger person. Has this past year been the best year of my life?! I don't think so. But it hasn't been the worst! It's been a great year and I would be happy to have another one just like it. But that is the joy of life...no 2 days or years are the same. I learn something new every year and feel like I become a more evolved person as the years pass by. And that's all I can ask for!

Hungry?!?

Are you hungry for some breakfast? Well if you're hungry right now I can't help you. But if you're hungry Saturday morning you're in luck! This Saturday May 29th is the Pleasant Grove Fire Department Fireman's breakfast. It's held at the fire station (87 E 100 S) in PG from 6am-11am. Tickets are $5.00 per person and can be purchased that morning at the door. (Or we can reserve them in advance if you contact someone from my family and let us know how many you need. We can save you tickets and then you can pay that morning when you show up.) The firemen cook up a delicious breakfast and serve it to the community. It's so much fun, especially if you have kids! They can look at the fire engines and ambulances and see the inside of the fire department. There is also a park right next door. It's just a fun event and a great way to support the community.

Most of you know that my dad works for the PGFD. He has been there for a few years and has made some of the greatest friends and had some amazing experiences in those few years. Last May my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He was quite sick for awhile and even spent almost 4 weeks in the hospital with some pancreas issues. The fire department decided that they were going to give the proceeds from last years fireman breakfast to my parents. My parents were so grateful and so humbled to accept the money. And it helped so much! That money helped pay medical bills and helped with other expenses accrued when family members are sick. I honestly don't think my family would have made it through that difficult experience without the Pleasant Grove Fire Department. When my dad would need to be transferred to and from the hospital for tests etc, the firemen would load up the ambulance and drive to Orem to come pick him up. The help and support we got from the fire department was priceless. Last year my dads story was in the Pleasant Grove newspaper and the firemen had donation areas set up at the breakfast where people donated even more money to my family. The fire department went above and beyond to help one of their own. And not only did they help my dad, but they supported our whole family as we dealt with the struggles we were facing.

I don't know where the proceeds are going this year. But I can guarantee that the money will go where it is needed and I can say personally the gratitude that the recipients will have towards the fire department and the community. Service is one of the greatest blessings you can give to someone else. And even though learning to accept service is sometimes difficult, it blesses lives in countless ways. At last years breakfast we had so many family and friends show up to support the fire department and my family. I would love to see all of those same people, and so many more, show up to support the fire department again this year. Whether it be my family being served or someone else, the money is needed and used in great ways. So please come and support the fire department. We will be forever grateful for their love and support and I look forward for the opportunity to help support another family, group or cause.

(If you don't want to go because you won't know anyone there, rest assured that my family will be there. My dad will be there from before it starts until after it's finished and cleaned up. And the rest of my family will be there too. So please come. We would love to see you and your family. And a very amazing fire department needs your support, so please come!!) If you have any questions or want tickets contact me and I'll get you some info. You can email me at fire_princess4@hotmail.com or call/text me at 801-722-9492. Thanks guys!

Day 27 → This month, in great detail

Again, I feel like if I listed anything in GREAT detail I would bore all of you, my faithful readers! :) So I am going to list my month the same way I did my week. And hopefully you won't fall asleep reading it. (Don't worry...tomorrow's post is going to be even worse! :P)

*Babysitting...Kathy, Courtney, Cameron, Marren and Mason
*Cooking
*Shopping
*Remodeling 2 bathrooms
*Mowing lawns
*Fertilizing and watering lawns
*Church
*Homework with Meriam (She passed so many classes this semester!!)
*Family dinner
*First barbecue
*Planting flowers
*Making snowmen
*Running errands
*Paying bills
*Chauffeuring cousins
*Blogging
*Scrapbooking
*Working out
*Fixing cars...breaks, oil, fluids, car washes
*Visits with friends and family
*Mothers Day
*Car show
*Birthday parties
*Studying...laws, spanish and sign language
*Baking...bread, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns
*Playing with cousins
*Hope of America
*Cousins spring program
*Making new friends
*Doctors appointments
*HMMM...ALOT OF OTHER THINGS I CAN'T THINK OF RIGHT NOW!!

So that has been my month...give or take. I've kept busy, that's for sure. And it's been a good month. I've enjoyed myself and I'm glad Spring is finally starting to come...kind of.

Day 26 → Your week, in great detail

Well this week has been busy and I don't want to bore you with the details. So I'll just make a random list of things I've done this week. Here goes...

*mow 2 lawns
*fertilize 4 lawns
*water 4 lawns
*remodel a shower
*bake 8 loaves of bread
*babysit Cameron and Courtney
*play Wii with Mason and Marren
*homework with Meriam
*make dinner several days
*watch Dancing With The Stars
*watch The Biggest Loser
*car show at One Man Band in Spanish Fork
*babysit Kathrine 2 days
*church
*weed 2 lawns
*clean the house
*run errands
*pay bills
*chauffeur cousins around town
*grocery shopping

There are SO many other things that I have done this week. I can't even make a list of them all but these are the things that I remember. It's been a busy, busy week to say the least! =D

Day 25 → Your day, in great detail

Today was pretty boring actually. I was thinking back to the things I've done today and it's going to make me seem lazy. But I needed a lazy day! So here goes!

0930: wake up
1000: give advice to the boys next door on how to do the needed construction on the shower. (Yes, I was the consultant to my grandpa and brother on how to build something!)
1200: go to Costco to get groceries for the grandparents
1300: lunch!
1400: pay cell phone bill and run an errand with Sami
1430-1900: construction on the house next door
1900: the biggest loser finale and rest on the couch!
2100: get in bed to blog and facebook!

I told you, pretty lazy day. But it was good. I have a cold and totally took advantage of a slow day.

Day 24 → Whatever tickles your fancy

Today I helped grandma babysit Cameron and Courtney while their parents had to go to the doctors. We had a great time. So here are a few pictures we took of the fun. Enjoy!
Courtney kept trying to hug Cameron. Then she wanted to put her chair next to him. I scooter her chair over and she sat right down and put her arm around Cam's back and laid her head on his shoulder. How cute are they?!

Cameron wanted to build a little snowman. I think it turned out to be more like a snowduck. And yes those are Runts and Nerds candies at his body parts! :) We're so creative!

Here are the kids sharing their string cheese and crackers. They were so cute together!

Cameron then started rubbing Courtney's hair. He is so sweet to her!

Then Cam found his dinosaur pencil and wanted a picture with it.

Another cuddle picture of the kiddos.

And last but not least, a silly Cam face with the dinosaur pencil.

They are so cute and we had so much fun playing with them. And I even baked 8 loaves of bread while babysitting. That's right folks...I'm a super-multi-tasker on top of being a fabulous babysitter!! =P

Day 23 → A YouTube video

I think this is so funny! It's a Fresno FD Public Safety Announcement. Just a little humor! :)

Day 21 → A recipe

I went a little out of order...for some reason I did day 22 yesterday and so I'm going to do day 21 today. I'm not a big recipe person. I kind of just make stuff as I go. That's the way my mom did it and that's the way I've learned. But here is a recipe for you all.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 family size can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup sour cream
1 large can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1 cup shredded cheese
1 large bag Yellow Tortilla Chips

Cut chicken breasts into small bite size pieces and cook. (Can be done on stove or in oven.) In sauce pan mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream and enchilada sauce until mixed and warm. Spray non-stick cooking spray in the bottom of a 9-13 pan. Crush bag of chips into smaller pieces (about 1/2 their regular size) and lay them in the bottom of the pan. Pour the sauce mix onto chips and stir until well mixed and all ingredients are wet. Sprinkle cheese on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees until warm and cheese is melted (approx 30 minutes). ENJOY!

Healthy as a HORSE!

So as most of you know my dad got sick last year with pancreatitis and the doctors found an area that was cancer and they cut it out. Well today he had his yearly check up. He had to go up to the Huntsman Cancer Center in SLC and have an EGD (a test where they stick a camera down your throat to check for polyps) to see if he was clean. I wasn't able to go up with them so I anxiously awaited a text saying how it went. He didn't even get taken back for the test until after 9 (I called my mom about 9:10 and asked her what was taking so long and she said they just started) so I knew I'd have to wait awhile longer to know the results. Then I got the text I was waiting for! A text from my dad that started out with "Test was good. No probs." and I was so excited! He is clean where they removed the previous polyp and everywhere else they checked and he doesn't have to be checked again for a year! I'm so glad he's healthy as a horse! =P Trust me, it sure did make for a great day to have news like that!