Meu último domingo na FLSR :(

A Casa Portuguesa-Outono 2010: Jarrett, Josh, Colin, João, Joseph, Janae, Elizabeth, Camila, Caitlin, and Sabrina. :)

There are two things that I know in life.
1. The only thing constant in life is change.
2. The only person that can help us get through these changes and hard times and be the rock we can hold on to as the waves of change crash around us is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is because of Him and His atoning sacrifice that we're able to become our best selves, grow closer to and more like our Savior. He is the ONLY way. I am so grateful and blessed to know this, and for the constant direction, support, and love He gives me.

There are a few things I am going to miss about the FLSR:
1. Interpretive dance parties with my roommates Camila and Elizabeth. I'll have to find someone else who can do the "danza do bolo" with me. That'll sure be hard to find.
2. Vegging out with Joseph, and capturing him for "sitting in the car" runs. Oh, the occasional J Dawg or Seven Eleven runs are nice, too. Seriously, I am gonna miss Joseph. He is getting all grow up and getting a real job in California. :(
3. The people. You can never find such fun, positive, dedicated, kind, and hard-working people anywhere else. These are my people, and I sure love 'em. I had a "going away" party today, and it was amazing to see the 70+ people who showed up just because there's a party and food. Gotta love these kind people.
4. The strong, friendly, and supportive ward. Ok, this is kind of redundant, but I will really miss our ward. I was sitting next to my friend Matt during church when I suddenly realized that it was my last Sunday in the FLSR. What a sad moment that was. I am sure gonna miss these crazy people.
5. Portuguese House dinners. Being with people each day makes you close to them, and I will miss my Portuguese family.
6. Crashing Spanish House dinners and desserts. :) They let me steal food from them when the Portuguese House food is less than appetizing. They're too kind!!
7. SO MANY THINGS. I can't think of it all, but I will still be working three shifts a night here, so that will help wean me off of the FLSR so I can somehow transfer back to normal life, and then TAIWAN!!

I love my Savior. It is times like these when changes are happening all around me that I can turn to Him and know that He will reassure me, lift me, and carry me through these times. I know that He loves me and that He has a plan for me. I have faith in Him, and I am so grateful for my Savior.

Random Thoughts

Surprising the Jeyzinator by picking him up at school!! What a stud!!

-The other loves of my life call me Auntie Janae.
-This is probably the first Thanksgiving break that I've lost weight. So, let's just say I was grateful for that-thanks to a sinus infection and a stomach flu-oh, joy!! :)
-I felt like a pregnant woman today. I was craving random foods while I was sick, and I had to pee all of the time because of the Gatorade I was drinking. I'm glad I'm not.
-I had a blast getting to play with my nieces and nephews Jeyza, Sammy, Scarlet, and Raeven over Thanksgiving break.
-I'm grateful I don't have student teaching tomorrow, as I am sick again. Good thing. But, I already miss my students and will be visiting them sometime this week.
-LIZ IS THE BEST!! She was my nurse and great friend today, as always. She always takes care of me. I'm so grateful to have such an outstanding friend such as her.
-I have a man in my life...his name is Jeyza, and he's my 7 year old nephew.:)
-Speaking of men, I got bored and added up my options. Liz and I calculated that I have at least 5 options of marriage if I ever want to just up and get married. All I would have to do is say yes. But, I prefer to say no. Let's just say that I avoid going to my home ward to avoid the ,"So, you dating anyone?", or "What are you doing with your life then?" questions. There is more to life than dating. Graduating from college, going to grad school, teaching abroad, going to nursing school, and going on a mission are just a little taste of the adventures I have planned besides getting married, and boy am I excited for those!!
-I'm excited to have time to work on random projects this week, as my student teaching is over.
-My friend, Chris came up with a term to describe me, and I thought it was hilarious. WARNING: May be a little explicit. He calls me a "social whore". He says that I know everyone, and that warrants the title. Did you know that the maximum number of contacts in your phone is 500? I filled up my contact memory, and that's why he calls me that.
-My dad is a STUD. I told him that he's the reason I haven't got married yet since I can't find anyone half as awesome as he is. He laughed. But, really, it's true.
-My family is crazy and hilarious. People don't believe me when I say I am one of the quieter ones, but it's true. You gotta see the craziness someday. I was expecting a quiet Thanksgiving holiday with just my mom and dad, but after multiplying the size of our Thanksgiving dinner group by five, and multiplying the sound by 10, I was reminded of the craziness. Gotta love it.
-I get to go to San Diego to see Eleisha on December 10th!! YAY!!
Life is good. Love, Janae

The Loves of my Life Call Me Coach

My studly soccer boys!!

Life gets rich and fulfilling when it is full of service, good works, and worthy causes. I believe one of the reasons why I believe my life is so blessed, rich, and fulfilling is because of the opportunity I have been given to use my talents of leadership, relationship building, mentoring, and soccer to serve some of God's children right here in Utah. I have wanted so many times in my life to run off to far away countries, volunteer in orphanages and find God's children to serve. What I missed out on was that there are orphans in need of an angel right around the corner, right in the same city, and yes, even in the city of Provo, Utah. I have now been coaching soccer to at-risk children and teens ages 5-15 for the past two years. It has been the most fulfilling thing I believe I have done in college. I absolutely love my boys. My Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are packed with kids running to me and saying "Coach, coach, coach!!", "Can we hang out?", and "Can you be my coach again?". I don't think I can leave them. I love these kids. I want to give them as many chances to succeed as I possibly can.

One of the ways I can help them is by getting them exposed to college recruiters by getting them more playing time, and keeping them out of trouble and improving their grades by keeping them occupied with more worthy pursuits, such as soccer. I want to get them in an indoor soccer program that starts in January that will prepare them for our upcoming outdoor season in March. That is why I am fundraising. So, if you are interested, we appreciate any support or donations. Check out our team blog at equipochocolate.blogspot.com, check out Coach Janae Piercy's Facebook page to donate, or go to paypal.com and donate to our program at our account name janaepiercy@gmail.com. Thanks so much. I love you all!!
-Coach Janae

I have hereby been called to serve as a teacher in TAIWAN!!

This is what I get to look forward to for my adventures next year-oh yeah.:)

One of my life's biggest dreams will be coming true. I have just been hired to teach English in Taiwan next year!! I am SO excited. I graduate from BYU in April 2011, and then I am off to Taiwan from July-December 2011. I am so thankful to my roommate and friend, Elizabeth Nenque for putting a good word in for me. She taught there in 2004, and still has good relations with the principal, Lin Yuling, which allowed her to get me a job there. She rocks. Many thanks to Liz!!

I will be teaching English to ~60 preschoolers, ages 3-6 at Owl Preschool in Hualien City, on the Northeast side of the island of Taiwan. We also have the option of teaching ESL to adults and older students. I will probably jump at that opportunity when I get there, too. The principal, Yuling is a BYU grad and she makes sure that the school has a positive, happy, clean, and good environment. I am so thrilled to have finally a program that holds high standards and where I can feel confident in knowing I will thrive in that environment.

I am so excited to have this opportunity to help more of Heavenly Father's children way across the world, and to learn more about these unique people, culture, and language. My Chinese vocabulary consists of "Ni Hao", or hello. So, yeah, I'll be learning a lot, and I am ready for this new challenge and adventure.

Life is great. I am so excited for this new adventure and chapter of my life!!

Love, love, love,
姐姐 Janae

P.S. Here are some help websites to learn more about Owl Preschool and Hualien City, if you're interested. I know I am. :)
Info on Hualien City:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hualien_City
Owl Preschool's Blog:
http://owlpreschool.blogspot.com/

It's Autumntime, It's Autumntime...

Courtney and I watching General Conference in the Salt Lake Tabernacle!! :)

Life is oh so good. Here are some highlights from the past couple of weeks:

-General Conference weekend!! It uplifted me so much, and reminded me of Heavenly Father and how much He knows, cares for, and loves each and every one of us. I prepared myself by having some questions ready, and found that all of them were answered. Isn't it amazing how these questions can all be answered by listening to our living prophets? What an outstanding blessing that the Lord has His servants here on the earth that can lead us in the right direction toward Him.

-My good pals Courtney and Lauren coming to visit!! I loved getting to be with some of my best friends. I am beyond blessed with kind, caring, positive, uplifting and hilarious friends. I loved getting to spend time with them.

-Seeing President Uchtdorf at the FLSR!! His grandsons are in my ward, and we got to see him from afar-so cool!! My sweet friend,Jamie even noticed how an apostle of the Lord still opens the door for his wife. What a sweet man. I was so touched by his General Conference address, as well as the kindness and sincerity I can see in the way he treats others. I see a lot of the same mannerisms in his grandsons.

-Hanging out with Liz for her birthday!! Liz is one of my absolute best friends and I loved getting to watch Conference with her and to just be with her. She is like a sister, and I am so grateful for her constant love, laughs (especially at my lame jokes), and support.

-BYU finally winning a football game!! I made sure to point that out to my students today, and they were like, "Sure, whatever Coach Piercy." But deep inside, I was very proud of my Cougars!!

-My boys' soccer game. My team of soccer boys are such good kids, and I love getting to hang out with them three times a week. I am also excited because I talked to the BYU Men's Soccer, Coach Watkins, and he can get us free/reduced tickets for my boys so we can go to a game. I'm excited!! October 23rd here we come!!

-Eleisha is getting closer and closer to being home from her mission. She gets home on November 19th, and a trip to San Diego to see her is in the works. Which brings me to my next important bit of news...

-I found housing for Eleisha and I for winter semester!! I am so excited. It was such a blessing to find. It is the perfect apt., and we'll be sharing a room. I feel bad if our new roommates are quiet, but I know we'll love them, so it'll all be ok, right? :) We are quite the crazy and loud bunch.

-Jeyza, Nicole, and my studly dad all had their birthdays this past weekend. Jeyza is growing up SO fast!! He just turned seven. Before we know it, he'll be getting baptized. Wow-time flies. I still remember holding him the day he was born and thinking that I was going to love him forever. Seven years later, I don't think I could love my adorable and grown up nephew any more.

Well, life is good, the Gospel is true and I am so grateful for everything I have been blessed with. God's been good to me. I love you all!!

-Janae

A Long Overdue Update

Pictures from Amelia and Lee's wedding. :)

WOW. Lots has happened since the last time I posted. Amelia and Lee got married in the Mesa Temple on the 18th, and that was just fantastic. What a blessing and miracle it is to have eternal families. I am so happy for them. It was also fun to hang out with family and have all of us together. None of us can remember the last time that has happened. There was stress and frustration as most weddings and special occasions bring, but we had a great time. The Arizona heat killed us wimpy Washingtonians, but we enjoyed our weekend there.

Other highlights:
1. Mom and Dad coming and visiting me in Provo on their way back to Washington. They took KC and I to Tucano's. Let's just say that that gave me the sanity and strength I needed to get through an incredibly busy and stressful week after being gone for Amelia's wedding.
2. Getting sick and having my voice sound like a boy going through puberty. This has allowed me to stay home today and get to watch the BYU Devotional of one of my favorite professors, Dr. Alton Thygerson, and get to catch up on cleaning up my apartment.
3. Going to visit Amelia and Lee. I got to eat a yummy dinner that Amelia made, tour their house, see pictures from their honeymoon in Durango and chat. It was great to get to see them.
4. KC getting me my favorite grapefruit cups at Costco to grace my school lunches and grace me with his presence while I was working on Wednesday and doing cleaning checks.
5. Making my soccer boys' jerseys and them rocking their game. They won 5-1!! I love those boys, and I am so grateful to have such outstanding assistant coaches such as Jenni and Emily.
6. Going to the BYU Hockey game on Saturday with Matto. I have always wanted to go to one of their games, but I never have, and am grateful I got to, and it was also fun to catch up with Matto since he got home from his mission.
7. Teaching. I love the kids I get to teach at MMHS. They make me laugh and smile all the time.
8. Getting to teach Relief Society on Sunday. We have such outstanding sisters in our ward!!
9. Getting to watch the RS Broadcast. President Monson's talk especially reached out to me, and I am excited for Conference weekend, and all of the knowledge and strength I can gain from our wonderful church leaders.
10. Life is good!!
-Love, Janae

To Teach is to Learn

Me on my first day of student teaching!!

It's finally that time...not to do spring cleaning, get married, lose weight, buy a car, or anything else normal, but to do something rad and...STUDENT TEACH!!

Last week was my first week student teaching Health and PE at Maple Mountain High School. It is a brand new school built last year in Spanish Fork with about 1,000 sophomores, juniors and seniors. My mentor teacher is Ms. Hall, who is awesome. At first, I was pretty intimidated, but I am grateful to get the chance to learn from such a knowledgeable, outstanding and cool teacher. I have really enjoyed getting to meet the students and learn how to apply all of methods I've learned in the teaching classes I have taken in combination with the Health and PE content classes I've taken. However, I have felt very ill-prepared for PE. One of my minors is PE/Coaching, and let's just say that the emphasis was on coaching in the classes I took. Nonetheless, Coach Hall is a PE queen and is helping me learn a lot.

I got to teach my first class last week on Friday!! Oftentimes, mentor teachers will either not let a student teacher teach for a long while, or just peace out and leave the student teacher in charge of their class so they don't have to teach. I am grateful that Ms. Hall hasn't fit either one of those stereotypes. She is willing to let me try out new things and lets me take control of the class, but is always there if I have a question.

Every new experience is fun and exciting, but always has its challenges. I am learning a lot and am loving it, but have had my fair share of struggles. I am grateful for outstanding family, friends, and a God that loves and supports me in all I do. I love life!!
-Janae

And the Summer of 2010 ends with a Bang

Me, KC, Nate, Liz, Gina, David and Matt after conquering Provo River.

This summer has been great. It has been full of ups and downs, crazy turns, moments of sunshine and the frigid cold, but it has been a wonderful ride, just like the Provo River. What a coincidence that we inner tubed down Provo River on Saturday to end the summer. :)

The water was frigid, but we survived!! It was also fun to be with such great friends. It was the first time that I had hung out with David since he got back from his mission in Jamaica two months ago. So, it was fun to chat with him down the river. He is from my home ward and we've known each other since we were in elementary school, and it's amazing to see how much he's grown on his mission. I also loved getting to laugh at Matt the Bat being crazy, getting to know Gina, catching up with Nate and talking with my close friends (practically siblings), KC and Liz. This summer has ended with a bang, and I am excited for the next chapter in my life...
STUDENT TEACHING!!
Life is wonderful and I am excited for all the adventures it has in store. I love you all!!
-Janae

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old...

Courtney and I our freshman year. :)

Wow, over the past day I have had to say goodbye to four of my dear friends, and truth be told, I don't like it one bit. But, I'm going to tell myself that I will get to see them again in the future, and focus on what each one has taught me. So, here goes...

1. Hillary Michael-she is honestly one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my life. She just glows with her happiness and kindness for all. I have learned to slow down and focus on making others feel loved and comfortable from her. She is going to be a fabulous missionary in the Lisbon mission!!
2. Marie Richardson-she was one of my favorite roommates. We only lived together for two months, but I loved every moment we got to be with each other. She has taught me to enjoy the moment and to not take life too seriously.
3. Cliff Latham-Cliff was the BEST home teacher ever. He taught me to be sincere, to work hard, play hard, and to be yourself.
4. Courtney Roberts-my dear friend of four years!! We met at NSO (New Student Orientation) and have been great buds ever since. Courtney has taught me SO much. She has taught me to be all you can be but not pressure yourself too much, to be happy, to live the Gospel, to serve others, to love and to enjoy life.

I am so grateful for the time I have had to be friends with such wonderful people. I will always remember them and keep in touch with them. Most importantly, I will do my best to live my life in such a way that reflects all they have taught me. I live a charmed life and am so blessed by God. Never forget that He loves us and that He will protect and guide His children. Love, Janae

My life never ceases to entertain me

Courtnacalifornia and I enjoying life-one funny face at a time. :)

I was just going through my Facebook notes and I found one that cracked me up. Here are 25 reasons why my life never ever ceases to entertain me. I honestly try to make it normal, but it's impossible.

1. I name everything I own, and most of the names end up being foreign men's names. For example, my bike is Sven, my hairbrush is Arafat and my car is Fabio.
2. I am a tight wad. I still own clothes from eighth grade-and my sister-in-law will never let me forget about that :).
3. I will think twice about buying a product from a company if they spell something wrong in their advertisement. Bad grammar and spelling drives me insane. If you put the wrong "their", "they're" or "there", I will take a deep breath and try to forget about it.
4. Some of my goals are to get a Master's in Public Health,speak five languages before I die,adopt kids and run a marathon.
5. I am obsessed with dark chocolate, polka dots, chocolate-dipped cinnamon bears, country music, the state of Washington, farm boys, biking, BYU Sports (especially Men's Volleyball), mountains, stars, Taylor Swift's songs, peaches and chocolate mint.
6. One of my favorite things to do is to fly somewhere, and end up sitting next to a total stranger and becoming great friends in such a short time.
7. I am a social person, but people find it hard to believe that I love my alone time.
8. I think giving blood is fun. My favorite part is watching the nurse put the needle into my arm.
9. The scripture Ether 12:27 epitomizes my life since I was kid. When I was little, I was quite feisty, disorganized, had bad handwriting, didn't sing very well, was messy and had a hard time controlling my anger. Now, I like to think of these as strengths.
10. I have a knack for remembering everyone I have ever met. For example, I remember just about every single person I have taken a class with, and I can remember which one within ten questions. I have to hold myself back sometimes, because I remember everyone I have met once, and people are a little freaked out when I remember them, where they're from and their major.
11. My name is spelled wrong on my birth certificate. It was "Jenae". People have spelled my name in more ways than I thought were possible. For example, "Janea", "Gina", "Jenea", "JaNae", "Janay", and "Janai". My grandma spells it differently every year on my Christmas card.
12. Some of my weird quirks are that I abhor drinking out of glass cups, I eat the smallest banana on the back of the bunch, I won't eat something if it smells gross, and I don't really like donuts that much, unless they're cake donuts.
13. I love it when people play with my hair-especially Courtnacalifornia :).
14. I love chaos and being busy.
15. I am a narcoleptic when I drive or watch movies. I have to do something with my hands to keep me awake. For example, when I drove from Washington to Utah I got out of the car and a ran a mile for every 100 miles I drove to stay awake. Good idea, huh?
16. My nicknames include: Janaedio, Janae Mom, Hippy Sis, Boston Head, Brown Cow, Utility Forward (Rugby), Bulldozer (Soccer), Janae-nae and Coach Janae.
17. I love reading and learning about other cultures.
18. My family is awesome and incredibly hilarious. Just ask them about a game of Guesstures and they bust up laughing just thinking about it. Does "bikini", "tango" or "hurdle" ring a bell? :)
19. The only requirements I have for my own wedding are a chocolate fountain and a dance. My YW leader told me that it sounded like a party, and I said, "Exactly!!" :)
20. If I marry someone with the last name that starts with "K" or "Q", my initials will be JRK, JRQ-Jerk.
21. I love things that most people don't. For example, I love volunteering at an old folks' home and in a high school ESL classroom-and I actually like middle schoolers and would like to teach them someday.
22. I have been told that I have a drawl and been asked if I was Argentine, Portuguese, Brazilian, Mexican, Eastern European or Norwegian.
23. I miss high school Spirit Week. I got to wear cool stuff, such as flippers and inner tubes, capes, 80's clothes, a mullet wig....I could go on and on. Good times.
24. Fave BYU dating stories: I got my hand shut in the door on a date freshman year and a guy gave plasma so he could afford a date with me.
25. I love ya!!

Have a great day!!
-Janae

The Cowgirl in Me

Mark, Chloe, Janae and KC at the Tim McGraw concert. :)

Well, I finally did it....I went to a Tim McGraw concert!! Eleisha told me I had to do it before I die, and wow, she was SO right!! Tim McGraw is AMAZING in concert!! He's even better than on his CD. It was a fun concert-even KC and I hiking from a church parking lot miles away so that we could get there on time, watching drunk people dance, and singing along to all of the songs. Country reminds me of home and of my awesome dad. I had a great time, and loved singing the songs that remind me of beautiful Washington, my family, childhood, and good times. Life is good.
Love, Janae

Life....in Numbers

Aren't they the cutest kids ever? I can't wait to see them again. :)

Here is my life in numbers:

268 days until I graduate from BYU,
70-ish days until Eleisha gets home from her mission,
53 days until Amelia gets married,
37 days until I start student teaching,
...16 days until I am done with this term,
and 4 days until the Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum concert!!
LIFE IS GOOD!!

May I also add, at least 5 boys to date before I get married, a million cookies to munch on before I die, 5 marathons to run before I die, 4 more continents to visit before I die, and a million days to live, enjoy life, and love and be with friends and family. Life is good. I love you all!!
-Janae

Lifetime Friends

Lauren, Courtney, Eleisha, Eleisha's friend and I having a blast at Disneyland in Summer 2008. I can't wait for Eleisha to get back from her mish. Crazy times coming soon!! :)

I am grateful for amazing friends. I am lucky to have some of the most amazing friends in the world. They make me smile, laugh lots, be optimistic about the future, be uplifted, have faith, work hard and to be all I can be. KC and I were talking about lifetime friends last night, when I came upon this inspired poem. So, to my lifetime friends Haliaka, KC, Liz,Lauren, Eleisha, Courtney, Thomas and Miguel. Enjoy!! I love you all tons. Thanks for all you do for me, and for all those whose lives you touch!!


Friends come in Three Sizes-Reason, Season and Lifetime (Anonymous)
People always come into your life for a reason, season or a lifetime
When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.
When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty,
or to provide you with guidance and support,
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend to you , and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die, Sometimes they just walk away.
Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire
fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON,
it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They may bring you the experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
And like Spring turns into Summer and Summer to fall,
the season eventually ends.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
those things you must build upon in order to have
a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person anyway;
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships
and areas of your life.
It is said love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being such a special part of my life.

So, to my dear ones, thanks for being a lifetime friend!! Love ya tons!!
-Janae

Summer is meant for hiking...and a healthy dose of sunshine and friends!!

Free and I hiking Nunn's Peak. :)

I am calling myself to repentance and updating my blog. I haven't had a mandated assignment to do since I just finished my M Com class, but I should update and keep friends and family up to date with amazing life and exciting adventures.

My good old buddy, Freeman came down to Utah for a friend's wedding and I got the opportunity to see him. It was a very busy and stressfull week, but it was a bright ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air to my week. We hiked Nunn's Peak, which is up by Bridal Veil Falls-gorgeous!! We hiked about eight miles, and ran some of it, too. It felt great to be in nature with a good friend.

Aren't God's creations amazing? What beauty, what complexity, what splendor, what a miracle are His creations. I can never doubt His love or existence, especially with all of the marvelous creations He has made. Enjoy life, enjoy love, and enjoy this marvelous world He has made. Love, Janae

Serving Someone Each Day Keeps the Blues Away!!

KC and I. :)

Our assignment this week was to do something nice for someone. This is a goal I have every day, so I think that it is a fabulous assignment. I think that serving others is the key to happiness and to strong relationships.

My good friend KC and I are very close because we serve each other. He was there when I needed someone to help me move my things from apartment to apartment, and when I needed someone to hug me and tell me I am awesome after a rough breakup. I am so grateful for that care and constant friendship. As his friend, I try to do my part as well. For example, this week I shared some canned food my mom had given me with KC, and let him borrow my car on Friday night. Although this sounds like very small and simple acts of kindness, they are the ones that keep relationships and feelings of love and concern for the other strong.

Service is what keeps us happy in this life. Service is what mends us together in unity and love in our relationships. Keep on serving-an act of service each day keeps the blues at bay and close friends nearby!!

Love the Journey

Love the journey-no matter what!!

Once again, a favorite song becomes an anthem for my life. This time it is called "I'll pray for You" by Sara Evans. It says that que sera, sera.

I have been talking with a lot of friends who are going through difficult times, and this song expresses how I feel to a "t". Life can be rough, life can be difficult, life can be sad, life can throw you down, but it goes on. The wonderful thing about life is that it goes on and that it has its ups and downs so that you can appreciate each unique part of it. Without trials and sadness, we cannot fully appreciate happy times and joy. Just as each ingredient is necessary in a recipe, whether it be bitter, sweet, sour, spicy or bland, in combination with all of the ingredients, it becomes a complete (and delicious) whole. My life is not complete without the spicy outdoor adventures, bitter break-ups, sweet moments with family,or sour blind dates. Without variety, my life is boring, so I choose to love the journey. Que sera, sera.

Sara Evans:
Que sera, sera, life goes on
Whatever's meant to be will always be
And baby what don't kill you, will make you strong
Just love the journey that you're on

Summer is meant for Adventure!!

Emily and I gettin' ready to go spelunking!! :)

Man, this has been a fun and adventurous weekend. On Friday, I organized a bonfire and we had 35-40 people there!! It was way fun. We made 'smores, played barefoot soccer, had a sing along, chatted, looked at the stars, and had a great time.

Today, I started the morning with a ward service project. We visited an older couple to help them with their yard work. The husband was from Brazil and the wife was of Mexican descent, so I had fun getting to talk with them. Then, we weeded, mowed, raked, etc., etc.

After the service project I played with my team in a championship intramural frisbee game. We won 10-8!! The other team was really good, too, so it felt even better. We now only have two more games before the final, and I would love to win another intramural champion t shirt.

After the service project, Emily, Jacob, Mack, and I went caving and spelunking. It was so much fun. Utah has so much adventure, nature, and beauty to offer!! It was my first time, and that means I get to made another check on my "summer adventures list".:)

Speaking of my summer adventure list, I am getting more and more done, while simultaneously finding more. Here are some of them:

-Go to the Manti Pageant (June 19th w/KC & Haliaka)
-Go camping (preferably at Yellowstone)
-Go to a Real Salt Lake Game (Aug. 14th w/ Mil and Lee)
-Go to the hot springs in Springville
-Do baptisms in the SLC temple
-Have a BBQ
-Run a marathon
-Go to Lagoon
-Bike the Hiawatha Trail again
-Go to a concert (preferably Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw)

Life is good-always full of adventure, fun, love and amazing people. Love it.

Service in the Form of Costco Hot Dogs

My awesome family waiting for Raeven Noel to be born!! :)

This was a crazy and fun assignment. It was actually not quite BYU kosher at first, which made it even funnier, as it was focused on service. This weekend, I drove back home to Washington to visit my family and to see my new niece be born. Little did I know that I was in for big surprises in the form of a car accident that nearly flipped my car, a series of lucky events that enabled us to get back home, and us getting home just in the nick of time for the early birth of my niece. Along the way, I would go to just about every gas station and buy a chocolate milk or something small and wait in line to see if there was something I could buy for the next person. Unfortunately, every time I waited, the person behind me was going to buy beer or cigarettes. I laughed at myself and decided that I would have to wait until I got home and went to Costco with my mom, hoping that it would be cheaper and be something within the Word of Wisdom kosher list. After barely making it home on time and making it only one minute late to an eye appointment, I ran over to the Costco concessions to get snacks with my niece, Scarlet. Luckily, there was a sweet lady and her daughter behind us that we started to chat with. After buying a frozen yogurt for Scarlet, I gave the cashier money for the lady behind me. She thanked me and gave me the change back. I love how people from the Northwest act. They are sincere and she thanked me a lot, without offering her first-born child as many Utahns do. But, nonetheless, it was a very nice way to thank Heavenly Father for saving my friends and I from a horrific car accident and a nice way to prepare for the birth of my beautiful new niece, Raeven.

Free Fallin'

Exploring the streets of Brussels, Belgium in Summer 2009.

What's behind the door? Adventure. I grew up being the goody-too shoes, the Mormon girl and the "model child". However, I consider myself quite a free spirit. My brother gave me a new nickname over Thanksgiving:hippy sis. I at first thought that it was strange, but have come to see that it is quite true. I am responsible and know where I want to go in life, but I still love random adventures, and am incredibly open-minded and crazy. For instance, the other day at Portuguese House dinner, I was talking with Jake and Miguel about all the career and job options that I would like to pursue after I graduate. Among the list, there was a teacher, a Health Science professor, a nurse, a bakery owner and a coach. I get bored quite easily and am constantly craving adventure and traveling like most girls crave chocolate. Thus, I consider myself, as Tom Petty would say, free fallin' and I would add to that, most proud of it and excited for the adventures life holds in store for the hippy sis.

Happy Dance Like a Chicken Day!!

Kim and I rockin' the polka at Oktoberfest 2009 in the FLSR.

Each month I make a calendar that includes daily holidays, such as Cow Appreciation Day, Talk Like a Pirate Day, or any other random holiday you can think of. Today happens to be Dance Like a Chicken Day, which I believe is a very fitting day for my life right now, as well as in everyone's life. No matter how serious or tough life may be, we have to find time to relax and let loose-even if that means dancing like a chicken. Yes, a chicken, or a giraffe or capybara if you so choose. In the words of the Dixie Chicks, "...Some days you gotta dance, live it up when you get the chance , cause when the world doesn't make no sense, and you're feeling just a little too tense, gotta loosen up those chains and dance.” Today, I may not have danced like a chicken, but I did loosen up to dance and I found that sometimes the best prescription to be happy and deal with life is to take a break, listen to music and DANCE.

True Beauty and the Story of Stephanie Nielson

Stephanie Nielson and her daughter.

Trials come, whether they be in the forms of computers breaking down, gum getting stuck on your shoe, milk getting spilt, your keyboard getting stuck on the letter "h" as you're writing this post, your exam baffling you, getting spit up on by a baby, being woken up in the middle of the night, or any myriad of possibilities. However, the beauty of life is that you can choose the outcome. It is our attitudes that make all the difference. I just watched a video entitled "My New Life" on YouTube, and it is an inspiring story of a young mother and her struggles in surviving a plane crash alongside her husband, and suffering burns and subsequent physical deformities. Even though this could be a tragic and disheartening story, it has turned out to be quite the opposite. She has used this struggle to learn to appreciate the most important things in life such as the Gospel and her family, as well as to focus on what makes her beautiful, besides her physical attributes. In the video she states that motherhood is beauty, and I agree full heartedly with this. It is the daily acts of love and our ability to give love that makes us loveable and truly beautiful.

Happy Spring!!

The good old Northwest-isn't it beautiful?

Spring is here, and so is the rain. I love the Utah weather. You never know what it is going to come up with next. It reminds me of home in Eastern Washington, where in the morning it would be chilly and rainy and that afternoon you would be sipping lemonade, putting on sunscreen, turning on the air conditioning at home and wishing the sun would stop its merciless heat rays from burning you up.

This morning, I biked to my Athletic Training Lab at seven in the morning. I was amazed at how much light there was at that time of the day and I anticipated a warm and sunny day. However, Mother Nature held a surprise for me: rain. Man, do I love rain. Whenever I meet people they always ask me how I like the rain, assuming that I am from Western Washington and/or the Seattle area. Their faces after I tell them I am from a semi-arid desert are so priceless that I should put them on posters to advertise for stress relief for finals week. But, honestly, I really do love the rain. I got to bike to my apartment after classes and just enjoyed the clouds hovering, the calm that comes over the earth as it is being cleansed and the cooler and comfy air and feel all around while it is raining. Happy spring to everyone!! May April showers bring May flowers and many adventures and happy times!!