This too shall pass....

This is how I feel right now.

So I am not gonna lie, I'm sad day today. Looks like after just over a month of recovery from my right knee surgery, I have to have surgery on the other one. I am so blessed because truly I am doing SO much better than I was this time last year and have gone pretty much 5 months without a seizure, my hair is growing back, my energy is so much better than it was, and over all I am just 100% better than I was. But I am not gonna lie....I am tired. Tired of being pushed back down every time I pick myself up. Most of the time I can have a good attitude about the whole thing, but sometimes I just need a day to be frustrated. And today was one of those days. I am back in Orem again after just BARELY getting back down. I had to leave the nanny job again and I know it has been really hard on Steph because there has been no stability with different nannies covering for me. Anyway, I know I shouldn't feel this way but every time I have to deal with ANOTHER unreal health problem or issue with this body I have, it makes me feel like a failure....and I am scared. I don't wanna do surgery again. Anyway.....that is my vent for the day! Like "they" always say - "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" And I am definitely not dead! Anwyay, wish me luck! It's gonna be interesting having two hurty knees. Meh.

St. George here I am!

Well, here I am back again in the HEAT. Oh wow it's hot....and for some reason I really like it! Anyway I came back just in time to work for the Hoag's, aka the family I nanny for. The parents went out of town for the weekend and so I stayed for the weekend at their house. And now I am entirely done packing for my entire life....and living out of a suit case. I have been doing that for 2 months now, and then to come home and pack again for the weekend. Ew. Let's just say I have A LOT of laundry. Well, anyway, the knee is healing up pretty well after the surgery, it still hurts for sure and it does a weird snappy thing and then swells up but it is good. And now I am just getting ready to move into the next apartment....guess I have a lot more packing to do.

Funny nanny moment of the weekend:

This is Nate. I like to call him Natey Naterson.

So I go to wake up little Nate and I step next to his bed. Well, the floor is soaking. I think to myself, "he's way pottty trained....he must have spilled his water. There is no way." But, the curiousity in me made me bend down and take a big whiff...whaddya know? Pee. So I wake him up and this how the conversation goes:

"Hey Nate. How come your floor is wet?"
"Because. I duno."
"Are you sure you don't know?? Cuz it smells a lot like pee pee. Did you pee on the floor Nate?"
"No. Carson did it."
"I think that is a lie cuz Carson wasn't here. Are you lying?"
"Maybe. Fine. Put me in time out."

All the while I am trying so hard not to laugh because he has the funniest smirk on his face with his cute little glasses. So I said,

"So Nate, why don't we lie?"
"Beecause it'sa make-a Jesus sad."

So cute, and so funny. All except for the cleaning up part. That I could do without....but I guess I should get used to it. More later.

Home again home!

Well, I had SUCH a great time in Arkansas with a VERY generous aunt and uncle and their cute and funny and smart kids. So there are a lot of pictures and funny videos which you should definitely indulge in. Worth the time. We did tons of playing while I was there, but let me introduce you to the fam.

This is Jackson (10). The eldest and probably one of THE smartest and most well-rounded 10 year olds you will ever meet. Plays football, plays the piano like a prodigy, always has a book in his hand and got a huge award for how many books he has read. For example, the entire time we were there, I can barely count the times he didn't have one in hand.....even while he practices piano! Hahaha he holds one in one hand and plays with the other. Fuh-huny. He read the whole Harry Potter series in about 3 days, the eragon book, and I duno what else. He was through them so fast I couldn't keep track. Love the kid. Oh and he is way good at playstation to boot.

And this is Melanie. So adorable first of all, but she is very bright just like her older brother and uber talented. She does gymnastics, dance, has a killer voice (see funny videos of Wicked below), can read like a champ, and is kind of a carbon copy of what I looked and acted like when I was little.

And we can't forget little Allison. She is three, and has the most bubbly, funny, cute personality, with the funniest little accent that I wish I could describe. She loves to put on shows...which I loved to watch, color, watch Strawberry Shortcake, and loves apple juice boxes.

So here are some of my adventures! We did so many fun things so here you go.

This in Melanie at gymnastics which is an exact image of me when I was her age in gymnastics.



This is my cute little sign that I had in my room where I was staying :)



CUPCAKE decorating





I did the girl's hair.



THE PIONEER SHOW





Pool Day!




The whole fam-damly minus Chris

Happily stuck

Well! Still here in Arkansas, and well, we are gonna be here a little bit longer and I am not really sure til when. I kind of like that though...don't really mind at all!I am having a great time here by the way. But I came on standby, on a buddy pass for about $700 cheaper (literally) so the only problem is with that is that you just have to hope there are empty seats so that you can get on the flight. It makes it just a little difficult when we have to drive and hour and a half from here to Tulsa to fly to SLC....so we HAVE to make sure the flights are semi-empty. So anyway, we are gonna try for friday. We'll see how it goes! I am having a blast here though. I have been playing everything from beauty-queen hair salon, indiana jones video games, dress up, coloring books, swimming, watched shows, tea parties, decorating cupcakes, catching fireflies, and the list goes on! It has been so fun and I really don't wanna leave. I have the cutest cousins in the world! I wish they lived closer because I am really gonna miss them! Well, I will update more later and I show pictures.

Two men and a little lady

So this is a little late, but I still wanted to write about two of my favorte guys in my life. My dad, and Tyler. It was both their birthday on July 11th, and I was not able to write an appropriate blog for these crazies that I do adore.



Happy birthday to my Daddy and Tyler!! I think the world of these two and I love them both dearly. Thank you to both of them for always being a strong rock in my life that I can always rely on. To my dad who is everything and more to me. One I can talk to about anything, for taking care of me, for always being a worthy priesthood holder, for loving me no matter how stubborn I get, for the great advice, for his testimony that always stregthened mine, for teaching me how to work hard, for letting me live my dreams, for being an example of service and how to love others, for the talks with my friends, and for his sense of humor. I love my daddy so much and he will always be my best friend.

And to Tyface, my other best friend.
To him for always being there, for taking of care of me when I was sick, laughing with me, a call everyday to check on me, for the letters from the mission field, for GOING on a mission, for working hard, for teaching me what it means to really love your family and especially your mom, for taking me in my wheel chair, for watching movies with me when he really didn't want to, for listening to my stupid joke, long walks, always loving me even in my darkest moments No matter what happens, I will always love him and he will always be the best friend I have ever had.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ar-kansas anyone?

Well, I'm off! I am going to visit my adoreable little cousins, and my fave aunt and uncle. Wahoo! They invited me to come and so...here I go! Be back in a week.

I delight in....

Peppermint tea*Sunday walks*fall leaves*Sunshine*traveling*a good book*anthropologie clothing*singing in the shower*sleeping in*scrapbooking*CSI*a good chick flick*babies*showers*running in the rain*jack johnson*the smell of laundry*art museums*sewing*taking naps in my front room*fundraisers*making cookies*the smell of christmas*home videos*visiting old people*going out on fridays*talking on the phone*unexpected letters*snow cones*hawaiian legends*tanning*wheat thins*quotes*sunday dinner*photography*Sunnles and Buddles*good music*late night runs to the store*the first snow*wakeboarding*smell of rain*general conference*boston*tyface*musicals*the smell of a clean house*weight lifting*good news at the doctor*late talks with my parents*a quality good night kiss*facebook*inside jokes*a class I really enjoy*africa*writing in my journal*having spending money*rollercoasters*snuggling up in a blanket when it's cold*listening to bob marley on the boat*good advice from my dad*trying something new*EFY*nannying*suckers*funny hats*the grinch*my mac*volcom anything*culture*the beach*roommates*eating food too hot*putting my hair up*laughing with my mom*mormon movies*smiling*chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips*student council*camping*socks to bed*laughing with old friends*road trips*my little brother's jokes*writing letters*concerts*school supplies*Mate(argentine tea)*missionaries*singing in church*the smell of coffee*pretending I'm a kid again*a good cry*chapstick and lotion before bed*fleece blankets*conditioner*good friends*watching my sister dance and laugh*flip flops and chacos*eating out*rainbows*good cooking ware*jackets*snowball fights*hula dancing*christmas morning*cul-de-sac parties*basketball with the family*family get togethers*

and my list could go on and on and on....

....so I am gonna try this whole "tagging" thing (i am new at this) and I tag Julie Garbutt, Aly Williams, and Kristin Latimer

Happy FORF OF JA-LEYE! (That's on "Little Rascals")

We had a fun forth, just hangin and going out on the boat and stuff. Not like I could really DO a whole lot on the boat cuz of my stupid knee, I still had fun. I am not gonna lie I RE-hea-heally miss wakeboarding and looks like I am gonna be missing a season which is kinda poopy face. Anyway here are some pics of the day. I love coming home and taking pictures cuz my parents have this sick-awesome Nikon camera that I would give my left eye-ball for....so I kinda got picture happy.

Me and Jules. And can I say...I love Jules. Doesn't matter how long we go I can still fill in her sentences, laugh at every single inside joke we have ever had in the last 14 years, talk about the stuff I would tell almost no one....yup no one. She knows every one of my issues, dreams, flaws, secrets, and joys. Yup yup, I luff ya Jules. She will always be my best friend.
This is Sonny. And it was his first big boater trip! And yeah...that totally is a doggy life jacket and we did make him wear it against his will. Hahaha

This is my talented and insanely attractive brother. We have too much fun together sometimes. But he looks REAL good in those glasses right?! Hhaha

These are my favorite girlies! Hannah Goo, Jules, and my cute madre. They were having too much fun themselves.

All in all it was a good day...and after we had a FABULOUS meal with tri-tip steak and did fireworks...well me and Hannah and my mom did. Tyler of course was with a girl, dad was pooped, and so we had fun. Yeah so I would say...fun 4th,

When I grow up....

Ok...so I really, really, really, REALLY times 8 billion infinity wanna be a nurse.

Well, school is almost started again and I am nervous...not gonna lie. I am feeling way inadequate cuz only one more semester to go and I can apply! But I think I feel this way because last semester was so rough for me the way my health was going and all that...so it scares me to jump back in! But for Operation Smile in Mexico...it felt SO good to be on the other side helping others instead of me laying on the silly operating table.
So lets try that again, and make it into and graduate from the program. Cross mine and your fingers!