Turkey

I'm really behind in blogging (obviously), but here are a few pictures from our trip to Turkey.

Two of my favorite people here taught us a family tradition of theirs. Suuuuure love them.

Scott Sandwich

This was probably one of the best fish I've ever had. Though the head freaked me out at first, I conquered that fish.

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul

The few days we spent there were really great. Turkey was not at all what I expected, and I hope that one day I'll be able to go back.
Since then we have visited Jordan. I will try to put pictures from Petra up soon...in about 2 months.

The Holy Land

The first week of being in the Holy Land has been quite amazing. We've gone to see a few places and they have all been exquisite. At this rate, I might never want to leave.

Tomorrow night we are going to the Western Wall to welcome in the Sabbath day.
In just over a week we leave for Turkey.
I feel so lucky.


Oh, and happy cinco de mayo, everyone.

Deacon Garrett

Everyone, lets give Deacon Garrett Mitchell a big welcome into the world. Born April 18th at 7 lbs and 15 ounces, he is the newest member of our family.

Utah

I've been hanging out with my sister Val and her family the past few days. It's been great.

Jerusalem: 6 days
(Side note: right when I wrote the days left, Matisyahu started playing on my Avett Brothers station on Pandora. I think it's fate.)

Jerusalem

For those of you who don't know, I'm going to be living in
JERUSALEM
for the summer.

The down side:
We are only allowed to take one checked bag and one carry on.
This is quite impossible, as I am a die hard over-packer.

The up side:
Everything else.

I'm heading to my sisters house in Utah in approximately 8 hours, which is where I'll be staying until the group actually flies out on the 27th.
I've been trying to UNDERPACK (for once in my life) for the past, oh, four hours. It's not going so well.

I and love and you

This week has been a particularly nasty one, so until next time enjoy this favorite song of mine.



Home: 10 days

Countdowns...

Let the countdowns begin...

Days until classes end: 14
Days until I'm no longer an RA: 16
Days until I go home: 19
Days until I leave for Jerusalem: 35

Dinosaurs

Tonight, there was a lot of stuff I could have done.

I need to do my final revisions of my social research methods research paper.
I need to start three other 8-10 page research papers.
I have about five short 3-5 page papers I need to think about.
I need to complete 8 more service hours for BYUHSA and then about 4 more for IPB.
I need to practice my presentation for the Board of Psychology that I'm presenting next week.
I need to rehearse the presentation I'll be giving in two weeks that is completely in French.
And the list goes on...

Did I do any of those things, you may ask?
Why no, I did not.
I chose to go to a good friends orchestra concert.
Do I regret doing that, one might ask?
Why no, I do not.

To make a long story short, the director got kids from the local elementary school involved in the concert. He gave the kids a certain topic and had them write a poem, come up with a simple melody, or draw a picture to illustrate that topic. The poems were recited, the melodies played, and pictures shown in a slide show while the orchestra was performing.

Oh, did I mention that the topic was dinosaurs?

Here are a few of my favorite drawings from the night (sorry for the terrible quality. My phone has been my camera for the past year since my actual camera broke).All of the pictures were hilarious, as were the melodies.

Tonight was just what I needed.
No, none of those particular things on my dreadful "to do" list were completed.
But sometimes, just sometimes, life is more than lists.


Video.

Oh, the places you'll go...

Last night I watched Eat Pray Love for the first time. For those who don't know the story, it's about a woman who wanted to rediscover herself so she took a year off to live in Italy, India, and then Bali. The movie had stunning images of all three places. I can't help but be extremely excited that I get to live in the Middle East in just 43 short days. While I won't be able to spend a whole year there, four months is more than I ever thought I would get.

This movie reminded me of one of my favorite books ever. Though it may be written by Dr. Seuss, tell me it's dumb after you read it.

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

As of late

A group of friends went out for a scrumptious dinner to celebrate a few birthdays. Good company combined with good food makes for one great dinner. The two hour wait to seat 17 people was well worth it. (Not pictured: Kent Carollo. He gets a special shout out because he was the one taking the picture, and because he's the only one that actually reads my blog).

Speaking of birthdays, my dentist here in Hawaii so kindly sent me a postcard to say happy birthday. While I genuinely appreciate the thought, I had a good laugh at how badly my name was butchered in the process.

This HUGE heart was left in between hale 3 and 5 in the middle of the night. Just to give you an idea of about how big it was - when standing next to it, I reached about the halfway mark. This was all part of an elaborate plan of 4 young college boys trying to show women that they are loved and should be treated appropriately. However, I think that plan somewhat backfired when other people discovered that the heart was only made out of cardboard and they were able to break into it. Before the night was over, the heart had to be taken down due to the fact that people were climbing inside of it and scaring innocent people walking by.

A few select friends have started getting together on the weekends to make some sort of goodie and to play games. We played The Last Word recently, which is a game guaranteed to make everyone look like a dork. If you're ok with that, I would highly recommend playing it.

Thinking Happy

A few years ago I decided that whenever I was having a bad day or life was just plain hectic, I would make a list. That list would consist of all the things that made me happy. For a few semesters here at BYU Hawaii I had a notebook that I would write in every day, listing everything that happened that particular day which made me feel good. Lately, that habit has somehow been forgotten about. Right about now I am in dire need of my happy list, so here we go:

• Brownies. And cheesecake. Brownie sundae cheesecake.
• I'm super thankful for my sisters. We're all at really different places in our lives, but when push comes to shove... we're here for each other.
• I live in Hawaii.
• I have really awesome friends. Both old and new, I love them all. Just a few honorable mentions...

1. Kristin Ferguson.
2. Marissa Gracia.
3. Ben Johnston. Please come back to America.
4. Russell Zavalla and Nathan Coppinger.
5. Jacie Worthen.
6. David Dynes.
7. Jayne Pierson Marostica.
8. Alexandra Jones.
9. Amanda Heath and Lindsey Kubo Stauffer.
10. Taylor Davis, Jordan Dosch and Meghan Ryan.
11. Phil Andrus.
12. My sisters. They are the best friends I could ever have.

• My bed is really soft.
• I have good eyesight. 20/15 baby.
• My parents love me.
• I work for Erin Nelson, who is quite possibly the coolest person in the world.
• In just over 50 days, I get to go live in Jerusalem for a few months.
• I have a job that payed for tons of schooling. That means I saved a LOT of money.
• I have a good immune system...most of the time.

That's all I can list right now. Normally, there are tons more, but as of late all I can think about is how much I DON'T want to be taking certain classes, and how I can't wait until April 25th. I texted my wonderful mother today, letting her know just how much I hate school and almost everything else right now. That sweet woman so nicely reminded me that enduring to the end is not easy, but it is worth it.

Here's to you, mom.

Dear family,

I love you.

"Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name."

song.

I love my dad because he scratches his head when he gets excited.

I love my mom because she always has and always will call me "girlfriend." No matter how old I get. Just ask me to show you the birthday card I got this year.

I love Valerie because she has a strange obsession of Paris.

I love Jim because the first time I met him, he performed some sort of belly dance for me.

I love Sarah because of her uncanny ability to eat abnormal amounts of ice cream.

I love Garrett because he'll walk into a room I'm in and pick me up by my ankles.

I love Jessie because of her funny comments, like "I didn't know Alaska wasn't an island."

I love Emma because of our mutual love for 80s music and kolaches.

I love Raymond because anytime I say something stupid, he says, "...And you graduated early."

I love Angie because, whenever I visit home, she writes me notes and sticks them under my pillow for me to find when I wake up.

I love my family.

Jorge & Alexa Narvaez

I am so jealous of this guys whistling.

Oh, and his child.

Just watch.

I've never been able to whistle.

I've been practicing A LOT these past few weeks, much to the dismay of anyone who has been around me. I can actually whistle more than one pitch now.

Progress? I'd say so.

I watched this video right after and had a good laugh. It reminded me a little too much of growing up with four older sisters.

Love Story

Little known fact:

It should be my birthday today. But it's not. I like the 19th better, though.

My good friend Lindsey got married last year. Her husband made this video to be played at their reception. If I've ever met a couple that's in love, it's them. In the spirit of the holiday, I hope you enjoy it.

It actually is supposed to have a song playing as background music at the beginning, but I guess that it was taken out to be put on youtube.
If you want to see their actual wedding video, watch this. I can say in all honesty that it was the best wedding I've ever been to.

Speaking of love:
This is my newest nephew, Keenan. I haven't been able to meet him yet (I will finally see him in April just before I leave for Jerusalem), but who could resist loving that cute face?

Secrets

Secret dream:

Drop out of school and plan events.

Weddings, birthday parties, anything.

I'm constantly finding things online that I want to try.

Like this:

Or this. I've been dying to do something like this for a while.

I'll probably just stick with school though.

If you're looking for a random, but good, article to read, read this.

Perry Como - Tie A Yellow Ribbon

My dad introduced me to this song. Every time I listen to it,
I like it more and more.

If you want to know the background of the song,

go here.

So long, my friend

My good friend Phil left this morning for an internship in Guatemala, so we had a going away party for him last night. Nothing says phun better than using unnecessary PH's.

For super bowl Sunday my friends Jayne and Tyson had a get together at their house. Can you tell who they were going for? Yeah, pretty hard to guess.

Random pictures I re-discovered this weekend, which I happen to really like:

Meet my little sister Angie. She's a goof. There is a nice long story about how she became my little sister, but I love her so much and I like the person I am because of her a lot more than the person I would have been without her.

Countdown: 13 days

Uh oh.

This semester is incredibly busy.
Like, incredibly.
I have two 4 credit classes, and when they say four credits they mean four credits. When I'm not in class, I'm at the library. I'm averaging close to 10 single spaced pages of writing per week.
On top of that I work basically 24/7. It's a good thing we don't clock in when we work or else I might be getting in trouble with the employment office for working more than 19 hours a week.
When I'm not in class, doing homework, or working I have to choose between sleep or a social life. Not an easy choice.
Yet despite all of this, what do I find myself doing?
Blogging.
Looking at other peoples blogs. Changing mine. Trying to think of something blog worthy to blog about. Blog. Blog. Blog blog blog.
Great.

On a different note, my birthday is now only 17 days away. Though some people don't seem to care about their birthdays as much as they age, I must admit that I still get just as excited as I did when I was five years old.

City & Colour - The Girl

This has been a favorite song of mine for close to two years now. Love love love.

Failed Blogger

I've had this blog for over a year now, and I have been terrible at keeping up with it. It's a few weeks late, but I think I decided as a new years resolution that I will be better at sharing my thoughts with the world wide web.

Here's to a year of blogging.

However, you'll have to bear with me for a while - I'm absolutely dreadful at this right now. I can't even figure out how to get a picture on here and make it go where I want it to go. It keeps going straight to the top and it won't let me move it. Anyone want to give me some lessons? Thanks, I'd appreciate it.