Friends: The Family You Choose

It took me a long to realize that change is not a bad thing. Everybody has their own lives to live. They have their own decisions to make and their own paths to follow. People will come and go in your life. The beauty is the ones who don’t go, those friends who seem to always be there for you no matter what. I have been so blessed to have a couple people like that in my life.

Angela

 

We’ve been friends for years. It honestly feels like we’ve known each other forever. Our friendship has had rocky points because we’ve both gone through such hard trials but we’re the better for it. I call a lot of people my ‘best friend’ but not Ang. She’s in a category all her own. I don’t know what I would ever do without her. She is gorgeous, a talented writer, a fantastic artist, and has the perfect sense of humor. I hope you all have someone like her in your life, your very own ‘Angela’.  If not, you are totally missing out because you can’t have mine. ;)

Beth

(It's pathetic... I could not find a single picture of us together. I decided to use this smokin' hot picture. Lucky Brandon!)

We met our senior year of high school in French class. She’s been in my life ever since. She was the one who, for better or worse, convinced me to move to Thatcher. She is such an amazing friend. We can go weeks and weeks without taking (both our schedules are insane) but when we finally get ahold of each other it’s like no time has passed. She is so dedicated to those things that she sets her mind to! She is one of the most loyal people I know. She is beautiful, has a contagious laugh, and the kindest heart. Again, I don’t know what I would do without her. I’m so grateful that she and her little family are safe in New York!

Chelsea

(Ignore that silly boy in the picture. Oh Tanner!)

I just met this amazing woman this past year. We met my first semester up in the Berg. She was one of my roommates. I could have never gotten through that year of college without her. She is so understanding! She just gets me! We had so many talks about so many things until the early hours of the morning. She has been through her share of trials and has the most positive outlook on life of anyone I know. I can tell her anything and she always seems to understand what I’m saying and feeling. She is also one of the few people who know how to tell me I’m being silly without making me angry. Go Chelsea! She is stunning, hilarious, and the most talented girl who “plays” with flowers that I know. Seriously, you want her to do your wedding flowers. Hands down. The guy who ends up with her is going to be the LUCKIEST guy on the planet. No lies. The LUCKIEST.

There are so many other people who have been perfect lately, too. Ryan, thank you for randomly calling to tell me the Star Wars news. Jasmyne, thank you for being a cute little ball of sunshine, always! You are one of my heroes. Aaron, thanks for making work bearable by always making me laugh. Katie, thanks for being so fantastic and making it worth it to go to work every day. Deidra, thanks for being the amazing person that you are and loving me for me! I love you! Michael, thanks for listening to me talk and talk and talk. Also, thanks for making me laugh. I always need that. Sarah, thanks for missing me! I miss you and can’t wait to be back at school with you! Bryce, thank you for being you. You are hilarious. I love your sarcasm!

I hope that you all have amazing people in your life that make it bearable on the days that seem unending. <3

I Love Dandelions and My Brother... I Guess...

 

I read this and completely fell in love with it. I’ve always loved dandelions! Always. ;) Maybe that has something to do with growing up in Alaska? I lived outside in the summers up there and was always surrounded by dandelions.  When they got to the ‘wishes’ stage, I would pick them by the handful, blow, and watch the seeds float away on the wind. Just like life, it’s all about perspective. What do you see, weeds or wishes?

With that introduction, I now have a story. A story about how my weed turned into something I could have never even dreamed to wish for!

Sixteen years ago last Thursday; I was home with my brothers, Isaac, Ben, and Jacob. My mom was in the hospital having ‘the baby’. My parents never wanted to know whether they were going to have a son or a daughter until we popped out. It made it really fun for me, growing up. I never knew if I was going to get a brother or sister. Dad would come home and tell us which it was and usually what the name was, too. It took longer to name some of us, for some reason. Haha! ;)

On this particular night, I was nine. I had three younger, pesky brothers. The one thing that I had wanted more than ever, was a little sister. I had been wishing for one. Praying for one. Planning on one. I couldn’t tell you how long my mom was in labor or how long I actually waited for my dad, but I do remember that it felt like it took...

 

When my dad got home he then took his sweet time to tell us. It was a… BOY!! I lost it. I burst into tears and ran up to my room and slammed my door. (Even at that young age, I was prone to over-dramatization) . I then put ‘the note’ on the door. It is one thing that haunts me still, to this day, mainly because my mom decided to scrapbook it. ;)

 

 

I was so mad! SO MAD! “I em sleeping in the living room! Not coming out till grandma gets hear! Do not take Down! And he will not sleep in my room ever! You can bring me food! Do not take Down!”

Obviously, my spelling was fantastic.

My mom wrote, “ When Mark came home and told the kids we had another boy Tjanna stormed to her room in tears and wrote this note for her door. Later, dad discussed with them how Heavenly Father wanted this special boy to come to our family. By the time Tjanna saw him the next day she was already liking the fact that she was still the only girl in the family. (Besides mom).”

Talk about the best wish that I would have never even thought to wish for! Joseph has been the best brother I could ever ask for. He is patient. He is absolutely hilarious. He is beyond nice. He helps me when I need it. I never have to ask him twice to help me with anything. We share a passion for reading. He is my favorite book discussion buddy. I love him so, so much! I don’t know what I would ever do without him. Ever! I guess it's true, they always save the best for last.

Joseph, I hope that your 16^th birthday rocked socks. I can’t believe that you’re getting so old. I love it, though. The older you get, the closer we become! Bring on the years, my brother! Bring them on!

P.S. After reading this, my mom suggested that we print it out and scrapbook it. Amen, mom. Let's do it.

Should I really post this? Probably not...

*Disclaimer* I wrote this at about 2am this morning... take it how you will. I'm just a little ticked.

I finally understand writer’s block. It makes perfect sense to me now. I used to wonder why it would be hard for people to write about things that they wanted to write about. It’s a completely different story when you’re writing about an assigned topic. I hated English class in high school. Lucky for me, I was really good at BSing my way through my essays. Why should it be hard to write for pleasure? Yeah… I get it now. I’ve got a million and one thoughts running through my head. I don’t know what to talk about.

That’s it.

I’ve got it.

I will say the one word that is taboo for an old and single LDS girl to say… relationships. When I say that, I’m talking about all different kinds. The good kinds. The bad kinds. The friendship kinds. The best friend kinds. The love kinds. The like kinds. The family kinds. All kinds. We’ve all got a lot of them. What I’m completely baffled by is the relationships that we insist on clinging onto for dear life when they do nothing but hurt us and sap out all our energy and goodness. Why do we insist on staying in them? Or worse, when the actual relationship is over, why do we constantly pine for it and want it back? Why do we forget the bad and focus on nothing but the good, no matter how little good there was?

If there was ever a person who loved to do this, it would be me. Up until very recently, I always wanted what I didn’t have or should I say that I always wanted ‘who’ I couldn’t have. Thank heavens that after 25 years, I finally get it. Mostly. Well, at least when it comes to me.

To say that I was a hopeless romantic would be somewhat of an understatement. I used to fall for guys at the drop of hat. Anyone who knew me in high school and even up until this last summer knows what I’m talking about. Haha! I don’t really know why, to be honest. I think that it has something to do with what I consider my two biggest flaws. I am very trusting and I forgive quickly and way, way too easily. I also seem to have a thing for jerks. Go figure. Say what you will but those two characteristics have put me through more hell and heartbreak than all the rest combined, times 124,326. Trust me on that.

This year I went through a series of different relationships that, I believe, were supposed to finally show me who I really am and what I really want. Some were good, some bad. Some were changed forever. Some are still going on, long and strong. ;) One is on hold for the rest of my earthly existence. Most are absolutely fantastic but there is one that has done nothing but confuse me and one where… well, I don’t even know where to begin.

I think that is how it should be. Everybody is different. Everybody is going through and has gone through different things. No one will ever understand exactly what you’ve gone through! No one is you! (Except the Savior understands, of course, but that’s a whole different post.) Life is all about learning who you are. Sadly, the only way to do that is through trial and error. I will say, though, that messing up is the one way to learn a lesson for good. I speak from experience.

So, I think we need to just all remember that. We need to remember that other people are going through their own personal hells. We really have no idea. So, smile and be nice. Be honest. If you tell a girl that you’re going to call her, then call her. If you say you’re going to stop by and see her, stop by and see her. If you say that you’re going to be friends, be friends with her. It’s as simple as doing what you said you would do. Life is so, so hard. How much easier would it be if we were just honest? This may seem hard to some. I can and will say from personal experience that no matter how hard it is at the time or how much it hurts, it is always the best in the long run to be honest. That would’ve saved me a lot of hell growing up. If people would’ve just been honest and I could have been more honest myself, we all could’ve saved ourselves a lot of heartache. Dang. Life is hard.

Moral of my 2am blog post? Be honest, be nice, and pray that I can stop falling for the guys that don’t know how to just be honest… no matter how many all-night conversations you’ve had. Seriously.

“Yes, I am a wreck and it may hurt me to see you, but no matter. On goes the mascara. On goes the lip gloss. I’ll be the prettiest darn wreck you’ll ever see.”

My theme song right now...

Anyone want to dress up in matching leather jackets and white tshirts then go dance around a grocery store singing? I think that would do just the  trick!

 

Did I forget to mention how much I love being single? For reals. It’s just so much easier. Haha!

Hearts,

me

I am here! I am here! I am here!

It’s been awhile… life has been crazy busy. I’ve had so many different things to think about. So, so many!

First off, I’m not making very good progress on the list. It’s a tad ridiculous. That’s the beauty that every new day brings, the opportunity to start again and refocus. ;)

Some of the things that I’ve been thinking about recently are…

GenCon this weekend was epic for me. It showed me a lot I need to work on and gave me the courage to make some big, big changes! It also reminded me how much I miss this man. <3

 

A little harsh? Sure! I'm working on not feeling this way about some people at the moment...

 

Yup. It's the most frustrating thing in the whole world.

 

Things should finally start to even out now for me... maybe. We'll see. There are some big things coming up in my life and I've got some plans for this little blog of mine.

Last thing. I would like to give a shout out to three different people. My bestie, Beth. She is absolutely fantastic. She has always been there for me. We go weeks and weeks without talking and when we catch up, it's like we talked yesterday. Love her. My darling, Ryan. He can put a smile on my face regardless. He is such an amazing man! I'm so blessed to have him in my life!! I miss him like crazy! Finally, Chelsea. We met in January when we were roommates up in the Berg. I have never become closer friends, faster, with anyone. She is stunning and smart and simply perfect! I love, love, love her! She is also one of the strongest women I know. I would have never made it through my first year of college without her. What would I do without these people in my life? I haven't a clue. I'm sure glad that I don't ever have to find out. ;)

Hearts,
me

An Explanation, Please?

I’ve decided to go into more detail about the different goals on my list. Five at a time, I think. It’ll help me plan out how I’m going to accomplish all these crazy things.

Have an ugly skirt collection

                I got this idea from a good friend of mine. He was telling me about his ugly tie collection, (which is actually ridiculously impressive) and the tradition they had going back home and on the mission. Every Fast Sunday was ‘Ugly Tie Day.’ I think this idea is quite hilarious and ingenious! My roommate and I were talking about it and we are going to start ‘Ugly Skirt Sunday’ every Fast Sunday. It will start in January when we’re all back at school. Random? Yes. Maybe slightly stupid? Sure! That’s what makes it fun! ;) So, I plan on having an extensive and impressive collection of ugly skirts by my 26th birthday. Thrift stores, look out!

Read Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley

            President Hinckley is my prophet. There will always be a special place in my heart for that man. I love him and miss him! I remember the day he died was a Sunday. I was at a fireside, actually. It was about halfway through when it seemed as though everyone was texting and whispering. One of my friends leaned over to me and whispered that President Hinckley had died. I could not believe it. I went outside and called my mom. I was sobbing. I was overjoyed that he was reunited with his sweet, sweet wife, Marjory, who he missed so much. I was going to miss him, though. President Hinckley’s talks had always brought peace to me. He is the ultimate example of what a good attitude can do for you. I ended up going back in to finish the fireside. I am so grateful that I did. At the end, whoever was conducting got up and informed us that President Hinckley had, indeed, passed away that evening. He said that the closing song would be changed to ‘We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet’ and would we all please stand. That was one of the most sacred moments of my life. Standing there singing that song with all my friends. I was full of gratitude in my heart for this wonderful gospel and the blessing of modern-day prophets and apostles. I’m going to read his book because I miss him and love him. I also need a reminder of how to change my attitude for the better.

Have a Jurassic Park movie marathon

            I absolutely love these movies! For a while I wanted to be an archeologist. ;) I want to curl up on a Friday night with blankets, pillows, good company, treats & junk food galore, and some excellent company and be reminded of how much it hurts to get eaten by a dinosaur.

Go on a best friends camping trip with my bestie, Angela and my Ella

            I love camping. When you spend your childhood in Alaska always camping, fishing, and playing outside it kinda sticks with you. I’m going with one of my very best friends. Angela. I’m also going to take my baby, Ella with me. She’s my dog. She has saved me in countless ways. It will be fun to take her out on a camping trip to spoil her and have some quality time with her. Where and when we are going are still completely up in the air but I know it will be sometime before I go back to school in January!

Milk a cow

            This is the most random goal on my list. I honestly only put it on the list because two different people suggested it. I was laughing and laughing! Do I know anyone with a cow? Absolutely not! Will that stop me? Heck no! I’ll find a way before August!

 

This week has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I will leave you with a smile. When I saw this the first time, I laughed so hard that I started to cry. Granted, I might have found it so funny because of how well it applied to my life at the time.

 

 

Hearts,
me

The Ever So Popular Ecard

Wow. Now that I have a blog, I have no time to write. Such is life. Here are my emotions as of late, as described by the priceless ecard…

 

Hmmm.... can anyone tell what's been on my mind?

Let me just say that right now, I kind of hate technology.

Yup... I am little bit angry.

The List

“In life we do things. Some we wish we had never done. Some we wish we could replay a million times in our heads. They all make us who we are, and in the end they shape every detail about us. If we were to reverse any of them we wouldn’t be the person we are. So just live. Make mistakes. Have wonderful memories. But never ever second guess who you are, where you have been, and most importantly where it is you’re going”

This blog has been a long time coming. I’ve been toying with the idea for years now. Finally, everything has come together and I actually have something to write about. Oh, life! What a rollercoaster ride!

I turned 25 on August 31^st. I can honestly say that it was my very best birthday to date! I had the most memorable day. I have some of the greatest friends on the planet. I do have the best family! That is for sure! Up to that point, I had been working on a list, a list of things that I want to accomplish during the next year. There are 25 ideas that I came up with. I’d like to give a shout out to all of my awesome friends who gave me great ideas for my list, too! You all rock! The list is called ‘Twenty-five Before Twenty-six.’ I know, original. ;) Blogging for about a year is actually on the list. Hence, this blog. <3

Here is my complete list:

Twenty-five Before Twenty-six

(In no specific order)

·         Read the Book of Mormon

·         Go camping in Yellowstone

·         Become a master pizza maker

·         Learn how to fish- get a fishing license

·         Read the New Testament

·         Go on a best friends camping trip with my bestie, Angela and my Ella

·         Finish a half-marathon

·         Read the Old Testament

·         Take a California beach vacation

·         Go to General Conference

·         Read the Pearl of Great Price

·         Milk a cow

·         Go to the temple at least 50 times

·         Blog for a year… or close to a year ;)

·         Read the Lord of the Rings trilogy

·         Have a Jurassic Park movie marathon 

·         Take a spontaneous road trip to somewhere random

·         Throw an awesome party

·         Go on an epic overnight hike

·         Read Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley

·         Learn to cook a Slovene dish

·         Find a volunteer job to do regularly

·         Become a morning person

·         Have an ugly skirt collection

·         Get my passport

 

This is where I will be keeping track of my progress. I’ll also make sure to keep this updated for the three of you who are actually going to read and follow my blog. Haha!

As of right now, I’m working on reading the Book of Mormon, going to the temple, becoming a morning person, and in the morning I’m starting my half-marathon training. I’ll go into detail about the different goals and such, eventually.

Hopefully this will be fun, since I’m in this for at least a year!

Now for a smile....

I die. Every time! ;)

Hearts,

me