Chalk

It ain't summer till you can get out the chalk!
Really my job ain't bad sometimes.


In college,
I'd been flirting with this guy shamelessly for two weeks.
And when he finally asked me on a date, I was thrilled.
He called me the day of and told me that we were
going to go play with chalk and have a picnic.
I am one that is definitely okay with "kid" dates
on occasion. He picks me up and announces that we are
going to chalk it up all over BYU-I's campus.

Should have gone with my gut feeling and said something
about what a bad idea that was.
But I wanted to be cool.
We spent the majority of the date with campus security,
mops, and lots of weird looks from students.

And we never went out again.

{source}

I still like chalk.

I Got An Apple

Instead of flowers, I got an apple.

You like?It is cuz I am a teacher and my day was hard
yesterday. I had to get really mad. And when I get
mad, I feel really bad. So Mr. Friend (he needs a new
name) got me a ginormous apple. Cute right?
(He didn't want to use the flower-train too much.)
I've a crazy two days.

First of all, we went to the midnight showing of Harry
Potter and I have to say that it was well done. The director
really stayed true to the book in expressing the loneliness and
frustration of Harry trying to find the Horcruxes. It was a dark
movie, but all the funny parts made it great. My favorite was when
Harry and Hermione have an awkward dance in the middle of
their tent. It is awkward teenage stuff.
However, there is this scene between the two of them
after Ron comes back that is really disappointing. I don't know
why they had to put such graphic nudity into a children film. I
don't recommend it as a family film.

I really do like Emma Watson's new haircut though.
She has been know for her locks while doing the Harry Potter
series as Hermione has frizzy hair in the books.
But, oh if I were brave enough (and had delicate features.)
Got home at 3:30 and went to bed, woke up at 6:30 and went
to school. Drank a coke and made it through the day.

Came home, crashed till 6:30. Woke up wanting to take a shower
but slicked my hair back and went on a date with Mr. Friend and
Setherloo. It is his first date since his mission! Yay!
We went ate a ginormous amount of calories (bad for my diet)
at Bambino's and then went lazor-tagging. Which gets you nice
and sweating. And it brings out my competitive side, poor Mr. Friend.

So, here I am.
On my lovely Saturday with nothing to do!!!!!
Hallelujah! It is Thanksgiving Break and snowing!
And I got to go on a winter walk with Mr. Friend.
Which is where all the pictures are from.
I finally got to take some. It has been a long while.
Enjoy!

Light Painting

{This is me and Mr. Friend in Mario Land.
I am sitting quite comfortably on a mushroom.
Mr. Friend is defeating the evil turtle shells.}

I loved this and I never knew how to do it before.
It is called light painting and you can do some crazy,
fun stuff. (Go google it and look at the images. It is fun!){Reminiscent of Star Wars}

We did this for FHE. It would be an awesome date.
I wish I'd had more time to play with it.
{I'm playing the drum quite poorly. Mr. Friend has the guitar
down pat.}

What you need:
SLR
Tripod
Glow Sticks and flashlights
Lots of crazy people
and a dark, dark room

Settings on your SLR camera:
ISO: 1600 or 3200
Needs to be on Bulb
Low Aperture between 16-22

Then the fun begins. Hold down the button while
people in front of the camera go crazy with glow sticks.
My camera counts the seconds. I usually tried to keep it around
15 seconds per shot. If you want to see the people's faces flash
them with a flashlight right before releasing the button.
We were laughing hard. Definitely good times.
Maybe next time, we can be a bit more creative.

I've Been Compared to a Ferrari

.... and I liked it!{image}

I like to think of myself as independent.
(A curse to my generation.)
So, I get a little upset when a man steps in to help
me carry the bags, open the door, and even get up off
the floor. I know that I should enjoy these things,
but I can't help myself when I assert firmly that
I can do it.

I got a chewing the other day for doing this very thing and
it made me very happy.

Mr. Wiggly-My-Toes and Make-Me-Really-Frustrated told me
to lay off. He said he knew that I was very capable of a great many
things and that opening the door and offering to help was not to be
taken that he thought of me as incapable of taking care of myself.
He said that he doesn't do nice things for me because I can't do them
for myself. He insisted that women aren't glass ornaments that men
need to take care of otherwise we'll break.
We are more like Ferrari's, a well designed and very capable,
fast machine that can take a dent as well
as another other car. But you treat a Ferrari nice because it
deserves special treatment.
Maybe even baby it. If you really like Ferrari's.

I am not a car person, but
I like that he opens my door, refuses to let me carry
anything if he isn't, and insists that I take his coat if I'm cold.
He makes me feel special, like a Ferrari.

Sunday is a good day

I had a date last night and woke up this morning still wiggling

my toes about how great it was. He showed up on my doorstep with

flowers. It was so adorably cute.

He made me dinner and then we went for a walk.

It was very well planned and simple, complete with hot cocoa to enjoy

the sunset with.

I think first dates should be that way: simple.

And he's got me smiling today.

My heart is full of hope. I feel blessed to have new friends.

Sunday is just a really great day.
I feel good about where I am and the growth I've experienced through

my trials. Adversity teaches us things that we might not have learned

otherwise. And it is our reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that

determines how our life story will be created. And thankfully we are never

alone in our greif and pain.

And today I choose to move on. Today, I am just happy.

Don't Call Boys: Mom's Golden Rule

Let me tell you about dating.

(Well at least about dating after you haven't been dating for awhile because, you know,

you've been married.)

It's awkward.

I feel like I'm lying to the guy. But honestly, when do you tell

someone that you messed up your life. And who honestly wants

to be dating a girl who drags on and on about her heart breaking.

But I am dating now, and I have to remind myself of something

that I believe in but struggle with.

I believe that the man must be the one asking you on the

date and essentially be the one pursuing the woman.

(the old-fashion type of relationship)

When I was in sixth grade I called Ryan E. (definitely someone I had a

crush on) because we were planning to surprise our teacher with a party.

Although the phone call started as strictly business,

I wasn't going to let an opportunity to talk to the oh so popular Ryan E.

go. Nope, I took full advantage. I kept that poor boy on the phone as

long as I could.

However, when mom found out I got the "do-not-call-boys

lecture" (it was short but affective) and for the most part that has worked really well.

I've forgotten that lesson.
I set up the sweet swaps. I call when I want someone to go with me somewhere.

I text when I want them to know I'm thinking of them.

And I definitely think of some of the most creative schemes to get in the

same room as the man I'm semi-stalking. I am aggressive and I think it

is wrong! I make it too easy on men. And to be perfectly honest, I think my

whole generation does.

I'm not suggesting that we become sticks in the mud. No,

flirt away, make your interests known discreetly. Just don't be the

first to make the move.

I think men have become lazy. They can rely

on us to pick up the slack and tell them when they should be

getting together with us again. We don't even give them a chance to lead out.

Don't we want a man who is going to have the guts to chase after us?

And its sad when we have church leaders giving talks about the

definition of a date verses "hanging out."

No, we shouldn't want to "hang out."

No, we don't want to have intelligent conversations be through texting.

We want to be dated and courted. It doesn't even have to be fancy.

Do you realize that by enabling these men through the dating

experience you are going to be dealing with that through marriage as well?

(And then you get the title of the nagging wife.)

Let the men have a little ambition and put forth a little effort.

I like a man who plans the date beforehand, opens the car door, and

calls soon afterwards to say how great I am and that he wants to do it

again. I want to make a comeback of MEN and chivalry and the go-get-em attitude.

This time, you won't find me calling boys.

{image}

Though I might change my mind if I had a cool phone like this.