dreaming of a white christmas

I really wish it would snow. Just a light dusting to make it a white Christmas.




Just a random note: I can donate blood again. I've officially been back in the U.S. for a year :)
But man, I miss Ecuador like crazy.

sleep

So, it's been a couple days since I've gotten more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep...and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Man, I'm glad I'm young.

a - z

I stole this from Rena...I think she had it on MySpace:


A - Z
- Available: Maybe…define available
- Age: 23
- Annoyance: fakeness
- Animal: sea turtles at the moment

B
- Beer: no thanks. the smell disgusts me.
- Birthday: November 14
- Best Friend: I don’t know anymore….
- Body Part/feature on opposite sex: smile

- Best feeling in the world: knowing that you are special to someone

- Best weather: early fall
- Been in Love: at one time
- Been on stage?: yes
- Believe in Magic: what kind of magic?
- Believe in God: I think so
- Believe in Santa: if only life were that innocent again


C
- Candy: the gummy watermelons!!
- Color: purple, green, and blue
- Chocolate/Vanilla: vanilla
- Chinese/Mexican: mexican

- Cake or pie: neither
- Continent/Country to visit: I’m going to go back to Ecuador to visit my friends!!!
- Cheese: Mozerella

D
- Day or Night: Day
- Dance in the rain?: Why not?

E.

- Eggs: not a big fan
- Eyes: Mine are an interesting form of hazel
- Everyone's got a(n): a purpose to fulfill
- Ever failed a class?: yup


F
- Full name: I have one. What about it?
- Foods: I’m a sucker for fruits and veggies


G
- Greatest Fear: skunks

- Goals: short-term: 165, to get this master’s degree; long-term: to find a place/person that/who makes me happy

- Gum: Extra – but I really shouldn’t chew it
- Get along with your parents?: Yeah, pretty much
- Good luck charm: nada

H
- Hair Color: red
- Height: 5' 2”
- Happy: equals friends
- Holiday: Christmas = seeing family and friends
- How do you want to die: ummm, let me get back to you on that one…..

I
- Ice Cream: Moose Tracks
- Instrument: Guitar and Piano (although I can't really play either at this moment)

J
- Jewelry: Fun and funky beads

- Job: one day I will be a PR professional

K
- Kids: they’re fun to play with. I’ll stick to borrowing others' childrend for now
- Kickboxing or karate: ummm, not sure
- Keep a journal?: yeah

L
- Longest Car Ride: Pennsylvania to Utah in 3 days. The longest stretch being from North Manchester, IN to Lakewood, CO: 22 hours.
- Love: is needed
- Letter: X and Q (just because I think they often feel left out)
- Laughed so hard you cried: several times (especially with my Messiah chicas)

M
- Milk flavor: vanilla soy milk
- Movies: I’m a big fan of Juno right now…it makes me laugh
- Motion sickness?: sometimes

- McD’s or BK: Neither – they’re both gross

N
- Number of Siblings: 1
- Number of Piercings: just my ears – but maybe more after I’m done at BYU

O
- One wish: happiness

P
- Perfect Pizza: I’ve discovered that I don’t really like pizza anymore

- Pepsi/Coke: neither

Q
- Quail: man! I picture Doug Funny with his underpants on the outside of his shorts and his belt on his head.

R
- Reason to cry: lonely weekends, bad memories, abuse

- Reality T.V.
: not a fan
- Radio Station: I’m a big fan of Pandora radio – all about customization
- Roll your tongue in a circle?: yeah
- Ring size: 7??
- Song: too many
- Shoe size: 8
- Salad Dressing: French

- Sushi: Mmmm, but dreading the day I get food poisoning from it
- Slept outside: often
- Skinny dipped?: nah
- Shower daily?: claro que si
- Sing well?: Terrible
- In the shower?: not for the past 5 years
- Swear?: recently, like crazy
- Strawberries/Blueberries: strawberries!

T
- Time for bed: many hours away
- Thunderstorms: awesome

U
- Unpredictable: my future

V
- Vacation spot: anywhere with friends


W
- Weakness: pretzels with peanut butter and honey as well as chocolate chip cookies
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: There’s no one quite like me.
- Who makes you laugh the most: Lindsey, Jenn, Eddie, and Rachel F.
- Worst feeling: loneliness

- Wanted to be a model?: No. I’ve never had it in me.
- Where do we go when we die?: Good question. Pray about it.

- Worst Weather?: Quito downpours.

X
- X-Rays: none
- Ex's: and oh’s


Y
- Year it is now: 2008
- Yellow: card

Z
- Zoo animal: zebras


LAST PERSON WHO…
1. Slept in a bed beside you?: um... brian many, many years ago
2.
You went to the mall with?: I do believe the answer is my mother on black friday
3.
You went to dinner with?: the batemans
4.
You talked to on the phone?: my mom
5.
Made you laugh?: eddie
6.
Hugged you?: hmm…
7.
Said they loved you?: my mom
8.
Held your hand?: Francisco – el chico de quito ;)
9. Spoke with?: in person??? My brother

10.
Last person you texted?: caroline

happy

I'm finally happy. It's taken me an entire semester but getting back on that plane after break won't be so bad now.



The Salt Lake City Temple was gorgeous with all of the Christmas lights around it!

I just made it prettier ;)

Two of my friends Caroline (from D.C.) and Claudia (from Mexico City).

Our gingerbread "barn." Heather even made cows, pigs, and sheep. It was brilliant.

friendships before homework

I was going to get a lot done last night. I promise. Then I got invited to go hang with some cool people. "I don't know how long I'll stay," I said. "I have a lot do to but need a study break." That was at 9:30 pm. 6 hours later at 3:30 am, I parted and went back to my own apartment.

I'm glad to be finding my old self again. The one who puts people before books. The added bonus is the great group of people that found to chill with. It's only taken me an entire semester to do so, but I have a feeling it'll be worth it.

Needless to say, I'm a little sleepy today.

I know that it's not proper for me to include an entire article online but I don't know how to go about linking it with a guarantee that you'll be able to see it since it's from a myspace bulletin. I have, however, included the author (Bryan Kemper) and the webpage for his organization, Stand True.

I'm itching to get back into the work that the pro-life movement is doing. Next semester, I'm going to actually work to get Rock for Life going here and, if Bryan will let me despite my current religious affiliation, get the word out about Stand True.

I find this article interesting and it moves me to do further research on Planned Parenthood. I know that Planned Parenthood does do some good things. However, the corruption of the organization and its role as a business (such as the examples below) cannot be hidden.


The Abortion Industry Covers Up Child Rape
- Bryan Kemper www.standtrue.com

Over the past 17 years I have witnessed some of the most grievous and despicable crimes you can imagine. I have spent the last 17 years of my life dedicated to trying to stop many of these crimes , only to have our government pass laws against my efforts and put me in jail for trying to save lives.

In last week's new s letter I talked to you about a tactic we called "Truth Teams". I told you about how I would take a young girl into an abortion clinic and she would ask for a pregnancy test. While I waited for her in the lobby I would pass out pro-life literature and witness to people in the lobby and she would fill the back room with pro-life literature. I told you how on one occasion I witnessed an abortion take place and how that changed my life forever as I committed to God to do this work until babies were not longer being killed.

While the Truth Teams were very effective and we saw many babies saved and women's lives changed from this outreach, it is no longer possible to do. The government has passed what is called the FACE act which makes it a federal offense to do outreaches like this.

Back in the 90's there were two occasions that stick out so clearly in my mind. The girl I would take into the abortion mill with me was only 13 years old. Her parents would usually wait outside and knew what we were doing. This girl was a virgin and had never even kissed a boy in her life, yet twice the abortion mill came out and told us that she was pregnant. They were very clear that they would not report us to law enforcement since I was clearly and adult and she was a child. They told us if we paid them in cash they would do the abortion and not tell anyone.

I know you may be scratching your head right now trying to figure out how a 13 year old virgin who has never even kissed a boy could be pregnant. She obviously wasn't; this fact , however , didn't stop the abortion "doctor" from offering to do an abortion on her (while of course also promising not to tell anyone) .

I have seen so many mind - blowing things like this over the years , and I wonder how the government continues to ignore and protect this industry. Last week another video was released of Planned Parenthood willing to protect adult men from having sex and impregnating 13 year old girls.

Lila Rose and her organization, Live Action Films , have been going undercover to expose Planned Parenthood for who they truly are. This time they caught a nurse on video telling a n investigative reporter posing as a 13 year old girl to lie about her boyfriend's age. She first told her she did not want to know the age, but after being told he was 31 she told the girl to lie. Recently Students for Life of America released a similar investigative video showing the same thing.

I get letters back from people often telling me that while they support me in my pro-life views I am to o harsh on the abortion industry. I am told I should not even use terms like "abortion industry" because it unfairly represents medical clinics.

I do not apologize for one second for the way I have and will continue to portray the abortion industry. This is one of the most corrupt and deceitful industries in the world. Even if you took out the fact they are slaughtering almost 4,000 children a day, the corruption runs deep and organizations like Planned Parenthood must be stopped.

www.standtrue.com

one year

It's been one year since the weekend I traveled to the Guayaquil Temple with El Barrio La Luz (as well as the other things that happened that weekend). Time has definitely flown by for me. I really hope that I'll be able to visit my friends in Ecuador soon.

I got to talk two of my study abroad friends last night. It was sooo good to hear their voices. :)

I slept for 11 hours last night. I certainly didn't have the time to sleep that long, but it felt good. Maybe it will be much needed this week.

important decisions

• whether to continue education at BYU
• if so, whether i should move next semester
  
• if so, whether i should stay or go home for the summer
• whether i should continue paying for training
• whether i should pick up guitar lessons (the instrument i've always wanted to learn how to play)
• and how in the world i'm going to pay for this all

apologies to female and PA drivers

because tonight, I ruined the name for all of us. I do not wish to go into details. Let's just say that I made a pretty stupid (minor) and embarassing mistake. I just contributed to the reason why men make fun of female drivers and I have forever ruined PA drivers' reputations in Utah. My sincerest apologies.

Please pray that I find my pride again. (sigh).