What matters most . . .

Recently I've been thinking a lot about all the things I'm grateful for and the simple things in life that bring me JOY . A few weeks back I read one of my favorite talks by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf entitled "Forget Me Not" . I have read and re-read this talk dozens of times, and I learn something new from it each time I read it . What I got out of it this time was that I, or everyone for that matter, need to be happy NOW . We can't keep saying, " I will be happy once I get a new job . . . I'll be happy once I'm married . . . Once this trial is over, I'll be happy . . .  ". The grass isn't always greener on the other side. The grass CAN be greener right where you're at . You just have to nurture and water it . And that takes effort on our part  :)

Some simple JOYS in my life :

 

 

     FRIENDS . . . and trials

I can't begin to express how blessed I've been to always have GREAT friends . I can honestly say, I probably have the best friends in the world :) haha . TRUE GEMS . But seriously, they truly are that wonderful . So many vivid memories play over and over in my mind of all the fun, scary, sad, adventurous, crazy, happy, beloved times I've had with them . My friends have taught me great lessons in life and have inspired me to just try and be a better person, let alone a better friend . This past year has been quite a roller coaster of emotions for me; and many times I've wanted to give up on happiness, on love, on faith, in my career, basically on life . I had some really dark times, and I felt stuck, hopeless, scared, and unimportant . I prayed every night that my trials would just end . I just wanted them taken from me . Well, of course, my trials didn't just end . If they did, we would never learn from our experiences in life . But Heavenly Father was there and looking out for me and He answered my prayers in a different way . My change didn't happen over night . It took time . But I started changing some things in my life, and it started to make a difference . Heavenly Father was carrying me through it all . And with all my pleading, He blessed me with good friends that were there for me . They knew what to say just when I needed it . I'm sure many of them don't realize that they were an answer to my prayers . They were simply just being a good friend and giving me advice . But it was that advice and the words they shared with me that got me through my hard days . Their charity towards me gave me strength and brought happiness back into my life . I know Heavenly Father answered my prayers through my friends . I found this quote the other day, and it hit me deep . It's nothing big or profound, but it's something I needed to hear . . .

     "Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

 

Isn't that the truth? Heavenly Father sends other people to us when we need it most .

We all go through trials and tribulations in life . There is no way around it . But it's for our growth and learning . It's for our benefit . It's our test of faith . We aren't abandoned . We have someone to look to for help . Someone who loves us and wants us to experience happiness in life . Without my Heavenly Father and Savior I feel like my life would be an utter mess . We go through so much in this life, but it's so much better to go through it with someone there helping and supporting you .

 

 

Clients

I have the opportunity to associate with a variety of people everyday . And I LOVE IT . I love seeing my clients and talking with them and building relationships with them . They brighten my day, and always put a smile on my face . Every client I work with holds a special place in my heart . It's nice to associate with different people and hear their stories, opinions, and interests . I've become close to so many of them and never thought in a million years that I would . It's great . Dealing with all sorts of different people on a daily basis has really opened my eyes to some things . DON'T JUDGE OTHERS . That person you judge could actually become someone that you grow close to and develop a bond with . I think society is so quick to judge . We don't know the persons siuation . We don't know if they're dealing with hunger . We don't know if they're dealing with a lost of a loved one . We don't know if they are jobless . We don't know if they are friendless . We haven't walked in their shoes and experienced what they have . So just STOP IT ! We're all guilty of it, I know . But I've really been trying to be better at it . It doesn't make you or I a better person when we start running our mouth and judging others around us . There are more important things to worry about in life .

 

 

Music

Ah, the blessed joy of music . There's something so special about it . Brings happiness to my soul . Warmth to my heart . Peace to my life . It's something that I can always rely on for comfort . I guess playing the piano goes along with music as well . . haha :) I wish I practiced more often . I'd probably be much better . I love the feeling of accomplishment when you've finished learning a new piece of music though . When I was in high school I told my mom at least once a month that I wanted to quit taking piano lessons . I hated practicing . I hated going to lessons . I hated performing in recitals . But my mom never let me quit . " Emily, if you quit you'll regret it one day . . . " GOOD THING KATHY STUCK HER GROUND AND MADE ME KEEP PLAYING . I love the piano . I probably like it more now since I don't have to practice every single day and go to lessons. . . but with my calling in church I do have to practice and learn new hymns, and it's really not all that bad . It's great actually :)

 

 

Autumn
Can this weather get any more perfect? I highly doubt it . I know I've mentioned this before, but I just LOVE fall and this time of year . Usually  at this time of year I go outside on my deck and just sit and take in the sun . It makes me happy to just sit outside and think, read, and get some sun on my legs . It's my last chance before winter hits . So I have the soak up that sun all I can !



Compliments
When was the last time you gave someone a compliment? Hopefully TODAY ! They always make you feel good . And who doesn't want to feel good? Especially if you're having a bad day . . . It's nice to know that there are still people in this world that care about others . That's another simple gesture that brings joy to my life . A few weeks back my sweet Aunt Linda sent me a card in the mail saying, " Thank you for being awesome and beautiful. I love you ." I thought that was very thoughtful of her . Can she be any sweeter? It's those simple things people do to make someone else's day . SO GREAT ! Go out and do or say something nice to someone today . It will be rewarding, I promise .

 

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

Here's a great video to make you think about the things that matter most to you in life . . .

 

 " The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratiude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy. " -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I'll end my post at that . Those are just a few things in my life that bring me joy . . .
and that's probably one of my favorite quotes . Ponder those words . Are you truly happy? Do you find joy in those everyday moments? I hope so .

BE HAPPY :)

 

 



"The funny thing is, it was me. It was me. . . ."

 

 

Oh, life .Why must you go so fast? I guess time flies when you're having fun ! And fun, yes I've been having some .

I went to the fair, AGAIN . This time with my mom, aunts, and grandma . What a blast we had together :)

 

 

That's a bull . a full on BULL . Quite a softy

 

This little guy liked the attention we gave him .

 

My sweet Aunt Linda . She's one in a million . This was right before the Indian relay races . Boy, I've never been to them before and they are INTENSE . These young guys put themselves in a lot of danger. so fun :)



Institute started this week . Jill and I are taking "Courtship and Marriage" with Brother Bradley . Don't judge . My mom asked me, "if you take this class, by the end of it does it guarantee you a husband?" haha . If only it worked that way, Kathy . . . Anyways, Brother Bradley is one of the most entertaining teachers . Jill and I get a kick out of him . He gets so excited about a subject and starts pacing, writing things on the board like a maniac, and starts yelling with excitement . You can't help but laugh . He's so great . He was talking about a lady that was writing letters back and forth to a man that was in prison for killing another man . They fell in love through these letters and she eventually married him . Bro. Bradley says, "SHE MARRIED A MURDERER!!!!!!!!" Oh, the audacity . He couldn't believe such a thing . The class busted out in laughter . And he said it with such animation . Jill, Andrew, and I could not contain our laughter . The rest of class we kept repeating what he said to each other and would get a kick out of it every time, chuckling amongst ourselves . I guess you had to be there . . . but it was hilarious . :)

After tute we went to the blessed Butterburr's . Never before had Andrew and Alex experienced its goodness . And it didn't disappoint . except for the doughy scones Andrew got . . .

Alex took me for a ride on his bike later that night . Motorcycle rides are exhilarating and scary both at the same time . I loved it 

Mom, Dad, Megan, Madilynn, and I went to Bear Lake last Saturday . We went to the Pickleville Playhouse to watch the play " The Hanging of El Bandito ." Yes, I'm obsessed with plays . So kill me . . . I don't have the words to explain how funny it was . Seriously laughed my head off throughout the whole play . The owners' of the playhouse grandson wrote this play; and he plays the main character, Juanito Bandito . It was clever, witty, ingenious, and just plain ol' brilliant . (yeah, all the words basically mean the same thing, but I needed a way to get my point across that it was SO GOOD .) Okay, I'm done with all my ranting and raving . Here's some pictures . OH, and if you missed it and want to see it, cause I know you are dying to now, you're in luck . They will have some performances of it in February and March

 

enjoying the show . Dad doesn't ever know how to smile

 

Juanito Bandito in the flesh :) Madilynn was in awe of his mustache

 

I think this one is tender of mom and dad

 

Paris tabernacle

 

haha. finally got Kevin to smile

On Sunday, I had my sweet niece Jocelynn help me make brownies . I got home from church and walked into my room to see her playing with toys . I said, " Jocelynn, I need to make brownies to bring over to a friends house tonight . Would you like to help me make them? " Her face lit up and she said, " YES. YES. I want to make brownies . " Her excitement made me smile . Little children are always so happy and excited about everything in life . If only all of us could be more like children . Excited about life . Carefree . Humble . Meek . Willing to help with anything . Non judgemental . The list goes on and on . We can learn so much from them . I'm grateful for the lessons they teach me .

 

aprons on . Ready to start . look at that excitement :)

 

She wanted to try Cocoa. My mom warned her it would taste bitter and gross, but she insisted . As you can see, she doesn't like the taste of it . haha

 

such a good helper

 

mixing it altogether . She says to me, " Emily, I really like making brownies . "

 

We couldn't wait to lick the beaters clean . Sorry the picture is blurry

 

 

Okay, now an explanation for the title of this post . . . ". . . The funny thing is, I don't have a brother . It was me ! It was me ! I ate sheep crap . . ." This quote is from the hilarious, Almost Heroes . Just one of Chris Farely's classic movies . Andrew, Alex, Shalene, and I have been quoting it for two weeks straight, because it's THAT funny . Don't believe me? Go watch the movie . . . OR just watch this clip .

warning: it does use a swear word . so if you don't want to hear it, don't watch it .

This is a " LOL " scene . and to be completely honest, I HATE " lol ". But, in this scenario it must be used . . . enjoy

 



 

 

 

Have I mentioned that I love TOMS? Well, I do in fact . Best shoe ever created . hands down . I WANT THESE !!!

 

 

 

 

AND . . . these

 

 

a summer full of goodness

Labor Day. AKA- the last hoo-raw of the summer. I have bitter sweet feelings about summer coming to an end. It comes and goes so quickly and I hate it because it's my favorite time of year. On the other hand, I do love fall. It's a nice change. I like the slight difference in temperatures. Warm in the day and cool in the eve... leaves changing colors... change in wardrobe... football... ah, it's just pleasant. The only two bad things about it is A- there are not ENOUGH fall days. I'd say probably only 10 days of prime weather. and B- winter months are just days ahead. Don't get me wrong, I do like winter, but I don't like 9 months of winter. By February, March, and April I've about had it! Even May is a bit of a tease.
Anyways, I'm going to give you all an update of what I've been up to this summer of twenty twelve. It's been busy, fun, fast, and just plain ol' GREAT!

P.S. This is a long post, so brace yourself . . .

1. Cinco De Mayo

What a fun holiday! Great way to kick off summer. A big group of my friends decided to throw a FIESTA for the fifth day of May. We all got together at Stuart's house and there was dinner, margaritas, door prizes, paper mustaches, ponchos, nachos, pinatas, and minute to win it games. Might I add, that I was the champion of stacking 5 apples on top of each other in less than a minute. Some may think it's impossible, but no no, it's very much so possible.

 



 

 2. Mexican Riviera Cruise
I could write pages and pages about the cruise I went on, but a paragraph will have to suffice. At the beginning of May, 24 people headed to Long Beach, California and boarded a ship. The Carnival Splendor. Or THE FUN SHIP! And by-goll was it fun. It was a 7 day cruise with two ports. First stop was in Cabo San Lucas and we were there for 2 days. Our second stop was Puerto Vallarta. The rest of the time was spent on the ship. There was always something going on, and our whole group was involved in everything. The big Idaho group was a legend on that ship. It was nice to go with a big group of people and participate in all the cruise had to offer. I would have to say it was the craziest, funnest, most dramatic, best trip I've ever been on. Hands down. And to be honest, I would love to cruise again REAL soon. At least a couple times a month I look at cruise ship prices and check to see if there's any sweet deals on some upcoming sailing dates. Sadly, if it does happen again it won't be for another year. Doesn't hurt to dream though...

 

The first day we were on the ship I had the opportunity to be a contestant in a game show. You know, it's always been my dream to be in Price Is Right and this was the closest I came to that. I'll be honest though, I got stage fright once I was up there and my mind went blank ! I couldn't come up with answers to the questions. Dreadfully emabarassing, but I did get a couple right. Also, I got a wonderful medal just for participating. I'm quite pleased with it.

 

This picture was taken by Jacob Lowman in Long Beach. We spent some time on Huntington Beach the day before we got on the ship. This was right before we went body surfing in the ocean. Tons of fun, but I wasn't prepared for all the salt in my mouth. Might I add that Jacob takes amazing photographs. I like this one.

 

Dress up night! Fine dining every night. It was excellent food.

 

Our first port was Cabo San Lucas. A group of us went on an ATV tour, and it was quite the adventure. About 5 machines broke down. 4 people almost died. Joseph Bringhurst came out a hero. and ALL the machines didn't have hand breaks. Yeah, I'm surprised we made it out alive ! It was ample amounts of fun though and definitely worth the craziness !

 

Second day in Cabo. We went jet skiing and it was such a thrill ride. Notice "grandpa" Stuart looking creepily at Jill in this picture. hahaha

 

Lovers Beach. Cabo is for Lovers :)

 

This was taken in Puerto Vallarta. Rope swings and rock sliding into a pond.

 

Tommy Green Jr. We love this human being. He sang and played the guitar magnificently. Everywhere he played on the ship we were present. He did mention that we were his biggest fans. Juliene Anderson was probably his biggest. But Ken Wellard came in a close second behind her. And did I mention that he is beautiful?

Todd. Our famous cruise director. He was down right GREAT. This is a picture of our WHOLE group. All 24 of us. I think this is the only picture we took that has our whole group in it.
So many great and lasting memories made on the Carnival Splendor. Thanks for treatin' us just right :)


 

3. Mal's cabin in Lava

Just less than a week after we got home from the cruise we had another fun get together. It was memorial day weekend. A group of us went to Lava Hot Springs and stayed at our friend Mallory Reeder's cabin. Games, Pizza, Ping Pong, and hot springs were just a few items on the agenda.

 

Tyson was attempting to jump from the loft into the living room. Trying to fetch a ping pong ball or something...

 

 

DR3 ! Stuart lost everytime.

 

 

enjoying the wii :)

 

 

 

4. Fire and Guns

My dear friend Brooke Millward left on a mission in June. A few days before her departure everyone wanted to get together and shoot some guns and have a fire up scout. I guess you could say it was our farewell party for her.

 

 

I don't know who trusted us with these guns, but we're trying to look fierce in this picture...

 

 

 

Hoodrats

 

 

banana boats. Most delicious snack over the fire.

 

 

sitting around the fire waiting for the boys to get it started. Jill is dreading work the next day and wondering if she should wash her hair or not. I'm sure she went with the latter choice :)

 

 

Murder weapon we found in the woods. Don't worry, Dave Soutworth wiped his hand prints off...

5. Las Vegas

This trip was planned spur of the moment, really. To make a long story short, we met some LV fellas through Joseph Bringhurst. Now Joseph is originally from Las Vegas and he brought some friends up to Idaho for the week to visit. We hung out with them basically all week, became friends, and thought, "Lets go visit them in Vegas sometime. That'd be fun. Why not?!" Well, we did visit. I guess we weren't kiddin around about really visiting. It was one of the most random trips planned, but we had a good time.

 

 

First stop, St. George, Utah. Went to visit our good friend, Jake Clark. He recently moved from Idaho down to Utah for work. We missed him, and thought we'd pay him a visit before we strolled into LV.

 

 

The coveted bowling trophy. Mike's family has a tradtion with their family that everytime they go bowling whoever gets the highest score gets this amazing bowling trophy. Friday morning's are fifty cent games at Sam's Town. Of course, we had to go and show them how us Idahoan's bowl. Everytime someone got a strike or a spare we would celebrate with a dance. The lady next to us bowling was heated. Couldn't believe that we didn't have bowling etiquette. Oh come on lady...She was just jealous because she was alone and we were having fun. Shalene nor I won the coveted prize. But it was probably one of the funnest bowling experiences I've ever had.

 

 

Any guesses at what this is? Did I hear dirt water? Well, if you thought that you're pretty dar n close because it sure tastes like dirt water. This is the infamous KAVA. Blake and Michael love this drink. They made us drink it. Not just one cup, but two. It's supposed to relax your body and make you think clearer? I can't quite remember the exacts, but it didn't really affect me at all. Just that I wanted to throw it up. We even tried mixing a little DP with it to see if it would help with the taste. Worst idea ever. It tasted 39 times worse. I got it down though. I almost felt like one of those Fear Factor contestants having to drink some nasty concoction... But the kava experience was definitely worth it. I'd recommend it to everyone.

 

Shalene looks nervous. Blake can't wait.

 

Seconds before we drank Kava. All smiles now...

 

Monte Carlo ! We went to their rockin' pool party for FREE. FOR FREE? Yes, for free.

 

This was at Michael's house. Apperently he desperately needed his hair colored. I told him I'd do it. First time ever coloring somone's hair. He figured since I worked in a salon that I knew what I was doing. Nope. I wax hair. I don't color it :) It didn't turn out too bad though for a first timer.

 

 

 

6. Charlotte Fire, June 28, 2012

Such a paralyzing and somber day in our charming little city. The south end of  Pocatello caught on fire. Thousands of acres burned and over 60 homes were destroyed. It's the neighborhood I've grown up in my whole life. So many precious memories growing up as a child in this area flooded my mind as I thought about all the homes and land that was being depleted. My heart imediately went out to all those that lost their homes, animals, cars, pictures, and basically their lives. You're home holds a special place in your heart, and many of the things you have in it have sentimental value to you. Something that can't easily, if ever, replaced.

The day I found out about the fire, Shalene and I were on our way to Las Vegas. When I found out about it I was on the phone with mom. At that point we didn't need to evacuate our house, but the call to evacuate would be coming soon so mom was getting things together to leave. I could tell she was in a panic. She asked me what I wanted from my room. At that moment my mind went blank. This question has only been asked to me hypothetically. But it was real this time, and I didn't know how to answer it. There were 2 things I asked her to grab. My laptop because it had all my pictures on it and my scriptures. I figured that if my house burnt to a crisp I could replace everything else if I needed to. I was in shock the rest of the day. I honestly thought that I would return to Pocatello with no home and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I had to think positively and just be grateful that my family was safe and no one was in danger or hurt. My family was one of the fortunate ones and we didn't lose our home. I'm grateful for that. Tragedy struck our small town, but our community has come together since and has worked together to help clean and rebuild what we have left.

 

This was taken just down the hill from my house.

 

Across the street.

 

from the rooftop

 

 

 

7. Boating

Such a favorite pastime. I look foward to it all year. There's just something about being out on the lake and taking in that summer air. Went out a few times this year and thoroughly enjoyed every last second!

 

 

first ski of the season. choppy water, but still fun

 

 

wakeboarding. I'm new at this and struggle getting over that wake, but I did make it over once. A face plant was soon to follow...

 

 

Surfing is probably my FAVORITE

 

 

cool expression burnham

 

 

 

8. Alturas

Every year it's tradition in my family to go camping to Alturas lake. It's located in the Sawtooth mountain range. A plethora amount of people come and we kick back and enjoy a week by the lake. I started going camping at Alturas at a young age, and have many lasting memories of the times spent there. It's literally the best place on earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

minute to win it. okay, so I've practiced a lot at stacking apples

 

 

9. Amelia Faye Coffin

My fourth niece was born the end of July. Nathan and Bethany's third. She is so precious. What beauitful miracles God sends us.

 

 

 

10. Playmill

You could say I'm obsessed. I love plays/musicals. If I could do anything in the world I would want to be able to sing and dance and perform on Broadway. It's my dream. Unfortunately, I lack the talent for both. It's quite devastating. So I guess I'm living my dream through the plays I watch; and that's why I attend as many plays as I can. I guess I'm weird. haha.

Every summer, the Playmill in West Yellowstone perfoms 3 plays. It's another tradition of our families to attend. And can I just tell you that all the plays are worth watching. The Playmill cast puts on an excellent show full of entertainment and laughter. You can't help but leave the play with a smile on your face; and a feeling of contentment and happiness. Ah, it's just so great ! Gracias Playmill more making my LIFE haha

 

 

happy birthday to me? :)

 

If you look closely to the upper right hand corner you will see my mother, Kathy and my cousin, Sylvia. They made it into the famous Dirty Rotten Scoundrels photo.

 

Girls weekend the end of August. Lisa, Jill, Katie and I spent the weekend in West Yellowstone.

 

Hotel room. Katie was singing and dancing for us. I think she secretly wants to be in the plays as well :)

 

 

 

11. Labor Day Weekend:

Long lost friends,

BBQ,

hair cuts,

and the Eastern Idaho State Fair

 

I had the blessed chance during labor day weekend of having friends in town from all parts of the west. Friends I rarely get to see. Gracie Bingham, "Garth". Brady Lawson. and Jake Clark. Great friends. Good People. Miss them tons. On saturday we all planned on heading up to Blackfoot to go to the fair. Unfortantely, the weather did not permit us to do so. Hail, wind, and puddles did not sound appetizing. But Winger's did, so a big group of us ate dinner there instead. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and afterwards played games at Jill B's house. Such an eventful night. It made me miss hanging out with my good friends that have moved away. Even though we didn't get to go to the fair, we did get a good load of laughter in.

 

 

we love Garth's "Idawahio" shirt

 

"Oh you're such a funny duck" -Jill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side note: this picture has no significance to this past weekend. But there are a million things I could say about it. First off, it's hilarious. Second off, if you're thinking this is Brady Lawson then you're wrong. I wish I could say this was him, but it's not. It's his twin though, I SWEAR. I found this picture on Pinterest awhile back and had to save it to show Brady. hahaha. Who just smokes a cig while embroidering? WTH! Maybe this really is THE Brady Lawson. Could've fooled me. If you know him I hope you get a kick out of it, just as much I do. :)

 

 

Here's the REAL B. Lawson so you can compare.

BBQ and Haircuts: On Monday, Shalene, Alex, Andrew, and I had a labor day bbq. Steak, corn on the cob, and pickled green beans. Delightful meal, besides one problem... the corn wasn't grilled enough. In Andrew's words, "It tasted like chalk." So unfortunate, because I like myself a nicely done corn on the cob. After lunch, Andrew had this bright idea to let Shalene and I cut his hair. First timers? Yes. We were nervous and couldn't believe he would trust us with such a thing... especially since he cares so much about how he looks :) haha. So, I told Shalene to start Youtubing videos on how to cut hair...

 

Before we started.

 

 

EEK. Am I really doing this? Honestly, I didn't do much. I let Shalene take the reins. She did most of it.

 

Almost cut the ear right there... whoops :)

 

Is Alex picking his nose?

 

Finished. Look at that beaut. Props to Shalene. She did excellent for a first timer.

 

 

Fair: September brings little tid bits of joy, and one of those joyous events is the EISF. From exhibits, animals, hypnotists, "classy" dressed Idahoan's, and all the way down to the FAIR FOOD you can't get enough of this goodness. Jill, Lisa, and I went Monday evening. And might I add that we got a PRIME parking spot right in the front. That never happens. We devoured Teryaki rice bowls, scone nuggets, and Reed's dairy icecream. The hypnotist show was a kick as well. So many people were extremely animated and made me chuckle pretty hard. I love the fair and all the high class human beings that attend ;)

 

 

 

 

 

12. Canning

One more thing that summer brings. My grandma and grandpa Cotant have a lucious garden of various types of veggies. It's a large garden and many families eat from it. I wasn't there this year nearly as much as my mom, aunts, and cousins were. But during the month of August the family CANS CANS CANS and CANS some more. It's a lot of work and long days. We get to reap the benefits of our hard work though with the best tasting food.

 

 

The Jalapenos are a bit too hot for Kathy to handle, thus the apron around her face. Love my mom.

 

13. Last but not least, the AUX button.

Last night I had the opportunity to go to a church activity where a man from Afghanistan spoke. I wasn't able to make it to the whole presentation, but what I did hear was mind boggling. He spoke about the country and a few of his family's experiences they had growing up there. He mentioned a lot about the Taliban and the wretched things they do to people. Killing there is very common. They don't even have to have a valid reason to do it. They don't enjoy the freedoms like we do here in America. He told a story about his mom and how she was beaten because she tripped and fell while walking on the streets in Afghanistan. The men thought she fell on purpose to get attention from other men, but rather she fell because she was wearing high heels. The streets there are not smooth and nicely paved. They are dirt roads with bumps and uneven ground. They continued to beat her and beat her. He mentioned a few other things, and I was just appalled that human beings could be so cruel. It really made me think about how blessed I am to live here in the USA. I have freedom of speech. I have freedom of religion. I have so many opportunties to learn, grow, and progress. Freedom is taken for granted here. We're spoiled and don't realize what great things we have. So, next time you complain about your job, or whatever it is, think twice about it and be grateful you have a job. God bless the USA!

 

After the activity, Andrew and I walked up to the ISU pillars and just chatted about life. It's nice to sit up there and look out at the city and just talk. We tend to have such busy lives and sometimes we don't slow down to enjoy it.

 

There was also a discovery made last night. A discovery that should have been uncovered two and a half years ago... haha. My car has an AUX button. Yes, and AUX button. It's an amazing button. Plays my I-Pod like a charm. Andrew was actually the one to find it. Funny thing is, I glanced at that button on a daily basis and always wondered where the connection was to plug my ipod in. I just assumed my car didn't have the capabilities to do so. Little did I know, it did. so dumb I didn't figure it out sooner. I now know why Andrew and I became friends ... so he could enlighten me on the location of my AUX button. ;) Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm so thrilled :)

 

 

Well, are you still awake? Are you a year or two older now? This was the longest post this side of the Mississippi. If you read the whole thing, I'll be impressed. You could easily say I was busy this summer. And now, it's almost over. But so many lasting memories were made. I will always have those and fun pictures to look back on. In the words of The Doors ...

 





"Summer's almost gone

Summer's almost gone

We had some good times

But they're gone

The winter's comin' on

Summer's almost gone"

 

 

 

So long summer. You brought happiness to my life and you will be greatly missed. Until next year, Peace and Blessings.