available over-the-counter

My home teachers came tonight. First, I just want to say that home teachers who put on white shirts and ties on a midweek afternoon to make a home teaching appointment are going to get extra blessings in heaven. And while there are many complementary things I could say about the great lesson on having a gospel-sharing home, what I mostly want to comment on is the volume of Home Teacher #2. HT2 was teaching the lesson, and he spoke MOSTLY LIKE THIS. LIKE WE WERE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLAYGROUND AND HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNEW THAT THE SWINGS WERE FINALLY EMPTY AND WE SHOULD RUN OVER AND SWING FOR A WHILE. Every once in a while his voice would drop a little at the beginning of a sentence, and THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD SHOOT BACK UP FOR A WHILE, BEFOre GRADUally tapering off, only to GET LOUDER ONCE ANOTHER SENTENCE BEGAN. Good times. Seriously, I wanted cover my ears occasionally. It reminded me of the one FHE dad I had who also spoke only in the playground voice. He attributed the volume to medication he was taking. Medication? That makes you speak loudly? Huh. I wonder if HT2 was on the same drug.

a question that you should say "yes" to

Is it possible that commitment only costs $7.43?

the evolution of dance

If you have not seen this already, then you are truly missing out. Take the six minutes, turn the volume up, and be prepared to laugh out loud as you remember yourself doing these dances all through junior high and high school. And for some of us, last summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

calling up neptune’s daughter

Music. It can completely change the way my day is going. Last Friday, before the weather turned windy and I got all needy, was one of the greatest days ever because I had a great song playing in my head all day. It’s Painting by Chagall, by The Weepies. “Sometimes rain that’s needed falls.” I love that. I love the idea that sometimes you just get what you need. The rain falls. The test turns out well. The sickness ends. The boy calls. Sometimes rain that’s needed falls.

Today a new song has played its way into my heart. I’ve spent the morning singing the chorus from Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol: “If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?” It was playing at the end of the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy, and I’ve been listening to it off and on since then. Seriously, it’s lyrical perfection:

“All that I am, all that I ever was

Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where, confused about how as well

Just know that these things will never change for us at all.

If I lay here, if I just lay here

Would you lie with me, and just forget the world?”

elevation: 4770 feet

Sunny Saturday afternoon + The Office on DVD + lots of laptop battery power + no concept of time when I'm laughing so hard at Steve Carell + white trash tank top = powerful shoulder pain.

Michael Scott: "Abraham Lincoln once said that "If you're a racist, I will attack you with the North" and these are the principles I carry with me in the workplace."

Michael Scott: "Would I rather be feared or loved? Um... Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."

the breakfast of champions

I went to the store last night with the specific intention of looking at food labels and getting something that had lots of fiber and calcium, because who doesn't need more of that in their diet.

Mission: Accomplished!

the answer is yes

The boy is still in Minneapolis, but I was able to talk to him on the phone last night. It’s funny what the distance and the sound of his voice can do to me. Wednesday night, after he had spent the afternoon and evening traveling, he sounded tired and frustrated and unhappy. But last night, after a day of his conference and an evening chatting with Eric, he sounded rested and happy. Purely happy. Happy in a way that made me want to be with him and be the cause of his happiness, and at the same time just thrilled to know that he was enjoying life. There I was, curled up in bed, suffering the ill effects of a dinner that consisted of a bag of Santitas dipped in roasted raspberry chipotle sauce and cream cheese, pretty much wanting to die because my entire digestive system was in revolt over that choice, and all I could think about was how thrilled I was to hear him sound so happy. So, this is what it feels like? This is the much talked about, but never really experienced emotion of “your happiness is more important to me than my happiness?” Yes. Yes, it is.

yellowstone--april 28, 2006

I spent a weekend in Rexburg last month for my brother's graduation from BYU-Idaho, and because we arrived a day early and he still had three finals to take, we decided to spend the day in Yellowstone.

We left Rexburg at 5 a.m. so that we could beat the crowds at the park. What we actually accomplished by arriving super early (because I think we all know that there were no crowds in the still snow-covered park in late April) was that we saw a lot more of the animal life than we would have seen later in the day. It was beautiful, chilly, quiet, and when we were able to walk away from the cars for any length of time, a wonderful day in nature.

Here is a picture of Matt fake-running from the giant herds of buffalo. Oh, wait, I mean, he's running for real and the mammoth animals were hot on his trail.





These three pictures were taken near a waterfall in the north section of the park. I love them for two reasons. 1. Heidi looks like she is going to the 1st Annual Scrapbooking Winter Awards Gala, and I look like I just got back from the ball game, and 2. I love Heidi's face in the last picture.

Another waterfall.

function or fashion?

I have been a part of BYU Women's Conference for several years now, but this year I witnessed what I consider the height of Women's Conference fashion. Exhibit A: "You can make me come, but you can't make me dress up." Man, I love this lady. Note the knee-high soccer socks, comfy walking shoes (I can't blame her for those), the oversized cardigan, and the (I know it's hard to see in this photo) hat/visor worn indoors. Function has never been a greater motivator.

Exhibit B: "I will stand out if it kills you." We are looking at the lady in purple, folks, not the young lady in the green shirt. But you knew that, right? Large purple hat, anyone? Matching bedazzled shirt, scarf, and leggings? Check, check, and check.

two things for tuesday

The amazing Karen Pingel sent me the "two things" challenge. For your reading pleasure, here are the answers.

Two Names You Go By:
1. Jennifer
2. Partner

Two Parts of Your Heritage:
1. German
2. British

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. Jeans
2. Flip flops

Two Things You Want in a Relationship:
1. Love
2. Trust

Two Favorite Hobbies:
1. Crafts
2. Reading

Two Things You Want Really Badly: (right now)
1. To be able to make plans
2. Someone to come and clean my floors

Two Pets You Have/Had.
1. Nala, my last cat
2. Butterscotch, my first cat

Two Favorite Sports:
1. Football
2. Basketball

Two Things You Did Last Night:
1. Watched Grey’s Anatomy
2. Looked at wedding dresses online

Two Favorite Places to Eat:
1. Zupas
2. Café Rio

Two Things You Like About Yourself:
1. My fingernails
2. My eyes

Two Things You Ate Today:
1. Eggs
2. Mashed potatoes

Two People You Last Talked To:
1. Somebody
2. Eric

Two Things You're Doing Tomorrow:
1. Driving to the airport
2. Going to the temple

Two People That Make You Laugh:
1. Somebody
2. Greg Jolley

Two Longest Car Rides:
1. Orem, UT to Kansas City
2. Back again

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. 4th of July
2. Thanksgiving

amen, brother