roommates

Lately, I have been realizing that I need to really have been trying to appreciate the blessings that I have been given. This includes my single life! One thing about my single life is that I have had a LOT of roommates! I have had such GREAT roommates, but for you: you get a brief synopsis... My first roommates: RICKS college: Sherri: my very first roommate, with whom I "clicked" with right away!, Julia, Lisa, Sara, Marci: a Pinterest sensation! Rebekah, Sabrina, Jess: I am always sad when I think of Jess. Even though she told a lot of lies to destroy my name and my life.... I feel that her need to destroy me was led by her eating disorder and my obvious lack of one.... Rose, and Devin. That is when I did a summer study abroad with about 30 women....in Yellowstone, in a huge cabin. Yes, 30 women- no men, for like two months with the exception of some road trips. That is when we truly showed how man crazy we were! Foothill Manor: a house at Ricks College with 18 women. Lets just say the estrogen became intense!Leigh,Robyn,Daciana, Leela, Anna, Larissa, Sherrie, Marryanne, Jacqueline: I believe she holds the record for number of engagements in one semester! Jennifer, Jen, Sephlin, Anastasia: check out her music!Laura, Tracey I lived in Provo, Ut Heidi, Michelle, Janet Then I moved to Ogden, UT where I lived with Andrea,Celeste,Lucinda: yes my childhood best friend!Marrian, Annie, Sharla & Cindy. I moved to Salt Lake City: Rebekah, Jessica, Jen, Heidi, Natalie, Michelle,Pam, Annie,Pillar, Elizabeth before I moved back to Ogden: Kathy, Lori, Kelsey, Jennifer, & Charity who walked around with a rat on her head: for reals! and back to Salt Lake Sarah, Melody, Suzanne, Melinda: who is more like a sister than a roommate. Tiffany, Ingerlis: who was the funnest roommate ever! Monica, Rachel, Gloria, Heather: who told more lies then I could count! I believed everything she said for so long... but then realized that she lied about EVERYTHING!!! {which is also why I had an imaginary boyfriend at the time!} Valerie & Debbie: who "lovingly" nicknamed me the "regulator" because I tried to help her and her fiance to marry in the Temple by constantly knocking on her bedroom door when he was over. I have never made so many cookies in my life! I just felt that they were a good excuse for interuption! Kathryn, Juliana, Larissa and Brittney then I rented a room from a friend and her young family. Then I moved into a beautiful house in Sandy, UT. I think the neighbors were concerned to have the house rented out to a group of single women. They always knew what was going on at our house! Stacey, Sarah, Brinlee & Trish. before I moved to an apartment in Turnberry Apartments. Turnberry was nice becaause so many LDS singles lived there. I lived with AnnaLaura there. So there you go: 70 -100 AMAZING women! All of whom shaped my life! I love you all!

A glimpse into the female brain...

I recently read an article discussing the addiction of pornography and how it is entangling boys younger and younger. I say boys because it claimed that boys are more exposed to it. Women also become addicted, but are generally not exposed to it as much. I would like to discuss that point in the article. I do not want to belittle the addiction to pornography, however, I do want to point out how different men and women's brains are. I can legitimately say that given the opportunity, I am not that interested in seeing the naked body. Not that I do have sexual desire - but it is not in the seeing that women become aroused. Now, show me a man who compliments me, appreciates me or wants to help me become a better person - and oh, baby! Show me a man who is genuine in wanting to cultivate a relationship by doing the little things, and I will not run away. Wow- show me a man who is chivalrous - and I might just drool a little. I also think that women have addictions - just in different areas. Given a computer - what do you think that I am going to look at for hours? Shoes, purses, dresses, ooh, is that pinterest? I am stuck! It might just be a few hours. I am grateful for this. I may be naive in saying this - as I have never even had the desire to view pornography. I am happy and proud to be a woman. I am a woman who is proud to be feminine. I am one who dreams of romance - not for the sexual - but for being treated with care and tenderness and {hold my breathe} love. {ooh... is that a website with modest dresses... I might be a while..... don't wait up!}

Thrifting is my addiction....

I was driving along the other day, thinking about life, and noticed the car behind me. It had a Marine license plate, just like my Dad's. It was a CRV, just like my Dad's.... wait for it... it was my Dad! Now, I was a good 30 miles away from home... and surprise, we were both heading to one of my favorite thrift stores. {I don't think the apple falls too far from the tree, huh?}
This is why I keep coming back...
In October, I bought this little silverware caddy on a $6.99 splurge...

it was still in the box.
I sold it on ebay for $65.00



Then, I took my winnings, and bought this:

can I just say that I have never been so in love with a piece of furniture in my life! It was a steal for $130. - but it was half price furniture day, so I got it at a giveaway price of $65.

Yes, I am a thrift store addict in a not so terrible way :)

Time...

I am writing today to say that I am grateful for time. I feel like I hit rock bottom here in PA. I have my family here and that is it. No friends, very little work and a lot of time. Yet, I feel that Heavenly Father has blessed me with this time, as a way of humbling me and as a way to really seek repentance. It has been a time where my heart has changed and where I have needed to search the scriptures regularly. I am grateful for this time.... :)

bitterness kills, gratitude heals

I will admit it! I have become a bitter old maid! Yes, when I see engagement posts on facebook, I want to gag; When I hear testimonials of how great their husband is for picking up the kitchen, etc... I just roll my eyes. I have let my bitterness shadow my heart and control my actions.
I will go back a few years. I am the girl who always dreamed of marriage and a huge family. I am the product of divorce, who dreamed of a marriage without all of the fighting. It almost become this idea to me, that if I was good enough, I would be blessed with a husband.
So as the years go by, and by and by.... the bitterness has built.
It has to stop!!!
So, I have decided to be greatful for all things single! I need to recognize the great things in my life as a single person...
to begin with...
free time
the time to earn my education
flirting... shamelessly :)
never having to share a bed
no one to answer to
freedom
even as I write this, I feel pathetic writing about this.... but ...

What do you at 2 A.M.

I am having a rough night... and tomorrow, well may be rough for me. I am laying in bed, listening to my Dad, snoring in the next room, thinking "this is my life?!?" I just woke up from a dream of my former life and just can't figure out where to go from here.
What do I do? Raid Dad's candy stash {which usually is not a temptation, since it is all dark chocolate and holds no joy for me!} and blogsurf... :) what else do you do at 2 A.M.?
I am having fun, adoring lives of much more contentment than mine.... especially with the Valentine's decor {love}! When I come across this idea...
http://housetalkn.blogspot.com/2011/07/pay-it-forwardget-your-gnome-on.html
My purpose in life has once been renewed and visions of a cupid gnome are dancing through my mind....

Time

I arrived in Pennsylvania on Thursday, September 15th at around 9P.M. I insisted on unpacking the car right away as a sign that I wanted my new life to start now. Now, has now dragged on....

Inspiration... my Dad has run a 5K pretty much every Saturday that I have been here.... the pathetic thing is that I can not run a 5K yet... I am working on it. I go running around here about 2 -3 times a week.
Now, it has been good to see my family. I have loved to be able to just drop by.
I have also seen that it is also good to be able to leave....
not that I do not love them.... but sometimes it becomes too much :)
I have been substituting for a Dual Immersion Spanish School and I started working for Eddie Bauer.
I just have a little too much free time....
I am working on that.