LIFE AS A SWENSEN!

songs....

2010-12-16T21:59:00.001-08:00

I just blogged and then I realized most of my recent blog post have been deep, so here is one just for fun...Ya know that question if you could have 1 song playing over and over on a deserted island what would it be? These are my 3 songs...

just thinking....

2010-12-16T21:36:00.000-08:00

So I know I only blog once in a blue moon and usually it's when something exciting happen or when something happens at work that I can't stop thinking about. Well tonight its the second one. The other day I was at work and I was doing a progress note on one of my patients and he just seemed a little off. He wouldn't really elaborate his answers to my questions. I couldn't get a read on if PT was helping or what was going on and I must say I was getting frustrated with him. I am also sad to admit I was even beginning to lose my patience and get a little short with him. Well it wasn't until later in the day when my co-worker was telling me how sad she was for him because it was the anniversary of his wife's death. Apparently they had been married for a long time and long story short he had called all of his kids and they all said they were too busy to take him to put flowers on her grave. Well needless to say I felt horrible. All I could think about was a quote by Sister Hinckley something like "be kind to everyone, for everyone is fighting a battle." Life is all about progression and thankfully I am in a job where I get a lot of chances to help people. Later in the day another patient came in. This time it was a younger woman that had been in a car accident. The accident was so horrible her young child ended up dying as a result of the crash and my patient has a lot of long days ahead of her. She has poor balance and coordination along with severe back pain. Decrease endurance and is leaking cerebral spinal fluid which is as bad as it sounds. Anyway we had worked really hard that day and I could tell she was frustrated with her limitations and feeling very sad, so I decided to try a different technique and have her sit on a stool for a soft tissue massage on her back. She hadn't been able to have her back muscles massaged because she can't lay flat. As I looked at this young woman tears rolling down her cheeks my heart ached for her. I could tell that she just needed to feel a little extra attention and love. We were able to do the massage without any problems and she wanted out feeling a lot better with a small smile on her face. Ever since this day I have just had an overwhelming feeling that this is the whole purpose of life is. We need to reach out to those we can, and learn from our mistakes.I am learning so much about life and people and the things that are most important in life. I am so grateful for my chance at life and my opportunity to grow and progress and learn new things everyday. I feel so lucky to meet so many people and all the things I learn from them.

Child of God.. or in this case an Adult of God

2010-07-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

We often talk a lot about being a child of god and what this statement really means. along with being children of god we talk about just how great a worth of soul is to our heavenly father and today i think i saw a tiny look into just how precious we really are.
Once in a blue moon i will come home and tell Blair, "ya just can't love your job everyday" but most of the days i come home and rave about how much i love doing physical therapy and today one of those extra specials days when i truly feel blessed to do what i do. Every once in awhile a patient will come along that i know has touched my heart forever and this most recent example came in the form of a man in his 60's who used to work at subway and has recently suffered 2 strokes. His body is battered and in some ways broken but his spirit i don't think has ever been so strong.
Fernando and I have been working together 3 times a week for about 6 weeks now trying to get the right side of his body to move, relax, function and do the small things that we all take for granted. His right arm is a mixture of flaccid and rigid if that can even be possible. he basically can't get it to move or squeeze his hand, but when i move it its stiff and has to be done very slowly. we aren't making a lot of gains with his arm, but what we are lacking with his arm we are making giant strides with his right leg. now one of the trickiest parts about our sessions is the fact that because his stroke occurred on the left side of his brain his speech has been severely altered. Basically he can no longer form words although he knows EXACTLY what he is trying to say. His words basically come out "gammma gamma" Wamma wamm" with a few spanish wards only on a few rare occasions, but he understand exactly what i am trying to tell him and i have mastered the art, with i think of the help of the big guy upstairs, of what he is trying to tell me or ask me.
every session we work on bending and strengthening the right leg, we practice going from sitting to standing, we work on strengthening his hip muscles, his butt muscles, trying to pull his toes up and down, we work on kicking the leg out and marching in his wheelchair. basically i try and do anything i can to facilitate a walking motion. All this is done in sitting. Then we stand up and he uses a special cane in is left hand while i hold his right hand and his armpit and off to the races we go (well kind of) needless to say it is very stressful for me and A LOT of hard work for him trying to put weight on his right foot and then advancing it when he should. usually i have to help slide the right foot along but over the past few weeks he has been understanding the different techniques i have been trying to show him.
TODAY WAS OUR BEST DAY YET! he was able to put his weight on his left foot and i could feel him bending his right now and trying with all his might to swing that right foot forward. It was truly a miracle. basically when a person has a stroke and they are learning these basic things they have to create a new neural pathway in the brain. Needless to say it is NOT an easy task. We had gone about 25 yards when my friend Fernando just started crying. He was so happy he couldn't hold back the tears. We took a few more steps shedding tears and then sat down. The next few minutes i will never forget. I got down to his eye level and held his hand told him how proud i was of him. I looked at him and said you have probably never worked so hard in your entire life, at which he responded with more years and a smile.
Now Fernando and I have a lot of work to do before he will be an independent walker, but today we literally took our first steps in that direction. This man has the most courage, love and motivation i have ever seen. While i was sitting there holding his hand and letting him cry i got a small glimpse of just how much god loves us and how we are SOO special to him. We are his greatest creation, and even after the body wears out our souls are still there shining and full of love. It really is a day of "work" i will never forget.

Not a back weekend for southern california

2010-06-05T23:49:00.000-07:00

I had been looking forward to this weekend for a few months, but it really turned out better then I could have ever expected. It all started Friday night when Blair and I drove down south to the border to a little town I like to call chule vista aka "little Mexico" to watch a lady antebellum Tim McGraw concert. We had lawn seats and were just excited to see Tim in his tight jeans and great cowboy hat. Little did we know the real fun would be watching all the southern californians try and dress country and even more fun would be watching all the drunk girls try and stay upright while dancing to the music. We even watched one 300 plus pound drunk girl fall on an innocent by stander and smash a plastic cup into pieces. It really was a classic moment.

Then on Saturday we went to our favorite farmers market down the street to pick up fresh fruit, veggies, and flowers. This farmers market is the best. It has the best little vendors including the lady who sells fresh tamales and I even tried a fresh fruit pop cycle flavored strawberry-basil. Alittle strange but tastedl ok. Afer the farmers market Blair and I decided to venture down to the outlets located in "little Mexico" again.these outlets are the best and they always have the best deals. We spent way too much money but had a great time.

The best part was after the outlets we decided to go over to a water park with a wave pool, lazy river and of course WATER SLIDES. Blair was even gutsy enough to go on the scariest slide that went in a dark tunnel dropped out and went up this giant wall. It was pretty scary but the wave pool with tubes was the best park. We had a blast and decided we would have to visit the park more often Especially since If you get there late enough you don't have to pay for parking!

The fabulous day finally ended with free ice cream from cold stone thanks to one of my patients who gave me a gift card. I got my token cake batter with Graham cracker and oreoa. It was just as good as I remembered from my frequent visit back in the utah state days. There is nothing better then two fun days to remind me of how blessed I am and how fun life really is. San Diego really is a non-stop adventure.

If I had a journal

2010-05-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

So this might be a little weird to blog about but I am in one of those moods where if I wrote in a journal I probably would write my thoughts in it but since I don't the blog is the next best thing. Sometimes I have these days when I reflect on my life and where I am at in it. Sometimes I am excited about life sometimes a little anxious or overwhelmed or pleased with where I am and tonight I think I am all this emotions in one big ball. Today I was sitting in church looking around at everyone and thought I bet all these people never imagined in all their craziest dreams that they would be siting in this congregation single and most of them older then 32 and it made me start to think where in the world did I think I would be at 26 turning 27 in september. I knew I would be doing physical therapy since I have wanted to do this in high school but did I ever imagine I would live in a really great condo in downtown San Diego single? I knew I would never get married really young but did I think I would be married by now and what will it be like if I am still on my own in another 8 or 10 years. Now of course I know these are all question I can't answer tonight but it's just something to think about. Of course i know no matter where life goes i will be happy. It's crazy to think about the different paths we take in life and how we always seem to end up where we need to be. I do think I have tried to live close to the spirit and done what i believed is right or what I felt was the right path for me, but it's strange to think what might lie ahead. I have been blessed to meet a crazy amount of wonderful friends along this journey and most of them I consider family. I have been blessed to travel and live life to it's highest potential and would never change my journey for anything. sometimes I wish I could look into that crystal ball and see just what my life is like an a few short years. But really what would be the point because this would take all the fun out of it all, which is why I will just keep living life and continue to enjoy the ride.

things i am thankful for

2010-03-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

short blog post on a monday night
top things i am thankful for today
GG, aka gossip girl. for some reason this tv show makes me still feel like i am 16 although the content is pretty adult :)
Music, recently my roommate and i found a great record store where we love buying old school vinyl records
mom, i am very blessed to have a mom i can call whenever i want and never feel completely alone because of this
friends, i could never survive life without all my friends
mexican food, man i love chips and salsa and since moving to san diego i have had the best mexican food
sonic, its even worth driving 20 min to have a strawberry limeaid
my job, physical therapy is the perfect fit for me and even though i HATE waking up early i really love the people i meet everyday
money, money doesn't buy happiness but there is sure a lot less stress when there is a little in the bank account
living by a park, balboa park is like a mini central park and i love living so close to a giant park
brothers, i never feel sad not having sisters cause i have the best brothers in the world
heavenly father, i am grateful he is aware of me and loves me very much
my apartment, its just perfect and feels like home
my roommate, there is nothing better then coming home every night after work and having dinner ready and having someone to tell all about my day to. she really is the greatest friend ever
being single, i love being single
life is good with so many great blessings!

another hiking story but it's a classic

2010-01-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

I know i know another hiking story but when you live is southern california and you can go hiking along the coast in shorts and a tshirt in the middle of january you just have no choice but to blog about it. especially when you are my roommate blair and me. we have done more hiking since we moved here then in our whole lives. One of these days we are going to learn we prefer laying on the beach then climbing steep mountains.

That being said, blair and i had the chance to go on the most beautiful hike along the coast a few weekends ago. it was a beautiful 70 degree saturday and off we went torrey pines state reserve. with the rain that was suppose to come the following week the surf was huge and the surfers were out it was awesome because the hike went right along the coast where they were surfing. after we parked the car we started the hike up this long straight up trail but the weird thing was there was this helicopter flying straight over our heads the whole time and i kept saying to blair man for a town that loves their outdoors this helicopter is sure distracting. once we got to the point where are the trails are there were a few different border patrol cars parked which i thought seemed odd but then again in so cal a border patrol car is not an uncommon thing to see.

So off we go for the next hour and a half hiking around looking at rocks and the ocean. you can see the pictures below. Anyway the best part was after we get down to the bottom we see a news person working on a story so we asked what was going on. turns out around 4 that morning a ship carrying 30 illegal immigrants capsized and the helicopter was looking for people hiding in the bushes along with the coast guard searching for those trying to swim back to shore hahahh thankfully we did not run into any mexicans hiding in the bushes but we did have a good laugh. I swear there is never a dull moment when a person decides to go hiking.. no wonder people enjoy it so much. the other good news is my coworker told me about another hike to some waterfalls so this will not be the last of the hiking blog post :)

i know i look scary in this one but i was sweating and shoot i was hiking :)

The Purpose of Life

2009-12-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those days that are so great that you just smile the whole time because you are so happy? today was one of those days for me. This morning I drove to Temecula the town my brother and sister in law live in and hung out with them and their 4 kids for the day. I got to watch my niece and nephew play in their basketball games and see a job my brother's company is working on, i read a book to my niece as she went to bed, ordered pizza plus stayed up chatting on the couch with my sister in law after the kids had gone to bed. it was a perfect day. I couldn't help but think as i was driving back to san diego with the radio blasting this is the real plan of happiness. i usually don't get too religious on my blog but i just had to put a post out there saying how grateful i am that we have a loving heavenly father who placed us in families and gave us the opportunity to have these kinds of days. I couldn't help but look up at the moon with the clouds all around it and have this feeling that he really loves us and really wants us to be happy even with all the hard things we face and the ups and downs of life family really does make things happier. i sat tonight and watched my brother play with his 2 year old daughter and i couldn't think of a more important part of life. then when i got home and checked my mail i had a letter from my mom and dad with a wonderful note. I just sat their and read it and thanked my lucky stars that i have the family i do and parents who love me and would do anything for me. Sometimes i have these moments when i just sit and think about life and where we came from and the about the whole reason we came to earth and i just get overwhelmed when i think about how loved with are from our heavenly father. I look around at all the cars on the freeway and just can't imagine what that must be like to be responsible for all these people and for the out pouring of love that he gives us. I am so grateful that my family is sealed together forever and that nothing will break that bond. All i can say is i am so thankful for the great plan of happiness and for my family and all their love!

Man I love the public

2009-12-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

So i am hoping i don't get in trouble for this post but sometimes the most classic things happen from working with the public everyday in the health field so i just had to blog about a few. earlier this week i was working with a patient who is from south of the border and has an injury that will remain top secret but the most important part is that he has to wear depends now because of it. now normally this wouldn't affect me BUT because this person just happens to be a few screws LOOSE this is an important part of the story. here it goes,so just as i am explaining what exercises i want him to do i ask him to turn around and hold onto the treatment table so he doesn't lose his balance he turns around he looks at me and says, "are you going to spank me now" I can honestly say i have never been asked this before and in my mind i never expected i would be asked that question under those circumstances. not only that but this same patient later on in the treatment when i am getting ready to put a heating pad on his back adjust his depends and ask me if i want to see his thong... again never been asked this by anyone much less a middle aged hispanic :) i of course walked out of the room and told my boss i needed a raise.

Next... so today i have a patient who only speaks arabic.. sorry i have no clue how to spell that... anyway this person was with their spouse who does speak english and does the translating.. at one point during the session i needed the patient to loosen their belt so i could put an electrical stim patch on their low back.. well the patient was struggling so the spouse stands up... not only loosens the belt but un-does the button the zipper and drops the spouses pants... looks at me says "that is my job" with a creepy smile..i of course was shocked hahah.. then when i put the heating pad on this patient the spouse looks at me and says.. don't burn the butt they need that with yet another creepy smile hahahah i swear it is a good thing tomorrow is friday

on the flip side today i also had a patient who is recovering from a traumatic brain injur. This patient has worked every single day to regain their speech. the use of their right side of their body along with so many other obsticles that come after the brain is injuried. Today i helped get their arm straight and the wrist flat on the table and let me tell you this patient was stoaked for that minor accomplishment. there may have been a few swear words and a couple of tears but it was really really exciting for both of us. I feel so lucky to be apart of these amazing experiences. I also had a patient who is close to 90 years old give me a hug today and thank me for helping her feel better with less pain. I can honestly say i love my job. i love the unexpected and the surprises that come everyday. i feel so blessed to do what i do everyday.

Holy Sh** I went hiking today

2009-10-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Why is when something sounds like a good idea it turns out to be a REALLY bad one? So this week my boss and one of my coworkers told me about this really great hike not too far from my house. They said it was only 1.5 miles to the top and a lot of switchbacks so i am thinking hmmm must not be that bad and since it is beautiful here in southern CA i might as well get out there and enjoy it. BAD IDEA hahah so friday night I say to Blair "B my coworkers told me about a little hike we could go on." Now being the good friend that she is and knowing that I am trying to get back into better shape she of course agreed. Well around 10:30 am we drive about 15 min to the base of the so called small hike. we sat in the car for a good 5-7 min debating if we have just made the biggest mistake by going there. For the record we both HATE to camp and we HATE to hike hahah. after going back and forth we decide since we are already here we might as well give it a try so gatoraids in hand we start the long journey to the 360 degree view of san diego. Let me just say this the hike was not small and was wicked steep. the best part was they had a sign for ever quarter of a mile you walked. I knew after i saw that first 1/4 mile we had made a mistake but since neither of us wanted to quit we just kept chugging up a giant dirt rocky walkway. Half way up blair turned around and says "you owe me a trip to disneyland for this and we are so staying until midnight" hahah this is because we just went to disneyland and well i am ok if i only go once every 5 years and i could leave at 9 pm and be just fine. I think the only thing that got us to the top of the mountain was laughing over a convo we heard coming from 4 girls about our age... it went something like this:

"So that guy I went out with over the weekend he invited me to church with him. He told me god invites all children to come unto him."

So of course this perked blair and I's interest, but we could have NEVER guessed what was going to happen next. She stops looks at her friends and says.

"He was a mormon and was trying to convert me."

hahah we laughed so hard.

WEll to make a long story short we made it to the top of that damn mountain sweating bullets and breathing hard and decided we would never do it again. But i must say the breeze at the top and the view of everything was pretty amazing and it made me appreciate the 80 degree weather even more.Plus we stopped by sonic on our way home and crabbed a diet coke a diet strawberry limeaid rootbeer float and fresh fruit slush hahha Just so you can all see the view i added a picture of what it looks like at the top :)

Lots of random thoughts

2009-10-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

I guess when you only blog once every 4 months you have a lot of different random ideas for the next time you blog. So much is going on in life that it is hard to even know where to start. first i moved to San diego, began paying way to much rent for a condo that I really love and started as I told my boss on the 3rd day of work.. "well there is day 3 of my career" the good news is my boss thought it was hilarious and i think that may have been when I decided heavenly father answered my prayer and sent me to the perfect PT clinic just for me. We listen to talk radio, we discuss the outragious amount of TV we both watch and I have some of the coolest patients ever, along with a few crazies but they keep it intersting.So even though i still say i hate to work I LOVE my job and along with the move i also turned 26. something i never thought would happen since in a lot of ways i still feel 16. Its funny how when we go through changes there are are so many ups and downs that go along with it. I feel so blessed to be in a profession that is safe in these crazy times. I feel beyond lucky to have the roomate i do and to be closer to the family i adore, yet sometimes i still feel unsettled and i am not really sure why. I've decided it must just be the feelings that come with being in the middle of your 20's and not knowing how life may turn out. but for today at 11:00 pm i have decided to focus on all the things that make me happy so here are a few of those things.

One of the reasons i moved to cali was to be closer to my brother phillip and his family. I have missed not getting to hang out with their kids which is why i love this new picture of aubrey and I

Today my niece brooklyn called me today and just kept saying hi joanna, i love you. this little girl makes me so happy. and doesn't Jackson make the cutest dragon. i love him so much

It has been so fun exploring SD with Blair. Its like i said all along, the best thing about Boston came with me to CA. And I am so lucky to have kacey be in my family

Riding the ferry to coronado island. Gotta love the view of my new city

Family vacations to bear lake. My mom threw this together and we had a blast. I am gratetful this is my eternal family.

Friends. I love them and since i have no sisteres heavenly father has done an excellant job putting amazing friends in my life

Taking my parents to fenway park. Its a day i won't ever forget.

Don't Laugh

2009-06-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Alright so this may be crazy but yes i am actually doing a blog post on the late Michael Jackson :) It won't be long but of course any channel i turn on these days is nothing but photos and videos of him performing and well since hs was and will always be the king of pop i thought i better give a small tribute to the man in the mirror.

YouTube - BILLIE JEANS BEST EVER MOONWALK

Thriller For Life!

Second post...

2009-05-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry but its been a long time since i have blogged so i decided to do 2 post tonight... this one is just of pictures of what has been going on in life.

Hung out in St. George for Marci's wedding. It was fabulous. I have to say a little more about this picture and give a shout out to Marci. I met Marci at utah state and I will go as far as to say it was fate. Marci is one of the greatest people i know. She can do anything and is a friend for life. i am so excited for her and her husband adam and their new adventures. My life is better and happier because she is my friend. She truly is one in a million and one of the the greatest people I know. Marci i love ya to death.. congrats again on getting married. It gives me hope it can happen for me one day too :)

Went to Palmyra and visited the Sacred Grove and the Joseph Smith farm

My parents came to boston for my graduation. We had a blast. I owe so much to them, I think they will be grateful to get my off the Swensen Payroll :)

All my friends from my program.. I could have never done it without them

Went to the city of Brotherly love and met Rocky... One of the highlights of my life

My dear friend Whitney came to visit and I had a blast showing her around the city and helping her become a sox fan

Traveled down to Fort Meyer Fl to catch some Redsox spring training.

I love the beach. I went to the beach in Florida and a few times in Boston before i left just to get my fill until i move.

Spring finally came to Boston after the longest coldest winter of my life.

LIFE as it is today

2009-05-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Its saturday night around 9 pm and i am back in idaho after a week long road trip which included a baseball game at Wrigley field and Coors field, visits with old friends, and a wedding of one of my dearest friends. Its no wonder i have lots of mixed emotions tonight. A week ago tomorrow i packed up my car and moved from boston mass. Boston has been my home for the past 2 years and it has been some of the best 2 years of my life. i have fallen in love with the city and met some of the greatest people. I still can't believe 2 years ago i wasn't sure what i wanted out of life and wasn't too happy with where i was so after spending the summer in san diego i ventured off to meet one of my dearest friends marci in boston to complete a physical therapist assistant program. I owe many thanks to marci. she has always been a very good friend to me and I love her so much! Its funny the feelings we have when an era comes to an end and there is a new adventure on the horizon. its exciting but scary. In some ways i couldn't wait to move and then as i drove out of town i couldn't help but feel sad too and now sitting in my favorite spot on our couch downstairs i can't help but think how i have changed and how my life has changed from living in boston. Its all very exciting and yet i feel a little melancholy. The plan is to study for my board exams and move to sunny San Diego the middle of August, i am lucky because my closest friend from boston is making the move with me which makes it a little less scary and a lot more exciting. I know i will love the next chapter in life and i know i learned the lessons i needed to the past few years. I guess the good news is I am excited to see what is around the corner and until i make the turn to hang out with my family for a few months in Twin

Things i will miss the most from boston
1. The boston red sox

2. The charles river
3. The most amazing food on the planet
4. The city at night

5. East coast beaches
6. The chaotic driving
7. My classmates
8. The boston celtics
9. The Harbor
10. Last but not least all the amazing people i met

I don't think I make a very good adult...

2009-02-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

You ever have a day or days when nothing seems to work out or crappy things continue to happen... that has pretty much been my monday and the only conclusion i can make is that i don't make a very good adult.... It all started when i decided to be a responsible adult and get my alignment checked on my car... This is important in boston cause during the winter from the snow and ice GIANT potholes are EVERYWHERE. so as i am driving to the tire place i freaking hit a pothole and knew something was wrong... 3 lights came on on the dashboard... it felt like i had no power steering and my car just seemed weird. So i get to the tire store and the verdict was that i would need 1. serpentine belt, 2. AC belt, 3. alternator belt plus all the BOGUS labor charges. a few hundred dollars later and i was on my way.... needless to say when you are in college with no job, and no job in sight for another hmmm 5-6 months... this is about the worst way ever to start a monday... the irony my car's alignment was fine.. that was the cherry on top... On top of that i still am trying to figure out the whole health insurance/hospital bills from a visit to the hospital back in SEPT!!! Can i just say i hate bills... they are no fun and i have decided that insurance bills and car bills are what makes a person an adult... which is why i now know i am a horrible adult :)
The good news of the post is that after a year and a half of endless school work and studying i am finally done with my work in the classroom and tomorrow i start my second clinical rotation at New England Baptist Hospital which i am really excited about because it is the official hospital of the Boston Celtics... lets hope tomorrow's first day goes A LOT better then today... and keep the fingers crossed that one day i will be better at being an adult....

FINALLY an exciting New Years!

2009-01-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

Most people have heard me talk about my life list. This is a list of things I want to do in life before I die and over the Christmas break I had the chance to mark 2 of these things off. 1. See San Francisco and 2. See the Golden Gate Bridge. I am not really sure where it started but I LOVE bridges. The Brooklyn bridge is my favorite but the GGB is definitely a close second. One day I will make my way over to the London bridge. I have always wanted to go to San Fran because everyone says it's an amazing city with a European look. I must say I loved the bridge and thought San Fran was great but Boston is still my #1.
The best part of the trip was I met up with Marci in SLC and we met Blair in Cali in Santa Rosa where her sister lives. These friends have become my vacation buddies and we have the best time together. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Blair and I in front of the bridge. I was like a kid in a candy store the first time we saw the bridge. We had no clue we would see it on our drive but it was the best surprise. The bridge is amazing. I would even go as far as it say it really is a little piece of heaven on earth.

Marci and I doing what we do best; being crazy. I was so happy Marci was able to make the trip. I miss seeing her everyday in Boston and it made for the best new years getting to spend a few days with her... (Marc if things go bad there is always a place for you in So. Cali)

I know I know another picture of the bridge but I really was shocked by how beautiful it is.This was one of the best moments in life. The day was sunny and clear with the best company. It was absolutely perfect!

We Decided to take a drive along the coast because it was such a perfect day. We didn't really have a plan we just started driving. We drove through Pacifica, Half moon bay, and finally to santa cruz. This lighthouse was along the way.

From living in Boston I have fallen in love with the beach, and the 3 of us used to go to the beach almost every weekend in the summer so it was so fun to get to see the west coast beach together.

Blair and I decided to be adventurous and ride the swings in Santa Cruz. It was fun to feel like a kid again and the best part was swinging way out over the beach.

The whole reason we drove to Santa Cruz was to ride the roller coaster on the pier along the ocean. It is one of my most favorite memories of the trip. I feel so lucky to have the chance to get together with Marci and Blair and see the world and enjoy being young. We have such a great time together and there is nothing more fun then going on a trip with close friends.

We spent new years in the big city and it was a blast. It was fun to see the city with everybody out bringing in the new year. We watched fireworks over the ocean on the pier.

I would say the number 1 reason I could never live in SF is also one of the things that made marci and blair laugh the hardest on the trip and that is the fact that their parking meters are almost as tall as I am. It was hilarious we were walking down a street chatting when they looked over and saw the meter was as tall as I was. They made me take this picture while people starred at us and they couldn't stop laughing. I must admit I had a laugh inside thinking man I really am short hahah

GINO+CELTICS=my love for Boston

2008-11-24T08:23:00.001-08:00

Ok so right now in Boston it is FREEZING and i mean FREEZING. So in order to keep my love alive for the city of boston i have to fill my time with all the great things of boston including the Celtics or the C's. My family has always been a big basketball family so it is no surprise i love this team and love going to the garden to watch them. Well part of the C's tradition is they always show a clip from the TV show American Band Stand called Gino! It is hilarious because the entire crowd goes nuts. Its one of the only times you will see adult men standing up and dancing. It is hilarious. Here is a news clip explaining more and hearing a player talk about it. (Marci because you won't be able to catch a game this year, this clip is for you)

ANGELS?

2008-11-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

So thanks to facebook and the ability for people to post a status i was able to find this song that was sung last night at the AMA's it is the song Angel but this version is sung by Pink and Sarah McLachlan anyway the song got me thinking... What are my thoughts on Angels.. Its a pretty cool thing to think about... And i have concluded that they do exist and i am happy they do. I think angels can be a spiritual being that protect us or give us comfort when we need it but I think they can also come in the form of a friend or a family memeber. It always seems like when those rough days show up that a friend will step up and help carry some of the weight, or that a family member will give us a call and just chat when we need it. I know this has been true in my life. Yesterday was one of those days that started out really great but by the end could not end fast enough and i was grateful for the angels i have in my life including friends and my newphews and niece. So to go along with this post i have attached the song Angels... I hope you enjoy

Laughing

2008-11-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

So right now i am just in the middle of working on a take home quiz for my neuromuscular class and me being the procrastinator that i am i decided to check out a few of my favorite blogs and see if there were any new entries (this has a point) which of course led me to my friend Kate's blog. i can usually depend on her to have a funny blog post. While reading her blog i started reading some old post to my roommate mollie and we were both cracking up and this got me thinking how much i LOVE to laugh.
Laughter: laugter is the name we gave to the responce your body gives to something you may find funny or humorous. Examples are a giggle, a chuckle, a snicker, etc.
I don't think there is anything better then having a great laugh. It can be from a classic Will Ferrell moment which is why i added the link to one of my most favorite Will moments...

I love hanging out with friends and laughing till it hurts. I've decided that laughing is a fix all to everything... well mostly everything...
one of my favorite parts from a movie is on mary poppins when they float up to the ceiling and are singing i love to laugh. my favorite line is when they say,
"the more i laugh the more i'm a merrier me." If you are not sure what i am talking about please click on the link below and watch!

Sometimes i think we get bogged down in life and forget how important it is to laugh.But as i was laughing at these blog posts it also made me think of the past few days and the laughing i have done. the other night i was running into my friends room and totally slipped on the wood floor and crashed into the door i sat there and we laughed and laughed it was hilarious and my mom was in town this last weekend and we laughed while we road the subway and while walked around downtown and then we saw Hairspray on broadway in NY and we laughed the entire time.

Just remember American researchers have found that 10-15 minutes of genuine giggling can burn off the number of calories found in a medium square of chocolate.

REDSOX NATION

2008-10-07T10:54:00.001-07:00

Last night I had the chance to attend my first MLB playoff game in Fenway Park and let me tell you it did not disappoint. If you want to read all about the game click on this link: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081007&content_id=
3600062&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos
The game was full of thrills and cheers but thankfully no tears! To sum the game up we were tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the ninth there was 2 outs with a runner on second base when Jed Lowrie got a base hit to score Jason Bay.Fenway park went crazy !!!! People were giving High fives, and hugging and cheering it was awesome.We now get to play the Devil Rays for a chance to get back to the World Series! The best part is the opportunity to go to the game came as the biggest surprise. Let me just say this... The song by Alabama "I believe there are angels among us" is totally true. Blair thank you thank you thank you for loving the Redsox and for getting me to this game!!! I had the best time and will NEVER forget it... Living in Boston is a dream come true and being apart of Redsox nation is the best feeling in the world.

(some of the relief pitchers headed out to celebrate with the bullpen cop billy Dunn... look further down the blog to meet billy.)

Celebrating the big win!!!! the players go crazy its awesome to see!!! The best part of seeing this team win is watching them celebrate with the fans.

This is Billy Dunn he is the cop that watches over the pitchers in the bullpen and he is pretty much a icon and celebrity at fenway park. he is at every game and has even had newspaper articles written about him. He is a homicide police officer during the day in one of the scary parts of boston. We met him last week at one of the games and then when Blair and i were leaving we saw him standing there again and he remembered us so we had to get another picture with him. He is one of the best traditions at fenway so needless to say i had to give a big thumbs up!

Everything I have been doing since my last blog post on jul 30

2008-09-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize today when I decided to update the blog that its Sept 30th and my last blog post was on Jul 30th needless to say a lot has happened since then. I am way too behind to write everything that has happened in life so instead i am just going to add pictures with captions. this way i can be caught up and hopefully stay on top of the blog a little better. From these pictures you can see life has been treating me really great. I think my parents are concerned i may either flunk out of school or run out of money. to be honest at this point either could happen... jokes

1
This last week I had the chance to hang out at Fenway Park for 5 redsox games and i will just go ahead and say it was the best week of my life. The sox won all the games i went to, we clinched a spot in the playoffs and thanks to my friend blair i had the best seats in the house. My old roommate marci also flew into town to enjoy all the games and it was really great hanging out with her. I now understand why Fenway is America's most beloved ballpark. i honestly think it kicks disneyworlds butt for happiest place on earth.
2
On sept 20th i turned 25 and i couldn't think of a better way to turn a quarter of a century then by hanging out in NYC. The best part of the day was when my friend Blair got tickets to see Mary Poppins on broadway for my bday. it was the best present ever and the most amazing show. I grew up watching Mary Poppins and have a place in my heart for her and everything she represents. I also had the best seats of my life right by the stage. The whole show was fabulous including my favorite song, "Feed The Birds". It really was a magical show. Blair thank you!
3
I think i have blogged about this before but a long time ago i made a list of things i wanted to do in my life like buy something on rodeo drive, go to greece, bungy jump, stuff like that. Well another thing on my list was walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I have no idea why i always wanted to do this because until i took this picture i had never even been to the bridge, but i must say it did not disappoint and was probably one of the coolest things i have ever done. The bridge is amazing and i got to check another thing off. Everyone needs to walk across this bridge at some point in life.
4
Like i said before a few days ago was my birthday and while in NY i went to the most amazing place for brunch called Normas. It was fantastic. The food was amazing and the atmosphere like nothing i have ever done before. I felt like one of the characters from the TV show Gossip Girl. it was the best way to start out my 25th year!
5
A few weekends ago a few friends and i decided to go on a road trip to see Niagara falls on the Canadian side and to check out the baseball hall of fame in cooperstown NY. Well i made it to niagara and had the best time. The falls are amazing!!! and the boat ride on the maid of the mist is probably one of the greatest highlights of my life. The bad news... before the weekend was over i was in the ER with a kidney stone... Let me just say this... if a kidney stone is anything like having a baby... i will definitely be getting the drugs. Not to mention cooperstown will have to wait for another weekend.
6
A month ago i was able to go with some girlfriends to Costa Rica for a few days. It was awesome! This country is amazing and really i could do a whole blog post just on this trip but since i am sticking to captions only here is the explanation for the picture. I am in Monteverde, right in the middle of a HUGE rainforest going on ziplines that got up to speeds of 50 mph. It was the best thrill of my life and the most beautiful place. Not only that but i also scored a boyfriend while i was there. his name is alma and i think we really would have lasted if he had facebook... but that is a whole story by itself.
7
These are the girls i went to CR with. This whole trip started on whim with my chatting with my friend blair before i knew it we had booked plane tickets to CR and recruited a few friends to come along. in this picture we are in a town called Tamarindo it is a beach town. We stayed in THE most amazing villa that was right by the beach. I could go on and on but i won't. all i will say is how grateful i am for good friends in life and how blessed i am to be able to experience sooo many good things in life. Boston has been the best experience and as i started my last year of school this month i've had a few moments where i have just sat back and thought how did i get sooo lucky to have this life. I am grateful everyday

Gotta love being home.

2008-07-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well i hope you had a chance to enjoy the video above this post and yes that is a red clown nose i am wearing. It just seemed fitting with this blog. A few nights ago i was hanging out with my nephews and we started making these videos. We all had tears we were laughing so hard so i hope you enjoy. NOW....When people ask me if i love living in Boston i always say but that the one thing i miss most is my family especially my nephews and nieces and so while i have been home i've been trying to get my fill of the cutest kids on earth. I've taken them swimming, bought snow cones, watched movies, played hide and go seek, babysat by watching cartoons, broken up my fair share of sibling fights, and of course laughed and laughed. Life just doesn't get any better. When i first saw my niece madeline she ran straight to me yelled AUNT JO and wouldn't let me put her down for 30 min. This is the same niece that will walk around the house for 20 min having a pretend converstation with me. Then there are my three nephews Preston, London, and Jackson that live in Idaho. I love these boys so much. They are OUT OF CONTROl but the most well behaved kids ever. I always joke that i am going to have my brother craig and his wife april raise my kids because they have done such a great job. for example when we were leaving the swimming pool Preston who is 7 looks at me and says thanks for coming to the pool today, and after my mom made everyone chocolate milkshakes Jackson looks at my mom and says thanks for the milkshakes nana. I love it. My favorite moment was when London and i ran out into the backyard we saw my mom standing by the swingset with a full size ladder and Jackson was standing at the very top. He is 4. London yells at the top of his lungs, "nana what are you doing he is only a child." It was hilarious. This little boy isn't even in kindergarten yet and already he can read most children books and he is the wittiest kid ever i love it. BUT my favorite thing has been to play Rockband on the WII with them. Preston on the guitar, Jackson on the drums, and London and i belting out the lyrics. Its been a blast. I should also mention these boys have the cutest little sister Brooklyn Sophia and they adore her! it reminds me a lot of my 4 older brothers and me.I also want to mention that i have the greatest nieces and nephews in California that i am hoping to see before i head back east. They are the most beautiful kids ever and a total blast.

4 things

2008-07-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today i realized a few things, 4 to be exact
1. Because marci no longer lives with me i am going to have to break down and buy a digital camera... or any type camera for that matter...
2. Its never a good idea to paint an entire wood playhouse with only a brush and a bucket of paint. Let me just say this it has been over 8 years since the thing has been painted and it will probably be another 8 years before i paint it again but i will be investing in a roller, and a paint pan. The best part about the whole thing is i couldn't reach some parts of the roof so i just left them. This would bug most people but not me. Hey, it looks better then it did. I also realized my parents need a new ladder. I knew there was a problem when i had an escape plan of how to break the least amount of bones if the thing buckled below me. and finally i wish i had a camera to get a picture of me covered in paint. Funny story. My mom didn't know i was painting and thought i was out runnung well needless to say when i walked up onto the deck covered in red paint she panicked and thought i had been attacked. Pretty classic Carol moment.
3. Baseball really is America's pastime and in the past few years i have found a new and bigger place in my heart for it. here is a great link explaining this better. http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3488077&name=gammons_peter&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d3488077%26name%3dgammons_peter
4. Today i got to babysit my niece madeline and nephew Sherman. My niece is beyond cute and for some reason just adores me. Everytime she sees me she yells about Aunt JoAnna and runs straight to me and will give me the biggest hugs. I think it is payback from how her dad my brother teased me without end while i was growing up. Anyway today while i was babysitting i had sherman on half my lap and madeline on the other. The three of us sat there drinking chocolate milk and watching tom and jerry. It was a highlight and made me realize cartoons really are the best babysitting tactic and anyone who doesn't let their kids watch them is straight up crazy. also old school cartoons that i grew up on like tom and jerry is a billion times better then the new ones they have today.

Totally Random

2008-07-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

This blog post could be all over the place so try and keep up. Its been a good while since i last blogged and a lot has been going on. First i am currently on the west coast hanging in Idaho its been over 7 months since i have been home and so far its as great as i remembered. Although i will say one nice added addition would be the Red box that is know located at the Maverick Gas station. nothing like killing two birds with one stone huh. But before i got to Idaho i went on the best road trip ever. The highlight was most definitely Niagara Falls. Especially when the two guys that were doing the weeding were right on the edge of the bank. The one guy who was right next to the giant falls had a regular rope wrapped around his waist not even tied tight and his buddy was standing a few feet back with the end of the rope in one of his hands. I will guarantee that when that guy slips and goes over his friend will not be able to save him. Another highlight was stopping in Nebraska. I ate at the most amazing Saloon ever. I knew it was a real winner when a 90 yr old woman walked in called the staff by name, ordered a drink with hard alcohol and then when the waitress walked by she said "The usual Bev?" It was awesome. On top of that the tvs only had country music videos from the early 90's. It was like being apart of the real American dream. I made a pit stop in Utah with my roommate Marci because her family invited me to Lake Powell for the 4th of July. I was sooo excited because i have never been to lake powell. Let me say this all the hype around lake powell is for real. It was beautiful with the rocks, hot everyday, and with the most amazing water. I would say the highlight of this trip is the fact that our entire house boat was COVERED and i do mean COVERED in leopard and Zebra print. I am talking blankets, pillows, lamps, wall hangings, even fabric draped along the top, dishes, towels, it was amazing. The house boat was huge and went by the name of Animal house. I LOVED it.

I have know been home for 3 days and i have been running along a path behind by house it goes along the snake river canyon and right by Shoshone falls. I love this area because i had an experience a few years back when I was sitting on the canyon rim thinking and praying when i had one of those moments when I knew that i was someone special with a god in heaven that knows me by name and loves me. The funny thing is that as much as i love being home i miss Boston like crazy. I never knew that a place so far from home could be so dear to me. I knew i loved the city but i didn't realize i would miss it this much BUT the thing that has struck me the most about being away for a bit is how much i miss the people there. They truly have become my family. I have been blessed on a few occasions to find people in life that change my it, or help me improve, or bring a little more happiness into my life and it seems like heavenly father always knows just the perfect time to put those people in motion so that i can discover them and so that i am then changed for the better.

I also had an experience while i have been home where i was able to run into someone who has probably caused more pain to me then anyone. I haven't seen this person for over 6 years, and it was only by chance that i ran into her downtown. I was shocked, shaking, anxious, and overcome with a feeling that i should approach her and say hello. I talked it over with my mom and she said if you feel like you can do it then do it, so i did, and I am soooo glad that i did. I have worked and worked and worked over the years to try and understand this person, to try and understand her emotions, and actions, and the way she has treated me and my family when at one time i pretty much lived in their house and spent everyday with her daughters. I didn't understand, but i knew that unless i forgave her it would do more damage to me. So that is what i have tried to do for 6 years is forgive her and understand. And yesterday when I saw her and gave her a hug and wished her the best I knew that i had witnessed a small miracle in my life. I was able to forgive her and it is probably the scariest and most happiest thing in my life. Its a lot harder to forgive someone then to just hold a grudge, but it feels a billion times better. ok ok enough of the serious stuff.... Well i better wrap this post up but here is a link to something my friend Jeff showed me... it is the funniest thing i have seen on the web in a long time.... so enjoy!!!! ps sorry this post was a bit long and like i warned from the beginning all over the place.

http://www.cojoweb.com/audio_accident.html YOU WILL NOT REGRET LISTENING TO THIS!!!

I got tagged.. and a few other shiz

2008-06-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am sitting here it is 12:30 in the middle of the night I would be sleeping but for some reason i can never fall asleep anymore so here i am just blogging away... first and foremost if there is anyone out there that reads my blog and doesn't have a link to my friend Kate's blog please look to the right and read her blog... it will change your life. Next can i just tell you how much i love living in boston not only for the food and the friends but because our sports teams are amazing. The celtics just won the championship and it was a blast. We went out to watch a lot of the games and let me tell you there is nothing like being in a sports bar with a bunch of locals who love this team. It was really amazing. finally its pretty amazing how when things start to change in life God always watches out for us. He always sends us the people we need in our lives. I have always been blessed with the most amazing friendships and right know is no different. The other highlight of life today is thanks to my friend Blair i finally have found a real legit mexican resturant and i couldn't be more happy. i have almost lived here for a year and NOTHING has compared to the mexican food out west until tonight!!! it is only fitting it is called Jose's... i love it! Finally today was the last day of my clinical rotation and i was soo sad to say goodbye to my patients and therapists at the clinic. I have had such a great time and learned so much about people. It was an amazing experiance and one i will never forget. Life is so good. I feel so blessed. Today i was talking with a friend and we were chatting about how life is hard and things don't always go the way we want but there is soooo much good to focus in on. It just reminded me that i am so blessed and have so many good things surrounding me. I love those moments in life when things slow down and you look around and see all of god's beauty. I love the tender mercies that he grants us and those moments when we realize there really is a god above who loves us and watches over us. Alright i know this is a long post but if you are bored feel free to read the tag below.. if not no worries :)
ABC Tag- I got tagged!
A - Attached or single: single BABY.. which means for a good time call.... 435-770-you wish :)
B - Best Friend: too loaded of a ? but i do love my roommates, my usu friends, my mom, my brothers, my partner in crime Blair, the celtics, and the 2007 redsox team
C - Cake or Pie: how about Brownie mix, or cake batter ice cream, and i did just find a new yogurt place in Harvard sqaure that i may be in love with
D - Day of the Week: Mon for Bones, Tue for American Idol, wed for Gossip girl and private practice, thur for greys and the office, fri for FNL, sunday for army wives... i love everyday of the week for these reasons
E - Essential Item: CELL PHONE! and ipod..
F - Favorite Color: ROYGBIV jk hmm red, or black, maybe blue
G - Gummi Bears or Worms: how about chocolate covered gummi bears
H - town: Twin Falls Idaho... or T-Town
I - Indulgences: chips and salsa, chocolate, NASCAR
J - January or July?: July.. every city i have lived in during Jan is freezing!!
K - Kids: not that i know of
L - Life is incomplete without: great movies, music, my friends, and of course the gospel
M - Marriage Date: if i were to make a prediction i would say.... not looking good :)
N - Number of Siblings: 4 older brothers
O - Oranges or Apples: Oranges, but really i would choose pineapple, bananas, raspberries, kiwi, strawberries
P - Phobias or Fears: I am terrified of spiders, and bees.
Q - Quote: "Fortunately, God is preoccupied with His Children. We are His work and glory. All that He does is for our benefit."
R - Reason To Smile: Its summer and beautiful in Boston right know and tomorrow summer vacation starts.
S - Season: i love all 4 seasons.
T - Tag Three: no one... anyone can copy and paste if they are as bored as i am
U - Unknown fact about me: I am obsessed with any type of dance, salsa, ballroom, hip hop, anything...which means in my next life i will be a dancer until then i will just watch so you think you can dance, and dancing with the stars
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I am a swensen which means i love meat
W - Worst Habit: Biting my nails... i know i know i hate it too.. believe me if i could quit i would
X - Rays or Ultrasounds: RAYS... there is nothing better then being tan
Y - Your favorite food: chilies chips and salsa, my mom's swiss steak, chilies chocolate molten cake
Z - Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Here comes the good and the bad..

2008-06-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

So this post has some highlights along with the lowlights... for the low... on wed i got into my first car wreck and let me tell you even though it was not a super big deal it still scared the shiz out of me. it was about 8:45 in the morning and i was driving to work in a rain storm when i came around a corner and the car in front of me hit her breaks. i hit my breaks and hydroplaned into her car. the worst part she was so mean to me and all i could do was keep saying i am so sorry and i have car insurance so don;t worry.. and all she could do to me was glare and yell at me. it sucked. the good news she seemed to be ok and her volvo thankfully is like a tank and unless her bumber was made of gold it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get it fixed even though i did punch two holes into it and dent it a bit.... oops.... once i started writing down her information i then realized she had just bought the car in feburary and it was starting to make sence why she was so pissed even though i did feel horrible and kept aplogizing over and over again... (note to self if someone ever rear ends me i will try my hardest to be as nice as i can be) at least i can say i have know been in a wreck... although i hope its another 10 years before it happens again.
the high... tuesday night some of my best roomates from my college days at Utah state came to visit. We have had a blast and i feel so grateful to have them in my life. My friend Jenni brings a calm with her that i just marvel about. she is one of those friends that i would take to war with me cause i know she always has my back and is one of the most sincere friends ever. Melissa is my oldest frined from USU and she is one of my most favorite people in the world. when we hang out i do nothing but laugh and smile plus i can tease her like crazy and she never gets upset. I love it! and even though marci and i are roomates here it was fun to have the 4 of us together again and let me tell you all without marci i am pretty sure i would have wandered down a dark street and never found my way home. she helps me continue to grow from being the youngest child in a family of only brothers... thanks marc :) this week was just another lesson.. life is full of good and bad. but the good always out does the bad!

Funny things on my mind...

2008-05-20T18:51:00.001-07:00

Ok so today i decided to blog on some funny things that have happened in the past few days. I wanted to list these because today i was feeling a bit low and exhausted and nothing makes life a little happier then a good laugh. today i was singing happy birthday to someone with a large group of people and of course me being my annoying imature self was singing loud and off key and being crazy like most people in the room when i realized the girl next to me was singing as if she was on stage and at her first big performance. She was trying to harmonize and sound like a professional and next to my kareokee style I couldn't help but bust up..i love people who take themselves that serious.. its classic.... on sunday my friend showed me a clip from a SNL skit it is about the funniest thing i have ever seen... especially if you love the office... click on the link to see for yourself http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/play.shtml?mea=252558

My mom called and told me a few days ago while vacationing in Florida she was out with her best high school girlfriends when while pumping gas they cleaned the windshield and forgot to take the nozzle out of the car and they started to drive away... as they drove off a black women started running after them screaming "stop yall stop yall" finally my mom's friend who was driving the car started screaming "we are gonna catch on fire. we're gonna catch on fire" my mom and i were both rolling on the ground laughing over this hahah last night marci brian and i went to a concert and as we were finding a spot to stand we were looking over a balcony now mind you the concert had not started yet and we were still looking for a place to stand... all of a sudden this woman with really bad fake blond hair i might add walks over steps right in front of us and was like uhh hello you just stood right in front of me... i looked at her and said... uhh guess what the concert hasn't even started yet... nice try. it made me crack up watching this lady get so pissed next would be my new job... this one is hard to describe because well i don't want to break the law so i can't expand.. but let me just tell you people are crazy with endless stories and never ending problems and i love it cause its job security... and let me tell you chronic pain not always funny... but sorta funny :) and the funniest thing that has happened me running 13.1 miles a week ago... and not running since hahah let me tell you running 13.1 miles is hard hard hard it took me 2 hours 19 min and even though everyone said i wold enjoy it at the end i have to admit i didn't.. BUT i will keep running until i love running 13.1 miles... NOT :)

I wanna be made...

2008-04-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

So, in order to understand this blog post i am hoping that you all have watched as much MTV as I have in my life. And assuming that you have i hope you have caught a few episodes of the show MADE.. and if you are really hard core picture the people at the beginning saying "I want to be made" ok ok back to the post... So today it hit me that I am apart of my own version of the show and i am currently being made into a runner... even thought i don't remember ever saying I want to be made into a runner here i am on my own version of mtv's show... and my MADE coach...Marci... in 2 weeks from today i am running in the big lake half marathon. The realization that i am being made came to me while i was running 10 miles today. The parallel between me and the show are pretty impressive.. this morning right after i woke up my coach was there to tell me we are running at 1:00, then at 1:00 while i was working on a paper that i have to get finished for school i had to quit working on it and leave to go running.. Then while we were driving i was complaining the entire drive this is when my coach gave me this pep talk on why i am doing this and that it is my choice and that i can quit anytime, but then once we got there and i started running past Harvard's campus, MIT's campus and straight to the museum of science and back along the Charles the endorphins were pumping and I realized the whole reason i am doing this and how great it is going to be to say i have ran 13.1 miles. That is something i thought I could never do, but something deep down I would have always loved to try. Just like those people who are the geeks and want to be a cheerleader, or the jock who wants to do a ballet. So even though I may never be a reality TV star today around mile 8 i realized why we should always try to challenge ourselves and push ourselves to do things we never thought we could do... know just keep your fingers crossed the race goes as fabulous as today.

Favorite Things About Boston...

2008-04-20T21:54:00.002-07:00

The winter... (just for you Marci) I say the winter because without the horrible long cold winter we wouldn't love 50 degree weather... and as my friend Natalie has pointed out we wouldn't see people in mini skirts, flip flops, tank tops, and my favorite swim suit tops as shirts when the 50 degree weather shows up...
The Boston Red sox...to hear more about this click on Marci's link to the right... she explains it perfect!
Long ace T rides.. for everyone not familiar with Boston this would be the subway.. I love the T because without it i would not see drunken breakups, classy breakups, blind people with seeing eye dogs trying to find a seat. Me falling asleep every morning as i ride to school and knowing my mouth must always be open... not good. Thinking of my roommate kate's paranoia that a stranger may just vomit out of the blue... this has been known to happen especially on fri and sat nights.
Crazy T drivers. i once saw a woman get stuck in the door and the blame the driver.. the fight lasted about 10 minutes and worth every second... Marci and I witnessing a drunk man trying to pick up something off the floor with his pants down to his ankles and his butt totally showing... imagine the people in the seat right by him.. lucky for us we were a few seats back. ok to be honest this section could be a blog all on its own...
Sunny weather... yesterday i ran 10 miles that is Right 10 miles people along the Charles river.. it was beautiful and it made me fall even more in love with B-town
being the only Mormon in my program and probably the only Mormon my classmates will ever know... this week our professor asked why we were so out of it and me not thinking said... we are all hammered... meaning exhausted from studying and doing projects... she of course gave a funny look as my classmates tried to explain no no no we are not literally hammered and Jo doesn't drink so it has a different meaning to her... it was pretty darn classic
Karen... this is our 42 inch plasma TV... enough said
Good food.. we try and hit up a new restaurant every weekend.. this weekend Brown Sugar a Thai restaurant and it was fantastic!!! my only suggestion steer clear of Wagwamma... sorry again guys :)
walking to church and having Jennifer garner say hello to me... i did watch 4 seasons of alias in 13 days... I think i deserved a hello
And much much more.. Boston is a fabulous place.. and know that spring is here it has gotten that much better... Thank you Marci for getting me here...

People are so good... life is good

2008-04-01T11:34:00.001-07:00

So I am sitting here on a tuesday afternoon watching a little extreme makeover home edition and procrastinating my homework and i just wanted to blog and share a few thoughts. people are so good and so amazing. its pretty to crazy to think about all the individuals there are in the world but how often people are looking out for others. Sometimes i think we all forget how much we all individually matter and that sometimes we sell ourselves short or just don't realize all the good we do, and I don't mean me, but people around me... i have seen a friend have a fund raising party with cup cakes for our multiple sclerosis walk just because she feels like helping raise some money so we can one day find a cure for this disease that is apart of a dear friends life which makes it apart of my life. Or the fact that over 50 girls who live on their own and have very busy lives will show up at an enrichment activity to show their support and when one girl was having one of those days that we all have when we just don't feel great about ourselves i watched numerous girls give her a suttle hand squeezes, hugs, and encouraging words. Every tuesday i go and participate in a tutoring program for young people and the most amazing part is the tutors do it for free, they are all around my age, and some travel over an hour by train to get home and yet they come every week and inspire these young people to keep working hard. It blows my mind to see how much people care. I could go on and on with these examples of times when i have seen people love those around them. It is such an inspiration to me and leads me into my next thought that life is good.

Mortality is one of the most amazing concepts to me... sometimes i like to just sit back and think how amazing it is that here i am living my life meeting new people and keeping old friends. As many of you know the friends that i made at USU have impacted my life more then they will ever know and recently a few of them have had big time excitement. One just had a new beautiful baby girl. and just talking to her on the phone i could hear the happiness in her voice and it made me thrilled to hear about her new adventure.. another one just got back from an LDS mission in canada and already she has given away more then 4 books of Mormon. I just love this friend and am so excited for her and her excitement for the gospel even off the mission. This weekend my roommate from USU and know Boston had a birthday and we had such a great time and just loved life. She has been a life savor for me the past 8 months and i will always be in debt to her. i just feel so blessed with the friends and family i have in my life... it still amazes me when i get texts messages from friends from utah that they take the time to say hello or share a funny story. and just the other night my roommate and i stayed up till 1 am just talking and laughing. I had to blog because my heart has been so full of all the good things in life. I hope all of you are able to see the good things in your life and that if things are hard that you will know you are all amazing wonderful people and I am grateful for you all!!

GOD BLESS AMERICA & people from jail

2008-03-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ok so i just know all of you have been dying for me to blog.. right?? ok maybe not but it has been a REALLY long time since my last post this is not because nothing exciting has happened its only because I have never been so busy with school in my entire life. The semester started out of control and hasn't slowed down since. The past two weeks have by far been the worst with midterms and practicals for my classes so to celebrate and start my spring break i decided to fly down to Washington DC to meet some friends and visit the nation's capital. ( have never been to DC, my junior high went in the 9th grade but for some reason i never went...anyway) in order to get to DC i am flying on southwest which requires taking a shuttle to new hampshire ( an hour away) well to get to the shuttle i had to travel by the T (subway) to a stop that will remain annonymous in case it is anyone;s hang out spot :) anyway while waiting for the shuttle this is my encounter with a woman who will always have a place in my heart.picture me sitting on a bench with my rolling suitcase... my designer purse my mom bought me, and my carry on bag minding my own business when my new friend walks right up to me and with not ONE tooth on the top demands a piece of gum..
new friend says "i need some gum give me a piece"
I say" ummm what?"
new friend: "I need gum. let me have a piece"
( i then proceed to reach into my purse and give her a piece of gum)
From there I learn that she literally has just gotten out of prison after serving three months for driving without a licence. she has been in a cell for 3 months with NO fresh air, and as i helped her clasp her husbands bracelet she informs me he is still in prison for driving drunk...the good news the 107 bus came she left my shuttle showed up and i made my flight and know onto the best weekend in DC!
I have always felt like a pretty patriotic American citizen and I have always loved being American and everything that goes with this awesome country and being able to make it to DC was amazing. my favorite part was seeing the white house, the WWII memorial and getting claustrophobic in the Washington memorial :) or was it seeing the hope diamond, getting drenched, finally eating real Mexican food or the people i was with....
The other high light the first day we were touring DC it started POURING rain and i am not talking just a light rain i am talking a downpour and of course i didn't have an umbrella and of course i was wearing khaki pants.... not a good combo :) it has been ages since i had been in a down pour like that it was fabulous. it reminded me of being a kid and having no worries in the world. Life is wonderful, and i am so lucky right know to be where i am in life!! as we were driving back from DC i was able to travel through Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Conn, New york, and then Mass..... i couldn't be any more blessed... which is why this post ends with God Bless America, and thank you to the men and women who serve this great country!!!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

So Christmas is over, its know 2008 and I start my second semester of school in Boston in less then a week which is why i am soooo grateful for the opportunity i have had to be home hanging with the family and seeing old friends. this post is mostly for me to remember an amazing Christmas break but hopefully it will entertain a few of you as well... so here is a list of top memories
1 Playing rock band at my old young women leader's house listening to her sing, me ATTEMPTING the drums...i might add i always wanted to play the drums but my mom made me do the piano because you can't play the drums in Sac. Meeting... Boo i know!
2 Watching my dad,brothers, cousins, old friends all weight in as they start the biggest loser ( and my i add all these people are not small people.. we family owns grocery stores people its not all our faults :)
3 Playing the Wii and bowling with my 5 and 3 year old nephew who i may add got higher scores then me... every time people.... although the real high for me... beating my oldest brother in tennis and boxing... know this is great because my brother has been playing the wii non stop since we got them and i have only slightly been practicing.. i would say the best part was when he called Casey and was sooo mad he lost to me... yes!!
4.getting my hair cut!!! it was much needed!!!
5.staying up late with my friend Jeff... we have been best friends for years and he is really the only friend from high school i really see and care about....
6.staying up late and sleeping way in!!! I love that life... i tried convincing my mom into letting me quit school and just move into their basement... but she said no... bummer i know
7.laughing and laughing and laughing and smiling with my nephews and nieces... they are honestly the best people i know.. i could hang with them everyday.. i had to explain to my one nephew jackson the difference between Aunt Jo and Ant jo.... he was struggling and i will never forget. also having him zip up his coat and then tell me he didn't even have to go to zipping lessons... or watching Life with Ryan with london (5) as he tells me Tony Hawk is way better then Ryan hahah Having my Niece call every Girl with brown Hair Aunt Joanna.... including my sister in law kacey :) Watching my nephew Sherman eat everything on the floor hahah i love kids who crawl... Holding and seeing my two new nieces and they are beautiful!
9. watching my mom play santa and getting 5 wii's for my brothers and me
10.Hanging with all 4 of my brothers... these are the 4 most amazing men i know. i love them so much and am so grateful to have them in my life... they mean the world to me... some people always felt bad i didn't have sisters but when you have these 4 people in your life you don't need sisters... they protect me and cheer for me and would do anything for me... its a pretty amazing feeling.... i am soooo blessed!!!! 2007 was great and i have a feeling 2008 is going to be even better!!!

4 brothers 4 sister in laws 4 nieces 6 nephews... lots of christmas fun!

2007-12-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

I am just sitting her watching my second oldest brother and a billion kids play mario brothers on the Wii.... this is what i call pure magic and the best christmas ever! First i must brag about my mom for a min.... so for christmas my mom had a plan to try and get my 4 brothers and i wii's for christmas but with 10 days until christmas she didn't even have 1 bought yet... she knew best buy was going to be getting some in on sunday but sticking to her beliefs she decided to not break the sabbath and just keep waiting.... well sure enough a few days later my mom had the impression to call target and the boy who my mom had now become friends with said to be there and they would have some.... well because there is a rule about 1 wii per person so my mom calls 4 of her friends at 6 AM tells them it doesn't matter what they look like just bring the checkbook cash or credit card to target right away! And sure enough they showed up and know we have 5 Wii's in our house and it has been pure madness!!! and the best memories ever.... the day after christmas my brothers and i were soooo sore none of us could raise our arms!

But let me share the best part of my christmas... having my entire family in idaho. it has been the first time ever and it has been awesome. nothing but laughs and eating. I have decided there is nothing better then family time and i love that i have grown up with four of the most amazing brothers ever! and know i have the 4 greatest sister in laws to follow and the most beautiful nieces and nephews. Family really is the greatest blessing and i have an even deeper appreciation for Heavenly Father and his insight and importance of the family! it has been amazing. Christmas really is about miracles and i have witnessed so many this season. from friends that are willing to drive over an hour to help out a friend who is in need or a answered pray that a present for a husband will show up out of nowhere on christmas day to many many more! I love this season and this time and i am grateful for all of the people in my life!!!

passions in life....

2007-11-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

Besides my family, friends, and of course TV I have a few other things i really love about life. That includes reading great books and downloading new music. Its funny that i love music so much because its not like i have a specific band that i love or a type that i only listen to or bands that only music geniuses know. I also have a terrible voice and only play the piano sorta and I like things that are trendy or not. It just has to touch me in some way that i want to hear that same song again. So i decided to list a few that i have recently fallen in love with....well since i am listening to it right know i better do it first.
1. Blue October 18 Floor Balcony
2. The Killers Romero and Juliet
3. Celion Dion This time, and My Love
4.Kenny Chesney Blue rocking Chair
5. Lenny Kravitz I'll be waiting
6. The Format on your porch
7.Feist 1234
8. Alicia Keys No One
9.Soulja Boy Crank that Soulja Boy
10. Matchbox 20 Can't let you go
11. Mason Jennings If you ain't got live and if you need a reason
12. One Republic Mercy and Stop and Stare
13.Priscilla Ahn Dream
14.Taylor Swift Should've said no and Beautiful
15. Rascal Flatts Better Now

Like I mentioned before i also love to read and the last few books i read were the Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse series by Stephanie Myers. I know most of the people who read this also have read those books and my friend just showed me a website in tribute to twilight so I wanted to add the link it is great and i loved it!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=C-if9FEaiok just click and enjoy I have read so many great books in my life. When i was young my mom and I spent an entire summer reading the Anne of Green Gables books and from there books have changed my life. Here are just a few of my favorites. Great Expectations. Secret Life of Bees, Wicked, Snowflake and the Secret Fan, For One More Day, and of course A Quiet heart. I am currently reading the book Remember Who You Are by professors from Harvard and MIT its a coffee table type book but its great.
Well i know this is sorta random blog but i was just sitting here looking online for books and music and decided to share.... if you have more suggestions of music or books please share as a comment!!! i would love you for it!!!

Why do they leave the guts inside???

2007-11-19T21:17:00.000-08:00

So this weekend my roomate tristan and i had the amazing opportunity to cook our very first turkey.... (thank you marci) So the way this got started was marci had a calling in our ward for this fund raiser for needy families in the area for christmas and of course since she decided to go and enjoy the 70 degree weather Tristan and I knew we needed to step up and help out. so we promised marci we would bring a turkey between the size of 10-13 lbs to the dinner. Well to put it lightly just buying the turkey was an adventure and of course getting it cooked was well almost a nightmare. first we get to the store find the turkeys decide on one and start carrying it down the aisle way when we realize it is leaking blood everywhere so we take it back and pick out another one... then we get the metal pan... no problem ... know i have seen my mom cook a turkey every year for thanksgiving and for some reason i recall it being cooked in a bag so we walk up and down every aisle looking for these bags but can't find them anywhere.. so of course i think to myself hey my dad has grocery stores he will know what we are looking for so i call him and finally we find the bags we need next to the tin foil.... here is where the real adventure starts.... we get home know my roomate is one of the coolest people i know but lets justs say that by calling her a picky eater this is a MAJOR (in posh spice's voice) understatement. she can't cut tomatoes because she doesn't eat tomatoes. so the thought of a raw turkey was never going to happen. so we make a deal she can cut and peel the potatoes and i will do the turkey. well of course as i am cutting the bag and trying to pull the turkey out i have no idea there is going to be water mixed with blood so it starts to spill all over the counters and onto the floor. by this point we are dying of laughter. Tristan has know moved to the dinner table and i am trying to catch the turkey stop the blood flow and not fall on my face... it was a pretty classic moment... especially if you know anything about me you know i like to cook but i am no rachel ray... finally i get the bleeding stopped bleach the floor wipe the counters down and look at this scary looking bird on my counter... the entire time thinking this is how people become vegatarians... its this simple just cook a turkey.... i then start to look around and see two giant holes... one where the neck used to be and one that woud appear to be a butt... i again decide i need to call my dad and ask what the hell do i do next.... i knwo i know people this is why i am not married i get it. so i call my dad and he tells he i have to pull out the neck. what appeared to be a liver and all the other guts they just decided to leave in which brings me to the main question.... why the freak do they leave those things in??????? is crazy i tell ya. so i finally get the stuff pulled out i have tears rolling down my cheeks because it really is quite the adventure. we get it in the bag in the metal pan and ready to be in the oven. the good news today at FHE we ate it and it was fantastic. it wasn't dry it was fully cooked and i am confident no one died... well except the turkey... know the other funny thing is i called kacey my sista and she was shocked she kept saying... "you know how to cook a turkey?" over and over again... and well the answer is know yes... i swear boston has just opened all knew doors for me... last weekend through marci leaving specific instructions, IMing me the whole time on our lap tops and a few text messages i was able to make my first batch of home made chicken noodle soup.. it was fantastic. i love all the things i am learning and getting to experiance. life really is grand. and let me tell you if you need any help this thanksgiving just give me a call.... and don't worry if i don't know the answer i'll call my dad....

I never thought i'd say the words....

2007-11-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

Ok so there are a few things in my life that i thought i would never say one is... i never thought i would thank my mother for endless years of piano lessons and of course since i have grown up i have thanked her dozens of times. BUT lately i have finally come to terms with a few choice words i thought i'd never say and that is....I HAVE ACTUALLY DEVELOPED A LOVE FOR RUNNING AND WORKING OUT.... for those of you who really know me know this is probably the craziest and most out there words i could ever say. I mostly can thank my roommate Marci for giving me the encouragement to go to the gym and well of course for splitting the bill for our gym pass. It has been the craziest development in my life mostly because i used to hate to run. know i actually enjoy it. I have decided one of the greatest accomplishments a person can achieve is to get into shape... its long and hard and takes forever. but once you get there once you can run miles without burning out it is the best feeling in the world. Know i must thank my ipod first and foremost. without it i could never have gotten in shape. and thank goodness for punk fast paced music... it has been really something amazing to get to the point where i can head to the gym run 4 miles and not dread every minute.... things we think are impossible are acutally do able.. its pretty amazing... well i have been tagged in two different blogs to do this soooo hear it goes.... and look to see who is tagged next :)

The rules of the game are the following: Each player lists 5 facts/habits about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Here goes:

ok so i wasn't sure how personal i should go...but then i remembered my mom might read this so i decided to leave vegas out of it.... :)

1. I have one horrible habit that i HATE... well ok i have a lot of bad habits but this one is the worst. and it is i bite my nails like crazy. I have only had long nails in my life when i have gone and gotten fake nails put on other then that they are as short as short can be... and its annoying and i wish i didn't do it but i do... its my way of destressing to be honest it really works. if i'm stressed the only answer is to bite my nails... disgusting i know but its the facts... sorry
2. I have a check off list of things i want to do in my life before i die.... a few i have accomplished: buys something on rodeo drive, see celion dion in person, fly an airplane, bungy jump, live in a foreign country, race a racecar.... some things still left on the lift. visit the pyramids of Egypt on a camel at sunset, read the entire bible, skydive, fall in love, read the trilogy to Lord of the Rings, drive a fancy sports car, visit Greece, step foot on every continent, and of course many more but that is just a few :)
3. I hate going to sleep. in fact right now it is almost midnight all my roommates are in bed and i am still on the couch writing this blog postponing going to bed because well i hate it.... i haven't decided if its because i was the youngest and had to go to bed and always felt like i was missing something or if i'm just a night person and so i like being awake at night... either way its the truth i would rather do anything then go to bed.... my old roommate Melissa understood this better then anyone because she also hated going to bed. so atleast i know there is one person who can relate..... on the other hand i love love love taking naps and sleeping in!!!!
4. I am a TV whore. I love TV. i love it. and i can admit it... I love watching shows from Ellen to the office. to extreme home makeover to gossip girl.. i have become addicted to numerous shows. The OC, i cried when it ended...Alias... i failed a chemistry test because i was too busy watching 4 seasons in 13 days with 22 episodes in each season at 43 min a piece... know that is impressive. i have stayed up long nights with my brother watching The Office. I have called people in other towns to record shows for me if i know i am going to miss them. and most recently i have found that you can watch shows online which means all the season i missed of shows i didn;t know were awesome i have caught up on for example i recommend october road, chuck, and my new love Friday Night lights... like i said before i know its a problem but what can i say thanks to DVR things seems to always work out....:)
and finally......
5. I am not a movie critic. I can probably count on 1 hand the number of movies that i have just hated. Two come to mind. the newest superman (the plot went no where and the story ended exaclty how it started) and the Island of Dr Monroe (after this movie ended i kid you not when i say a man stood up on the middle of the theatre and yelled out "what the F was that" because it was soooo horrible i have never seen so many people ready to riot.) but for the most part i love them all. in fact people will say "oh you saw that movie did you like it? oh wait i am asking jo of course you liked it" and its true. it doesn't matter how many stars they receive or how bad the acting was i am just there to be entertained and that is it. I like the thought provoking movies as much as the teen movies. i like foreign movies with subtitles just as much as the dance movies with horrible acting. i like them all.... well that is all for me know to tag a few people... lets go with Heidi Doxey, Kim Martin, Kacey Swensen, Whitney Cutler!!! you guys are it!!!

Overwhelming feelings...

2007-11-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

So its currently 12:24 AM and i have been laying in bed trying to fall asleep because i know 6:45 is going to be here in a blink and then it will be time to start my monday but as i was laying here listening to my mellow music that i fall asleep to i just had all this overwhelming feelings that i just had to put somewhere and i thought this might just be the best place. I was laying here thinking of all the things in life that are overwhelming... like people who show overwhelming amount of courage or overwhelming amount of love or humility or friendship and these are where my thoughts took me. I went to a friends house yesterday and she showed me a picture of her mother who had passed away and i thought about my mom and what my life would be like right know if i did not have her here to share it all with and the amount of courage it must take to face life head out without a mother. And then I was thinking about my Nana who called me today because she hurt her knee and was wondering if she needed to see a Doctor right away and i thought about her life and how she has experienced physical pain for thirty some years now because her body is weak and has let her down in so many ways. and then i was thinking of my roommate marci who has shown me overwhelming friendship and has helped me in so many aspect of life from encouraging me to move out east to teaching what it means to be healthy to just being my friend. And then i think of my sister in laws with young babies and the overwhelming amount of unselfishness they show in a daily basis of being tired and wore out yet always putting their kids first and having kids in the first place. And then i thought about my other roommate katie who is one of the kindest people i have ever met and who showed an overwhelming amount of humility with one of her friends recently and was just there for her and didn't question anything. And then I thought about my roommate Triston who has an overwhelming amount of knowledge. she is one of the smartest people i know she knows something about everything and i am always in awe by her. and then I thought about my friend whitney who i called today who has shown me an overwhelming amount of support. She has been my backbone since i met her. she cheers me on in everything that i do and as long as i am happy she is always happy for me and she really means it. And my friend katie white who has shown me an overwhelming about of advice. she has been there for me from day one and always has the right thing to say to make me feel that everything is ok. And I was just laying here thinking about all these people that i am in contact withand it just blew me away the amount of overwhelming feelings i feel towards them and their examples. and there are so many more examples i could use. people in my life who show an overwhelming amount of love towards their families or strangers they meet on the street or in foreign countries. there is so much good out there and so many people just trying to do their very best in life and it just makes everything else in life fall into place. I have just felt so overwhelmed for a lack of a better word to describe what i feel today as i have contemplated what people do on a daily basis and i have realized it is wonderful thing. I know i will continue to be overwhelmed by the way people around me live their lives with courage and passion and love and faith and it will be nothing short of extraordinary.

THE BEST WAY TO WATCH A FOOTBALL GAME

2007-11-04T18:03:00.001-08:00

Ok so tonight was one of the most fun nights of my life!!! It all started by a classmate of mine inviting me to watch the Undefeated New England Patriots play the also Undefeated Colts. Now let me set this up for everyone. My friend watches the patriots play every sunday with a group of friends that she has known for a long long time. One of her friends they met in the second grade. now from this friend the group includes her mother, father, brother, son, a bouncer a biker and some guy who flew under the radar that i don't know and the of course my friend and her husband. now on top of all these wonderful people they watch the game in a two story shed. the upstairs has a tv and the best part is on the walls are all the retired jerseys from players that no longer play for the team. Downstairs is where all the action happens. there is a tv mounted on a wall with speakers next to it and then a bar with a row of bar stools that everyone sits at... know everyone has their assigned bar stool. its great! the best part is when you need a new drink (diet Pepsi for me) you just knock your empty can and they slide a new one down to you. it was awesome. The reason this was the best way to watch a football game is all these people grew up in Mass and they have the thickest and greatest accents ever!!! and let me tell you they love love love their new England sports especially the red sox patriots bruins and everyone else. Every person had a jersey on. they even brought a hat for me to wear so i could really be in the spirit. I have never laughed so hard or enjoyed a sporting event more then sitting and hanging out with these amazing people. Ya know sometime it is really hard to be far away from idaho and from home. I can feel myself growing and really finding out who i am by being so far from home and tonight i felt like i was with family. they were so nice to me and were so intrigued by meeting someone from idaho... most of them had never met a person from idaho or a Mormon.... it was really a great experience. It was one of those experiences when you realize wow we really are all god's children and we are all tied together in this life. i love getting to know new people and being apart of their lives. We chanted "lets go patriots" "Peyton Sucks" and clapped and gave high fives! and ate and ate and ate. it was honestly one of the best memories i have of watching a sports team. being with thse amazing peopel and laughing and dancing was something i will never forget. I have no doubt that god is aware of me and that he has had a plan for me my entire life and will continue to bless me and send me on a path that will bring the most happiness to me. I am grateful for my unexpected move to boston and for all the experiences that i am having here. its has been the best ride! I look forward to many more memories and more fantastic sports memories no matter if it is with my new found friends in Mass or my family that i love in Idaho!!! I can now say i have experienced the best way to watch the patriots and for that all i can say is keep the memories coming TOM!!!!

Who knew life could get better....

2007-10-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Ever have that feeling life just couldn't get any better??? That is how i feel right now. I have been so blessed these last few months and I don't even have words to explain how great its been. But just a few things to sum it all up. 1st TRANSFORMERS came out this week.... need i say more... ok so maybe that shouldn't be number one but i must admit i did run to best buy to buy it as fast as i could :) and yes i have already watched it. in fact i barely make it to class today because i stayed up way too late. 2nd there are sooooo many great shows on this fall. my new favorite is Gossip Girl.. now most of my dear friends know me well enought to know that even though i may be 24 there will always be a place in my heart fro 90210 OC and now of course gossip girl... corny i know but i just live high school drama what can i say??? :) 3rd i have found a new love in a snack that consist of a rice cake covered in peanut butter. my roomate marci used to eat it all the time and i must admit i used to tease her about it.... now i am just glad she has helped me grasp the light and it just goes to show we can't judge too quickly :) 4th I have TWO NEW beautiful nieces!!!!! they are named Brooklyn Sophia and Hailey Ann!!!! they are healthy and i just can't wait to get back west to hold them over christmas!!! ok ok so maybe the first 3 were a bit shaddy so now the real reasons life has just kept getting better.

This past weekend I went to Education conference now at first i wasn't crazy about spending from 9 am to 5 pm listening to speakers, but because Elder Holland was going to be there i knew i had to be there!! and boy am i glad i was. it was incredible. It was just what i needed and every speaker did an amazing job. one favorite was by Jane C Johnson she talked about the different shoes we wear throughout our lives and how some are comfortable or awkward or sometimes it feels like we are wearing two different shoes. it was a great analogy and really hit home. But the best part was listening to Elder Holland express his love and share his testimony. My favorite part was he talked about how the closest way to draw closer to christ is by adversity and walking through flames of fire. I loved this because i know it is the times i have been praying and storming the heavens with prayers and pleading that i have felt the love of my savior the most. The spirit was amazing. I just kept sitting there thinking i am so blessed to have this knowledge and to have the Holy Ghost testify that God leaves. Jesus is the Christ and he loves me. It was really something special.

Now i don't have a digital camera so i never have pics on my blog but that is all going to change right now because of an awesome play i like to call WICKED!!!! (thank you marci for e-mailing pics) now i loved loved loved the book and i was soooo excited what marci told me she had a ticket for us all to go. and let me tell you it is the best broadway show i have seen to date. it was fantastic. i loved it. I even had to take off my heels and walk barefoot down the streets of downtown BOSTON!!!! it was crazy but much worth it!!! so enjoy the PICS!!! friends family i just want you to know how lucky i am to have all of you in my life and how much i just love you all!!!! wow this is a long post.... sorry

Red Sox Nation

2007-10-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the Boston Red Sox beat the Angels to advance in MLB playoffs and I must admit I have never had a team that I am a fanatic about except for now. I have always loved the Red Sox ever since my old softball coach loved them but I had never gotten into the magic of the red sox until i decided to move to boston and have since attened a few games at fenway park. This park is the most incredible place. i would even compare it to disney world and rodeo drive. it is so fantastic!!! the people there are awesome. it really is like a family. This season has been a blast to be apart of now living in boston and watching how crazy peope are about a sports team. my roomates included. We all have shirts and we all stay up watching the games that even go until 1 am until manny hits a homerun with 2 outs botton of the ninth. I must say being apart of red sox nation is the best. and the best part is the the hatred between us and the NY Yankees. its so fun to see all the different shirts and signs and banners bashing the yankees. As the series wrapped up today i cannot wait until friday when we open the next game at home!!! world series here we come!!

Best Decision EVER!

2007-09-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO BOSTON BABY! Its true i have arrived in boston and have loved every minute of it since i have been here. I can now understand why Marci loved it here and I am grateful for her persistance on convincing me to move out here. It is the most incredible city. I have been trying to decide if i should write about the drive across country or the adventure since i've been here. If you want to read about the drive check out my friend heide's blog she can fill you in on everything. but i'll just put my plug in that it was awesome. the states were beautiful. I got to make a stop by my old college roomates house in ohio and it was by far the best part of the drive. I'm so happy i have such great friends!!! Thanks Whit and Lane for everything!!

SO instead i have decided to fill everyone in on my first impressions of B-Town as i like to call it.
1. Downtown Boston is incredible. My school is located right in the heart of it and it is so exciting to be in class look out the window and see loads of people walking down the street, taxis, sirens, and amazing buidngs soaring to the sky all around. i love it. it is thrilling everytime i walk down the streets.
2. Driving.....ok well let me put in a plug. if you ever move out here TAKE YOUR OWN CAR. it was the best idea i had and worth every mile i had to drive to get here. last week i spent an hour and a half trying to travel a little over 20 miles to go pick up a friend who needed a ride. Then there are the tolls. everytime you get on the 90 or come back home you always gotta pay a dollar. the tolls are a pain in the butt i'll just leave it at that. now the best part about driving in boston. holy cow the roads and the people are crazy. first the roads were made from the paths the cows travelled. This means you can have 5 roads all coming into 1 road. the lanes never add up. there is ZERO order to how the roads go and NO ONE obeys any kind of traffic sign. I love it even though it makes me WHITE KNUCKLE even if i'm only going to the grocery store. its crazy and definitly a thrill everytime.
3.Riding public transporation AKA The T.... and for me specifically the green line. every morning i have class at 8 in the morning about 5 miles away. This means i have to be out of my house by 7:05 to walk 5 minutes to catch the T to then make a billion stops before arriving to my stop about 7:50. Thank goodness apple created the ipod because it is my saving grace. also people watching. there are some of the MOST interesting people on public transportation. HERE is my main story that i just love. so my roomate Katie and I were going downtown and we look over and see a man probably in his 40's riding a bike. I kid you not whith the rest of the story. HE had a NAKED blowup DOLL bungy corded to the front of his bike. it was straddling the handlbars facing foward. arms sticking straight out! now the best part is i watched this man almost get run over over and over again because he kept rubbing his fingers through the dolls nappy smashed disgusting BLOND hair!!! it was hilarious but the best part by far was watching all the other people stare and laugh as he rode by them. it was classic and probably the funniest thing ever!!! i love it.
4. decorationg my apt. I love craigslist. It has been our saving grace. my house is on the best street and has the best pink door you've ever seen. the apt is all wood floors and its just great. so far the best part of it is the pool table my roomate bought that sits in your game room. that is fully equiped with a bar also bought on craigslist that is stocked with rootbeer cream soda gatoraid and jones soda. its the best.
5. fabulous people. I have been so lucky to already have been blesssed with so many great people here. starting with my roomates. of course i already knew marci was great, but i totally lucked out with the other two. one is in dental school and the other works for sen kennedy and goes to harvard. they are so fantastic. i am also lucky to have the best next door neighbors ever! one is the most amazing guitar player ever!!! people back here have been so great its been such an answer to prayer and i feel so blessed!

Now the reason i decided i better update the blog is because Iam now getting ready to start studying for my 1st test and i thought it would be a great time to update the blog on my new life in a fabulous city with the most incredible people. I know that things always work out in our lives. we just have to push forward and be willing to take a giant leap of faith and things always come together bigger and better then what we could have ever thought. I know this because this is what boston has been for me. Thanks for reading and until next time...GO REDSOX

my saving grace

2007-08-21T01:06:00.000-07:00

This is sort of an intersting post. Its about 1 am and its a monday night and I am curled up in my usual spot on kacey and casey's floor realizing i only have one more night here in san diego before i am off to my next adventure and i am starting to feel a bit nervouse and melancholy. Maybe i should start from the beginning.. well from the beginning of how i ended up in So. Cal.

I graduated from Utah State and moved literally that same day to Salt Lake. I knew it was the right move and thankfully i was doing it with a best friend. I had nothing but high hopes and couldn't wait for the things i would experaince. Little did i know it would be the hardest most draining year of my life thus far. It started off incredible. WE had an amazing house. normal roomates great location. the job i had for the summer was great. and I had bright hopes for the future. As time went on things changed and life became a little bit more grey every day. I had the most amazing friends at USU ones you know would max their credit card to fly wherever you needed them even if it was just for a shoulder. Ones that called up and just knew they needed to say hello. Or the types of friends that you can be doing nothing but playing darts having orange juliouses and watching flavor fav and it could make up your favorite memories. Salt lake was not this easy. It was hard to find people to relate with and find people who cared as much about me as I did them. My great job ended at the end of the summer and a new one started. I enjoyed the people i worked with but deep down i knew it could not be a career move.

I felt like i was in a funace burning and not sure if there was an end in sight. I even almost moved to idaho one day. I literally packed my entire car and drove about an hour before i realized i coulnd't give up and that was not the way i wanted to go down. so i turned around and just kept praying that i could make sence of my experiances. Now i must say I did find some really great amazing friends in salt lake ones i will never forget and always love. but It was a growing period and one that i had to do mostly alone with the comfort of pray and my savior. I won't bore you will all the details but thankfully one of these dear friends from USU encouraged me to apply to a PTA program in boston. thankfully this worked out from there i new i was headed to boston. My sister in law had a brillant idea that i could come live wiht them in san diego for the 2 montsh before i left out east.

I thought it sounded great. the beach, my 2 brothers their wives. cute boys.. why not.... I had no idea this place would heal me and rebuild me like it has and as i lay here tonight i can't help but get a bit choked up about leaving. It truly has been my saving grace. I have felt alive and refreshed. I was out of the furnace for a time and this place and these people here have been the ones to help me be sooo happy. WEll them and the tv show the office and of course hannah montana :)

I will never forget the things i learned in the year i was in salt lake i wouldn't trade those lonely days for anything because i learned who i was. i grew up..... and let me tell you it was was probably long over due and the hardest thing for me. I am grateful for the feelings of peace i have found in Kacey and Casey's Apt. I will always be in debt to them. I know wed morning ia going to be rough as my plane takes off from this beautiful place but i know i will be ok. I'm so soo happy i got to experaince all this and add another lovely chapter to my life. Thank you San Diego for bringing the smile and sunshine back.

My first ultra sound... and no its wasn't mine.

2007-08-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

So today i just so happened to witness my first ultra sound and let me tell you it was both incredible and exciting yet a little creepy. don't worry the utra sound was not for me it was my sister is law's. my niece is due in Oct and i figured since i won't get to see her for months after she is born i might as well catch the first glimpse even if she is still in the womb. hahah and who knows if i will ever have my own ultra sound so i thought i better take the chance to see how this all works.

now the utrasound pictures that i have always seen consisted of black and white. usually more black. and some sort of blur that i was always convinced was a hoax that the OBGYN showed and not really a fetus. BUT withcell phones that you can actually watch tv on 9even though mine was stolen and held for ransom) it was no surprise to me that these things actually give you a photo of a 3D and new to me 4 D images... i've never seen a movie in 4D which means i didn't even know it exsisted.. but it does and i saw my niece in it... They even give you a DVD to prove it.

So while watching this ultra sound of my new niece Haily Ann (just for the record the Ann comes from the middle of my name) i was able to watch her not only yawn but open her eyes, suck her thumb, rub her eyes and this was as if she wasn't being crammed inside a person. It was crazy. i had never seen anything like it. you could even see whose nose she has ( we all know my nose is my best feature...but i think her lips could be hers) and how long her fingers are. it was fantastic. I was only a little alarmed at how hard the doctor pushed on my sister in law to make the baby move hahahah don't worry no one was injured.And the fact that my 3 year old nephew kept saying she looks like an alien...which was only partly true.. she still has a few months to go before she is welcomed into the world.. give her time. Being my first ultrasound i would have to say it was a complete success. modern technology.. i can't wait to see what they come up with next...

1st day as a blogger

2007-08-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day as a blogger and I'm already loving it. Mostly because anyone who knows me knows I have the most interesting things happen to me on a daily basis. (well ok maybe only i think they are intersting) but other shave told me this is the blessing and the curse that comes as being a Swensen. First off i should warn everyone.. i'm a horrible speller i get it from my dad and i'm darn proud of it too. second i rarely capitlize my i's while typing... its mostly because i hate hitting the shift button while hitting the i :) i think some of you will agree.

now first things first that made me really get serious about starting a blog... i got two reason.
1. i am moving to a new city with no family and new friends (except Marci) thank goodness and I thought this would be an easy way to keep people updated.

2. and this one is the main reason because for the past week my sister in law/best friend and i have been house sitting a house that well for the most part is absolutly beautiful and very very very expensive BUT and this is a HUGE HUGE HUGE but they have indoor pets. and when i say indoor i mean the cats have never ventured to the outside world... this is just the beginning of our adventures. They also have a dog. very cute and thank goodness is allowed outside, but still has the tendency to LOOSE hair. now before anyone freaks out let me say a disclaimer... i love animals in fact at an early age i asked for a pony every year for christmas as long as i can remember. one time we had a billion cats (maybe an exaggeration but as a swensen its a must) we also grew up with dogs. but these animals were always outside and only let in on occasion. so to be surrounded by indoor never outside pets has been an adventure. NOW BACK TO HOUSE SITTING

memory number one. the house has a giant fountain that i swear was flown in from italy.. this means it is REALLY nice and apart of a REALLY nice house. its about the only thing we had instructions on.. meaning keep the water at a certain level!! so we thought we were doing a fabulous job until one day to our worst nightmare happened.. the fountain stopped running!!! we called the pool guy while we were at work... came home after work still the fountain was NOT working. that night i don't think we prayed harder hahah so next morning kacey wakes up the fountain is on... miracles do happen so of course she puts water in right away... i wake up an hour later... see the light shining above the working fountain and of course put more water in. an hour after that my brother wakes up see that prayers are answered and puts MORE water in the fountain.... next day.. fountain is not working.. and has not worked since. that is the start. it has just gone on from there... i have learned when housesitting never do it if they have a fountain... especailly if it looks like it came from italy... until next time. stay classy