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

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.

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

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

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

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..

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...

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 :)