Brownie Updates

Brownie Updates
this is the life

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Time is flying

 It seems like I have things going on everyday. Why is life so busy? I am only one and so I realize for those with families it is super crazy but man time flies.

So once in a great while I have the desire to actually prepare a meal. I actually enjoy cooking but after being on my feet all day and then to cook for one, it just doesn't seem worth it. I made some delicious southwestern salsa this week. I ate it with chips and quesadillas. Super simple meal, I know, but tasted so good and had tons of veggies in it!
 The great thing about cooking is the leftovers. I ate salsa the rest of the week and all weekend. That was awesome.

While at the store shopping for groceries I ran into one of my students. Her parents run a sushi shop in the store. Sushi is not my favorite but they would not let me turn them down. They were just so generous and really wanted me to have some free sushi. So nice. So Asian, and I mean that in a good way. There is no way I was leaving without some sushi. It was really good! The California rolls are always safe, they aren't even real Sushi.
The family was so just so nice and they made me feel appreciated which is always a bonus after a long day of work.

Today was the Brigham City Temple dedication. It was really nice. 1 and 1/2 hours of church was super nice. I got to use my mission handkerchief. President and Sister Larkin gave all the missionaries handkerchiefs for Christmas one year. I just love mine but really don't have very many opportunities to use it so this was perfect.

 Today was a long hang out day. Sam and Amanda came down which is always fun. We visited and ate and rested. Our cousin Andy's wife biked by with their daughter Kristine. Kristine loves Dan. Dan, Caleb, and Kristine were racing and I just wanted to get a picture. They weren't thrilled about that.
I still felt a little under the weather all week. I hate that. Just tired enough that I have zero motivation to do things. There was also some crazy smoke in the air from Idaho fires and we were on red alert for three days as far as exercising outside. This week I hope to get back on my bike. I biked Saturday and it wiped me out. But I feel ok today. I also started playing basketball one day a week and coaching after school two days a week. Busy, but good. This week I hope to be back to my normal routine.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Since my last post . . . . . .

 It has been a long time and not much has happened. The week after I hiked Timp was great for me. Mainly because I biked to work everyday and finally felt better adjusted to my being on my feet and talking all day. It amazes me every year how long it takes me to get used to teaching all day. But the third week in was the charm. I stole this picture from Jaime on Facebook just because I liked it.
September 9th we celebrated Caleb's birthday. We had a great Sunday dinner and yummy asphalt pie for dessert. We showered him with love and gifts, what a lucky guy. 

Then last week happened, right when everything was going so well. I woke up Monday and ran on my treadmill and biked to work, good right?? After biking home I noticed my throat hurt and I was super tired. WHAT??? I was so over the being tired after work. My sore throat developed through out the evening and by Tuesday I felt awful. Well Tuesday I had a test review and Wednesday and Thursday we took the test so there was no way I was missing school. It was a very long week. I was sick. Really sick. I drove to work the rest of the week. Came home and slept/ layed in the luv sac all night. Oh well except Tuesday and Thursday because it was the first week of after school basketball so I was at school until 5 on those days. Went to bed early and felt really bad for myself. Watched multiple chick flicks on Netflix. My diet consisted of really cold water and lots of ice cream. I thought I would exercise yesterday but I still wasn't feeling it and I didn't do my Sunday walk today. I do feel better but my body is still tired. Tomorrow I have got to jump back in. Hopefully I will have more energy and just feel better. 

I still worked at the temple last night. Love that place and I love love love working there. Best thing to do on Saturday for me!

Today was our regional conference. It was so good. The things that stuck out to me were:
  1. Remembering who we are and the covenants we have made, always. This will help get us through any challenge we face. Elder Richard J Maynes
  2. Lessons taught in the home are those that last the longest. Spiritual focus in the house is what makes a house a home. Are there things in our home we need to forsake? Rosemary Wixom
  3. Temples are all about families but one of the greatest miracles that can happen in the temple is how we change personally. Sister Sydney S. Reynold
  4. Ask ourselves every day no matter are current situation, "What more can I do that is right." Sister Kristen Oaks
  5. Commit to put the Lord first in your life. This will put you on the path towards eternal life and then life's events don't matter (such as marriage, children, or any other righteous desire that has not been manifested in our lives). Elder Dallin H. Oaks
The entire meeting was really good. Definitely inspired and I really just enjoyed feeling the spirit. I decided to go with Dan and Caleb because they were assigned an earlier session and I was glad I did. Elder Oaks shared a hilarious analogy about being single in the church and it was so funny to be in the room with multiple single wards. It really was a great analogy and right on the mark for how it often feels in the church to be single when families are the focus. I actually had to laugh because last night at the temple a sister that works on my shift asked me if my husband was working tonight as well. Well then I have to explain that I am not married and her response was, "Well I can't see any reason why you are not married." Yup, awesome. But it made Elder Oaks analogy even more appropriate for my life.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Holidays!!!

 Who doesn't love a day off of work or school? Holidays are magical . . . well until you start thinking about the fact that you have to actually work the next day.
I was SUPER pumped that the flag was flying in my yard. I didn't remember to pay the scouts until yesterday through a donation envelope and so I was hoping, but also I realized that it may not happen. I was pleasantly surprised.

I was supposed to hike Timp on Saturday but due to the chance of thunderstorms and because it could still be done on Monday we held off. So glad we did today was the perfect weather. I love being on the top of that mountain.
 I invited Jamie to hike with me. I was contemplating doing it myself but then I remembered that Jamie was back in town and so I called her. She was game and it was super fun to catch up on her life the past 4 years. I think it has been that long since I last saw her.
 We went a little slower then normal, not because of Jamie, but I actually don't feel too bad. Normally I am pretty stiff when I am done and today I feel great. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Look at how close the mountain goats were. We saw more on the hike today then I ever have. They were also really close and had their babies with them. This is as close as I would get, I mean that thing has some big horns on the top of its head.
 In other news Caleb had surgery this week. The doctor recommended that I take two days off of work. One for the surgery and one for the first day of recovery. I was glad to be able to help but in the end a little frustrated because he was fine the second day.
Waking up from the anesthesia seemed brutal, but seriously other than that Caleb did great. Day two he was ready to party, mind you he was still on pain killers. We did half doses of pain killers for two days. I think he took the pain pills three nights but then he was completely done. He has a gnarly scar but he is feeling pretty good. Oddly enough his opposite shoulder has bothered him more this week than his arm, not so good.
Saturday Katie, Caleb and I headed to Swiss Days and Park City. I should have taken some pictures. Swiss days was fun but way too crowded. We went in the morning, apparently the wrong time to go. Jamie told me that her and her friends went in the evening and it wasn't too bad. Next year I will go in the evening I think I will like it better.

On Thursday, the day after surgery, Erica Hancock was in town. Erica, Jana, Michelle, and I all hung out at Jana's. Wish I had a picture, although it would just be of us eating Cafe Rio and visiting, but it is always fun to catch up with good friends.

Friday night after soccer, which we won, Katie, Caleb and I went to this movie:
I loved it. I thought it was really cute. It was clean and funny and just a good wholesome movie.

Audrey's Dance Recital

 How do you win the hearts of all the Brown's? Have the cutest niece ever perform in a dance recital. It was so fun to watch Audreys lit...