Lazy Christmas Days...

So there is nothing like being as lazy as when you are at your parent's house for Christmas. Somehow we all revert to the days when we were younger of sleeping in, staying in pajamas, and playing games all day. This year there has consisted of Dr. Mario, Wii Fit, Guitar Hero World Tour, and Ticket to Ride pretty much from sun up (and by sun up I mean 10 or 11 in the morning) to whenever we decide it's time to go to bed. And in case any of you are wondering, I have finally been able to make it though an entire song on Guitar Hero without getting boo-ed off stage. This is pretty amazing to say the least. However, with Dr. Mario, the only way I win is someone makes practically gives it to me. I'm not good at these videos games and have come to accept that fact in my life. One thing to let you all know is that I love Ticket to Ride and that's where I've probably found my calling more than with the Wii...

200 Have and Have Nots!!!!!

So I was recently reading a friend's blog and liked this idea so I thought I would copy it and add it to mine...The things listed in bold are what I have done... Still have a ways to go...

1. Touched an iceberg 2. Slept under the stars 3. Been a part of a hockey fight 4. Changed a baby's diaper 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Swam with wild dolphins 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a tarantula 10. Said "I love you" and meant it 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise 15. Seen the Northern Lights 16. Gone to a huge sports game 17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope 20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Bet on a winning horse 23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Taken an ice cold bath 28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Ridden a roller coaster 31. Hit a home run (close...) 32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking 33. Adopted an accent for fun 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment 36. Loved your job 90% of the time 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Watched wild whales 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach 41. Gone sky diving 42. Visited Ireland 43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited India 45. Bench-pressed your own weight 46. Milked a cow 47. Alphabetized your personal files 48. Ever worn a superhero costume 49. Sung karaoke 50. Lounged around in bed all day 51. Gone scuba diving 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Done something you should regret, but don't 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Been in a movie 60. Gone without food for 3 days 61. Made cookies from scratch 62. Won first prize in a costume contest 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Been in a combat zone 65. Spoken more than one language fluently 66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone 67. Bounced a check 68. Read - and understood your credit report 69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy 70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did 71. Called or written your Congress person 72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over 73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge 74. Helped an animal give birth 75. Been fired or laid off from a job 76. Won money 77. Broken a bone 78. Ridden a motorcycle 79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph 80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon 81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing (close but not quite) 82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days 83. Eaten sushi 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read The Bible cover to cover 86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about 87. Gotten someone fired for their actions 88. Gone back to school 89. Changed your name 90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands 91. Eaten fried green tomatoes 92. Read The Iliad 93. Taught yourself an art from scratch 94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt 96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language 97. Been elected to public office 98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream 99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care 100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you 101. Had a booth at a street fair 102. Dyed your hair 103. Been a DJ 104. Rocked a baby to sleep 105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four 106. Raked your carpet 107. Brought out the best in people 108. Brought out the worst in people 109. Worn a mood ring 110. Ridden a horse 111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap 112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe 113. Buried a child 114. Gone to a broadway play 115. Been inside the pyramids 116. Shot a basketball into a basket 117. Danced at a disco 118. Played in a band 119. Shot a bird 120. Gone to an arboretum 121. Tutored someone 122. Ridden a train 123. Brought an old fad back into style 124. Eaten caviar 125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need 126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant 127. Published a book 128. Pieced a quilt 129. Lived in an historic place 130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage 131. Asked for a raise 132. Made a hole-in-one (if miniature golf counts) 133. Gone deep sea fishing 134. Gone roller skating 135. Run a marathon 136. Learned to surf 137. Invented something 138. Flown first class 139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite 140. Flown in a helicopter 141. Visited Africa 142. Sang a solo 143. Gone spelunking 144. Learned how to take a compliment 145. Written a love-story 146. Seen Michelangelo’s David 147. Had your portrait painted 148. Written a fan letter 149. Spent the night in something haunted 150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane 151. Ran away 152. Learned to juggle 153. Been a boss 154. Sat on a jury 155. Lied about your weight 156. Gone on a diet 157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget 158. Written a poem 159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox 160. Gotten food poisoning 161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission 162. Hiked the grand Canyon 163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks 164. Gone to the opera 165. Gotten a letter from someone famous 166. Worn knickers 167. Ridden in a limousine 168. Attended the Olympics 169. Can hula or waltz 170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books 171. Been stuck in an elevator 172. Had a revelatory dream 173. Thought you might crash in an airplane 174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert 175. Saved someone’s life 176. Eaten raw whale 177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint 178. Laughed till your side hurt 179. Straddled the equator 180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing 181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival 182. Sent a message in a bottle 183. Spent the night in a hostel 184. Been a cashier 185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 186. Joined a union 187. donated blood or plasma 188. Built a campfire 189. Kept a blog 190. Had hives 191. Worn custom made shoes or boots 192. Made a PowerPoint presentation 193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course 194. Served at a soup kitchen 195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube 196. Know CPR 197. Ridden in or owned a convertible 198. Found a long lost friend 199. Helped solve a crime 200. Responded to a NJP newsletter.

Who can find a virtuous woman?

Today was an incredible day. Today was the day when we had the honor to pay tribute to my dear grandmother (Realla Jane Johnson Fisher). My grandmother is an incredible woman and lived a great and fulfilling life. She was born on February 25, 1925 and passed away at home with my grandfather close by on April 27, 2008. This passing is a chance for her to continue to serve and to do the things that are particularly important to her.

Eight years ago, my grandmother had a stroke that left her unable to care for herself. I was almost 6 years old when my parents decided to move back to Idaho and live next door to my grandparents. I grew up living next door until I was almost 19 and went to college. During that time I learn many, many things from both my grandpa and grandma.

Today, during her funeral, it was addressed, what was she supposed to learn from these years following her stroke. It was addressed, it wasn't her that was supposed to learn but us that needed to learn.

So, what did I learn from her...?

1. I learned how to work. Growing up, there was no escaping the "opportunity" to weed the garden, mow the lawn, wash windows, clean the garage, vacuum the house, etc., etc. However, this lessons were always taught and with the work came the reward. I grew to love Popsicles as a reward from working hard.

2. I learned to love the gospel. Grandma was faithful in her callings and in chance to serve. She was faithful in teaching us gospel principles and wanted her family to really know and love the teachings of the gospel. She was an example in the way she lived her life so faithfully.

3. The importance of temples. As a child, I remember that grandma and grandpa always had to be home early on Monday because they had to be at the temple at 4 in the morning (maybe up at that but either way it seemed really early) on Tuesdays. Wednesdays that had a later shift that they did. This did this temple for faithfully for as long as I can remember. The served a mission as a couple in the Denver Temple Mission, which was so appropriate to what they were currently doing, only this time it was in a different state. They loved the temple and loved going to the temple.

4. The great blessing of a righteous marriage. I have always had a great love and sincerely enjoy watching elderly couples walking down the street holding hands. I realize now that this might have come from the love that grandma and grandpa have for each other. They were married for 60 years and still so much in love. My grandma adored my grandpa and likewise. They were so respectful of one another and would always put each other first. I have never heard the utter the slightest of negative comment towards the other. They taught me that marriage can be amazing and what true love really is.

This are just a FEW of the things that I have learned from my grandmother during my life. My grandma is amazing and I know that now she has taken the opportunity to serve and continue to spread the gospel. This day of her funeral and with my family has given me a chance to step back and re-evaluate what I'm doing in my life and how I can do better. There are blessings that are awaiting me. I love my grandmother and can't wait to see her again.

A little bit perspective

So... yesterday I experienced something I hope I don't have to experience very often. Mom and dad were in town and all of us decided to to get together for the weekend. We watched conference (okay... watched, slept, played yahtzee, knitted, etc.) and then just spent some time together.

I decided that it was time for me to go home and get some stuff done at home. I took my usual route home and was just driving on the freeway. As driving, I was thinking that there seemed to be a lot of traffic on the road for a Sunday afternoon. Usually, it's pretty empty. At one point, I decided to get in the right lane because that seemed to be the one with less traffic than the middle lanes.

While in that lane, I was passing a minivan on my left. At one point, I noticed that the minivan was started to come into my lane. I increased my speed a little bit to get out of the way, but didn't make it. The minivan clipped my car. Talk about an incredible journey. I think time stopped while I decided to do a 405 degree turn on I-15 and go across 3 (maybe 4) lanes of traffic, twice. When I finally came to a stop I was facing west (which isn't good when traffic is going north). My legs started shaking at that point when I decided I needed to get my car in a more safer location and had to back up into the emergency lane.

I made some phone calls and got out of my car at that point. The minivan that hit me was on the shoulder and another Mazda3 was on the shoulder as well (... for those who don't know, I drive a Mazda3 and love it...). Apparently the other Mazda3 hit the minivan and then the minivan hit me.

Russell and Kim were coming to meet me and about then some things started to hit me.

I was really lucky... here's the reasons why...

• There were 3 cars that were involved, yet 2 out of 3 of us were able to drive away.
• Everyone involved in the accident was able to walk away without a scratch on them. I'm sure all of us are experiencing a little whiplash but considering what could have happened... that's not bad.
• While at the scene of the accident, everyone was so calm and considerate. It was an accident. (Accident [noun]: 1 a: an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance b: lack of intention or necessity : chance ...2 c: an unexpected happening causing loss or injury which is not due to any fault or misconduct on the part of the person injured but for which legal relief may be sought)
• I know that I'm going to be sore for a little while, I was able to go to work the next day.
• If the minivan would have hit me when I first noticed it coming into my lane... I would have been hit on the driver's door...
• Russell and Kim were still at Sherrie's and were able to come quickly to help me out.
• I went to the urgent care to get my back checked out and everything looked normal.
• At this point, the collision didn't even seem to hit the framework of the car.
• I have friends that work close by me and are able to help me out until I get a rental.
• I don't know how long it will take to fix my car but I am going to a conference in Portland next week so I won't even need a car if I can make it through this week. :D

Even though the timing isn't great and it's unfortunate, I realize that the things that really matter (me, the young man in the other Mazda, the couple with their 2 kids and their dog) are okay. My cute little car is messed up but it can be fixed. I had a good weekend and am a little sore right now but everything will be okay and back to normal soon.

New Year's Resolution... I mean New Year Goals

So, last year I decided that I don't want to make new year's resolutions any more. People break resolution and once you break it, you're done... it's over... you failed. So, I decided to make new year goals instead. With golas you get to have forgiveness and you get to start over if you mess up one day. This year I decided to do the same. So, that said... the following are my new year goals for 2008.

1. Finish my thesis and graduate with my master's degree.


2. Run a marathon, again... in 5 hours 30 minutes or less.... I'm thinking it will be the Ogden Marathon in May.


3. Run 3 half-marathons... Moab in March, Salt Lake in April, and one more... not sure which one


4. Find a new job in Health Education.


5. Get a six pack... or a least flat abs.


6. Become a size 8 or less.


7. Lose 25 pounds


8. Read the Book of Mormon cover to cover.


9. Go to the temple once a month.


10. Pay off credit cards.


11. Go to Hawaii or Mexico.


12. Get my own place.

I have some other goals but I think that's all I'll post at this point.... maybe more will come later.