2011

Usually this is the time that people would say... "I can't believe this year is over!" or... "This year has gone by so fast, its been a blur." Well... not for me! My blog is going to start like this...

IT'S FINALLY OVER!!!!!!!!
2011 was a long year, and not my favorite if I'm being honest. A lot of great things happened this year, don't get me wrong.

• Babies were born

3 day Abby isn't as much fun as 7 month Abby, but I still like this picture!

(although I haven't met Baby Brinley yet, I already love her as much as I do the others!)

• Weddings were attended
  

This is Keri and I at Alexa and Tophers wedding in their photo booth.

This is Keri, Alexa, Natalee and I at Grant and Alyssa's wedding in their photo booth!

(P.S. I decided I wanted a photo booth at my wedding!!!)

And there were more cousins weddings that I didn't go to, and the Royal wedding, and the Kardashian wedding... so all in all it was a good year for weddings!

• Vacations!!!

Park City with the family and Amy!

San Diego with my mom! (Also... I turned 20 years old!)

And I went to Denver, Colorado, but my camera was broken so I don't have pictures of me there.

• And I got to see David Archuleta preform for one of the last times before he leaves for his mission! Woohoo!

Also in 2011, I did a lot of school, and even more work. 2011 was a working year it felt like. Winter and Spring I worked a lot of hours, more than I ever had, and then I worked all summer break, and then my internship was a 40 hour a week job. (So you would think I should have a lot more money since I worked so much, but I don't!)

All in all, I loved my internship, but that is most definitely the reason the year went so slow for me. Since July all I have been doing is working 8-5. Then I would come home and do a lot of nothing. I read books, I watched movies, hulu and TV, I worked out occasionally, I shopped (a lot), I went out to eat, and I took naps. I even started donating plasma this year, not because I needed the money, just because I needed something to do!

I'm really really looking forward to 2012! This year is going to be non-stop crazyness! For the next 7 months, I am going to be the best student this school as ever seen. For about 1 week in that 7 months I plan on going to Ohio so I can meet that Baby Brinley, and then after that 7 months... I'm moving. I will probably be gone for about 18 months, and I'm not sure where I'm going to go. But I do know that wherever I go, I will LOVE it! I am going to start my mission this year, and I will be a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I have never been so excited about something in my whole life! I will start my papers in about 3 months, get my call in about 4 months, and ship out right after I graduate! I can't wait!!!

2012... HERE I COME!!!

Happy Birthday Anika!!!

5 years ago today...

Okay, I'm not going to bore everyone with the same story I tell every year! Lets just say that 5 years ago I changed from Tara... to Aunt Tara... and I have LOVED being an Aunt!










Happy Birthday my dear sweet Anika!!!

Big News!!!!

I'm sure a lot of you have heard about this already, but its pretty exciting! I cried when I watched it! I'm so excited for him! This is going to be a lot harder for him than most 19 year olds, but he still knows its something he needs to do! I'm so excited for him!!

Pandora

Before you get all excited, you should know that I'm not talking about the movie Avatar and that weird blue planet pandora. I hate that movie...

I'm talking about the online radio. Guess how many hours I spend approximately listening to pandora today, 2... maybe 4... Try 12 hours!!! I had the room to myself getting ready this morning, so for about an hour I listened to Justin Bieber Pandora, then I went to work where for about 8 hours I sat at my desk posting charges and had David Archuleta and Michael Buble Holiday station on, and then I came home and watched Glee, then I cleaned my room for 3 hours and listened to Demi Lovato Pandora. Thats a total of 12 hours of music and 1 hour of glee (which is just TV music...)

Then as I'm driving to the store to pick up things for work, I find myself wishing I had pandora in my car. If I had an iPhone I could use that for Pandora.... but I don't. (Dad... hint hint!)

Now, as I'm writing this blog, I'm still listening to pandora... I just really like it! I used to be all about my own music and would play my own playlists on iTunes, but when I went home for Thanksgiving I had to get a new hard drive, and my iTunes got cleaned out. I have it backed up on my hard drive, I just haven't re-put the music on. I'm too lazy I guess!

In other news, I'm done with finals!!!!! Oh wait... I didn't have any finals! But, only 2 more days and I will have completed an internship! Looking back I wish I had done classes this semester just because then I would have been done with them now, instead of 4 months from now, but then I would have had to find an internship anyway, so its good to have it done!

Oh oh oh, mine and Keri's song just came on Pandora! I MISS YOU KERI!!! Only a couple more days til I'm home! Its going to be the best!

Oh, and I have been swallowing a pill every night since Sunday. The best thing I found that works is to take a bite of a candy cane, and crush it up, then pop the pill in, then drink a lot of water. Then my mouth gets confused what is the candy cane and what is the pill and the water just helps everything go down! I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I run out of candy canes... but for now thats what is working the best!

Um, thats all...

13 more days til Christmas

I like countdowns. We have one at work! Only 13 more days until Christmas. Only 4 more days of work. Only 5 more days until I'm home!

Today I got home from work and didn't feel like doing anything, so I took a nap, and then I put in How to Train Your Dragon. I think after this movie ends I'm going to get a blizzard!

Yesterday I swallowed a pill for the first time in a long time! It doesn't seem like anything, but its a pretty big deal for me, so that was kinda awesome!

Also, yesterday we had a Christmas music fireside. I have always loved listening to Christmas music! But there is something even more special about the Hymns that are Christmas music. Sure its fun to sing Jingle Bells and I'll be Home for Christmas, but listening to really good singers singing Silent Night and Away in a Manager is the best! My ward has so many talented musicians, it was such a good fireside. It reminded me of my stake back home doing a christmas concert each year! I just love Christmas!!!

I played Scum the other night with my friends, and I went from scum to king in a matter of games. When I was king I had the best hand ever, and got out before anyone even had a chance to go basically! That game is so much fun, but when you go out so fast, its a little lame. But I rocked it, so it was fun anyway!

At work we have this huge project to get done. It involves clearing all the accounts payable since about 2006. We have over 2000 pages with about 10 charts on each page that have on average 10 different payments we have to clear. Today after lunch I asked my supervisor what she wanted me to do, since I have trained my replacement and didn't have a project or something to do for the next week, so she showed me how to do the project she had been working on. I worked for about 3 and a half hours just on these accounts and I only finished 15 pages. There are OVER 2000 pages to do! Its insane! And then after that project we have to do the same thing with Insurance payments which will probably be just as big! So I think for the next 4 days I will be sitting at my computer, listening to David Archuleta Holiday station on Pandora, clearing these accounts.... can't wait!!!

I just really want to be home. I know I was there like 3 weeks ago, but I miss my family already. I miss my sister Keri. I miss playing games with my parents. I miss my bed! But I'm afraid since I'm getting there a whole week before Christmas, I will have ruin everyones surprises before the 25th. Here's to hoping I don't... but I just am so bad at secrets! I'm a little worried.

Watching How to Train Your Dragon reminds me of my niece Anika. One time I went to give her a high five and instead of hitting my hand, she put her head into my hand and said "Train Your Dragon." Then Avery laughed really hard and she had to do the same thing! Those two are the funniest! I won't see them again until about April, but I think about them on a daily basis. I love those girls!

I want to learn spanish just so I can understand the songs David sings in Spanish. I sure do love listening to music in another language. But it would be nice to understand what it is they are singing about! The only thing I understand from David's new song is, Feliz Navidad mi familia, feliz navidad mi amigos. But there is a ton of other spanish words that I wish I knew!

I think I ran out of ideas to blog about... so... The End.

My Kind of Christmas!!!

Last night I went to David Archuleta's My Kind of Christmas Tour!!! I kept saying it would be the 6th best night of my life since this was the 6th time I would seeing him perform, but I would have to say that last night was either top 1 or 2! It was such a good concert! I loved EVERYTHING!!! First of all, I love it when guys dress well. Some of my favorites are when guys wear long sleeve shirts that are rolled up, and when a guy can pull of a scarf and not look silly! First half of the show David was wearing blackish pants with a white (kinda church) shirt (that was rolled up!!!) with a long black skinny tie and a gray vest. Then the second half he came out in maroon pants and a black jacket with a grey scarf! He looked so good!!! Oh and his hair is the perfect length right now, sometimes he cuts it and it makes me sad, but right now it is PERFECT!

K, so the music part of the concert! He came out singing Sleigh Ride. Then he sang Melodies of Christmas so I called Keri and let her listen to that one! Then he sang another Christmas song, and then asked if he could sing some Pop songs! I was like. YES PLEASE!!! So he sang The Other Side of Down, Wait, Zero Gravity, and Crush! (p.s. Zero Gravity is my favorite song of his live because everybody is up and dancing to it and it is always so much fun!) Then he talked about his charity event and sang Climb Every Mountain which was so amazing I almost cried!!! Then it was half time, or how they like to call it, intermission, and they showed a video of him talking about the charity and how you can help out by donating! Then he came out and just started to sing Ava Maria, which again, almost made me cry! After that he said how that one was in Latin and asked if anyone spoke latin. For the first time the audience was pretty quite, so I raised my hand and screamed, and then he laughed at me! (thats right, I know how to get his attention!!!) That set the mood for the 2nd half which was all Christmas and all powerful and strong and amazing! He did this cute thing where he had 3 kids come on stage and they told him their favorite part of Christmas, and then he read a poem about "My Kind of Christmas." Then he sang a song in Spanish that he wrote called Fa La La La La. He said the Latinos like to party at Christmas, and if you are just sitting on the couch they will get very mad! The song was all in spanish so of course I didn't know what it was saying, but it was up beat and happy and fun, and he salsa danced during it which made it even MORE FUN!!!

He sang all of the songs on his album that are in a different language. He sang Pat a Pan which has some French in it, and he sang Riu Riu Chiu which is in Spanish I think! And of course the Fa la la la la song! He also sang I Need a Silent Night from Amy Grant. He was so funny when he was explaining that song, how its about those crazy black friday shoppers grabbing at the deals!! (So maybe that doesn't sound funny, but the way he was talking about it was funny, trust me!)

The whole concert I was crossing my fingers wishing that he would sing O Holy Night. He started singing Silent Night, which was good, but I was still waiting for O Holy Night, and guess what song he ended with! I was so happy, that song is one million times better when David sings it live! Its just about the best thing you could ever hear with your own ears! Then he left so we clapped until he came back, and he sang Little Drummer Boy, and then he grabbed some drumsticks and started hitting the bass. Who knew David was such a good drummer, I'm not kidding either! He didn't just hit it, he was like rocking out on it!

Then... the concert was over. I was heartbroken as I am at the end of each one of his shows! But it was such a great night. Yesterday was a tough day at work, and I was not happy with one of my co-workers, and I was annoyed all day. But then we went right from work to dinner in Idaho Falls, and then from there to the concert! It was me and my friend Terra Mitchell, and two of our co-workers, the X-Ray Tech Lisa and the Operations Manager, Tammy, and both of their husbands. So Lisa is friends with a car dealer and told him how we have to get to Blackfoot with 6 people, so he let her "test drive" a van that all of us would fit in! So we could all go together! And then Lisa's husband paid for Terra and my dinners, so that was very nice of him! And then both of the guys were planning how they were going to get David for me, they asked me if they needed to get rope to tie him down or something! At the end of the concert, both of these guys were saying how good he was and thanking me for getting such good tickets (8th row right in the middle!) and for letting them come with me!

I don't expect all of you to have read all my rantings about how much I love David, it was much more for my own remembrance than for everyone to read, but ya... it was the best concert of his I have been to! I almost went an entire year without seeing him. Last time I saw him was December 18th, 2010. We were 9 days away from it being a whole year. So crazy!

Every Christmas for the past 3 years I have seen him! I have come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be Christmas without a David concert! (Man will I be disappointed next year when I'm on my mission and I don't get to see him!)

Worlds Greatest

For those of you who may be a little confused about whats going on in this picture, let me explain. This is a picture of the fudge I made, and me giving it a thumbs up! I would give it two, but I had to hold my laptop so I could take this picture (my real camera broke so Photo Booth has been my camera lately!)

Let me tell everyone a story... A long LONG time ago, my dad was a teenager! And to impress all the ladies, he would make fudge with his buddies and bring it to the girls.

Flash forward a few decades and my dad is ecstatic one day when he got an email from his buddy that had the recipe to the fudge they made when they were younger. The name of the recipe was "Worlds Greatest Fudge." Since I am a chocolate loving kinda girl, I decided to help my dad out and make the fudge with him. It soon became a Christmas Tradition, something just me and my dad would do! Every year we would tweak the recipe too. Less sugar, more evaporated milk, symphony bars instead of plain hersheys, Ghirardelli chocolate chips instead of the other kinds, and I think one of the best things we did was put it into two pans instead of one, to create twice as much thin fudge than the thick fudge we used to make! Then I would put some on a plate or in a bag and bring them to friends or neighbors. (Some years I even got away with just giving that to my friends as presents! Sneaky sneaky Tara).

So every December the Health Center has people sign up to bring treats in on a different day. And since fudge is my most favorite Holiday treat, I couldn't think of anything else to make! I chose to bring in my treat on Monday, hence the fudge making this weekend! I made two baches, and the first one I forgot to spray the pan, so the actual fudge looks like someone ripped it out of the pan. (which... I DID!) I'm hoping this next batch will smoothly glide out and present itself in the perfect way I know it can! I just love fudge!!!!

*For the recipe, look under my recipes tab at the top of this blog. So far its the only one there, because its the only thing I love enough to post I guess! Maybe one day I will have lots of recipes to share with everyone! Til then, ya'll can make my dads Worlds Greatest Fudge!

22 days til Christmas!

I made fudge today! I'm bringing it into work on Monday! Not to brag or anything, but its pretty darn amazing! Be jealous!

I dyed my hair today. Its a darker shade of brown than I have had.

The Big Bang Theory is on, so I'm watching that and drinking Coke Zero. (And blogging, obviously!)

My room is a mess, like really messy! I haven't cleaned since I came home and unpacked and everything is everywhere. Since Tamazine won't be back until about Tuesday, I don't think I will pick up until Monday!

I think I want to have Little Caesars tonight, its been awhile.

I put 2 boxes of Candy Canes on my tree on Monday, and I have been eating them a lot. The side of the tree nearest to the couch is pretty bare.

I'm the only one of my roommates home tonight. What to do, what to do........ Maybe destroy Gaby and Dave at Ticket to Ride!

I helped my friend with her Trig homework yesterday, and I liked it! Does that make me a nerd?

I helped Gaby put up a Christmas Tree in her house, and it makes my tree look worse than Charlie Browns. Her's is so nice!!!

Less than 1 week until I see David again! I'm only a little excited!

There are only 22 days left to keep secrets. So far so good, haven't let anything slip yet... but I still have 22 days! I sure do hope I can be a better secret keeper this Christmas!

Oddness in Ticket to Ride

Last night I was very disappointed to find out that there was not a new episode of Greys Anatomy on, and that there won't be a new one until January! SO LAME!!! But I still wanted to hang out with Gaby like we do every Thursday so I texted her and let her know! But then her husband called me and invited me to come over but to also bring my game Ticket to Ride. Blake and Hailey were also there which was great because I like those people! haha. So I brought my game and Blake made cookies and we all hung out all evening. We played only one game but it took a long time... and I totally won!!! (not to brag or anything.) But I had forgotten how much I just love this game. I got it for Christmas the year I was in 8th grade, and we played it a lot before my family really got into Settlers of Catan. Once we all became obsessed with Settlers, poor Ticket to Ride just got overshadowed. But it really is a fun game! The most people that can play is 5, which worked out perfect for us, but when I suggested that one day I will have a husband and we can all play this game as couples, they pointed out that it wouldn't work, there would be too many people. So therefore, I came to the conclusion that if I want to continue to hang out with my cool couple friends, I must in fact, not become a couple myself. That would just create too many couples. The world needs single people to be the odd person when playing Ticket to Ride! So for now, I'm perfectly happy being the single friend my couple friends call on to supply the oddness to the group!

Yum..... (And a new job!)

Tonight I had Red Robin! Story: My friend at work, Cassie, asked me where she should go to eat in Idaho Falls. So I'm thinking... Red Robin! But she said that she didn't want a sit down restaurant... Thats when I started to think about it.

Red Robin Yum.....

Red Robin Yum....

Red Robin Yum.....

Red Robin Yum....

It was stuck in my head all day! So I asked my dear friend Rianne if she wanted to go to Red Robin (YUM) with me after work. She said yes, and so we went!

In other news..... I got a new job! I am still going to be working at the Student Health Center, but instead of going back to being a receptionist, I'm going to be the HR manager. I'm not sure of everything that I will have to do, but I know it will involve making job descriptions for all of the positions, doing background checks on all of the employees, and teaching the managers how to properly interview someone, as well as just general HR stuff! At first it was just like, we should hire someone to do these things, and then it was like, Tara, you could do some of these things next semester, and then it was like.... Tara, will you take this job and do this instead of being a receptionist.

I can't remember if I blogged about how I didn't want to be in a management position next semester because I didn't want my winter to be really stressful. But I'm excited about this job, because it won't be as stressful as a management position! Its a brand new position and I will be starting from scratch, kind of like what I did this semester with the Operations Director! They said I will be working directly with the HR department in the Administration building. I will also be taking a class next semester called HR Management, and I have talked to my future teacher about helping to mentor me as I start this new job. He said he would love to help, so I'm pretty excited about it. It will be really obtuse to begin with, and I will probably just be asking my boss what exactly I should be doing. But I feel like it will be a great experience for me and I will learn a lot from it. Instead of having 3 years of Reception experience, I will have about 2 years, 6 months as a manager, and 6 months in HR! I think that combination will give me a good boost on my resume as far as having experience to be a Healthcare Administrator! I'm just so excited!!!

Sleep and Thankfulness....

Today I was thinking about how incredibly fast my vacation went, and then it occurred to me why it was so speedy quick! Usually my days consist of about 16 hours of awake time and 8 hours of sleeping time... this past week, it was more like 12 and 12. I was sleeping in that oh-so-comfy bed in my parents house, and I never wanted to stop sleeping! Everyone in my family goes to bed pretty early, and I don't like being alone in that huge house all by myself, so I would usually go in my room and be on the computer until I fell asleep. One night it was around 2 before I fell asleep, but the norm was 11 or 12. But then I didn't have anything huge to wake up for, so I would sleep in until 9...10...11:30... It just kept getting later and later. Then it would be 9 that night and everyone is going to sleep again, and I'm thinking, I have only been awake for 12 hours... I can't go to sleep now. I think that might have had a huge impact on why it zoomed so fast.

That was the greatest vacation I have had since... my last vacation! I had a blast just hanging out with Ty, Kyle and Nat and little Abby, going to lunches with my mom and dad, and just talking and being with Keri! We have the most fun together! Sometimes she would have homework, so I would play with play doh on her bed until she was done! I liked those times!!! I'm pretty sure we ate out everyday, expect last Sunday and on Thanksgiving, but I'm not complaining! It was a blast just being in the warm Arizona sun, hanging lights up with my dad, eating In-n-Out, and teaching a 6 month old to crawl!

Everyone likes to use this time of year to say what they are thankful for. I think I'm pretty much telling my Heavenly Father each night all the things I'm thankful for, but I think I will share it with the blogger world tonight! This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for my wonderful family! I'm thankful for the laughter that is in my home! I'm thankful for the friendships I have amongst my siblings and especially with my parents. I'm thankful for a dad who will take me on car rides and will listen to me talk his ear off for hours. I'm thankful for a mom who appreciates lazy days where you just need to watch Chopped and Say Yes to the Dress before you shower! I'm thankful for a sister who can open up to me and share anything she is thinking. I'm thankful for Ty who held my hand as we walked in to Kay Jewelers to surprise Kyle, and I'm thankful for Kyle for laughing at what Ty and I thought was super funny! I'm thankful for an older sister who calls just to talk and allows me to invite myself to spend a week at her house next year!!!

I hope that one day I can create a home for my family that is half as wonderful as the one I grew up in!

Vacation!

A day in the life of Tara... on vacation!!!

Wake up around 11:30,

Play Racko until about 1:00 with mom,

Go out to TGI Fridays with the parents for lunch,

Play Settlers of Catan,

WIN Settlers of Catan!!!

Road trip to the lake with my dad,

Pizza for dinner,

Movie date with the one and only Staci Beckham,

and then watching movies on Hulu until I decide that I'm tired!!!

I sure do love vacations!!!

I wish I had a photo booth in my room...

Did I mention I love being home and being with my sister???

Doo daa lee dooooo

Basically, I just love being home!!! If you didn't know that already, you should just know it! I just think Arizona is the best state in the whole world, and if you don't know that yet, move to Arizona, and then you will know it!

I got home yesterday. About a month ago, Southwest Airlines didn't consider me to be a full time student since I was only doing my internship and not enrolled in 12 credits of classes. So they didn't give me any benefits, NO FREE FLIGHTS!!! It was horrible, I'm not sure how the other half live without the ability to hop on a flight whenever they would like to come home. So I had to buy my first plane ticket. I went through Aliengent Airlines which is this small little company that flies small little planes to small little airports. I flew out of Idaho Falls and into Mesa (both airports were smaller than the food court of the Salt Lake or the PHX airport). I paid for a ticket and got squished between two big men, one of which had a carry on dog that smelled. (Remember how I hate pets, I really hate sharing airplanes with pets!) But I was pretty tired and slept/played bejeweled on my ipod for most of the flight anyway. It was delayed about an hour which was annoying, but I tried really hard not to be annoyed. I kept reminding myself that there was nothing I could do about it, and I would be home eventually, so there was no point to be mad. But I was still mad!

But eventually it did land, and my mom and dad were waiting at the airport for me! They picked me up and took me to Oregenos! True story: I had never eaten there before. "Really, I'm sure we have taken the whole family here before..." my dad said. I'm pretty sure they all went without me :( But it was really good food, and it was fun to be with my parents.

We played a ton of games of Racko last night. And then we watched Jeopardy, Chopped, and Bones! My mom made delicious chicken and potatos and vegies in the crockpot. Then my dad and I went to the Apple store to fix my laptop. Then we ate ice cream!

And that was just the first day!!! I am so excited to be here for another week! I have some big plans, like going on a date with my dad later today, going to see Breaking Dawn with Keri and maybe with cousins and then tomorrow again with Staci!!! Watching my mom jump out of an airplane on Monday! Meeting my best friends fiance!!! Putting up Christmas decorations and lights! Oh ya, and Thanksgiving!!!

I just love being home with my family and seeing my friends again! And I'm NOT looking forward to going back to the snow and ice and coldness that Idaho has to offer! :/

I love movies!!!

At the end of work today, someone was watching the preview for Breaking Dawn, which comes out THIS week!!! So I called Keri and was telling her how excited i was to see it. Then I get on facebook and saw THIS preview out!!! AAAHHHH!!!!!!

March needs to be tomorrow, because seriously this is going to be the best movie of all times!!! I can't wait!

Merry Christmas!!!

Today it snowed... a lot! And it is so beautiful!!! So I went to Walmart, saw Christmas candles, peppermint ice cream, and Michael Buble's new Christmas CD. Naturally because of the weather, I had to buy all of them! And then I came home and had to put up my christmas tree while listening to the CD and smelling the new candle! Its been the best afternoon ever! Now I think I'm gonna go eat some ice cream and maybe go play in the snow!!!

11:11 on 11/11/11

Yesterday was the COOLEST date ever! When I was in high school I remember thinking that I wanted to get married on November 11, 2011... well that didn't quite work out, but it was still a really fun day! All day long I kept thinking about how I wanted to do something memorable. I barely remember what I did on 10/10/10, or 09/09/09, or 08/08/08.... so I decided this day had to be stuck in my memory because a date THIS cool won't happen again for another 100 years!!!

So here is my very memorable day.

Woke up, read my scriptures, took a shower, and hurried to work for a meeting that I forgot about until the night before. Both the student director and the medical director were going to a conference, and I thought I had to prepare the agenda and figure things out for the meeting, but turns out the other doctor thought he had to, and he did! So I went to work early for nothing!!! Then I got a text from my friend Karly telling me I better have my wish ready for 11:11! I had totally forgotten that you were supposed to make an amazing wish at 11:11 on 11/11/11. So I wrote down a whole sticky note full of wishes and made them all! I was working up front and all of us receptionists made our wishes, and then talked about how great of a minute that was!

Later I was in the conference room and there was an orange left up for grabs from the breakfast meeting the day before. I thought, hmm... I have never peeled my own orange, this will be memorable if I do this for the first time on 11/11/11! And before you start judging me, I have eaten oranges before, but someone else always peels them or cuts them or something first! Anyway, I peel it with my own hands, and its a disaster, but I felt pretty good about myself.

After work I call my sister to see how things are going and tell her about my 1st orange peeling adventure! Then she breaks my happy bubble by telling me how she remembers me peeling an orange before! She explained the situation and I totally remember peeling one when I was younger. So then I thought, great, if that first peeling of an orange was memorable, this 2nd one that I thought was 1st sure won't be memorable either. So I need ANOTHER memorable thing to do this day!

I texted Gaby and asked her what she was up to and if she wanted to do something fun. Her idea of fun was to make macaroni necklaces... mine was to go see Contagion in the cheap theater! My idea won! We hung out at her place until her hubby came back and the 3 of us went to dinner, and then Dave, being the lame-o he is, went home while Gaby and I went to see the movie! Half way through the movie stopped. The lights came on, and there was a flash light up at the projector sight! So we sat there for about 10 minutes while they fixed the film, and then the movie started! I was afraid that because of this delay we were going to miss 11:11 P.M, so I set an alarm and put my phone on vibrate so I would know! Luckily the movie ended at 11:07, so we didn't miss it! Also, that movie was SO GOOD!!! It was pretty intense, and so realistic! If something like that happened, the events in the movie are exactly how us idiot humans would react to it! It made me want to get my masters in Epidemiology and move to Georgia to work for the CDC! Its so interesting!!!

So as we are driving down main street, I interrupt Gaby to celebrate 11:11! I can hear her breath out and say done after a few seconds, and I'm thinking, there is only 60 seconds until I will never again see 11:11 on 11/11/11, so I have to make these seconds count! I thought of everything I wanted and wished for as much as I can until the clock turned 11:12...

Then, it was over! But thankfully, the weekend is not! Its Saturday morning, and I am thinking about all sorts of fun filled activities to fill up my day! So peace out blogger world, I am off to bigger and better things, but don't you worry, if something is super big and supper better, I will always come back to blog about it! ("Blogging is just graffiti with punctuation! -Contagion).

Chauffeur

I am Tara. I am a sister, a daughter, a roommate, a student, a tutor, a co-worker, a supervisor, a teacher, and a friend... but my favorite thing to be.... is a chauffeur! I'm not joking when I say this either! I love it so much! The other day Gaby called me and needed a ride to Walmart, and I was so glad that she asked! One of my employees at work asked me to drive him to the Jensen Jewelers so he could pick up the ring he bought for his girlfriend without her knowing! I drive Julie to the Ricks every Tuesday and Thursday, I drive Rachel to the gym every time we go, I drive Rianne home from work everyday, and today my old roommate Emily (who now works in the pharmacy) and another pharmacy girl asked for a ride home too, so they hopped in and came along with us!

There was once this incident (when Brittney Spears was singing really loudly in this Ford and the small girl driving it accidentally ran the car into the car in front of us) that really freaked me out!!! That was in 09, but I still have a hard time letting other people drive me around. I would so much rather be in control and driving! Plus, when you have a car as sweet as mine, you NEVER get tired driving it! Sometimes I think about what will happen when I get married and my husband wants to drive my car, or just wants to drive. I'm gonna have a hard time with that!

One of my fondest memories in my car would be last Fall when I would drive Gaby and Robyn to school in the mornings, and then I went to work. Every time they were getting out I would say, "Bye girls, have a good time at school!" It made me feel like a mom dropping off her two elementary kids off before driving to the office for a busy day of work! For some reason I just thought that was so much fun!

Today I went to Idaho Falls. I just love the drive! I love being by myself and driving! I love plugging my iPod in and listening to all my favorite songs as I think about whatever is on my mind! And I love cruise control!!!!!

Dang it Plasma Center...

So today I didn't have a ton planned after work, so I decided, hey, I should go save a life! (and get $20 in the process!) So I go to the plasma center and wait over an hour when I start to see people who just walked in getting called up about 10 minutes after they came in. So I looked up and frowned at my friend who was working, and she asked me how long I had been waiting. When I told her a long time, she found my name and someone had crossed me off as being checked in! Um, annoying! So last time I went I was living in apartment A3, so this time I had to show proof of residency because I am back in A6. So I brought an envelope that was adressed to me as proof. Unfortunately that envelope was stamped October 4th... and the proof has to be within the month! I missed in by 4 freakin' days, and they wouldn't let me donate because of it! I was so annoyed! I wasted over an hour of my day and I didn't get $20 or save a life! So then I went to Gaby's because she needed a ride to Wally World. Then I bought some chocolate and we went and ate it at her house as we caught up with each other! It has been a whole... 3 days... since we last saw each other! We had a lot to catch up with! haha. Anyway, it wasn't a complete waste of an evening, I just wish I hadn't spent an hour in the waiting room at the plasma center. And then I just felt like I needed to blog about it. Maybe if it goes out on the internet, I won't feel the need to tell EVERYBODY how annoyed I am! (Even though, I still probably will bring it up, just like my dad and Fords!)

Homebound...

I want to go home... so so so so so badly!!! There is just something about Thanksgiving time that makes being at home 1,000x better than going home any other time of the year. Maybe its the weather in Gilbert in November! Maybe its spending time with extended family. I think its putting Christmas lights up with my dad!!! I am literally waking up every day reminding myself that if I get through today, I will be one day closer to going home! I feel as though time has moved very slow since August, the last time I went home. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I do the same thing EVERY DAY! Don't get me wrong, still love my job, but I can't wait to be home and not go to work for a week and a half! Hopefully after I get back the rest of the semester will just zoom by, and before you know it, I will be taking classes like, HR management, Project Management, Program Planning, Research Methods, Linear Algebra, and Prep for Eternal Marriage! That sounds like a whole heck of a lot more fun than sitting at my desk and looking at schedules and excel spreadsheets and thinking about what I'm going to say to President Clark when I present at Presidents Council.

Point is, I go home in 2 weeks from tomorrow. Thats only 15 sleeps away! And in 2 months, I will be my busy self taking classes! I hate not being in school. I just hate it! The ONLY upside is that I get to take a 10 day vacation at Thanksgiving!!!

Halloween

I'm not really big into the halloween scene at my age. It was a fun holiday when you were a kid and got candy, and I imagine it will be fun when your a parent and you get to dress your kid up, but as a young single adult, I'm not a huge fan. Basically its just an excuse for girls to dress skanky... and for boys to dress, head to foot, in Gorilla suits and scare you! Actually that hasn't happened this year (thankfully!) I guess I'm just not really into the partying scene, and I'm not as creative as most people to come up with a good outfit. Last night there was a lot of halloween parties going on, but instead I went to my Best Friend Gaby's house and we watched TV and talked for hours into the evening.

I'm not really sure what my plans are for the big day tomorrow. But we do have FHE at the Bishops house, so I'm sure we will do something Halloweenie there! If not I won't cry over it. Its not even a real holiday, we don't even get the day off school/work! So lame...

In other news, the real beginning of the Holidays starts in 18 days... thats when I go home for Thanksgiving! I have a whole 10 days off!!! Then I will come back and just finish up my internship, and then before I know it, I will be taking classes and working as a receptionist again! I'm so excited you have no idea!!!

Don't Judge...

Ok, don't judge me... but I love this guy!!! This song is so cute! I listen to it probably every day since it came out. And I know I'm not the only one, who else can get 20 million views in 7 days. One of my roommates (cough, Julie, cough) has this weird Scrooge attitude and doesn't like Christmas music playing right now! I think she's a little on the crazy side, but whatever! I don't care! I just love this song, and Justin Bieber, and Christmas, and this video!!!!!

Iron Man, again...

I know what you are all thinking... dang this chick blogs A LOT! Well it has somewhat to do with the fact that I don't have a ton of other things to do, and the fact that even though I blogged 2 days ago, Tamazine told me I needed to update my blog again! So here we are, at another blog update from Tara!

As some of you may recall, my school does a lazy man iron man once a semester! This is a month that you have to run 26 miles, bike 112, and swim about 3. I accomplished this in Spring 2010! It also was when I was taking a class that required me to work out 5 times a week, so I was in pretty good shape that semester. I tried again in Winter 2011. I was in goodish shape then, but I got sick towards the end of the month and didn't ever finish it. Well here I am, Fall 2011... probably the most out of shape I have been in all my college years, and I am attempting to do it again! How crazy is that! Here's how it went down.

Rachel, "Tara, the iron man started today, so we are working out after FHE."
Me, "Ummm... I have to do laundry then."


after finishing my laundry and feeling really guilty...

Me, "Rachel, are you still going..."

So we got all signed up last night and are going again as soon as Rachel finishes her homework assignment. I decided to keep a tally on my blog like I have done in the past just to make myself more accountable to all my loyal readers (mom) and to help me remember where I'm at and how much further I have to go.

Biggest thing about me starting to work out again. I decided I can't do it with the entire goal to lose weight. What has happened to me repeatedly in the past is that I work really hard to lose weight, never see any progress, and quit. Well my purpose this time has changed. Losing weight will be an advantage, but I really want to be in shape for 1) Snowboarding season, and 2) My mission!

1) Going snowboarding for an entire day when you are out of shape is pretty miserable. As much as I love snowboarding, I would hate to not get the best out of it because I am too fat and tired for it.

2) Rachel brought up a good point while we were at the gym. I am going to be a full time missionary soon, and I don't want to be huffing and puffing just from walking down the street. I want to be in shape so that I can ride a bike all day, or walk around all day! I want to look healthy for when I'm teaching people about the Word of Wisdom. I want to be an example of one who can run and not be weary!!!

So here is to me starting over! Its going to be a long road... but I'm just going to take one day at a time. Also, Rachel has forbidden me to eat out or drink soda while doing the lazy man. Today was day 1 of that since I did both yesterday. Lets just say nothing is worse than my want for a coke zero. I did have some crystal light today! I just have to pretend that that stuff is just as good! *Ya right!

Never Will I Ever...

Today in Relief Society, someone quoted Sister Dalton. "Make a list of things you will always do, and make a list of things you will never do. Then live those lists."

Well first thing on that list is: Never go to a haunted house EVER AGAIN!!!

Yesterday was my first experience in a haunted house. I was just lying in bed watching The Last Song (since I had JUST finished the book) when my neighbors Aubrey and Brooke came by. Brooke was very sweet as she tricked me into going to Dr. Slaughters. I finally agreed to go just because I didn't want to be a loser on a Saturday night, but man do I wish I hadn't. We picked up our friend Josh since none of us wanted to go without a guy, and made our way over to Idaho Falls. 2 and a half hours later, we were at the front of the line to get in. Lets just say as impatient as I was, waiting in line was the best part of the whole evening. Then we got in...

Basically, Josh went first, with my holding on to him for dear life, while Brooke was twisting my arm as she held my hand behind me, and Aubrey was behind her. I would push Josh to go faster when I knew something scary was about to happen, and then when someone did jump out at me, I basically stopped where I was and screamed! SO LOUD! I would almost fall over sometimes I was so scared. Poor Josh, I think I about killed him! One time though, he let go of me right as a chainsaw guy came after us. Lets just say I was NOT HAPPY at him! That entire house probably took us 20 to 30 minutes to go through. It felt like 3 hours though. I have never been so scared in my entire life.


I didn't speak much on the ride home because I had lost my voice from all the screaming. Then... when I thought it was all over... I got home. I walk into my apartment and the light in the living room was on, but all the other lights were off. I saw that Julie wasn't in her room, but I also saw that my door was closed and the light was off. I was a little confused, because I figured Julie was probably in my room with Tamazine, but our light was off. (Oh, and I was about a half hour late for curfew, since we didn't get out of the haunted house til midnight anyway.) I open my door and see 2 figures just standing in the dark in front of me. I reach for the lights and its just Tamazine and Julie. As you can imagine, I freaked out and screamed again! As they begin to ask me what time it was, I started to cry. And not just like, oh tears are coming out, like I was sobbing, grasping for air, and weeping. For a solid 5 or so minutes I was inconsolably crying. They felt bad and hugged me, got me some water, sat next to me... but nothing was helping. I was crying harder than I ever have. It took me so long to calm down from what had just happened. It was a combination of being really tired, scared earlier, and then scared again. When they asked me what was going on, I just told them I was so scared!!!

I laid down in bed and kept the lights on, which Tamazine eventually turned off, and I just tried to calm down. I was breathing heavier than ever, I was still super jumpy, and I was straight up scared. So... lesson learned! I am never going to go to a haunted house ever again!

Rexburg Fall

Today as I drove home from work, I found myself looking at the trees more than the road (Don't worry, I was still driving safely). I was just hypnotized by the colors of the fall! When it snowed a few weeks ago, I was so mad that winter was approaching. But that was just a little fluke, and it is back to fall as it should be. Then I realized that this is the last fall I will spend in Rexburg. I only have 277 days until I graduate. (I know that might seem like its a far way away, but I know it will come fast!) The winter will be long, I know this for a fact, and then by the time spring rolls around, I will basically be done! I figured out today which classes I'm going to take in the winter, and then in the spring I will only have to take 3 classes. And even though I won't be taking 14 credits, the school will still give me a scholarship and I will be able to work too! Anyway, what I'm most excited about right now is for my 21st birthday... because (drum roll please........) I will go on a mission!!!!!

My roommate Tamazine just got her call last Thursday! She is going on a cruise with santa... oh wait, I mean she is going to Santa Cruz, Bolivia! How awesome is that! I have been extremely covetous the last couple days as she went to mission prep and received a copy of Preach My Gospel and made an appointment with the Bishop to get her temple recommend! I have been wanting this since I was 14, and I'm so close, and yet still so far! Ahhh....

Tonight for FHE we shared our favorite scripture with everyone. I thought maybe I could share it with ya'll. I read this in the 10th grade in Brother Goettl's D&C class. When I read it for the first time, I marked it up and wrote next to it: My Missionary Scripture. I decided that day that I was going to serve a full time mission and that when I do, this scripture would be on my mission plaque that would hang in Vintage Ranch's ward for 18 months.

D&C 15:6
And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.

I can't wait to be a full-time missionary! It's more exciting to me than anything else right now! Only 178 days until I can submit my papers! Then I will be off to Mesa to go through the Temple for the first time, and then I will be off to where ever I am called!

So anyway, I started to write this blog about how pretty the fall is right now, and got a little off topic! Maybe I will get called to serve in Pocatello and will be able to see the fall again! Maybe not ;) Either way, I'm excited!!!

Be Happy Now...

In President Uchtdorfs talk in the General Relief Society Conference a few weeks back, he told us 5 things to Forget Not. One of them was to be happy now! A lot of time people are always waiting for their "golden ticket" to be happy, when they should really be finding things in their life to be happy about right then! Well I'm not saying that I'm not happy now... I'm more like bored now. Don't get me wrong, I love my job! Just working all day is a heck of a life style. I can come home at 5 and be done for the day. But I miss the library, I miss having assignments and studying for tests. I would rather spend hours on blackboard rather than facebook/pinterst. I want to go to the testing center and buy myself a candy bar because I got an A on a test I studied hard for. I wish my life was revolving around something other than my television shows...

Here are things I'm really really excited about... (my golden tickets you could say)

Thanksgiving - 44 days!
David's Concert- 59 days!
Christmas- 75 days!
School starting again- 85 days!
The day I submit my mission papers- 184 days!
The day I graduate- 283 days!
My 21st Birthday- 306 days!

Don't get me wrong, I am happy... I just sometimes feel like I am at a standstill because I'm not in classes. I just honestly don't know what to do with my time. I am sad to say that today I came home, got on computer, and alternated between facebook, pinterest, blogs (which ya'll should really update btw), and youtube... I think what I'm trying to say is... I need a life!

Success!

As some of you may remember from a blog post over a year ago, I'm not the best at going through mazes. But because this is Rexburg, and its October... I went again! To the same maze. The whole ward went, which was great, because it was free!!! I was already forming the words in my mind for how I was going to write about the epic fail of this years straw maze... but guess what... I finished it! Like I went in the entrance and out the exit! I was so proud of myself!

In other news... my nails are still really long, I'm feeling a little better, but I only worked for 4 hours today, I'm still really homesick, my niece is 3 and that makes me feel old, I still don't know what I'm supposed to get my graduate degree in, and I only have 59 days until I see David!!! All in all, life's good!

Happy Birthday Avery!!!

I can't believe my little baby niece is 3 years old today!!!




















I LOVE YOU AVERY!!! Have a good birthday!!! Stop growing up okay!

Randomness

Today I got set apart to be a Sunday School teacher for the semester... or should I say Sara Cordner did! I told the guy that my name was Tara Cordner, and we had this conversation about how nice it was that my name was so short, and he still messed it up! It was kinda funny! We decided that Heavenly Father knows that he meant Tara, and that I can still do my calling! I'm pretty nervous to teach, but I think its going to be a great experience for me!

Remember how my last blog was a hate blog about the rain. Well I jinxed myself, because the very next day it was snowing! How gross right?!? I hated it during the day, but that evening Gaby and I were together watching Grey's. We were sharing a big blanket and outside the window the light from the street lamps sparkled off the snow! It was gorgeous! Then we talked about boys, which is basically my favorite thing to do!

Yesterday I went to Idaho Falls with my roommie Rachel to shop for some professional clothes. She is headed off to NYC this week for an internship expedition, just like I did in Denver. I don't know why but she chose me to come with her to help her! Earlier this week I was telling someone how I wish I knew what was cute and could dress well. They told me they always thought I dressed cute! Then Rachel let me pick out all her outfits, and everything she bought was something I picked! That boosted my confidence a little! I like dressing up for work, but I hate doing laundry, its the worst chore ever (next to doing dishes!)

I bought my tickets to see David again!!!! Almost an entire year has passed since I have seen him. December 9th he will be in Blackfoot... and so will I!!! I'm going with my friends from work! We are all pretty excited! They gave me money for tickets and I bought them first thing yesterday morning. For some reason they thought I would be the most agressive and get the best seats... Why would they think that I wonder?

I have felt like crap all day long. Well it started yesterday, but today has been really bad. I didn't go to a fireside that I really wanted to, and that bummed me out. And I may not go to work tomorrow, which would suck, but I think being at work for 8 hours feeling the way I have felt today would suck even more! (Pardon my language!)

Usually I do my nails when I am watching a movie or TV or just hanging out in the living room. This semester my roommate openly expressed how she hates it when people clip their nails. So now I have to do it hiding from her in my room. The only thing is I am never just sitting in my room. I haven't done my nails in a long time, clipped or filled or painted or anything just because I haven't been doing it like I normally do. That might be TMI, but I just felt like writing what I was feeling.

My room is a mess right now. I wanted to clean it yesterday, but the Idaho Falls trip was a lot longer than planned, and then I have had 0 energy today. Maybe if I don't go to work tomorrow I will muster up enough energy to clean my room. Maybe not.

FHE tomorrow is going to be a ward party at the straw maze. I feel like if I don't go to work I shouldn't go to FHE. I really want to go to FHE though, I have to beat my FHE brother through the maze. Maybe I should just suck it up and go to work tomorrow.

I talked to my family a bunch today. It made me uber homesick. Also Southwest doesn't think I am a full time student, so I don't have any benefits, such as free flights. But don't they know that I'm homesick. How come I can't go home next weekend, oh... because it would cost a fortune! How do normal people survive, when you get homesick, you go home. Thats just what you do! But wait, I can't right now! Which just happens to make me even MORE homesick. I hate it.

I have been listening to Christmas music for about a month now, but its only been on Sundays. But when it snowed on Thursday, I started listening to it all day. At work I have 2 Christmas pandora station. One is just a Christmas Music station, the other is David Archuleta Holiday. Both good, both favorites! But Davids is like a little more favorite than the other one! haha. I might be annoying the guys I work with, but it was snowing, so I listened to Christmas music. I still don't see anything wrong with that.

Um, I think thats about everything. If I think of anything else... I will just write another post! haha

Dang it Rain...

Today I had planned on writing a happy blog about how excited I was that church softball was starting. Well instead, I'm writing an upset blog about how much I hate the rain. Its been raining all day, and its been gloomy and gross and horrible. So now instead of hanging out with my friends in the ward, I am inside watching Super Nanny and writing this hate blog. The worst part is knowing that it is going to rain like this all week, and in just a little bit... its going to snow. I'm so not looking forward to it being cold again. The summer just flew by WAY too fast!

This is what Winter should look like... This picture was taken at the end of December in Arizona...




This picture was taken in the beginning of January in Rexburg...



I think I like the first picture the best, and not just because of the super cute little girls in it! I think its about time I take a trip to Phoenix.

Oh and PS, my roommate of 3 weeks said that she has now found herself saying "Dang it" more than she ever has. She blames me... hahahahaha

BYUIC

Tonight I cleaned the BYU-I Center, or the BYUIC (sounds like Buick). Lots of people just call it the I-Center, but when I hear that I think of an eye doctor, so for the most part I just call it the BYU-I Center! Anyway, this building is AMAZING!!! It has a conference room where devotional is held each week which seats 15,000 people. (Only 6,000 less than the conference center.) And in the same building there is a huge gym that has 10 full size basketball courts on it that can be separated for 10 different games (basketball/volleyball/indoor soccer/badminton/etc...). It is the biggest building in all of Madison County. I'm not quite sure what this beautiful building of huge magnetism is doing in little ole Rexburg, but I sure love it!

Every Tuesday they have devotional in it. And today I learned that every Tuesday night they clean it! I mean they have regular student janitors that are always cleaning the bathrooms and other parts, but we cleaned the whole conference room in it today! I was one of the lucky ones with a vacuum. Since it is such a special room, they have reverent vacuums. There was probably 20 going but you really couldn't hear them. They are backpacks (think of ghost busters) and they just suck up the gross skin cells on the chairs left by all the worthy devotional goers! I cleaned an entire section on the bottom, one on the middle layer, and two on the top! Basically I was vacuuming chairs for 2 hours! But it was such an amazing experience. I am really glad I signed up to do it last Relief Society. There wasn't nearly enough people there, but it was really cool!

I couldn't find a picture facing out, so you can't see all 15,000 seats, but you can imagine if this is the front and there are two balcony levels just how amazing this building is! Honestly, if you come to Rexburg, go here and find some senior missionaries to give you a tour. Because they will, and they will tell you some amazing stories about how excited the President Hinckley was about building this place! So cool!!!

Spoiled!

Sometimes... I get spoiled. I'm not going to list out everything I have been spoiled with, but I am going to say what I just spoiled myself with!!!




A brand new radio for my car! Christine has been nothing but good to me, so I decided to spoil myself and spoil her at the same time and get this freakin sweet radio! Its a touch screen that I can work my iPod through, and it has a bluetooth. Today I pressed the phone button and called my dad while I was in my car. Hands free! It was like he was sitting right next to me talking! COOLEST THING EVER!!!

Today for FHE we had to go to Menan to the 1st councilors house, and naturally I volunteered to drive. My roommates took turn being the DJ, and we basically rocked out the whole way there! It was so much fun! I am in love!!!!

Jackson Hole

Yesterday my roommate gave her friend a ride to Jackson so she could take the LSAT. When she told me she was going to Wyoming I wanted to tag along, but felt rude inviting myself. Then just a couple of days ago my roommate Rachel asked me if I would want to join her! I was so excited!!! I love road trips! So yesterday morning at 6 we left Rexburg and headed over the mountain to good ol' Jackson Hole, Wyoming! We dropped Sherri off at the testing center and we spent the morning playing in Jackson. I felt really bad missing conference, but I am planning on watching the sessions I missed throughout the week! My camera is still broken, so I didn't get a ton of pictures, but Rachel did! She got some super gorgeous scenery pictures, and some cute ones of me too! haha.

The last one is my favorite, it only took my like 3 jumps to get it! I on the other hand made Rachel jump about 12 times before I shot a good one of her jumping in front of the Tetons!






A few things I learned on this little outing...
1. I want to be rich when I grow up so I can afford the things we saw in Jackson.
2. I really do love the fall, the colors are so beautiful!!!
3. Going to Jackson would be a really fun date!
4. I want it to be snowboarding season NOW!!!
5. I should probably start thinking about taking my Grad school exam! How about the GRE in Pocatello on Dec. 15th! Thats the plan anyway... I'm wicked nervous!

Now for a real update!

Yesterday I had a little bit of time, so I thought I would give a little teaser update of a few short things going on. Well now I have a little more time, like 20 minutes, to write a real blog!

I have been LOVING my job! The first couple of days of the semester were horrible, I'm not going to lie. I called my mom and asked her if it was too late for me to quit and find a new major! But mostly it was bad because it was so busy with patients and all the new students getting trained, and a lot of other things.

So you may remember the post that I said I got the new job, but I don't think I have actually said what it is I do. As the Operations Lead, I am in charge of anything that has to do with day to day operations. Think of The Office, when Jim got hired to do the day-to-day manager stuff... I'm the Jim in this scenario! I work with the students in the front as well as the students in the back and make sure they are doing their job right. I work with the schedules of the day to day and making sure each Provider gets a break when they want one, or move patients around if it doesn't work for that provider. I'm also in charge of the providers schedule, so if one of them want a day off, they email me and I bring it up at the meetings we have each week. I got to a ton of meetings. Thursdays I have a management meeting from 8-9, then a conference call meeting with Provo from 9:15-9:45. Last Thursday we had a lot of people from the University come over and talk to us about what we are doing, so that added 2 more meetings! Every Friday there is a meeting with just the Providers (I say Providers instead of Doctors because some of them are Nurse Practitioners and some of them are Physicians Assistants) and the management team.

Let me explain more on the management team. There are three of us students in these positions. One is the Coordinator, then me, the Operations Lead, and then there is a Training Lead. We are basically running the health center with the help of our mentors. The Coordinators mentor is the Health Centers director, my mentor in the Operations Manager, and the training lead reports to the Head Nurse! The Health Center is now a Student Run Health Center! We are literally running it! Its such an amazing learning experience!

President Henry J. Eyring (Henry B Eyrings son) just wrote a book called the Innovative University. In the book he talks about new ways of learning! He is one of the Vice Presidents here at BYU-Idaho, and he came to the Health Center last week to see what the new management team was about. He said that what we were doing was great, and that if the book hadn't already been released he would have written about us in his book! President Miyaski (another VP of the school but also a general authority) came by as well, he said what we were doing having the students running the center was fulfilling prophecy!

I'm not trying to toot my own horn here... I'm just saying that my job here is kinda a big deal! BYU and BYU Hawaii's health centers have called us and asked us how we are doing it! They are quite impressed! It is giving me all the experience I need to go into the work force after college! I mean I still have 2 semesters left and then a mission after that, but once I'm applying for a real job, I can say... Oh I was the Operations Lead managing 40+ students as we ran a Health Center that had a patient volume of over 13,000 patients! I'm kind of excited!!!

Also... a little unrelated to this post, but it is almost October... so therefore I am listening to Christmas music!!! I think that once it is Fall semester you are allowed to listen to Christmas music! It just fills me with all sorts of happiness. You know what doesn't fill me with happiness though, the fact that my dear Mr. David Archuleta is doing his Christmas tour and going to 3 places in New York, and 4 in California, but not hitting Idaho or Arizona once! And I missed the one in AZ because of work... SO LAME!!! I may go an entire year without seeing him live! Thats kind of a scary thought! hahahaha

"I wish someone would update their blog!"

My roommate said that to me a couple of days ago... I guess I have been a blogger slacker lately! Its just that there isn't too much going on besides work! I thought maybe I could update you all briefly with whats been going on though...

All my shows started again last week, so that has kept me very busy! I'm really excited about Greys this season! Also for Castle, Glee, Modern Family, Happy Endings, The Office, Community, and Bones!!! Wow, I have way too many shows!

Today I have been listening to Stereo Hearts on repeat basically... all day long! I think my co-workers might have gotten annoyed with the repeat of the song in my office, and the fact that I was singing it all day long too!

Today is also Preston Hatch's birthday, so shout out to Elder Hatch! HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY!!!

I did laundry today... I hate doing laundry.

FHE is in about 40 minutes, I'm excited because my group seems pretty fun, but I have to go to the grocery store after that, and finish folding my laundry, and watch Castle, so I hope that FHE isn't too long tonight.

I got a new bottle of Smart Water that I have been using around the apartment. Last semester I told my roommate Bri that I wanted to drink more water, so she would pay attention to when my bottle was empty and she would refill it for me and put it in the fridge. I wish she was still here. :(

Pay day was a few days ago, and working 40 hours a week is my new favorite thing ever!!!! Even though I'm still not making a ton per hour, the amount of hours I am working makes up for it! Yay for having money to spend... I think I'm going to buy new clothes, thats better than wasting it all at Taco Bell.

I had Costa Vida again today... I think I'm addicted.

My hearts a stereo, it beats for you so listen close, hear my thoughts and every note... oh oh... make me your radio and turn me up when you feel low, this melody was meant for you, just sing along to my stereo.... (The song is still stuck in my head.)

Oh and I am in love with Adam Levine! He is so gorgeous!

K, I think thats all... Have a great Monday everyone!

Butterfly!

My roommate called me a social butterfly as I came home the other night. I haven't ever been called that in my whole life! Right when I was about to start college I saw a little thing online. It said: Social Life, Good Grades, Adequate Sleep. Choose 2 and Welcome to College. And boy is that the truth! I could never balance having good grades with a good amount of sleep AND a social life.... so for the past 2 years, I didn't have one! There was about two semesters that I had super social roommates and therefore felt like I was being social by sometimes participating with them... This semester has so been SO DIFFERENT!!! All I have going on for me right now is work from 8-5. When I come home I'm free until 8 the next morning! That means I have time for a social life!

Monday I went to FHE and met a lot of new people! Then these guys came over that evening and I stayed up playing games with them until almost curfew.

Tuesday I went to my dear friend Jessica's apartment with Aubrey and Lauren and played games with them!

Wednesday I went to Costa Vida with Rianne, and then my friend from the summer came over and talked with me.

Thursday I went to Idaho Falls with my summer roommates Jordan and Rhiannon and we had dinner at The Olive Garden, then we saw a movie at the cheap theater.

Friday I went over to Aubrey and Laurens and started a movie night, and then got interrupted when Brooks came over, and ended up sitting outside and talking for a good couple of hours. (Oh, and I saw Doug Gillette which was super weird, because he looks JUST like I remember Aaron looking, but he was with a group of guys I didn't know and Dallin was no where to be seen!)

Today I went and saw Lion King in 3D, and it was AMAZING!!! And no I didn't cry, I just got something in my eye when Mufasa died. That movie is just so good! I just love Disney!!!

I have thought of a thousand things I could have been blogging about during the week, like how I left my apartment and was back in 6 minutes with Taco Bell, or like how I am going to go to England to husband hunt one day because I'm in love with their accents, or how I'm going crazy at work and how maybe being an Healthcare Administrator will be harder than I thought, or how I'm meeting Henry J. Eyring on Tuesday to tell him about my new position at the Health Center, or how I am in a boy-hating mood because I may or may not have gotten my heartbroken earlier this week! But I never found the time to blog about all of that amongst the busy-ness that is my life! All in all, I have loved the first week of this semester. I have been sad a couple of times, but I have been happier a few more times than that! I have been stressed a couple of times, but I have had fun a few more times than that! I have great roommates, and from what I can tell a great ward! I'm really looking forward to this semester!

P.S, this blog was not to boast or brag about all the friends that I have, merely to remind myself that I know how to be social... and I hope I did not just jinx myself by saying that!!!

P.S.S. The only thing I haven't liked so far about this week was the lack of Tamazine time I have had. She is my roommate and my favorite person right now. But she works each evening from 5 to close, and so I rarely see her! I just hope someday she will stop working all together and will play with me more often!

P.S.S.S. She just told me that my outfit matched my computer! That was a very nice thing for her to say!

P.S.S.S.S My camera is still dead and I have not bought another one yet, so I have no pictures to share. One day that will be fixed!