I have been writing my personal statements for graduate school over the last 6 weeks or so. It is a painful experience. Also a good one. It takes a lot of introspection and reflection to come up with a concise argument as to why some one should invest thousands of dollars and hours and hours of their time into your education. I am really struggling with it, too. I don't know why, but I seem to have a mental block every time I sit down to work on them. It is super frustrating.
I'm just throwing this out there because I need a new blog post if I am going to make my goal of one post per week. If I do get to 52 posts this year I get to buy myself a set of pyrex cooking dishes...not super exciting, but still something I need :)
Monday, November 7, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Hiking in Logan
Over fall break my mom and I went to Logan for a mini vacation and to see my aunt Maralee and her kids. We went hiking to wind caves up Logan canyon and had an awesome time! It was the perfect little mini vacation.
Eli took his notebook so he could write down everything that we saw.
Fall Leaves are one of my favorite things.
She is SO photogenic!
Taking a rest...there were some wicked hills on this hike!
The Gracie Statue of Liberty!
More pretty leaves.
Eli the mountain man,
Chillin at the caves.
Hello down there!
Addee is also super photogenic...they get that from their mamma.
It was a super fun day, and a super awesome hike.
Facebook Withdrawl
I decided that I am too busy for Facebook, at least until the semester is over. But I'm finding that I'm more of an addict than I thought. Oh, don't worry, I haven't been on it for a few weeks now, but I still think in status updates sometimes. Or I've caught myself being tempted to post on someone's wall instead of e-mailing them on more than one occasion. Here are a few status updates I would like to have posted, but didn't:
~Did you know that the U has a muggle quiditch team?!? I'm not sure if I think that is super nerdy, to super awesome, or both...
~Did you know that the U has a muggle quiditch team?!? I'm not sure if I think that is super nerdy, to super awesome, or both...
~ASDFJKDSFJ!! Mental Break Down!
~Once upon a time, I used to get enough sleep. Oh the good old days...
~Going hiking with the fam! Super excited to see @Maralee and the kids!
~What is the meaning of this?
~Introspection -> Existential Meltdown -> Self Enlightenment. It's what life is about yo!
Whew, I'm glad I got all that off my chest...
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Top Ten, Once Again (hey, I rhymed kind of!)
This is my most favorite season of the year. Here is my Ode To Fall.
10) Back to School! I know the semester is half way over all ready, but it feels so good to be in class after a long summer. It's like eating a home made meal after weeks of fast food.
9) TIGHTS! They are just fun!
8) Sweaters. I love soft, cozy, over-sized sweaters.
7) Hot chocolate. You can read more about my obsession here.
6) Cloudy days. I kind of get into the gray dreariness. It makes me feel cozy.
5) The Holidays are just around the corner.
4) I get to bust out my down comforter. It is so snuggle-y.
3) I'm going to be totally honest here, and I'm sorry if it grosses you out: Wearing long pants or tights means I don't have to shave my legs as much.
2) My mom tends to bake more when the weather gets cold. Those of you who haven't ever had my mom's cooking may not fully grasp the implications of this statement: She is the best maker of cakes, bread, cookies, and rolls in the history of mankind. Seriously.
1)Leaves! My dear friend Ali and I both think crunchy leaves are just the best things ever. Nothing can make you smile as fast as stepping on that perfect leaf and hearing it make that delicious noise! Plus, even when they are still on the tree they are beautiful.
And that's why I love fall.
10) Back to School! I know the semester is half way over all ready, but it feels so good to be in class after a long summer. It's like eating a home made meal after weeks of fast food.
9) TIGHTS! They are just fun!
8) Sweaters. I love soft, cozy, over-sized sweaters.
7) Hot chocolate. You can read more about my obsession here.
6) Cloudy days. I kind of get into the gray dreariness. It makes me feel cozy.
5) The Holidays are just around the corner.
4) I get to bust out my down comforter. It is so snuggle-y.
3) I'm going to be totally honest here, and I'm sorry if it grosses you out: Wearing long pants or tights means I don't have to shave my legs as much.
2) My mom tends to bake more when the weather gets cold. Those of you who haven't ever had my mom's cooking may not fully grasp the implications of this statement: She is the best maker of cakes, bread, cookies, and rolls in the history of mankind. Seriously.
1)Leaves! My dear friend Ali and I both think crunchy leaves are just the best things ever. Nothing can make you smile as fast as stepping on that perfect leaf and hearing it make that delicious noise! Plus, even when they are still on the tree they are beautiful.
And that's why I love fall.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Family
With everything that has happened in the last few weeks, I have totally fallen behind on my blog. Here is a quick recap:
My Grandpa passed away about three weeks ago. I was at school, in the lab, working on some coding when I got a text from my mom saying he was in pretty bad shape. I tried to call, but she didn't answer her cell phone, so I called my aunt Becky. She said they didn't think Grandpa would make it through the weekend, so to come then if I wanted to see him. To be totally honest, I didn't want to see him if he was in as bad a shape as they were saying. I wanted to keep him in my memory the way he was the last time I had seen him: up and talking and joking, optimistic, pain-free, and at peace. But I wanted to be there for my family. On my way to the elevator, I ran in to my research advisor and her graduate student Stacia. I was kind of a mess, so Stacia very kindly offered to drive me up to Bountiful. She was great, and I was so thankful to have her help!
I got there probably around 5 and Grandpa passed away at 6:45-ish. It was kind of amazing to see all of my moms siblings pull together and be there for each other. My Grandma is an amazing woman with a lot of faith, and she totally set the tone for the rest of the family. She was very sad (that doesn't even cover it), but in such a calm way.
Stacia and I were talking on the drive up about how families function as this sort of container of the past and window to the future. I have been thinking a lot about that since. It is really true. In the days before he died, Grandpa was talking a lot about what it was like for him growing up. His sister came down from Oregon and the two of them spent a whole day reminiscing and recording their memories for us. Also seeing my grandparents age and begin to need extra help and support has helped me prepare, mentally and emotionally, for what will happen to my parents someday and even what will happen to me eventually. Family is (or should be) a safe place where we can learn these important, and sometimes scary, life lessons. It is a protective, supportive place. I am so grateful that I have that.
For my Grandma's birthday a bunch of my aunts got together and watched the general relief society broadcast together. They were kind enough to let me tag a long :) It was a blast! We got cafe rio (which is always delicious, and sat around talking and laughing and listening to the wonderful messages.
My parents went to mediation about a week ago and it was a train wreck from what I understand. How can someone change so much? I have really missed the support of two parents for the last few years. It makes me really appreciate the fact that my extended family and my ward family are so amazing.
We have so many wonderful neighbors that have given us so much help and love. All the phone calls, cookies (seriously...a ton of cookies...I am getting fat), cards, hugs, etc. have meant a lot. Everyone says that they wish there was something they could do, but the fact is just being there and showing support means a lot. It is a total cliche, but I never realized till now just how true it is. They are part of my family.
I also have a ton of awesome friends and mentors. The lab that I work in and the people there are so kind. My faculty advisor and Holly and the graduate students that I work with have been super supportive as well. My friend Allegra sent me a care package from Pennsylvania. My friend Andrea has listened to me cry on the phone more times than I can count and always gives me the best words of wisdom. They are part of my family, too.
Basically, the point I guess I want to make, is that families are so important...they are the most important. And your family is probably bigger than you realize. Just because you don't share a genealogy with someone doesn't mean they aren't your family. If everyone, with in their families (biological or not), could just love each other and watch out for each other, it would solve a lot of problems. Even if it didn't solve the problem, it would sure make it easier to handle. Everything I have studied, academically, in personal experience, and in church, has taught me how crucial healthy families are to us as human beings.
My Grandpa passed away about three weeks ago. I was at school, in the lab, working on some coding when I got a text from my mom saying he was in pretty bad shape. I tried to call, but she didn't answer her cell phone, so I called my aunt Becky. She said they didn't think Grandpa would make it through the weekend, so to come then if I wanted to see him. To be totally honest, I didn't want to see him if he was in as bad a shape as they were saying. I wanted to keep him in my memory the way he was the last time I had seen him: up and talking and joking, optimistic, pain-free, and at peace. But I wanted to be there for my family. On my way to the elevator, I ran in to my research advisor and her graduate student Stacia. I was kind of a mess, so Stacia very kindly offered to drive me up to Bountiful. She was great, and I was so thankful to have her help!
I got there probably around 5 and Grandpa passed away at 6:45-ish. It was kind of amazing to see all of my moms siblings pull together and be there for each other. My Grandma is an amazing woman with a lot of faith, and she totally set the tone for the rest of the family. She was very sad (that doesn't even cover it), but in such a calm way.
Stacia and I were talking on the drive up about how families function as this sort of container of the past and window to the future. I have been thinking a lot about that since. It is really true. In the days before he died, Grandpa was talking a lot about what it was like for him growing up. His sister came down from Oregon and the two of them spent a whole day reminiscing and recording their memories for us. Also seeing my grandparents age and begin to need extra help and support has helped me prepare, mentally and emotionally, for what will happen to my parents someday and even what will happen to me eventually. Family is (or should be) a safe place where we can learn these important, and sometimes scary, life lessons. It is a protective, supportive place. I am so grateful that I have that.
For my Grandma's birthday a bunch of my aunts got together and watched the general relief society broadcast together. They were kind enough to let me tag a long :) It was a blast! We got cafe rio (which is always delicious, and sat around talking and laughing and listening to the wonderful messages.
My parents went to mediation about a week ago and it was a train wreck from what I understand. How can someone change so much? I have really missed the support of two parents for the last few years. It makes me really appreciate the fact that my extended family and my ward family are so amazing.
We have so many wonderful neighbors that have given us so much help and love. All the phone calls, cookies (seriously...a ton of cookies...I am getting fat), cards, hugs, etc. have meant a lot. Everyone says that they wish there was something they could do, but the fact is just being there and showing support means a lot. It is a total cliche, but I never realized till now just how true it is. They are part of my family.
I also have a ton of awesome friends and mentors. The lab that I work in and the people there are so kind. My faculty advisor and Holly and the graduate students that I work with have been super supportive as well. My friend Allegra sent me a care package from Pennsylvania. My friend Andrea has listened to me cry on the phone more times than I can count and always gives me the best words of wisdom. They are part of my family, too.
Basically, the point I guess I want to make, is that families are so important...they are the most important. And your family is probably bigger than you realize. Just because you don't share a genealogy with someone doesn't mean they aren't your family. If everyone, with in their families (biological or not), could just love each other and watch out for each other, it would solve a lot of problems. Even if it didn't solve the problem, it would sure make it easier to handle. Everything I have studied, academically, in personal experience, and in church, has taught me how crucial healthy families are to us as human beings.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Food Genres
Here is this week's question of the week:
If you could only eat one genre of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Before you answer, let's define what a 'genre' of food is. It is a group of foods that are similar. Sandwiches, for example, are a genre of food. Salads are a genre of food. Some genres are more specific - popcorn for instance. Some (like sandwiches) are really broad.
Do you want to know what I would pick?
Good, because I am going to tell you anyway.
I have two that I can't decide between
The first, which I would probably pick, is cold cereal. I love cereal. I have eaten it almost every night this week for dinner. It's just delicious and there are enough varieties to keep me from getting bored. You can eat it dry or with milk (for extra calcium). Most of them are vitamin fortified. If you are in a serious mood, you can have grown up cereal- special k, raisin bran, Cheerios. If you are feeling more irresponsible, have some marshmallow matties or fruit loops (which are my favorite). For dessert you can have cookie crisp or cinnamon toast crunch.
My second choice would be pizza. Pizza is also just delicious. You can have lots of different stuff on your pizza too: classic pepperoni and cheese, chicken and artichokes, barbecue chicken, peanut butter and chocolate chips (yes, I have actually made this pizza and it was a-mazing). I even had broccoli on a pizza once and it wasn't bad. I am a little partial because, not to brag or anything, I make a mean pizza- the secret is in the sauce!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)