Watching the Wheels

Hawaii

2011-09-14T18:58:00.001-06:00

At the end of June my parents were nice enough to take my little brother and i to Hawaii for a week! It was so much fun and probably one of my favorite family vacations I have ever been on. I loved hiking Diamondhead, playing in the ocean (which if anyone knows my family, it is a big deal to be able to go to do water activities), visiting the Pearl Harbor memorial, being able to go to the Laie Temple and so many other fun things!
My mom, Shaun and I with a veteran that was there when Pearl Harbor was attacked
At the Pearl Harbor Memorial with the moment in the background along with the U.S.S. Missouri
My dad and I on the the trail up Diamondhead with Honolulu in the background. Gorgeous, huh?
At the top on Diamondhead with Waikiki in the background, there was some amazing views up there and the hike was great!
At the Laie Temple, the temple and the grounds are gorgeous
Waimea Falls, we weren't allowed to swim because of the increased amount of rain they have been getting...bummer
My cousins and I with our tour guide (who was hilarious) at the Polynesian Culture Center (Shaun and Colton were trying to do their best haka faces!)
Beautiful Sunset beach
My parents along the beach at Waikiki...beautiful waterfall, huh?!
The Dole Plantation...I had to take one
The moment at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also called the Punchbowl Cemetery
A great pic from our last day in HawaiiI love being in a more tropical climate than we have here in Idaho! It was so much fun and I will definitely being going back there but, probably on my own ticket rather than my parents. If you are ever thinking about going to Hawaii for a vacation....DO IT! It is gorgeous, the weather is wonderful and there are so many good sites to see and I only went to Oahu!

My Grandpa

2011-07-15T16:22:00.019-06:00

So I haven't in quite a few months so, I thought I might update this blog of mine.

A few months ago my dear old grandpa passed away and I would just like to write a few thoughts about him here and the little things I miss about him. I am so happy that he is now with his sweetheart, who he missed dearly over the 18 months that they were separated.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY GRANDPA SMOKIE
-Driving on the freeway with him in my Ford Focus and having him wave at semis that clearly can't see him waving at all but he still did it anyways.
-His stories about him and my grandma's missions all over the world and the people they got to meet.
-Seeing him with his kids, especially his 4 daughters, who absolutely adored their dad and would do almost anything for them.
-How much him and my mom are alike especially when they are together.
-How he could become friends with just about anybody and could talk to anyone, a trait that my mom possess and hopefully someday that I can develop!
-Going to Burger King with him all the time and him complaining about how expensive his junior whopper, senior drink and small fry are getting.

I'm eternally grateful for him, for the person he was and how much he changed his life in the almost 80 years he was on this earth. Because as much as I think that I can't change things about myself. I will always have the memory of my grandpa and the fortitude that he possessed and know that I can be like him too.
I'm grateful for the time I was given to get to know him and the rest of my grandparents that have also passed away. I know I'm a better person because of them and the things that each of them taught me. And someday I know that I will be able to see them again

Grandpa and Grandma Denison

Life's funny moments

2011-03-06T22:36:00.002-07:00

Some days you just need a laugh and right now I need one. So I decided that I'm going to post some of things that I find funny that have happened over the last few months.
So I've been working at Hertz in West Valley and if you want to have a good laugh go work there...in West Valley.
- A lady came into work asking if the Hertz was a mission...apparently she didn't notice the huge sign on the front of the building that says "Hertz"
- Any time I have to try to explain something to a customer who's native language is not English...then for some odd reason if they don't understand English my instinct is to start speaking Malay!
-The crazy guy who sings at the top of his lungs as he walks down the street between the hours of two to four in the afternoon.
-"If the lady doesn't accelerate three seconds after the light turns green I'm going to ram her!" -Banner, my manager, showing his softer side of the craziest road rage I have ever seen anyone possess. Most of the time when I ride with him I feel like I'm going to die!

Here's a few non-work related laughs...for me!
-"1B...they from my hood!"- Melissa, in her best wannabe gangsta voice
-"Natty...you're so silly!" -Cam in a voice that cannot be replicated!
-"...maybe she wanted to come over and meet me!" -A friend who will remain nameless
-"My buttback hurts!" - Melissa
-"Get off your phone and be a part of this family!" -Melissa R. anytime I was playing on my phone while we were hanging out
-Sarah-"What are you doing here...get out of my house!"
Me- "Sarah did you just tell to get out of your house?!"
Sarah- "No, no...you're fine!"
- Sarah is Melissa R.'s sister and probably one of the craziest, most hilarious people I know.
-Brooklyn- "Please bless the..."
Baylee- "FOOD!"
Brooklyn-"I know Baylee!"- Hands down one of the funniest blessings over the food that I have ever heard!
-"It's like an oversized rat, suited for war!"- Shaun's description of an armadillo

These may not be funny to anyone else but, to me they bring laughter and good memories back to life for me! If you want to leave any of your favorite funny quotes or experiences that we might have shared together, I welcome them wholeheartedly!

Norwegian Recycling - Miracles

2010-11-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

I love this video!! I have it stuck in my head all the time! Hope you like it!
Thanks for sharing it, Matt!

Mission Reunion and Yellowstone

2010-10-08T00:06:00.012-06:00

Last weekend was my mission reunion...loved every minute of it! I can't believe it has almost been two years since I got home...crazy! It was so good to see my mission president and his wife, oh how I have missed them. It was also so good to see so many of my mission buddies, although I wish all of them could have been there (Brooke and Angela.) I honestly was smiling the whole time, which probably was a little weird but, I was just so happy to be there.

Crystal, Hayley, and I

Me, Maycee and Julianne (I love this picture because we have one exactly like it that was taken 3 years ago on Maycee's baptism day in Miri.)

Crystal and I with Sister Skelton...oh how I love that lady!

President Skelton and I, he had everyone laughing all night long!

I really didn't want to see the night end but, unfortunately it did...sad day. But, lucky enough for me on Tuesday I got to have some more fun with my mission buddies. Hayley, Matt and I took a little excursion up to Yellowstone, filled with sulfur-smelling geysers, self-timer photos and a up-close encounter with a buffalo!

It smelt horrible but, looked cool so we decided to take a pic!

Old Faithful, a must see in Yellowstone

One of my favorite self-timed photos, the newest explorers of Yellowstone
Me and the buffalo, i was probably to close but, Matt told me to run in serpentine patterns if it started to charge so I felt like I knew what I was doing...haha!

My favorite pic of the trip...it's priceless! They look like they are on a safari, with Hayley's figure over her mouth and Matt crouching down.

Such a great few days, I wish I could always see those people but, I guess that's what makes it special when you do see them after a long time. Can't wait for the next reunion!

Strong women

2010-07-26T17:17:00.017-06:00

“We want to be ladies in very deed, not according to the term of the word as the world judges, but fit companions of the Gods and Holy Ones. In an organized capacity we can assist each other in not only doing good but in refining ourselves, and whether few or many come forward and help to prosecute this great work, they will be those that will fill honorable positions in the Kingdom of God. . . . Women should be women and not babies that need petting and correction all the time. I know we like to be appreciated but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters? We know the Lord has laid high responsibility upon us, and there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling to qualify us for those responsibilities.” Eliza R. Snow
I heard the quote above in Relief Society yesterday and LOVED it! It got me thinking about all the strong women that I have had the privilege to meet in my life. My life has been changed by their willingness to show their faithfulness, their courage and their perseverance to do what is right. Each of them have overcome and accomplished trials and tasks that just amaze me.

My heart seriously bursts with joy that I am able to call each of these women my friends and mentors.

They show me that nothing good comes to you in life without hard work and determination to put all they have in accomplishing their goals. They don't give in to the thoughts of what the world thinks a woman to be but, what they know they should be.

I wish that I could let each of these woman know how much they have changed my life and helped me realize that I have a great responsibility on this earth that only I can fulfill. I have experienced a whole spectrum of emotion learning this from them and I would change those experiences for anything in the world. I wish I could tell each of you personally how much you have changed my life but, sadly some of you have gone from this life. But for those of you who are reading this now, know that for the bottom of my heart I am grateful for you and hope that all good things come for you in the future.

I know that these woman were put in my life for a great purpose. I will try my hardest to repay them for this knowledge that they have shared with me through their words and their actions.
I love each of you!

Graduation

2010-05-11T23:13:00.007-06:00

This past weekend I graduated from Idaho State University with a Bachelors in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. The graduation ceremony was great, meaning that it wasn't its usually 4 hours like in years past...thank goodness. I felt so grown up and satisfied with myself that I had been able to reach this goal in my life.

My Besties minus one (Melissa, Aleesha, Me, Kim)

As I was sitting there waiting for my turn to receive my diploma, I was caught up in all the memories I had of ISU and my time there. I can seriously say that some of the greatest friendships I have right now are because I decided to go to ISU. The memories that go along with those friendships are endless and I'm so grateful for that! I know that as things continues to change and life becomes harder than it was in college, I can always depend on these ladies. They have taught me to be patient, have perseverance, to have fun, and have reminded me that truly good friends are hard to find.

Idaho State University Alumni

The weekend was fabulous and I was kind of sad to see it end. It was a good reminder to why these ladies are more like sisters to me than friends!

The brains that I possess

2010-03-01T23:39:00.006-07:00

I feel like I need a funny post on my blog so here it is!
So over these past few months I have really let my somewhat blonde roots show. For example around the beginning of the semester I was cleaning out my room, which by the way doesn't happen as often as it should. As I was cleaning I was clearing out under the bed and came upon a black contraption that I had never seen before, so I grab it out and started to investigate what it was. I took it out to the living room to ask my sister if she new what it was, she was also as baffled as I was about what the contraption was that I held in my hands. As I was continuing to look at it I saw the word "push" engraved on the side of it, so upon seeing that I decided to push right where it told me.
Bad idea.
What happened next was sheer pain and a lot of laughter from my sister. As I pushed the button, a brownish-orange substance came out! The substance went all over my hands, upon it hitting my hand I decide to smell the substance...also a bad idea. Immediately my eyes, throat and nose started to burn....if you haven't figured out the substance by now it was pepper spray and boy did it hurt.
Looking back on it now I laugh but, at the time I seriously wanted to hurt the friend who had accidentally left it under my bed. All in all I just couldn't believe that I had sprayed myself with pepper spray and then inhaled it.
Also this semester for the first time in my college career I went to the completely wrong class twice it wasn't the same class both times, they were different. You would seriously think that I was a freshman who didn't know his way about campus or how to read their schedule. The one I find most amusing out of the two is when I thought my philosophy class was in one classroom and it was actually in the two doors down. The funniest part about it was I wondered the whole building trying to find the classroom and after ten minutes still couldn't find it. Well, at around fifteen minutes after the class had started I finally found my classroom.
This has been the weirdest semester for me by far but, it has really helped me to learn to laugh at myself and realize that life is pretty funny when you learn to have a little fun!

Ruts

2010-01-14T23:46:00.000-07:00

So apparently I think I should write every five to six months but, seriously there is nothing that exciting that goes on in my life.
I think I must be a very right brained person because I have the hardest time seeing the big picture of things in life. I wish I could see that all the things that are happening right now, are for a special purpose or just a purpose but, right now I'm not seeing it. It just seems that life at this point isn't what I expected or wanted but, I will none the less go with it. But, along with all this complaining I will add a positive note that I'm grateful for friends who have the talent to look beyond the here and now. These friends help me to realize that life is full of times of hardship but, they also help me see and are there with me for the times that are truly amazing.
I guess what I'm trying to say and I know that I'm not the first person ever to say is life never gives you what you want but, in some way it always turns out great in the end. Because I know deep down in my heart that happy endings (I'm not meaning death or something fatal like that) to stages of life are real. I know that this stage of my life will turn out for the best but, sometimes just like a car, I get stuck in a rut. Sometimes I can get out of that rut by myself but, sometimes I need the help of a tow truck or in my case family or friends. I grateful for all of those people in my life that are willing to help me get out of the rut and back on to the road, heading in the direction that I know I should go.
I know this probably doesn't make sense to anyone but me so take it for what it's worth.

Finding My Neverland

2009-08-27T21:24:00.000-06:00

So after not writing in forever I decided that I should probably write something again.
So I am absolutely in love with the Finding Neverland soundtrack, it is all instrumental and it is just lovely. I came in contact with the soundtrack while on my mission and it kind of defined one of my areas that was especially hard. I just remember turning it on and feeling like the music was helping all the hardships of the day melt away. Well, continuing on one of the songs is called Neverland and as I was pondering the other day (which by the way doesn't happen all that often), I thought that each of us has a place that is like Neverland to us. For some people it may be a spot where their family would go camping, or for others it may be a country or a state, for me it is Sarawak. Sarawak is the one place that is so magical to me just like Neverland was to Peter Pan. It was a place where time seemed to stand still and the jungle would just encompass you with its unique mystical features. The people amazing, so kind and childlike, who would do anything for you. It was a place where all my cares seemed to go away and you could just be in the moment without any other distractions. It was Neverland to me!!!
I hope to one day return there and to be able to explore more of its wonderous beauty. I hope that we all can each take time in our lives to remember our Neverlands. When we just need a break from all the commotion we can remember that one special place and the great memories that go along with it. It has brought joy into my life and I hope it will do the same with yours.

My first blog entry

2009-02-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my very first blog entry as you can clearly read from the title. I am not the best at writing down what I feel or what has went on in my life but, I have seen other people's blogs and I really enjoy them so I thought I would take a shot at it.
The other day I was reading one of my friends' blogs about having culture shock after returning home from a full-time mission to Singapore and Malaysia. As I was reading it I couldn't help but agree with everything she said because I too just returned home from that same mission and things have been really difficult to get used to. I am sure that every missionary who returns home after serving in some foreign place has a really hard time adjusting. I have been able to speak to some people who have had this experience and get advice from them. I have also been able to share experiences with them but, in the end I still felt that none of them really know what I am going through. That all changed when I read my friends' blog, she put it so well all the emotions and hardships that go on after returning home. I am grateful for this friend and for knowing that I am not alone in the awkwardness I feel at being in the United States surrounded by so many white people and not being able to hear 4 different languages being spoken all in the same moment. Don't get me wrong I love America but, I will always have a huge space in my heart for the people of Malaysia and Singapore. I am grateful for the experiences that I had there and for the friends I met there and also the friends who live here but, who can understand the longing that I and probably they have to be back there.