i says, i love the d.i.

i recently decided to add two new things to my "things i love list":

1) the phrase i says, he says, or she says when used as a past tense verb. examples include, "we was talkin' and he says..." or "i says to her that i durn near better see her next time she comes to town" or "she says she ain't goin' to the store". i have found that some of my favorite kinds of people use this phrase and I LOVE IT.

AND

2) deseret industries, better known as the d.i. last weekend i happened to stroll into the d.i. and i came out with 9 pretty salad plates, 2 leather handbags, 1 authentic cowboy belt buckle (belt included), 1 not-so-authentic gold belt buckle (belt also included), 2 winter coats (one of which is probably the most fantastic vintage coat i have ever seen), 1 pair of patent leather shoes, 1 hideously cute shirt, 1 pleated retro skirt, and a partridge in a pear tree. okay, so the partridge wasn't included - but i don't doubt that it could have been if you'd given me 15 more minutes in he store. now the best part, all that loot for $48. can you believe it? I SAYS, can you believe it? i have decided that i don't love to shop, but i do love to shop at the d.i. (and other thrift stores). some of the reasons i love to shop at the d.i. include the fact that it is super inexpensive, i get to use my creativity in coming up with how i can use some of these items to enhance my wardrobe and or decor, and most importantly, the fact that the d.i. does amazing things to help train their employees to gain long term employment and effective life skills as well as contributes in amazing ways to help those less fortunate than us with humanitarian efforts. if you want to learn more, check out this link http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,2022-1,00.html.

if you want me to model the coat for you, just let me know. i'm sure we can work something out.

each day is a gift

as i drove out of logan canyon into cache valley on friday i was overcome with emotions of peace. i come from such a beautiful place. the snow covered mountains, the horses poised next to a windmill, the log fences, the flocked trees, the hazy fog that february always brings - it was breathtaking. i was reminded of so many of the good things of my life during that instant of peace. it was almost like i was breathing in comfort and breathing out the stress.

the past couple of days, in so many ways, i was reminded that each day is a gift. my reason in going to logan was to attend a funeral of a good family friend. troy nielsen, my dad's old high school crony, passed away this week. he was diagnosed about a year and half ago with skin cancer. the funeral was filled with good friends and family remembering who troy was and reminiscing about the laughter and goodness he brought to those around him each day. life is fragile. each day is a gift.

friday night i couldn't think of anything more enjoyable than spending time with my mom and dad. we went to dinner at cafe rio and ran into some people we knew. one of the guys i ran into was shane johnson. when we ran into him i was reminded of a time he helped me out of what could have been a frustating situation. about a year and a half ago, katie white and i were biking. i got a flat tire. we were near shane's house. i didn't know shane well, but katie did. we would have been stranded, but katie immediately thought of shane and his biking abilities and kind heart. we walked our bikes to his house, he changed the tire and sent us on our way. he was so kind and giving. it left an impression on me. asking for service and being willing to serve strengthens both parties. there is good to be done in the world. make each day a gift for yourself and those around you.


when katie and i were at shane's house getting our bikes fixed, we met a girl he had just started dating. they are now married. they were there at cafe rio with her two boys from a prior marriage and their brand new three month old baby. shane looked so content with that little guy. it took him awhile to find what he wanted, but the Lord guided him and he is living the dream. miracles happen each day. each day is a gift.

my dad, my mom, and i went home and just hung out after dinner on friday night. mom and i changed the sheets on my bed and talked about all the latest happenings of cache valley. dad turned on "rooster cogburn" and was watching it. mom and i joined dad and just enjoyed each other's company. spending time with my parents and sleeping in my bed at home felt like a dream. each day is a gift. allow for simplicity and relish in it.

on saturday morning, lisa lloyd and i went cross country skiing up green canyon. it was so wonderful. lisa had great stories to tell. the canyon was snow covered. we were both a lot better at skiing that we had been the year prior. it felt great to get our hearts pumping. a wonderful start to the gift of that day.

lisa and i rushed from skiing to the temple. we were meeting her friend there. as i rushed into the house of the Lord, i ran into steve miller and jill whittaker. i can go most anywhere in logan and run into people i know. i love that logan is filled with good people who bless my life. although lisa and i were still defrosting from our skiing adventure, it felt so good to be in the temple. the Lord has blessed my life with amazing people all around. i have also been blessed with the understanding that our relationships can go beyond death into eternity as i follow God's plan. relationships are crucial. developing them can bless my life. each day is a gift full of good people to learn from.

after the temple i decided to go for a little run. it was just too nice outside not to. i feel so blessed with the opportunity to be able to run and enjoy the way it makes my body feel and the time it allows me to work things out in my mind. i ended up stopping at lance's house and chatting with him for awhile. as i sat at his house, i was reminded of the car accident he was in while i was on my mission. he was watched over and protected and my family felt the hand of God in their lives through other people. God was and is in the details of our lives. my heart was grateful that lance is here to bless our family with his thoughfulness and with laughter. each day is a gift. be thankful for the time you have to share with the people you love.

before i headed back to salt lake i made a pit stop at the stowers' house. i was friend's with one of the stowers' boys in high school. i fell in love with their family. they are the kind of people that make everyone feel so important and loved. they radiate nothing but goodness. i just found out that steve stowers was in a horrible accident on new year's day. so many things could have gone wrong, but they didn't. steve had a lot of internal damage and numerous broken bones, along with head injuries. i got there, not knowing what to expect. steve, carol, and amy were all there. they were all in good spirits. steve shared with me countless miracles that have taken place in the last month and a half. it is amazing that he is doing so well. life is fragile. each day is a gift.

in the words of job, "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." i was reminded again and again this weekend, that things don't always go how we want or how we plan...and sometimes they do go how we want and how we plan. regardless of it all, the Lord has His hand in all things. if we open our hearts to learning and understanding in all these experiences and treat each day as a gift we will live lives full of joy.

spark plugs and spark wires

most girls like to spend their money on clothes and makeup. not me. spark plugs and spark wires are my most recent purchase. $219 dollars later and the subaru is running like a dream. the best part. i didn't even have to do any of the shopping and the plugs and wires were the right size AND color.

conspiracy theory

to prepare for my most recent business trip to dallas, TX i had to go to the store and purchase a mini tube of toothpaste. while driving to the store, i came to the conclusion that the airlines and the toothpaste companies have some sort of conspiracy going on. think about it - if you are going to carry a bag on when jumping on a plane to head out of town (which, might i add, is your best option, because it now costs $15 to check a bag - UNBELIEVABLE!). then, you NEED to purchase mini toothpaste. since liquids need to be in 3 oz. or smaller containers many of our personal favorite toiletry items can be transfered into your own special, smaller containers to take on the plane. however, toothpaste is not something that is easily transfered from a large to a small container. hence, the need to purchase mini tubes of toothpaste. the average cost of a normal size tube of paste costs anywhere from $3 - $5. the mini tubes, which are at least 1/8 the size of a normal tube cost about $.97. ounce for ounce, the mini toothpaste is kind of like gold. do you see where i am going with this? if you travel much, a lot of money is being spent on mini tubes of your favorite teeth cleaner. the thing is, toothpaste is something i refuse to go without on a trip. my parents spent a lot of money on braces for this killer smile of mine and i won't let this consipirarcy ruin that. the conspiracy of the toothpaste companies and the airlines will continue, and it seems, i will spend hundreds of thousands on mini tubes of paste.