Holy Colee!

Every time I drive back to Salt Lake I keep thinking maybe one time something will be different. So far, not so much. Regardless, I AM back in SLC for a while.
I do hope everyone has had a fabulous week. I managed to go 5 whole days with only 3 pages and 1 phone call from work. YAY! Have I mentioned that I really enjoy that my phone doesn't work well in Dingle ;) I am not sure I am ready to go back tomorrow, but I do count myself blessed that I have a job to go back to.

It's been a great week at home. I must admit I spent the whole week being miserable and sick, but is there anywhere better than home for recovering?

Yay for home, Yay for holidays and Yay for blessings sometimes disguised as trials.

So, I am not sure if it is WHERE I am from or WHO I am from, but when I come home, I tend to find myself doing the most random things... (I still have not lived down telling my friends that I was churning butter.) Tonight, if you had called, I would have told you I was rummaging through old doors and then I ended up sitting in the shop pounding horse shoe nails OUT of rusty old horse shoes. Yeah.... I know you're jealous.

Tomorrow is my second and last day of work for the week - YAY for holidays!!

It has been a really good week - and yet for some reason, I am still REALLY ready for the weekend.
Monday and Wednesday nights I got to hang out with Dav. To see pictures of dinner - check his blog ;) It's nights like these that I am glad I live close enough to be the crashpad for the airport :)
Tuesday night I had the super exciting project of cleaning my carpets. I am pretty sure they are a lost cause. If you see a stellar deal on carpet, please keep me in mind. Of course, new windows should probably come before new carpets. I am working on distinguishing between WANTS and NEEDS. I want new carpet, but I need new windows.....
Thursday a few of my friends came over for dinner. We missed in October, so I was super excited for November. I was happy to see all of them, but I will not lie. I was excited to have a baby to stare at for a little while. This was our first visit with little Amelia, so it was fun. My favorite thing about babies is that I get to keep them when they are happy, and give them back when they are not. I hope that will change in the future, but right now - it works. But honestly, she is adorable. Thanks guys for bringing her to visit :)
Tonight I get to go home. Tomorrow there is a benefit auction In Memory of Cory Weston. It is nice (if that is the right word?) that I can have the flexibility to be home for the important things and still be able to work. Having a job is a blessing every day, but having my job at times like these makes me even more appreciative.

I have been tagged... thanks Bri ;)
Here are the rules. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 facts... it seems everything about is weird or at least slightly off center. I am not sure I should be proud of that, but oh well... it is what it is.

1- I have worked for the same company for over 1/3 of my life. I am only 30 years old - I think that's an accomplishment.

2- I am engaged but have NO IDEA when I will be able to get married. It can't happen soon enough for either of us, but the government holds all the keys.

3- I love my little home. It really is just little, but it is mine and it is home. I won't lie, I wish it was self cleaning.

4- I like performance reality shows - but I HATE the relationship ones. So I can't get enough of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars... but I shut off the Bachelor as soon as it comes on. I can take or leave Amazing Race and Survivor.

5- Dingle really is my favorite place in the world. I am so blessed that my job is flexible enough to allow me to spend time there. I love having my family everywhere - even when they are in the middle of it ;)

6- I own a fair share of movies, but I rarely watch them. I have movies that I have had for years that still have plastic wrap on them. I am not a collector. I buy movies I have enjoyed, but for some reason, I just don't get around to watching them again. It's not like thousands of shows or anything, just a small shelf, but yeah.

7- I crave consistency. I look for patterns. I like things that can be counted on. When these things disappear, it seems to throw my whole life off kilter.

7.1 - I am lazy. If you are reading this - consider yourself TAGGED! I am not a real "rule follower."

Saturdays are awesome... First I sleep in. Which is the way I think all days should start, but since they don't it makes Saturdays nice. When I finally DO get out of bed, I either clean my house, which is just little so it doesn't take long. Then I go down to see my grandparents. After the initial - It's been YEARS since you've been here (apparently years equate to weeks, since I go down at least once a month- and I am out of town at least 2 of the other Saturdays), we have a lovely visit or watch a movie while I get caught up on the other family members. Aftet that I run errands. Wal-mart on Saturday is ALWAYS an adventure. Of course, part of the adventure is trying to get out for less than a hundred bucks. And the fact that we are getting close to Christmas - yeah... you can't prove a slower economy there. I run the same errands it seems every time, because I have the route memorized.
Then I get home and "hang out" with John.

I am a simple girl... It really is a fabulous day :D

I am convinced that Instant Messaging is going to be the downfall of verbal communication. We send our words into the great expanse of the internet, with only the hope that the person we are “talking” to is sitting near their computer. Sure there are “away” settings, but rarely do people use them accurately. We forget to put ourselves away when we leave. We set ourselves as invisible when we don’t want everyone to know where we are.

While we are busy picking and choosing where we want people to be able to see us – We are constantly looking for MORE places to choose from. It’s not just email IM anymore – now we also have myspace, facebook, lds linkup, etc all with their own IM services. I know more people’s AIM and MSN ids than I do phone numbers. (Ok, so part of that is because my cell phone holds phone numbers… but come to think of it, I can add email too….hmmm) We are basically looking to be available to our chosen “contacts,” at all times and in all things and in all places – while at the same time- only answering or talking when we are in the mood. If you don’t want to answer, you just don’t. There is no way for them to know if you got the message or not. We can blame the computer for our bad manners.

It’s no longer required for you to type complete words, let alone complete sentences or bother formally finishing a conversation. “Hello” and “good bye” have been replaced with “yt” and “k”

The only way to express emotion is weird little faces that can look like anything from dots and lines to shamrocks or clown faces or cars or monsters or light bulbs, or if you get real fancy, pictures that move or play music, depending on the messaging system you are on.

Many of you are aware just how much my life involved IM. Whether I am at work or in my personal life – probably 80% of my communication is done via IM. That amount would increase dramatically if my mom were a faster typist ;) The rest of my communication can be summed up in 2 words – Conference Calls.

So what am I getting at you ask? Here it is - I am giving you the permission to hold me accountable. If you catch me being guilty of poor IM manners – tell me so. For that matter – I am giving you call to arms to stand up for good communication manners everywhere.

As a side note - I miss TALKING to people. So, when I do corner you on the phone or at church or across the table – just understand I rarely get the chance to communicate 1:1 or face to face – so I am just trying to make the very most of each and every opportunity :) I probably do know I am talking too much, but it doesn’t mean I am going to stop.

I love Thanksgiving - which is part of why tonight is one of my favorite nights. Every year my ward puts on a dinner for the older singles (widows/widowers) in our stake. It's a fun activity and everyone enjoys the meal, the talent show and the company in general. It's like the perfect kick off to a month of turkey, cranberries and yams... that's right, I officially like yams. I think I must be getting older. I have always been told I make really good yams, but until this past year, I've never actually eaten them. Hey, how can you go wrong with a vegetable that you smother in brown sugar and marshmallows??? I mean really.

I am choosing to ignore all of the things going on in the country tonight and post a very selfishly happy post.... I am officially wearing an engagement ring
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
There are not enough smiley faces to express how giddy I have been.
I can't figure out how to take a good picture of it, but here are a couple of attempts.




To answer your next question - no, there is no word yet on when the big day will be or when the visa process will take it's next step - we're still just waiting. But at least now I am waiting with a little more shimmer :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D The next step can not come soon enough for John or I :D

Often, when we see people, or ourselves, going through trials that seem just too big, we tend to wonder what they or we are being punished for - what did we do to deserve this? It was suggested to me that instead of wondering what mistake caused the trial we should instead wonder about what amazing things we are being prepared for - or what awesome blessing are in store for being able to endure this trial. That is what I am wondering tonight as I think of all the things my little cousin has gone through, the Lord must be preparing her and her family for some pretty amazing things, because this is just too big.
Amanda, we love you.