Serena Joy

Mustard

2011-05-05T16:03:00.008-06:00

I always get a kick out of myself when I learn something that the rest of the world has known about for quite some time. And it happens a lot...the older I get, the more I learn how I'm incredible at being a slow-bloomer. Take, for example, the following:

See this lady on the sticker? The one we find on bananas. When I was little, I had no idea what that was a picture of...I remember asking my sister Alycia in the store why there were a bunch of scribbles on the sticker, and what the meaning was. She laughed. Not the burly kind of laugh that comes from finding something funny. It was the kind of laugh that you make when when you are experiencing disbelief. I clearly remember the words she said next, "Those aren't scribbles, that's a picture of a lady holding fruit on her head". To this day, I've held a bit of resentment against the Chiquita banana lady...she has no purpose being on a sticker, and I hate that she was the hidden image in what I once thought was a chaos of scribbles.

Moving on to an even more embarrassing example, I remember sitting in the lovely van we had in the 90's with my sisters. We were parked in the Target parking lot while my parents were inside doing their quick shopping errand (yes...indeed it was okay to leave your kids in the car back in the day...we can take care of ourselves you know!). I finally got up the nerve to ask the question I knew would result in the ultimate of embarrassment, "Why the red and white circles for the target store?" To me, in my childlike mind they were just circles, plain and simple circles, with no symbolism behind them. The same sister, Alycia, made the same laugh, and explained the obvious target symbol. This is the day I learned that I was a little behind on the times. After this point, you know...with having figured out the target symbol and the Chiquita Banana Lady and all, I thought I could put my days of embarrassment behind me. But boy was I wrong! Keep reading:

Just so happens that my sister Alycia and I worked at three different jobs together. To begin our lovely sister career, we started off at a retirement home working as Activities Aides. This meant we spent our days vacationing and relaxing with the G'mas and G'pas of the territory, playing Bingo (that was always a big hit), light finger and foot exercises, doughnut runs with the G'pas, and putting together some crazy awesome puzzles. One day, we got a little wild with adventure and us sisters and the G'mas went outside to soak up some sun and read books to each other like a bunch of crazies. It was my turn to read and I stumbled upon a word the I had somehow missed all the years of my life and I was beyond excuses. You see, I had already graduated High School at this point, even had attended a few college semesters. The second I said it... "Pa-neu-mon-e-ah", I knew that I was about to be made a laughing stock. The G'mas got quite a kick out of the fact that I didn't know how to read Pneumonia!

Later on in our sister career, we were working for an insurance agent. Our other sister Heidi was living in California and I was making big plans with my brother Jesse to drive out to see her. The insurance agent often left us lacking with things to do, so I spent a lot of time researching things on the Internet for fun. This particular day I was researching all the exciting things I could possibly see in California when I came upon this beautiful place, one I had never heard. I whipped my office chair around and said to Alycia, "Maybe Jesse and I can drive through Yo-see-mite on our way back from California"! Then I heard that laugh....the one that meant I had just exposed myself to something embarrassing. "It's not yo-see-mite, it's Yoh-sem-i-tee."

That Alycia...she's a smart one!

So where was she this past week when I was finally clued into yet another thing I've been missing out on?
I've been studying about faith this past week and read up on the mustard seed in my Bible where it explains, "...for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20) I always thought comparing faith to a mustard seed was all about size and size alone. I would think, "I can do a lot with even a little bit of faith", or I would even pray for "increased" faith. Those aren't bad things, I was just not cluing into the additional meanings. The book, "Jesus the Christ" by Talmage explains what I've been missing this whole time, "The comparison between effective faith and a grain of mustard seed is one of quality rather than of quantity; it connotes living, virile faith, like unto the seed, however small, from which a great plant may spring, in contrast with a lifeless, artificial imitation, however prominent or demonstrative."

And that, my peeps, is when it hit me...not in the way other realizations did. When I realized the things I should have long ago about Chiquita Bananas, Target, Pneumonia and Yosemite, my face would turn red, my palms would get sweaty, my heart would race a little and I'd have the urge to go hide somewhere. But not with this latter realization. Instead of feeling embarrassed, I just ached a little inside, wishing I had understood this better a long time ago. Because when a person strives to have, not greater faith, but more quality faith something wonderful happens. I know it did for me. I've always had faith, tons of it. I will admit, though, that over the years I've been mixing my faith with doubt, impatience, want for control, bitterness, uncertainty and most of all, fear. You see, my life just hasn't panned out the way I've always thought it would, nor do I think that is how it is supposed to be. It's been easy to allow those tainted things to mingle with faith. But lets just say, I'm glad to know the importance of refining my faith, however large or small. I'm excited to begin removing all of the tainted aspects of what my faith has become so it can regain the quality it's been missing.

What to know more, read HERE.

How to live life not as you know it...wait, what?

2011-04-20T13:02:00.005-06:00

Life as we know it as Americans means that we more than likely own a car. We would probably imagine in your mind that you wouldn't be able to live life without a car and I bet you could very easily think up a quick list of things that you HAVE to do that REQUIRE you to have a car. But what if you were to get rid of your car...what would stop you? I've been going over this list of things that stop me and have decided there is a deeper reason behind the reason I'm listing. Most of the deeper reasons boil down to fear...fear of not knowing how to live life like that, because life as I know it is to have a car.

The reason I'm making these lists is because it's been 3 years since THIS and THIS have happened. Since it was a major change in events and I was a jobless college student, I leased a car. Now that the lease is up on May 10th and the weather is warm, I've been telling myself that it would be nice to have the freedom of not having a car for a while. I've officially made the decision that I will not buy a car until the weather gets cold, but even then, it may be longer than that...we will see.

So, the following information is for myself to have an easy way to access reminders of why I'm doing this and how to cope with my decision :) but if any of you out there are wanting to live car-free for a time, maybe this will help you too:

If one of your fears of going car-less is because you have kids, check out THIS website that talks about how a family lives car free with kids.

Bikes that are great for riding around town and running errands, grocery shopping, that are still inexpensive:
Huffy Bike - 26" Ladies Cruiser
Schwinn Bike - Cruiser Windwood
Trekking Bike - Cycle Tour de France Advantage
Schwinn Bike - Compact folding bike

What to do when you reall need a form of transportation beyond your feet or a bicycle?
Use Public Transportation
Car Share Options - find out if your state or city has one. Many of you may not know, but here in Utah, we have a car share option now. Also, you may be able to find groups of people in the classified adds who are willing to form a car share with you.
Moped/Scooter - I drove a Yamaha Zuma around for a year before I bought my first car, and loved it. I'm saving up for a car, so won't be using my cash to buy one of these any time soon, but if you are considering getting one, there are lots of cheap used options available.
Taxi - why not take a cab? Well, I know I won't be...they are quite pricy...I call the first number on the link I posted thinking it would be handy to take a taxi every once in a while to visit my sister in Layton and they told me it would be $60 one way...talk about a rip off....why haven't I become a taxi driver yet, I could be rolling in the dough!
Car Rental - although they are pricey, they are much cheaper than owning a car if you only go on occasional trips. THIS website talks about how a couple rents a car every six weeks to take off, vacation and visit family. If you need a car for a day, it's around $32.

What to do when it's bad weather:
Rain - get an umbrella and shoes that keep the water out, or just enjoy being wet!
Snow - it's not a safe thing to bike in, but you can walk in it, just bundle up. Get studs for your bicycle tires to ride around in the ice and snow (did you even know these things existed for bicycles? I sure didn't). You are also probably traveling in the dark during winter, arm yourself with lights so you don't get run over.
Extreme Cold - use a ski mask to keep your face warm, wear ski goggles or sun glasses, wear layers.

If you are feeling nervous about making the "big change", THIS is a great article to read. I'll share with you a part of it that echos what is going on in my heart right now, "I remember being afraid, thinking that I could have possibly made a decision I would ver y soon regret. I realized that not having a car would limit me in many ways, but knew that not having it would also free me up in others. So at this point in time, I was just very nervous about the future and I was unsure as to whether or not I would be able to survive without a vehicle of my own."

I'm Thankful for: Parents

2010-11-05T16:04:00.001-06:00

I'm sure my mom will not like that I posted this video in making a post about why I am grateful for my parents, but it's a funny movie and it gets the point across :) tee hee!

I'm so grateful for my parents. Just like giving plants a good fertilizer to grow and become strong, I was given good parents - when I am going through trials and tests and growing experiences in life, their nourishing examples, advice, and love are what I always fall back on as a source of strength.

When I am home with Mom and Dad, I feel like me again - just being around them reminds me of who I really want to be. Being around them makes me feel at peace, gives me strength, and makes me really homesick when they are gone :(

I love them dearly and treasure every moment that I get to spend with them.

I'm Thankful for: MUSIC

2010-11-04T14:48:00.000-06:00

Music has been a major influence on me and has created a large part of who I am today. As a little girl I watched my sisters and mom in awe as they practiced the piano, longing for the day when I could be old enough to take piano lessons. I caught myself gawking at a lady playing the piano once, you know those moments when you catch yourself doing something really socially awkward? That was one of those moments. My face was literally planted on the piano while I watched her and then I realized what I was doing...and I didn't move, cause I really didn't care, I just wanted to watch, in amazement, as her fingers polished the keys.

Finally my day came to take piano lessons....and although it took a while to make sense of the music it was the exciting of it consumed me in a way. Although not so now, I was a very shy kid and learning to express myself through music was like learning a new language that let me speak about the emotions I felt. It was wonderful to have a new way to express myself and was the driving reason behind why I continued to play on my own long after I lost my piano teacher about a year after I had started lessons. I wouldn't get another teacher till my junior year of high school, but I just kept plunking on alone and got acquainted with music in my own way.

My high school years brought opportunities to publicly perform beyond piano lesson performances and was a fulfillment of my desire to share the music I loved with others. It brought on new challenges as it forced me to play without error or risk embarrassment. I had gotten into playing the trumpet as well in the High School band, and although I never became perfect, I was able to make lasting friendships with fellow band members that still continue today, accompanied by many wonderful and hilarious memories. It taught me that music and the preparation and performance of it brings people together in a very unique way.

Additionally, I was given the opportunity to become the Organist at church. Assuming the role with no prior experience in playing the organ came around the same time I assumed the role of Piano Teacher to three young girls, nothing of which I had done before. The organ came easily, and taught me that not only can music evoke emotion, it can be played with such emotion as to allow others to find gospel messages that cannot be found expect through music. Teaching Piano, on the other hand, was a challenge that I found difficult because for me music had always been like a different language for me - and just as it is difficult to explain why someone speaks English the way they do or why they use the words they do, I found it difficult as well to explain what it meant and why it was done. It seemed like I was the one benefiting more from the experience more than the students.

Throughout my teenage years I felt like it was a growing time, where I was able to gain musical skills that I would never be able to forget. Everything I had learn had become a part of me and came easily. Later in life is when I began to reap some of the most rewarding experiences from the blessing of knowing music. I was able to teach eager Filipino girls who to play on cardboard "piano keys" as there was only one piano for them to learn on and wasn't easily accessible. Teaching them was a joyful experience and was easy to do since they were so eager to learn. In college, I was able to participate in Choirs and musical performances that allowed me to meet some of the most inspiring musicians, ranging from conductors, opera singers, teachers and musical therapists.

I was also able to fulfill a childhood dream of somehow being a part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I would spend hours at home when I was little pretending that I was playing for people who had flocked around me from around the world aching to hear me play...ha ha, it's sounds pretty funny, but I imagined it a lot and loved to pretend I was playing along with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Becoming a member of the Bells on Temple Square gave me the opportunity to become a part of them, and now there literally are thousands of people who do flock around wanting to hear us play. It's blessed me with further opportunities to participate with some amazing musicians, allowing me to participate with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Orchestra on Temple Square, Tom Waldron (our conductor), and have training with William Payne, a professor who teaches advanced bell ringing courses. We are also preparing for our Christmas Concert with David Archuleta in December. Most importantly, through this time in the Bells I have come to feel a strong spirit in music, especially working with William Payne who conducted in such a peaceful way, it created strong emotions that could only be felt by playing with thoughtful emotion and a desire to portray those emotions to the listener. It creates a unique opportunity to be a musical missionary :)

For all of these reasons, I am thankful for music!

Birthday Deals that you maybe didn't know about

2010-06-02T18:24:00.001-06:00

Here is an email I got today. Mostly I'm posting it on here to keep it fresh in my memory, cause food is fun, especially on your birthday.

In a never-ending search to save money while going out to eat, I discovered a few restaurants that would like to help you celebrate your birthday! I'm liking the free ice cream on your birthday!!
If you're married, you can sign up twice – 1 for you and 1 for your husband (as long as you have different email addresses) so you can both get coupons and FREE stuff on our birthdays!
Applebees - FREE dessert with your meal
Baskin Robbins - FREE ice cream treat
Chili’s – FREE chips and queso dip (when you sign up)
Cold Stone Creamery - (we LOVE this place!) FREE ice cream treat
DQ Blizzard Fan Club – Buy one, get on FREE blizzard for signing up
Outback – FREE aussie-tizer for signing up
Red Lobster – FREE surprise on your birthday, plus they email you coupons periodically.
Red Robin – FREE hamburger on your birthday
Starbucks - FREE drink of your choice*To receive a free drink on your birthday, you need to have a Starbucks gift card (Rewards Card), sign up and add your mailing address and date of birth to your Rewards Card member profile and opt in to receive mail from Starbucks.
Zaxby’s – FREE Meal Deal

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T12:45:00.002-06:00

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

Julia Ward Howe wrote the words to the battle hymn of the republic when she awoke in the middle of the night with the words in her head and quickly wrote them down before returning back to bed. The words of this song always stir some emotions for me and I love to hear it. I think the words are especially fitting to honor who Memorial Day is all about, those who died to make us free. I pray that we will all work together to Live to make men free by taking advantage of our freedoms and not letting them be lost.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars take donations for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day. The reason poppy's signify Memorial Day is due to John McCrae poem "In Flanders Fields." In the poem, poppies are mentioned because they grew in abundance over the battlefields and graves where war casualties were buried.

The Story of Bottled Water

2010-05-27T14:21:00.002-06:00

The Story of Bottled Water

Posted using ShareThis

The strange and unusual...

2010-04-16T15:37:00.005-06:00

I've always been one for trying new things and since gardening to me is such an experimental thing, I like to try out new things in the garden to see how they turn out. Here is my experiment for this year: KOHLRABI...not sure how you cook with it or eat it, but it's apparently really good. You plant it the same time you put your lettuce in. Here is some info I found on it:

"An heirloom vegetable introduced before 1860, kohlrabi is a root vegetable with a bright purple skin and white flesh. The flesh is tender with a mild, cabbage-turnip flavour. Pick when small, golf-ball-sized, as they become fibrous with age. Use cooked or grated raw in salads. Sow early spring or late summer to winter. This is a very hardy vegetable and easy to grow."from greenharvest.com/au

Purslane on the other hand is another experiment that I'm not sure how I feel about. This is what I've found on it:

"Purslane/Pigweed from Weed to Vegetable: Scientists report that purslane Portulaca oleracea, which is palatable either raw or cooked, is extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been claimed to reduce the risk of heart disease. It also contains levels of Vitamin E, 6 x higher than spinach. (Reference: Hortideas 10 (2))" from greenharvest.com/au

If you don't recognize it, you should as you begin weeding your garden this year...I know in all the gardens I've had across Utah, this has been a weed in all of them. Who knew it was a better vegetable than Spinach! So if you get a little hungry while weeding your garden, go ahead...I guess...and take a bite out of crime! Tell me what you think!

Bells Update and Pictures

2010-03-26T09:52:00.002-06:00

My sisters, brother in laws, nieces and nephews, bishop, his wife and my friends were able to joing me in getting set-apart as a bell-ringer for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir this week. It was fun to have them there and show them the choir and the tabernacle and introduce them to my director, Tom Waldron. We had a lot of fun. Here is a link to my sisters blog about the evening with pictures and video if you missed it and wished you could have come.

The word got out...

2010-03-15T20:12:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, I told the world how much I loved chocolate truffles. Well, the world heard, and this is my ample supply of truffles...it puts the jiggles on my belly and I'm a content lady now!

It's true

2010-03-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

Once you pop, you really can't stop. I was craving them at work real bad one day and since then I haven't been able to stop. I bought 6 of them the other day cause I couldn't decide which flavor to get, so I got all the ones I wanted. They help me in good ways.

Birds of a feather...

2010-03-10T00:53:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Miranda, shes talented and crafty and cool! I like her. So I told her to come to my house and I was inspired!

So this is what came of inspiration. I'm not sure how I feel about it, sometimes I feel like there is a dead bird on my head, but I got a lot of compliments from it, especially from boys, and most especially from boys who like to hunt!
My friend wants me to make her one for her wedding with white feathers...so my question is where do I find white feathers that are pretty for a bride to wear in her hear?

My friend Erica...she's a Mom!

2010-03-08T00:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Erica!

It's time...Now go get your thumb green!!!!

2010-03-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

Every year, I want so badly to plant my garden using plants that I have grown by seed. The sad thing is that most of my experiments in doing this have ended poorly. I've learned though! In the past I would use dirt from the garden...apparently your baby seedlings need more nutrients than regular dirt, so this year I planted them in seedling starter mix. Also, I've always planted them in egg cartons....which dry up too quickly and make you tend the plants more than you want....this year I spent $4.50 and purchased a plastic container with planters, a bottom for the water to rest in and a lid. I didn't realize the importance of a lid, I always thought the plants needed to breath more than that, but putting a lid on keeps moisture in, meaning you are watering less. Last mistake I've always made is how I was watering the seedlings...by putting them under the sink and getting them wet...this year, as to not disturb the seeds or the dirt, I'm using a spray bottle, getting a fine mist to soak the plants.

Like I said, each year this is an experiment but I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for this year. Also, I'm trying a few new plants: Tomatillo's being one of them! And I'm finally going to start an herb garden for indoors....my pantry's been emptied out of some of the essentials, like oregano, and it's high time I replace them, besides, after looking at the price of good spices, and I'm not talking about the cheapo ones, you can't beat spending a dollar for a packet of seeds that will make plants that will replenish your herb supply on their own!

I planted peas on March 2nd and can you believe that spinach could already have been planted in February! Next week I will be planting spinach along with several different types of lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, Kohlrabi (apparently it's delicious and easy to grow...another experiment), and cabbage. I'm crossing my fingers that the house I'm living in doesn't sell....I'd be so sad to plant all of this just to give it all away to the new house owners.

The first North Dakotan to...

2010-03-04T00:01:00.003-07:00

Am I the first North Dakotan to be a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?

I'm in! Call me a Ding Dong if you want, but I'm a member of the Mo. Tab.!

If you want to see what I will be doing, check out this video. Around 3:10 in the video, you'll be able to see the "Ding Dongs" :) Enjoy!

Joy is the feeling of Smiling on the Inside

2010-02-13T15:11:00.003-07:00

A few years ago, some of you may remember me posting about THIS. It was at one of those a few years ago that I fell in love with a little group called The Bells On Temple Square, a part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I love their little parts in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert and have been to a few of their other concerts, dragging my friends with me :). I think what amazed me more than listening to the music and the bells dinging was watching the people playing the bells - I loved to watch their faces and arm movements, it all seemed so interesting and enjoyable to me.

Well, the reason today was so special was because the Conductor, Thomas M Waldron, invited me to participate in their Audition!!!! Auditions are a month and a half long process, which began in January...today was my first time, so I'm making it into the last three weeks of the auditions, not much time to make an impression and I am very much behind the others who have been a part of the process since January. I'd like to stay living in my dream of getting into "The Bells on Temple Square" but reality tells me my odds aren't very high. BUT, I can't stop grinning! I had so much fun, my muscles are sore and I was so happy when I was asked to come back next week after being told in the beginning of the audition that my chances are small. Time will only tell if I will be the next bell ringing super star, but I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed!

Somebody was bored at work today...

2010-01-08T10:38:00.004-07:00

Engrish.com

It only hurts when I laugh....just grin and tear it!

I don't know where we went wrong....

I love this stuffs!

Special Guest Appearances

2010-01-01T15:51:00.002-07:00

Bishop Plaizier: told me a special story about the Shepherds in the christmas story, while serving us hot chocolate in his cozy warm home :)

Jesse: flew in from Arkansas and made the most special christmas I have ever had...he may think he has an idea of how much his time here and his love has meant to me, but I don't think he'll ever really know

Chelsea Noelle Greene: what more can I say...she is a shining star that filled my heart with a little more christmas spirit, just like she always does!

Becca Darling: always helping others out, she helped me get christmas dinner ready, watched her friends little girl all day on christmas and the day after and just carries a happy heart and a peaceful outlook with her everywhere she goes!

Janice Hallaq: I got to kidnap her and have her over for christmas. To add to pretending she was my mom this year, cause I was missing my mom and she was missing her daughter, I let her make the ham gravy :) and it was GOOOD!!!!! I'm licking my lips right now!

Thanks to all the wonderful people that make christmas even more bright!

Lights on Temple Square

2010-01-01T14:41:00.004-07:00

Thanksgiving Definitions

2010-01-01T13:59:00.003-07:00

Pie Night: get together and eat as much pie as you can the day before thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving: being with family as much as possible! And then some... :)

Bowling: losing to your nephew shows you should brush up on your bowling skills

Friends: they give us adventures to look forward to...even when you feel left behind when they leave for Puerto Rico :(

Thanksgiving ending: you can FINALLY put up the christmas tree :)

Movies last night!

2009-11-20T10:31:00.001-07:00

Last night I was able to go to the movies with my friends McCall, Lisa and Becca. We had a fun time and I didn't want you to feel left out, so I wanted to share a snippet of the movie we saw! :) Hope it makes you laugh! Enjoy!

Not a Terd!

2009-11-17T23:15:00.005-07:00

THIS, my friends, is pure happiness! I fell in love with truffles two years ago after seeing them at Smiths Marketplace...they are like magic! You feeling down? Pop one in your mouth, and your happy! You feeling happy? Pop one in your mouth and you are feeling stupendious! Looking for your dream job? Pop one in your mouth and you'll need no dreams, you'll have all the joy you need!

My dear old former Bishop Plaizier came to visit me with his wife on sunday! It was WONDERFUL to see them and have their cheery smiles in my house. Even better to hear their laughs and be uplifted by their insight and happiness! They brought me these truffles, and it made my day!!!!! It should be thanksgiving everyday because there is so much to be thankful for all the time.

Another highlight in my life....my roommate Shauna has been contemplating what to get me for my birthday for months now :) (my birthday was in July....we like to put a lot of thought into our gifts, ha ha), and she gave me THIS:

Lucky for me, I happen to need one of those for this:

Thank you Shauna! I love it!

Saint George, Utah

2009-11-16T13:49:00.004-07:00

This last thursday I went down to Saint George with my friends Layla and Sherie. We go to the Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband concert once a year and they happened to be playing in Saint George, so we thought: Why not! Layla's dad John lives down there and likes when we come to visit and we like visiting him. John and Barbara are great cooks, they fed me so much I probably gained about 20 pounds during our visit. We were able to see a road runner during our swimming adventure. You can see Layla and Sherie posing here with the cool swimming gear we found :)

This was friday night at the concert - it was so cold, but it wasn't as cold as the storm we left behind in Bountiful, I'm glad we missed out on that! We had front row seats to the concert at Tuacan, it's a great outdoor theatre and is set in the Saint George Red Rock Canyon, very pretty! I was never a fan of Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band when I first heard their music, I thought it sounded like Sesame Street cheesy music, ha ha...but I was somehow conned into going to one of their concerts and enjoy them as performers, they put on a good show, so I've become a Sort-of-Fan :)

Craig Miner is Layla's favorite performer, if anybody knows him, they need to meet!

Sherie and I were able to take some time on Saturday to visit the Saint George Temple. It is very pretty and was nice to be able to spend some time with Sherie. Afterward we were able to see the Reflections of Christ exhibit by Mark Mabry that was on display in the Visitors Center. I was so glad to be able to see it, i've heard a lot of wonderful things about it. You can view the website here! One of my favorite pictures is of Angels heralding in the birth of Christ. The way he was able to have the angels pose as though they were flying was to take photos of them in costume in the air while jumping on the trampoline. It was pretty interesting to learn the different ways in which he was able to make each photo work.

And of course, no trip to John and Barbaras would be complete unless we played Phase 10! I lost miserably, but it was fun :) John has created a different set of phases that we usually play, but it takes HOURS to finish the game, so we played the normal way this time.

Here is some footage from the concert, it was fun to see the little things they would do in between songs. One of my favorite songs they play is The Devil Went Down to Georgia, but it is too long to post. :(

Pray, Dream, Believe

2009-10-04T23:33:00.002-06:00

"God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as he always has. But he can't if you don't pray, and he can't if you don't dream. In short, he can't if you don't believe." - Jeffery R. Holland, July 2007 Ensign

Dresses and Sandwiches

2009-09-02T14:46:00.004-06:00

So today I had the most amazing lunch. Sautéed onions and Portobello mushrooms and spinach with olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard and Mayo on toast with a glass of milk! It really made my day – and made me feel cool too – single people don’t normally make such elaborate sandwiches for their lunches, you know! It’s more like what a wife would make for her husband to impress him…I imagined a husband walking in the door while I ate it. It made me smile...and chuckle (I love that word...chuckle).
I went to the D.I. yesterday and got some hottie-with-a-naughty-body dresses that I am in love with, I am so excited to wear them. Do you know how deprived I am of new clothes? Horribly deprived – so it was a fun adventure for me. Oh and by "new" I meant new to me, not brand-new.
Why do I tell you all these things? Because today is just a good day, so was yesterday, and even thought it's nothing big...I like the way I am feeling - just happy and content. My life isn't perfect, nor am I yet living any life-long dreams, but I can definitely say that my belly is happy and I'm going to look forward to doing laundry soon.

Lifes Lessons

2009-05-14T13:22:00.004-06:00

Sometimes the Lord must bring us low in order to lift us higher.

That's all

I just needed to remember that...

That is all....

The end!

Mother I Love You

2009-05-11T01:14:00.003-06:00

Mom,
I hope you know that I love you and wish I could spend the day with you, bring you flowers and go on a walk with you.
Be happy today knowing that there are six kids, who are pretty awesome, because you are such a wonderful Mother.
Love, your daughter,
Serena
Happy Mothers Day

Dinner Conversation

2009-04-28T21:24:00.009-06:00

We were sitting at the dinner table, eating "Cream of Everything" soup (i couldn't figure out what to make for dinner, so I made everything). The topic of movies came up and my roommates and I all looked at my brother. We've all been unimpressed by his movie collection. It was suggested to him that he make a goal to improve it. He committed to this goal and even to do it by the end of the month!

Good job Stuart, I know you hated that we brought it up, but you are awesome for putting up with us and for making the goal.

Want some motivation to work on your goals? Click Here!

Sunday Happenings

2009-04-26T22:28:00.007-06:00

I love being home on Sundays, spending time after church enjoying the weather and being with my brothers and roommates. This is what our afternoon was:

Stuart helping with the meal - he makes the best chocolate pudding

Chelsey spent the entire afternoon like this, and enjoyed every minute of it

Gotta make that rice

Our basement dweller #1 - on the phone with family i think?

(I'm basement dweller #2)

Eating - notice the goblets. Mom never really liked me to set the table growing up because I always used the fancy plates and goblets. They just make me happy. My local thrift store supplies me with many of them :)

After a great fireside given by Bronco Mendenhal, BYU's Football coach, we came home and had some ice-cream with chopped up strawberries, chopped with my handy-chopper (we'll call it Barb).

I laugh every time I use this, to think that I've had this since I was sixteen. I dreamt my whole childhood that grandma would get me a barbie doll like she gave all the other granddaughters. I was the youngest granddaughter and apparently was never mature enough to handle a barbie, so I got stuffed animals....I hated stuffed animals. Then one Christmas my dreams finally came unexpectedly true - grandma got me a barbie (the Malibu barbie). Except it was no longer my dream to get a barbie, I was sixteen years old that year and was pretty embarrassed to have gotten a barbie, so I hid it under the couch. Lots of people told me I should keep it, but I was too embarrassed, so I took it back to the store and traded if for my handy-chopper, which has been a faithful sidekick for 11 years now. Unfortunately my sixteen year old embarrassment has turned into a family joke, especially with grandma, who gives me nothing but Barbie related items for birthdays and Christmas now. Even when I left the country for 18 months, she kept a plastic storage bin to store each Christmas and birthday present in. My return home was spent opening up what would be a little girls barbie dream. I keep it in storage for future kids to use.

Saturday is a special day

2009-04-25T17:53:00.004-06:00

Today I was Supposed to do the following:
Wash clothes
Fold clothes
Clean room
Plant garden
Go for a run

The sad thing about my lists is that I rarely follow them. This is what I did instead:

Make my favorite breakfast smoothie! You want one? Click here.

Then I went to watch a Rugby game

With my friend Chelsea

Secretly I wish I were a boy and had amazing rugby skills - I would change the world!

Then I went to work, I would have taken pictures but they don't let me. Especially today, it was shaving day. It's the one day a week the juvies are allowed to have a razor blade to shave with. Lets just say I've never seen a bunch of girls so thankful for freshly shaved armpits and legs. And lets just say too that you wouldn't want a picture of it either, they have no privacy and have to be closely supervised, especially while armed with a razor. All went well and I returned home to these:

I've been trying to stop using these for years, but instead I've been using earplugs for years....nightly.....consistently. I'm addicted. You could promise me that my night would be sound free and I still wouldn't be able to fall asleep without them. Tonight, I tried to sleep without them, but I kept hearing my roommate talking in her sleep - it was a bad night to make such an attempt. I popped these babies in and I was off to dream land.

Pick, chew, or suck - i just can't decide!

2009-03-22T00:47:00.002-06:00

Just a few of my favorite pictures of my neices and nephews, ha ha! Good Times!

Moving In!

2009-02-12T22:45:00.003-07:00

I've been living in my new house for two weeks now and never realized how much stuff I had until it's time to organize and put it all away! What a mess the house has been. We are hoping to have a party once it's clean and organized for everyone to come see the house - let me know if you would like to come so I can be sure to send you an invitation!

The Whirlwind of Life

2009-01-27T20:54:00.001-07:00

December brought graduation - I got my diploma in the mail yesterday and my schedule has definitely filled up without being required to fulfill any more credits. But my life has been just as busy. I started working full time at a craft store as a supervisor - not my dream job but thankfully a job! It's fun being back in the loop of the world of work after taking almost a complete year off of full-time work to be able to finish school. Another bonus is the fact that I'm always on my feet at my job which has helped me lose weight!

January I found out that the house I have lived in for the past three years sold and I am moving away. I am moving with my roommates just down the road on Saturday. It's not far and it is an upgrade that I am looking forward to. The best part is that it is still a house with a yard and a spot for a garden - it will be like a new piece of heaven to enjoy!

The last change is that I am finally taking down the Christmas decorations - part of me still feels like I'm getting ready for Christmas, the time passed by so quickly.

Also, I was tagged by my sister Alycia to show the fourth picture of mine in my fourth picture folder. It is a picture of my niece Kathryn goofing off two Christmases ago. She loves to dress up and steals my bracelets all the time - and she is a crack-up! I am so grateful to be an Aunt to the coolest niece!

Graduation

2008-12-31T00:29:00.003-07:00

Today I checked my grades again to see if they had finally been posted and sure enough they were all on there. What this means: I AM DONE!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) Hip Hip Hooray! I am a bachelor now, according to Sherie! I decided not to walk mainly because I would have to do it in the spring and I just really don't care - all I care about it that I am done. I think the most exciting news besides being done is I made it onto the Deans List for my good grades. I had no idea....the funny thing is I had made it on there before last summer and didn't even know it. The semesters I took the most credit hours, the better my grades were. Which means I must have done pretty good this year since the spring I took 18 credits, Summer I took 19 (word of advice: NEVER do this in the summer), and this Fall I took 15 credits. As you can tell, I wanted to be done as fast as possible.

Now it is time to finish patting myself on the back and face the future....which I have no idea what direction to point myself in. I have begun applying to join the Peace Corps and am getting more excited of this being a future possibility as I apply, but even more of a sinking nervous feeling along with it...until today. I was watching TV - something I never do, when a commercial came on for one of the local tiny colleges: Stevens Henniger College. Their ad started off with a person sitting on their couch holding a remote (exactly what I was doing) and the voice of the commercial said: "Do you want to be like this for the rest of your life?" (or something like that) and continued by saying, "Then call this number now to find out how you can earn more money and have better job potential" (Which is a bunch of bologna if you are going to go to school at a place like that). But something about this commercial I am making fun of made me think, "If I don't join the peace corp or do something with my life, I'll be that girl sitting on the couch, bumming around watching TV because I am depressed about my life and not having a job or direction" :) okay so that sounds a little exaggerated, but you get the point. So, feeling all inspired, I got online and read up on the peace corp and that worried, nervous feeling is beginning to go away. Since it takes about a year to apply, I think I will have plenty of time to continue to work on getting rid of that feeling all together.

So after reading this post, now it's your turn to decide: please make a comment and state what you think Serena should do with her life! (really, if this peace corp thing doesn't work out I would like some ideas).

Tuttle, North Dakota

2008-12-28T23:57:00.004-07:00

I was blog surfing today and stumbled upon this fancy little website: http://www.tuttlend.com/index.html I couldn't believe my eyes. Here I thought the town I grew up in was turning into a ghost town with it's shrinking size, I'm pretty sure the population is below 100 now. I had no idea that it had a website and was living strong :) It was great to see pictures of home again and hear the latest news from everyone and be reminded of my years of growing up in such a special place. I wouldn't have traded those experiences for something different. I am who I am today partly because of Tuttle and I miss it.

To my friends who have always lived in a big city or who have heard a lot about Tuttle and always wanted to see it, check out the website...at least look at the pictures. Enjoy!

2008-12-24T15:58:00.005-07:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! Thank you all so much for your letters and presents and most of all your friendship! I am grateful for my family and miss my Mommy and Daddy and little bro so much and am homesick to have a Christmas like when I was little. I wish I could be with Grandma and all of my relatives tomorrow in North Dakota. Lastly, I am thankful for the Lord and the blessings he has filled my life with and most of all the opportunity to return to him because of his life and sacrafices. I love him! and I love all of you too. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

10 MILLION bonus points if you guess the movie and who said this:

2008-12-19T23:41:00.005-07:00

"Over there in that pigpen, I found a couple of Shoshoni arrowheads."

Impossible Dream - Brian Stokes Mitchell

2008-12-11T00:25:00.001-07:00

If any of you ever come out to Utah during the Holiday Season, you will be missing out if you don't go to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert. The concert takes place every year and there is always a special guest singer. Occasionally there is a speacial guest in addition to the singer who has an amazing speaking voice who will read a christmas story accompanied to music. This year the guest singer is Brian Stokes Mitchell and the guest speaker/reader is actor Edward Herrmann. In addition, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings with the Orchestra on Temple Square and lately with the Bells on Temple Square, a new favorite of mine. They are having 80 additional bell ringers joining the Bells on Temple Square this year and i'm dying to go. The music makes the hair on my arms stand up and is so beautiful. I looked up Briam Mitchell to see what his voice sounded like and how it would sound with the choir. I was lucky to stumble across this song, where he is already singing with them. Now I am in love with this song. I never considered how this sing related to Christ - I don't know anything about Man from La Mancha, the story or why they sing this song in the play/movie, but the words are so meaningful to me - if I could pick a theme song for what I wish I could do in my life, this would be it for sure. My favorite line in relation to christmas is, "This is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far" - I pray that as the Wise Men followed the star that lead to the baby Jesus, that we will consider how to follow the light of Christ in each day of our lives and to make that our quest!

Sweat Lodge

2008-11-16T19:59:00.003-07:00

This is a picture of a place similar to where I was on saturday morning. Working with juveniledelinquents, we participate in a lot of activities that allow the kids to release anger, gain coping skills and properly communicate. We take them to a sweat lodge once a month. This was my first time being able to go. I was a little nervous since I didn't know what to expect. I imagined my contacts melting to my eyeballs, my skin dripping off my body and having some weird experience. Knowing it would probably last for about 2 hours didn't help either - I thought for sure it was impossible to spend so much time in a room that was so short you couldn't even stand, crammed in there with about 30 other people and glowing red hot rocks.

We started by meeting in a teepe and talking about what to expect and stating our purpose for entering the sweat lodge. Many stated things like peace, happiness, understanding, comfort, and why we wanted these things. We entered the sweat lodge and the ceremony began. I was amazed by the things I was able to hear the kids express - kids who struggle in communicating without a fight beginning and swear words involved - being able to express in clarity the emotions they were dealing with, where they were coming from and find peace and forgiveness. There were four stages to the ceremony with different topics. The first topic was about women, second about men, then ancestors, and last was forgiveness.

While inside, it is completely dark inside - the only thing you can see are the red hot rocks. As the water is put on them the whole room is filled with steam. Black licorice, cedar, bear root and other things were used on the stones as part of the ceremony and represented different things. One of the greatest parts of the "sweat" was while discussing the last topic, forgiveness. I laid down for most of the "sweat", since heat rises, it was cooler on the floor. I had my leg bent so my toes wouldn't end up resting and burning themselves on the rocks and had one leg crossed over the other. During this last part the leader intensified the heat to the point where I couldn't stand having my leg crossed anymore since my big toe (the part of my body the was highest up in the air) felt like it was about to melt off my body. He had all of us sit up so that we could feel the intensity of the heat. As we felt the heat - and believe me, we felt it! - he told the kids: now when you are out on the street and one of your friends says to you, "here, do this..." (drugs, bad things, etc...) remind yourself of the intense heat you are feeling right now - don't put yourself in those situations again. So.....typing that out it doesn't really seem to make sense, but it makes sense to me - I guess if you want to understand, you can go to a sweat lodge yourself, which I would recommend. Preferrably go to a clothed sweat (not all of them will let you wear your clothes).

Crystal Gayle

2008-11-05T00:47:00.001-07:00

So I realize that some of you are offended that it's been a while since i've blogged. Well, the reason is because.....i'm so amazed by this video! So I posted it for you, so you have some entertainment to turn to until I make a real post! :)

Cozumel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-18T16:59:00.004-06:00

After a long drive to Ft.Collins, Colorado, then to the Denver Airport, with no sleep at all, my friend Rachel Bomsta and I arrived safe and sound in Cozumel, Mexico!!!! This has now become one of my favorite places on earth. We stayed at a place called the Iberostar on the southwest part of the island for five days (it was not long enough). I had a lot of fun before leaving for the trip spending hours on the internet finding out as much as I could about the island and how to do things for a good deal (or at least a reasonable price). After doing that we realized that there were incredibly cheap ways to enjoy the area and see the sites. Upon arriving, we attended a required meeting that was basically a sales pitch to get us to go on the most rediculiously expensive trips to the different sites, we just had to laugh knowing that the trip could actually be done for three times less than what they were offering. If anybody wants some very informative travel information check out tripadvisor.com - I found so many details on things to do, what to bring, what not to do, etc...there are a lot of things we would have missed out on or wasted our time with had we not realized it beforehand. The resort was amazing and had the best desserts - I was in heaven. It was right along the ocean and the staff was amazing, they would do a backflip for you if you asked them to.

This is the view of the resort from the dock.
The rooms were great, with a bungalow style to them. They gave us a room on a second level, which allowed us to have a deck, patio chairs and a hammock.
If you were there to be a beach bum, you had pleanty of opportunities to do it at the resort (we never gave ourselves time to bum around though since we wanted to see the sites more).
A view from the pool.

Each day we had a new towel animal waiting for us, from the swan, to a rabbit or even an elephant. The swan was my favorite. I was very impressed with how clean everything was, at the resort, on the coast, or in the city - Cozumel is very well taken care of. I read that on the island there is only a 1% crime rate, which was nice knowing that I didn't have to worry about watching my back while on vacation and the people were amazing.

Emergency First Aid

2008-06-29T16:18:00.004-06:00

This past week I took a 4 credit Emergency First Aid class. It was Monday through Saturday from 8:00 to 5:00. It was a lot of fun and I am grateful to know the things I learned. The most important information was CPR training and knowing exactly (for the most part) what to do and how to handle an emergency until an ambulance arrives. My last assignment is to turn in a First Aid kit loaded with all of the essentials. What would you recommend as a "must" in a first aid kit, or something that you have found handy for yours?

No, a NEW one!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-29T15:35:00.003-06:00

My prayers were answered and the insurance company totaled out my car! I was so worried that I would have to spend millions of dollars to repair the damage done from the deer (yes, it does cost millions to repair a car if you were wondering). So I got a new car and of course, it's another Toyota Corolla! I guess I like them a lot! They get amazing gas mileage and cover all my needs. I thought about getting a natural gas vehicle since gas is getting so expensive, but couldn't find a dual-tank, which is what I wanted. I also decided against a hybrid since they will just end up being a big dead battery when they stop running and it sort of defeats the purpose of trying to be nice to the planet.

More Pictures of Stuart coming home!

2008-05-08T15:18:00.002-06:00

Welcome Home Stuart!!!!!

2008-05-08T15:02:00.004-06:00

My brother Stuart (Elder Danielson) returned home last night at 11:30 from his two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Carlsbad, California. It is great to see him and see the changes in him as well. He seems so different, but he is still the same old Stuart. Thank you, Stuart, for the dedicated service you have given in these past two years to the Lord, and his work!

Notice his home-made camouflage tie!

The Deer won't have the guts to do this again! (Literally)

2008-05-08T14:37:00.005-06:00

There have been some requests made to post more pictures of the car. Here they are:

The Deer Died

2008-05-06T23:07:00.003-06:00

My brother Stuart is coming home from his two year mission tomorrow from Carlsbad, California. My sister Heidi, nephew Ethan and I decided it would be a great idea to leave for North Dakota today as a suprise to our parents and brother. We were 2 1/2 hours away from our destination when we hit a deer!!!!! We are all safe and were are thankful for the great help we have received in Glendive, Montana. We feel we are definitely being watched over in many ways and are so thankful for it. This is the only picture I was able to get tonight and will get more in the morning.

Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-03T15:19:00.004-06:00

I thought this was a good way to show that it can sometimes be hard to get mom just the right thing for Mothers Day!

Stagnant Pond Water: that's my drinking water!!!! :(

2008-04-09T22:04:00.003-06:00

Here is a news article from the local news here in Utah. It was a relief for me to find. The story begins when I noticed on saturday that the water stunk - really bad. Then I took a drink and spit it out. I told my roommate about it - she couldn't tell a difference in how the water tasted. So I figured I was just crazy (lots of people do anyway :) and I went on my merry little way. After that I noticed the smell of the water was the new scent in the house each time we showered or ran the dishwasher. But I still thought I was crazy until my friends tried it and spit it out too. That's when we found this article in the newspaper. Apparently the water is still safe to drink but who would want to when it tastes so bad. Do you think we should be drinking this?

Davis County water may taste bad, but it's OK to drink
April 8th, 2008 @ 12:48pm
Marc Giauque reporting
It was bad this weekend, and water officials say some people living in Davis County may taste the after affects of an algae bloom in their drinking water for a couple of weeks.
People from Bountiful to Kaysville tasted and smelled it. "I thought that it was the mug, I thought it was dirty. I washed it three times. I tried different watter bottles, and I couldn't drink it. And I was worried because I use it for cooking, I use it for everything, and it just tasted awful," Davis County resident Scoti Lang said.
Lang described the taste as "chemical-ish." Others say it tasted and smelled like a stagnant pond.
Turns out the Weber Basin Water District says it was due to an unusually early algae bloom on the Weber River. It peaked over the weekend, prompting complaints to water companies in numerous cities.
Water officials say the stuff was always safe to drink, just not necessarily so tasty. Weber Basin says its addressing the problem, but a bit of the taste could linger in some areas for the next couple of weeks.

April Fools from the Museum of Hoaxes

2008-04-01T23:28:00.003-06:00

I saw this article on MSN - Top 10 April Fools Day Hoaxes. I was feeling sad that I had forgotten till the end of the day about pulling a prank. So I thought this article woule be something funny I could share with my roommate Tammy while she was still at work at 11:00pm. I thought that was the end of the April Fooling around. But for some reason she gave me a lot of good ideas on ways to fool people. So I decided that since she wasn't home yet and 11:30pm still gave me 30 minutes before April Fools was over - so I took her ideas and used them - we'll see how they go. But for now, enjoy the fun article. My favorite so far is a decrease in earth's gravity. Enjoy!

Hoax #10 - Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity
In April 1976 the British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at 9:47 a.m. a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event would occur that listeners could experience in their very own homes. The planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment that would counteract and reduce the Earth's gravity. Moore told his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would experience a strange floating sensation. When 9:47 a.m. arrived, BBC2 received hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation. One woman even reported that she and her 11 friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the room.

Hoax #9 - Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers
The April 1995 issue of Discover magazine announced that wildlife biologist Dr. Aprile Pazzo had discovered a new species in Antarctica: the hotheaded naked ice borer. They had heads with bony plates that became burning hot due to overactive blood vessels. These creatures could bore through ice at high speeds and hunt penguins by melting ice and causing them to sink into the slush and the hotheads' mouths. Dr. Pazzo also credited the hotheads with the 1837 disappearance of Antarctic explorer Philippe Poisson. "To the ice borers, he would have looked like a penguin," she was quoted as saying. Discover received more mail about this article than any other in their history. It was, of course, a joke. And "Pazzo" is Italian for "crazy." — from Museum of Hoaxes

Hoax #8 - The Left-Handed Whopper
In April 1998, Burger King published a full-page advertisement in USA Today that introduced a new menu item: a left-handed Whopper, designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the ad, the new Whopper had the same ingredients as the original (lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, etc.), but all the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of their left-handed customers. The following day Burger King issued a press release that said the left-handed Whopper was a hoax, and that thousands of customers had gone into restaurants to request the new sandwich. At the same time, the release stated, "many others requested their own 'right-handed' version."

Hoax #7 - Alabama Changes the Value of Pi
An article in the April 1998 issue of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason said that the Alabama state legislature voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the "biblical value" of 3.0. Before long, the article was being e-mailed around the world. The extent of the news leakage became apparent when the Alabama legislature began receiving hundreds of calls from people protesting the legislation. The original article was intended as a parody of legislative attempts to circumscribe the teaching of evolution, and written by a physicist named Mark Boslough.

Hoax #6 - Nixon for President
In April 1992, National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" announced that Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for president again. His new campaign slogan was: "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." Accompanying this announcement were audio clips of Nixon delivering his candidacy speech. Listeners responded to the announcement by flooding the show with calls expressing shock and outrage. In the second half of the show host John Hockenberry finally admitted the announcement was a practical joke. Nixon's voice was impersonated by comedian Rich Little.

Hoax #5 - The San Serriffe Islands
In April 1977 the British newspaper the Guardian published a special supplement devoted to San Serriffe, a small republic located in the Indian Ocean. The articles described it as several semi-colon-shaped islands, with two main islands named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse and a capital, Bodoni. The country's leader was Gen. Pica. The Guardian was soon fielding calls from readers seeking more information about this holiday spot. Few people noticed that the entire San Serriffe republic was named after printing terminology. The success of this hoax is credited with launching Britain's enthusiasm for April Foolery, which has filled the nation's tabloids ever since.

Hoax #4 - The Taco Liberty Bell
In April 1996 the Taco Bell Corp. announced it had bought the Liberty Bell and had renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged citizens called Philadelphia's National Historic Park to express their anger. Their nerves were calmed when Taco Bell revealed it was all a practical joke. However, the best line of the day came from White House press secretary Mike McCurry, who, when asked about the sale, announced that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold. McCurry said it would now be known as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.

Hoax #3 - Instant Color TV
In April 1962 Sweden had only one TV channel, and it broadcast in black and white. The station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that, thanks to a new technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their TV screen. Stensson proceeded to demonstrate the process and thousands of people were fooled. Eventually, Sweden did get regular color broadcasts, but not until April 1, 1970.

Hoax #2 - Sidd Finch
The April 1985 edition of Sports Illustrated published a story about the Mets' new rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch. He could reportedly throw a baseball with pinpoint accuracy at 168 mph (65 mph faster than anyone else). Surprisingly, Finch had never played the game before. Instead, he had mastered the "art of the pitch" in a Tibetan monastery under the guidance of the "great poet-saint Lama Milaraspa." Mets fans everywhere celebrated their team's amazing luck at having found such a gifted player, and Sports Illustrated was flooded with requests for more information. But in reality: This legendary player existed only in the imagination of the article's writer, George Plimpton.

Hoax #1 - The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest

In April 1957 the BBC TV news show "Panorama" announced that, thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. The report showed footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti from trees. Huge numbers of viewers called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. The BBC diplomatically replied: "Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."

Johnny

2008-02-23T14:41:00.005-07:00

I thought this was a great video - I always know I want to do things like this, so it's nice to be reminded. http://www.stservicemovie.com/

My Beloved North Dakota

2008-02-13T13:30:00.002-07:00

Here is yet another video for you enjoyment - again about the great state of North Dakota where I was born and raised. It talks about the person of the week - which is the entire state of North Dakota!

Mario Movie

2008-02-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

Not that any of you might be interested - but I wanted to post this so that I at least have a easy way of finding this. This is an amazing movie that my Family Home Evening group produced when I was living in Provo, UT. So it was awhile ago, but we had a lot of fun putting it together. If you look real hard at the end you will see me :)

Funny Commercial - It's the best!

2008-02-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

Beaner Baker

2008-01-24T15:20:00.001-07:00

You are all invited to visit my new blog: Beaner Baker (http://beanerbaker.blogspot.com/) I love cooking and talking about food and learning new things myself - so I wanted to share what I know with all of you in hopes of you gaining something new, finding a new recipe you may like, or getting feedback from you on things that you know. Hope you Enjoy!

The Three C's

2008-01-23T15:07:00.001-07:00

Susan Kobasa is a psychologist who observed groups of people going through the same life situations - some thought their situation was horrible and life became horrible because of those things, others would find their greatest life successes from going through the same situation. What made these people different was that they had the following three qualities. I've seen this in a lot of you, even my own family members. I admire it and am excited to practice it now with more awareness in my own life. (each of them starts with a C, so it's easy to remember)

................................................................................

1) Control - realize what you can and cannot control - you can't always control your circumstances, you can never control others (even your own kids or spouse or roommates), you can't control what goes on in the world - the only thing you can control is yourself and if you are making a positive impact.

2) Commitment - you are involved in your own life, not a spectator waiting for something to happen.

3) Challenge - make lemonade with rotten lemons - consider that the things appearing to be stumbling blocks in your life can (with a change of attitude) be stepping stones. (I think this is what it means to become stronger because of your weaknesses).

................................................................................

This is Susan Kobasa's definition of Hardiness - the three C's. I learned about this in my stress management class and the following was an activity our teacher had us do =>

Make five personal life goals, but they must be things you have control over - this can help you realize what you really have the potential to do in your life and the changes you can make.

Next, write down five things that you are grateful to have experienced in the last 24 hours - this gratitude leads to Hardiness.

Beautiful North Dakota

2008-01-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

This is my tourist promotion post for Nort Dakota - I really love having grown up here and love the Great Plains! Here are a few pictures I caught while I was home and was able to get quite a few while driving on the highway on our way back to Utah. Enjoy! This is the town of New Salem. The had some funds that the town wanted to use for the community, their options of how to put the money to use were to either build a public swimming pool, or a statue of a cow - they decided on the cow! They have lovingly called her Salem Sue and it's a highlight when you drive by on the highway.

Christmas in North Dakota

2008-01-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, my brother Jesse and I drove home to North Dakota. We had a lot of fun staying at our parents apartment in Mandan, driving home to the old farm house in Tuttle and visiting with family and friends. My trumpet has been missing for years and my mom was very happy to find it for me, so now I have a trumpet (but no mouth piece). So maybe you will see me soon playing for a hot rock trumpet band (but don't count on getting an autograph). :) I hope you all had a great christmas and appreciate so much the chance to hear from so many of you.
Grandma Hazel Hagel - my dads mom - we had dinner with her christmas day.
After dinner Roger and Norene Sandberg came to visit with all of us, it was fun to hear all of their jokes and travel stories.
Norene is one of my dad's older sisters.
The day before we came home we were able to spend time with our Uncle Johnny Patterson, my mom's younger brother. It was fun to visit with him, hear how he is doing, and see the projects he has done around his home. He LOVES to remodel.
After visiting with Johnny, we went to visit the Riskedahls. This is Linda getting caught by the camera. They are my second parents. We are very close friends with them and all of their kids. Grandpa Geitzen, Linda's father, was my Santa Clause growing up - he would dress up and I had no idea it was him, until he would give me a kiss, then I knew exactly who it was - I didn't believe there was a real santa, but I loved playing along pretending there was one. All of us Danielson's grew up thinking that we were cousins with the Riskedahl kids, because we spent so much time together. We couldn't figure out why we weren't going to their house for Christmas, so we decided to ask mom why. She said that Christmas is aways spent with our Relatives - we thought it was rediculous to have to remind mom that the Riskedahls were our relatives - but she laughed and said we aren't related to the Riskedahls, they are just our friends. All six of us kids were floored - and we started crying. Now we just have to pretend we are related and call them our second family.

Christmas Letter

2007-12-17T12:52:00.001-07:00

My Silly Habits, Quirks and Facts!

2007-11-01T12:25:00.000-06:00

So Heidi Hiller and Alycia Nelson both tagged me a while ago, and I still haven't done it...until now! The rules are:
A. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
B. Tag seven people to do the same.
C. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it".

1. I hate Cold - if any of you have gone out to eat with me you know that I ask for no ice in my water. Drinking water is best when it is room temperature (unless you've been out working really hard or running then ice cold water is good). I get cold really easy too. When I came home from my mission to the Philippines it was in July and I sat in front a little heater for two days because I was so cold. I love it when houses are nice and warm too, I hate bundling up to be warm in a house - i feel like the house should just be warm. And last of all, I cannot fall asleep if it is cold. Some people like it really cold, some people like it to be warm when they sleep - but I think it would be best to just have it be a normal temperature when you sleep. The worst is being so cold when you are sleeping that you have to put socks on - i can't wear socks to bed because they annoy me - if I put them on, I usually wake up with them on the other side of the room. So good thing we have lots of blankets in the house - the fuzzy ones are the best because they are so warm.

2. I really LOVE food - I love eating it, cooking/baking it, and taking pictures of it. I love cooking, lately I'm into making up my own dishes and get frustrated using a recipe, I just make stuff up with what I have around. It's like a contest with myself to see how creative I can get. Sometimes I suprise myself and make something pretty good. I also love baking desserts - not your normal desserts like cake or cookies, but the desserts that people usually don't think of making. My favorite is a Molten Chocolate Cake you have to bake in a Ramekin. I have intentions of making a food blog soon - I have the background picked out for it already, and I finally have a camera now, so I should be starting it soon if I can just remember to fit it into my plans!

3. Other drivers scare me! I love my car and I love me driving it. But other things on the road scare me so much I start imaging a lot of crazy things in my mind and make it worse! The worst thing you can do is put me on a road with water on both sides. I can't handle passing semis either, I stay as far away as I can. I also feel like every time I pass a gravel truck I will get a dent in my windshield (you are guaranteed to pass at least two each commute here in utah). Curvy mountain roads also make me really nervous. I think the worst drive I've ever been on was my visit to California last year. Jesse and I went for New Years and had to drive through the Bonneville Salt Flats. There were only Semi's to pass you (#1bad thing), salt on both sides of the road (which looked like quicksand, which is comparable to driving with water on both sides of you #2bad thing) and VERY high winds. Every time you passed a truck you really would have blown right off the road, my steering wheel was shaking (#3bad thing). So after that was over and we had a place to pull over my knuckles were so white I made Jesse drive. He had to drive home too because we went through the mountains by Lake Tahoe - nothing between the road and the cliff to stop you from going over the edge, it was icy and we were so high up, it felt like the top of the world. I really thought I was going to die.

4. I can be pretty meticulous about certain projects sometimes. I stayed up till 2:00 am tuesday night carving a pumpkin so I could win $50.00 - but it was worth it since I won. I wish I could be this way with important things though, like homework. But it's more with unimportant tasks like the pumpkin or even cleaning is hard for me because if I start I will be doing it for hours - because I have to not only clean what I intended to clean, but everything has to be clean, down to the floorboards and grit in the corner. It's not that i'm OCD - I can handle dirty things, I just like to be meticulous when I do things.

5. Touching is a great thing. I love to be cuddly with people - if I'm sitting next to you and start to snuggle up to you (girl or boy) i'm sorry, I probably don't even know that I am doing it. Take it as a compliment though, because I usually only do it to people I feel very comfortable around. I also love to touch things that are really interesting to look at, like nice materials, or pins or jewlery - I usually always ask to touch peoples neclaces and I LOVE to press buttons and touch plants - they are the best!

6. Memory - I will not even claim to having a great memory - I just have an odd mind. I will forget really important things, like peoples birthdays or that I have to take a bathroom break, but I can remember conversations and can recite almost word for word what was said and remember the non-verbal parts as well like facial expressions, connotations and the ambiance of the situation.

7. People - i think i'm obsessed with them! I love learning about people: why each person is the way they are, their reasons for doing things, how they handle life, what they wear, how they are shaped, their quirks, their feelings and their thoughts on life and most importantly, if I find someone I think is really admirable I write down how they have affected me and why I would like to become like them, and i'll find a scripture or quote related to it. I think the greatest thing from this is that I learn from people what is really important in like by their values. I love their uniqueness and that everybody has something good in them - my favorite is when I find a soft spot in someone that is not a very soft kind of person - it makes me like them even more. It's like an adventure for me.

I tag:
1. Sally Cook
2. Nathan Sellers
3. Erica Zaine
4. Megan Shakespeare
5. Marci Ward
6. Laura McIntyre
7. Shauna Dennis and Sherie Echols

It's my favorite time of the year!!!!!

2007-10-26T15:33:00.001-06:00

Here are a few of the things that have been going on in the Serena world. If you can't tell from the pictures Halloween is my favorite holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't worry, there will be more pictures to come.I saw a picture of this on an email I got and had to do it. The only problem is that it's getting pretty ugly looking now that I carved it so early, so more "fresh" pumpkins will be carved tomorrow.

This is from Heidi's birthday - I took her shopping that morning and we ended up in the Hat section for a minute and had some fun.
My roommate Sherie Echols is HI-larious!!!!!!! I'm learning that we have a lot of different costumes for halloween laying around and are having fun trying them on. I guess I do it so often that when Sherie took a recent trip to Washington, the gift she brought back for me was a whole set of six fake teeth - it really made my day! (you know your life is really boring when you get excited about fake nerd teeth :)
Here is another pumpkin idea I found. I got a screw driver and poked holes for the christmas lights!
This is my favorite pumpkin so far though, you cut a hole in the center for the tea candle
So all you kids out there have a great Halloween and enjoy yourselves!! Hope to see you all at Heidi's Halloween party on Saturday night!

These are a few of my favorite things......

2007-10-09T12:02:00.000-06:00

This summer ending has helped me remember a few of the things that I have been able to do and spend time with those I love most. I am so thankful for the blessing it is to have my family close to me and dear friends. When I first moved to Bountiful, I was unsure about making new friends and sad to leave my friends in Provo behind. The blessing of having an amazing Bishop like Bishop Plaizier is to be able to gain inspiration on life, such as, "Strangers are only friends that you haven't met yet". I'm thankful for the advice I've received from you guys. Some of it has been life changing, leading me to find my major. Some of it helped to change bad habits and form good ones. Some of it was just to learn more about what life is really all about and remember what is really important.
In General Conference, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints were reminded by President Henry B. Eyring to remember! Remember and ponder on the things that the Lord has given to us during our lives. In doing so, you will feel in your life the spirit more and have the opportunity to learn more from life. I know that when I actually take the time to review what the Lord has done for me each day, I find things that I didn't recognize as works of the Lord until I sit down and think about it. It makes me appreciate more the knowledge that I do have a Father in Heaven, and he does have a plan for me and is watching over us each day, showing us his love in so many different ways. Thank you friends and family for so often showing me and others his love through your thoughtfulness and kindness and most of all your friendship!

Bear Lake - 07-27-07 to 07-29-07

2007-08-15T12:25:00.000-06:00

The last weekend my roommate Rachel was here she invited a big group of friends to go to Camping at her house in Montepelier, Idaho, right next to Bear Lake. Our friend Ben brought his boat and we had lots of fun boating, sleeping in tents, eating the famous bear lake Raspberry Shake. We made breakfast outside, went swimming in the pool (well Rachels mom and I did) and spent a lot of time just talking and enjoying the company.

10k on 07-24-07 and Swimming on the Great Salk Lake

2007-08-15T12:11:00.000-06:00

My roommate Rachel and I decided to go for a bigger challenge than 5k's and aim for the 10k world! So we signed ourselves up for the Deseret News 10k. Our time was 1 hour and 9 minutes - we ran all of it at a nice pace except for about a 1/2 mile - my knee started hurting and I ended up having a limp for a week after - i guess my leg decided it didn't want to cooperate with me. But it was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next one. Afterward we went with my family (Alycia, Tyson, and Jesse) and my roommate Tammy to go swimming at the Great Salt Lake. I loved it!!! I can't believe I have waited so long to go. True it does not smell good but if any of you have gone swimming in Cherry Lake in Tuttle, North Dakota you realize that the Great Salk Lake is not the worst lake to go swimming in. In fact, it was more fun that any other lake since you didn't really have to put a lot of effort in staying afloat. Out contest was to see who could keep their legs straight under them for the longest (like a balancing act) before our legs popped up out of the water. It was pretty funny. If you haven't tried it - you are missing out!

Mom's Visit

2007-08-15T12:05:00.000-06:00

Mom came to visit - here are some fun pictures we took while at the Mirror lake Highway and

Provo Falls

My Birthday

2007-08-15T11:57:00.000-06:00

For my birthday this year my friend Jen and I had our birthday celebrations together at her house on the 13th of July. The next day (on my real birthday) my friends, sister, and roommates suprised me by taking me out to i-hop for breakfast. It was a lot of fun. My favorite present was having my family around, especially my neices who came down with Theresa and spent the night!

4th of July - Centerville Freedom Run

2007-08-02T15:38:00.001-06:00

My roommate Rachel Bomsta and I ran a 5k on the 4th of July in Centerville. It was a lot of fun - I usually like to be a slacker as much as possible when I run, but thanks to Rachel and Dave we finished in 34 minutes. We didn't practice at all for this one so I was feeling a bit out of shape. Dave and Rachel wanted to run the whole thing and they did - if I had to walk they would run up and then run back to where I was until I was ready to run - so they are awesome (and ran way more than the required 3.1 miles from the circles they ran). It was a lot of fun. I had Alycia and Tyson Nelson, Rhonda and Ron Christenson and their girls and a few other friends over for a 4th of July lunch. It was nice to see everyone. Later that afternoon Jesse, Rachel and I went to Provo to be with Jason, Sally and Sammy Cook. We got to see Sammy's cast and have a fun time with our friends.

I just wanted everyone to be able to meet my new boyfriend - he's so hot!

2007-07-11T16:59:00.000-06:00

Running with Angels 5K

2007-06-08T17:50:00.000-06:00

On May 19th I ran my first 5K - it was awesome. I ran it in 32 minutes - so I did better than I though I would. My only goal was to finish :) but now that I've accomplished it I'd like to try it again. Heidi and I are planning on doing one together once they move down here. This is something that I definitely recommend trying at least once - it was a lot of fun. These are some pictures from it, I am actually in most of them - it's just that I'm probably the only one that can find where I am in them - so if you see me, you've got a good eye.

California Fun

2007-05-16T17:41:00.000-06:00

I was able to take a week off of work this month and go to California with some friends. It was a lot of fun, although I will have to explain most of it rather than show it through pictures as I dropped my camera in water and wasn't able to do much picture taking after that. While there, I was able to meet up with my sister Heidi, who just happened to be there at the same time visiting a friend of hers. We went to Disneyland, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios. It was a great way to overcome my fear of Rollercoasters!! I loved it. My only other time riding a rollercoaster was the NewYork NewYork in Las Vegas - I did not like that at all. But now I am happy to say I enjoy riding them. If any of you are going to Disneyland anytime soon ride the rollercoaster in the California Adventure park.
Above are some pictures I was able to take before I drowned my Camera in the water (the picture of the fish is right before it happened) And then an after picture of the shots my camera takes now :(
It was a fun trip though and I enjoyed having some time off before starting my summer classes and returning to work.

Announcement!!!!!!!

2007-05-01T16:19:00.000-06:00

Soo, i've been dating this guy and we are eng......umm, wait - that's not it, sorry to get your hopes up. What has really happened is that I was accepted into the University of Utahs Health Promotion and Education Program. The best news is that I actually decided what I want to do and am very excited about it. I will be done in two years. Starting this fall will be the first time I will be going to school full-time since 2001 - so it's been a while, but I've been going part-time long enough I think I will not need to worry.
Also more good news is that Mom is coming into town tonight so I will be able to spend some time with her. Jesse will probably come for the weekend, Cooleys on thursday, Alycia is always here, and I will see Heidi on Saturday in California, and on our way to Sea World we will be passing through Stuart's Mission. So basically I will be near all of my family members this next week except for my dad - :( I wish I could see him more often, but hopefully soon that will happen as well.

Las Vegas

2007-04-03T09:46:00.000-06:00

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at onetruemedia.com

Cannon Beach, Oregon

2007-03-21T17:01:00.000-06:00

Alycia, Tyson and I were able to go on a trip to Oregon for work. We had meetings on monday and were able to spend time sunday touring around with Kirk and Linda Arnell. These pictures are from Cannon Beach. The rock you see in the pictures is call Haystack Rock - which may look familiar to any who have watched the movie "Goonies". Even with the fog and overcast day, it was beautiful.