Loves #1-#5

An Explanation-I started doing this on Facebook before I did it here, I wanted to move them over so I can keep them all in one easy to get to place.  When I'm feeling particuarly down or frustrated, or blessed, I'll stop and count things that I love.  Enjoy!  (Ariel was my inspiration)

Loves #1-Jan 29, 2009

1. I love to Dance, and to share dance with others
2. I love Lysie peices-my 2 year old sista! And giggling with her at bed time when neither of us are ready to go to bed
3. I love that my mom is having another baby next month and that I'm gonna have a little brother-brand new baby to hold and cuddle ALL SUMMER!!
4. I love when the trees get all covered in frost and look beautiful and crytalized
5. I love freshly fallen snow
6. I love going on road trips
7. I love the temple
8. I love Travis
9. I love hiking, and camping
10. I love flowers
11. I love the feeling of accomplishment
12. I love it when it rains while the sun is shining
13. I love Rexburg!
14. I love Alaska!
15. I love bubble baths
16. I love motorcylces
17. I love teddybears
18. I love to have people play with my hair
19. I love roommates! (previous and current)
20. I love late night girl pow-wows
21. I love my calling-I get to teach on the teachings of our time week!
22. I love reconnecting with old friends
23. I love Family history!
24. I love little people, aka children :)
25. I love packages in the mail, letters in the mail, mail!
26. I love sisters!
27. I love rice pudding (havn't had it in a while and I want some..)
28. I love my grama's quilts
29. I love my gramas cinnamin rolls
30. I love my gramas and grampa!
31. I love hymns
32. I love naps on the rare occasion I get one
33. I love laughing
34. I love singing
35. I love ice scultures/the ice park
36. I love chocolate
37. I love the feeling of doing everything on my to do list (wish that happened more often)
28. I love movies-feel good movies
29. I love love songs
30. I love how Emilia fills the micro-fridge with inspirational sticky notes

I love alot of things...thats why this is Loves #1. I'll be posting more of these. :)






Loves #2-February 28, 2009


1. I love my mommy
2. I love Sundays
3. I love uncles
4. I love vocal point
5. I love BYU-Idaho
6. I love Olive Garden
7. I love religion classes
8. I love stadium singing
9. I love singing!
10. I love dancing
11. I love Sunny days
12. I love dressing up and going on a photo shoot with roommates on sunny days!
13. I love quesedillas at the MC
14. I love strawberries
15. I love calling home and listening to Elyse sing "I am a Child of God"
16. I love sisters
17. I love looong weekends
18. I love road trips!
19. I love chocolate
20. I love clean rooms
21. I love flowers
22. I love quilts
23. I love clear sidewalks (the slushy snow is really getting on my nerves)
24. I love Apples w/peanut butter
25. I love devotionals
26. I love pajama pants
27. I love technology which enables us to talk to loved ones far away
28. I love getting new dance shoes!
29. I love mashed potatoes
30. I love the excitement of counting down till Liam is born!

Loves #3-March 31,2009
1. Travis
2. Ariel is engaged!
3. Relief Society!
4. Easter decor!
5. Easter!
6. 11 days till I go home!
7. GREAT april fools day jokes/laughs!
8. Writing messages in the snow
9. Dance preformances!
10. Adventures to Grama's house!
11. Gramas and Grampa
12. Ice cream and other treats at Grama and Grampa's house!
13. upcoming Trips-or having trips to look forward to!
14. General Conference!
15. BYU-I 61st WARD!
16. Gullible people
17. Reminicing
18. Concerts with cellos!
19. Roommates!
20. Notes from roommates! (thanks Erin!)
21. Men's choirs ;)
22. Cuddly Baby brothers (so I've been told...)
23. Dance shows!
24. My dance team here at school :)
25. Family History
26. Family History Homework!
27. Texts from my Laura about "love letters" aka senior announcements
28. Temples!
29. My friends!
30. my family

Loves #4-November 26, 2009

So, I decided since I havn't done one of these since before I got home in April, it was time to do it again. :)

I love....(in no particular order)

Sun streaming through frost covered trees
Travis, and ya know being where Travis is, hugging Travis, talking to Travis, kissing Travis all that stuff :)
Robin going on a mission...even though I wish it weren't happening quite so soon!
Elyse (on her good days...and even some of the bad ones haha)
Liam-he's so stinking cuddly!
Amanda and Jordan. They make me happy
Phone calls with Ariel (I really hate the phone, except with her....I like Ariel phone calls)(nothing personal to everyone else)
Mommy
Rulon
Family History
Black leather boots that keep my legs warm on Sundays
Pearls
Having my nails done
Stefani Borrego-she's awesome!
Getting good grades back on my labs/tests in my science classes! 
My birthday-being in a week
Thanksgiving so we can kick the Christmas season into gear!
Board Games
Gym time with Mommy(even thought we can't wake up for it)
Telling people I go to the gym with my mommy
Turning up the radio and dancing around the office after Chris leaves...haha...
SG1. 
Pumpkin Pie
Clean house/room
Kitty cats
Friends
Seeing elementry school buddies on campus
Releif Society-and how we hear the elders quarom singing opening and closing hymns. :D its great!
Choir on Sundays
Munch'n'mingle


:) Happy Thanksgiving!

Loves #5-March7, 2010
Travis :D
Strawberry scented car fresheners
Weekly Paychecks
Helping my cousin!
Ice Sculptures
SPRING BREAKS!
getting an A on my first Human A/P lab PRacticle of the Semester
Lysie telling me "MELANIE I MISSED YOU TODAY!"
Letters from Sister Robin Johnson
Baptisms
Liam walking
Seeing all my family In Utah/Idaho last month
Dennis and Beth and their girls going through the temple last month
Seeing Roommates in Idaho Last month
Dancing
Baking
Conference Talks
Having a plan at school!
Breathing-its a big deal for me
Talking to Ariel. I just love her!
Did I mentions spring break? :P
Warmer weather
New Dresses
Family near and far!
Proximity to summer. :) 

I always need a reminder

When challenges arise-my favorite source of comfort is President Joseph B Wirthlins talk from October Conference 2008, "Come What May and Love it."  Things over the weekend kinda spiraled downhill, so keep my family in your prayers please.  But in the meantime, here's my favorite quotes and my thoughts on them from Elder Wirthlins Talk, cuz I need a reminder-

"Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others."

"Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome."

"The third thing we can do is understand the principle of compensation. The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."

"He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong."

 "The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”

Photo At Top By my Cousin, Anna Elmer

The painting of Christ is by Artist Del Parson

Home again Home again

I've been home for a grand total of 4 days, so I figured its time to write

Coming home always has this odd feeling about it, because it always changes....yet somehow maintains this sense of home.

Somethings never change-like the clutter, or the never ceasing jokes from Rulon, or mom's exhaustion, or my desire to get stuff done and my total lack of motivation to get stuff done upon arrival back home...

And other things change, like gaining a roommate(at home I haven't had to share a room since we moved into the remodeled house when I was in 5th grade!) and that roommate being tall enough to climb out of the crib

Its always amazing to me to discover things such as Elyse's nonstop chatter flourishing into big kid conversations-or how pathetic the cats look when we have to shave their fur off due to Liam's and my allergies...

And hard to adjust to things such as Robin stealing my bathroom shelf and space in the medicine cabinet-or being roommates with a 1 yr old who can climb out of the crib....  (Have you caught on to how blown away I am that he can do that!  That little guy is so strong!)

But then there is always still that sense of home, and that special way that we come closer after returning and reuniting.  Today Robin, Elyse, Liam, and I went out side and danced in the rain.  This morning I woke up and took Elyse walking around the block so she could splash in every puddle she could find.  I was soaking wet, and muddy, but its those simple things that bring us close.  I don't know if Elyse will remember that 10 years from now, but I will.  Last time I came home from a trip, Elyse was splashing in puddles (to my dismay) and she feel and ripped a hole in her pants.  I picked her up and told her she'd be okay, and forgot about it, till 2 months later Elyse reminded me "Melanie do you remember I fell and you picked me up?"  Now I'll remember that always.  Those little things are what make our lives with our families special.  That we know we can count on them and that they can come to us is what its about.  And that trust and love is built in the little moments that bring us a ray of sunshine each day, no matter how wet or how heavy the downpour.

I just want to echo the words of John Bowring who said "A happy family is but an earlier heaven."  And add that I know its the truth.  I love my family and I love being home.  I wish Amanda and Jordan were here with us more often, but look forward to their big adventures-including the family expansion this October!  


With that, I'm off-to mingle with mother!  :)

Independance Day Party!

So, for the 4th of July Weekend, I went to San Fran again.  Saturday, Travis and I went to His Work Party.  For those who might still be in the dark (I don't know how you would be, I just want to brag again), Travis' work This summer is an internship at Lucas Film.  As in the company owned ad crated by George Lucas-the man who created Star Wars, Indiana Jones-His company included Industrial Lights and Magic-which is the place that does the special effects for ummmm....Practically EVERY awesome movies you've seen in the last 32 years (it was the 32 annual picnic).

Anyways, with that as an Intro-now lets talk about the picnic.

The Company has rules about taking photos, and that we can't post photos....but I can tell you about them! I can tell you about picture we took with a bright red shiney Skywalker Ranch Firetruck-I just can't show you on the internet.  I can tell you about the picture of us in front of Ewok Lake, where we had raft races, but you'll have to ask me sometime to see it. And no, I didn't win the raft races, but our team did get first place in a relay race.  The one where you have to hurry put the clothes on run around the cone then take the goofy clothes off so the next person in your team can do the same.  We did it the fastest out of about 8 or more teams-we were pretty happy with ourselves.  We got fancy blue ribbons and everything.

After the relay races, we got to kick back by the pool, and we ate more food.  They had this field set up like you would picture a county fair-with the big tents and rows and rows of picnic tables, and a tent for getting the food, a tent for getting the drinks.  There was an Ice cream truck-with really yummy ice cream, and the weather was soo hot I was having a hard time eating the ice cream before it melted.  That was a new expirience.

Other things there were to do that we didn't get around to, they had horseback/pony rides, lots of relays we didn't make time for, they had little hiking trails, they had wagon rides around the ranch (we tried to do that, but when we were waiting the horses must have been taking a break or getting switched out-and we went to go swimming in the pool) they had a volley ball court, a field people were playing soccer in-all sorts of stuff.  It was awesome!

Here's one picture I can show-after the day at the ranch, Travis and his roommates all crashed.  I tried to take a nap, but it just didn't happen.  I don't think trying to take a nap works very well.  Anyways, poor guys just had too much fun, and came home and crashed.  Look closely, theres 3 of them!


Other than that, here's what I've been doing:

Scavenger Hunts
Pool parties
Playing on Beaches
Exploring San Fran
Movie dates with Travis
Thursday Night Salsa/Bolero series classes @ Arthur Murray
BART and your there
Softball games
Walks with Travis-one was a 6 mile round trip walk to/From Church!

Here's a few pics:

After the Beasts Lost again-we celebrated the season at a sports place that has awesome sized apetizers half off on Tuesdays

After Touring Lucas FilmOffices where Travis works daily, we explored the area, and saw this place!

Sid and Alex with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background

Me and Alex went on a Scavenger Hunt-and looked for 10 different flowers (we found like 50 different types) but this Rose was SO pretty!

Part of the scavenger Hunt was find 4 vinyards, I like the vinyards!

My mercury is whack!

I have always prided myself on my ability to withstand the cold.

When I was 12, one time my family gathered at this lodge in the hills near Manti Utah for my uncles wedding.  This Lodge had a big wrap around porch-one side entertaining us with a hot tub.  Me and my cousins decided it would be fun to run from one side of the lodge (the hot tub side) to the other in our barefeet-and back.  It was april, but it snowed for us during out hot tub party which is why the run from one side of the lodge to the other was a fun idea.  After soaking in the hot tub, the snow was so cold it burned!  As we ran around, my feet went numb, but I was so "Alaskan tough" that I put on a face and sucked it up for sake of my state pride/ego.  A few of the younger cousins couldn't handle it, so then I carried them part of the way piggy back style-which was also cold, but I was just proving how "tough" I was...and what wussie's they were in the snow. 

When I went to school in Idaho-I refused to pull out my big winter down coat.  It was windy so I figured it was more logical to just wrap up in several layers of polar fleece anyways.  There were two days, only two that winter, that I will admit, to it actually being Cold.  I still say the rest of the winter was only chilly.  However, from the windy city of Rexdburg I did decide that Leg warmers aren't weird, but actually quite practical, and therefore, worth buying and cordinating with an outfit.  

I share these stories, to give you a picture of where my personal thermometor stood before.  I used to prefer cold to heat, I thought, "Theres only so much you can pull off when its hot out, but when its cold you can always pile more on."  My personal thermometer read 70 degrees as HOT.  And About 68 was ideal comfort level.  at 80 degrees, I thought I would fry.

That thermometer worked great for living in alaska.  However, I have a problem.  I'm in California this summer.  When I got here, they were having my ideal weather.  It felt great, but everyone else was complaining about the cool weather.  Then, it started warming up, gradually over the last 6 and a half weeks.  On monday, this pattern Climaxed at 100 degrees, at 3 pm.  And I enjoyed it.  I was outside in the sun, and I remembered my sunscreen, and to reapply it, so I didn't burn.  It was awesome!  Then, Tuesday night, at Sids softball game, it was 70 degrees outside, and I was chilly!  AAAAAH!   Help me!

California screwed up my thermometer! 

I'm gonna die this winter....