Friday, January 28, 2011

Live to Eat, Eat to Live

Sometimes I really feel like I could eat anything and everything put in front of me.  Other days though, I feel like I don't want to eat anything at all. During these days of my life, I only eat because I need the energy to get me through the day. 
Sophomore year of College was a different time altogether for me when it came to Living to eat and eating to live.  I had my mouth wired shut from jaw surgery and could only drink liquids.  For the first 2 weeks, I drank boost and ensure for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Although I had undergone two major surgeries in Oklahoma, after my second one, I begged my mom to get me out of the hospital and to Provo, UT so I could make it for the first BYU football game of the season within 4 days.  I made a bet with her that if I would not complain and if I would drink the ensure and boost 3 times a day, she would take me.  I agreed.  She and I made the second trip to Utah of the Month (the first was to Grant and Maren's wedding 9 days after my first surgery and 5 days before my second surgery).  Of course, I had so many drugs in me, I slept the entire way except through Price Canyon in Utah where my mom asked me to drive...I was pretty drowsy and under some good medication. The next morning was the game!  I was lucky because the seats we got were right next to the wheel chairs, so i was able to sit through the whole game.  By Sunday, I was starving for food.  My mom made a big dinner for Grant, Maren, Mark and me of my favorite meal of mashed potatoes, gravy, chicken, etc.  I got to Grant and Marens apartment and tried to stuff the potatoes through my teeth.  It wouldn't work.  I tried and tried for about 15 minutes, then FREAKED out.  needless to say, my mom took me to McDonalds for a milkshake. 
After classes started, I had boost for breakfast and lunch, then a milkshake for dinner.  I started getting desperate for food when I found a cookbook called "dinner through a straw".  I made something with eggs, sausage, and milk.  That was pretty good.  My roommate Sydney tried it, spit it out, and exclaimed that I must be "STARVING" to eat something that gross.  2 weeks in, I was invited over to some ward members house for a party.  One of the kids there made jumbalya and knew I was coming, so he blended mine totally thin like a milkshake.  It was the best milk shake of MY LIFE!  After this experience, I realized I needed to actually drink more substantial stuff. Every week I went and bought a new bag of 5 lb potatoes for a delicious potato milkshake.  Without discovering my potato milkshakes, which were delicious, I seriously don't know if I would have made it for 6 weeks, going to school, walking up to and around campus.
My potato milkshake exploded in this picture.  The bottom fell off and i sucked it off the counter.  I was really hungry
When I finally did get my mouth un-wired in St. George, UT, my cousin Cannon, who was down there anyway for business went with me into the doctor's office.  After he and I got out of the doctor's office, he took me out to a restaurant called Fizzolis.  He told me I could get anything on the menu.  Dont worry, I did what he said!  I got lasagna, pizza, bread, a dessert, and packages of cookies!  I wolfed down the lasagna so fast, or as fast as my weak jaw would let me.  After I finished eating, I looked at Cannon for the first time in 30 minutes.  He said that I must have been starving because I was making "mmm" noises while eating.  Not only did Cannon pay for my first meal, he sent me home with all the cookies he bought.  That was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.  I definitely think that at that point I was eating, solely on the purpose to live.
Thanksgiving that year, I went to Jennifer's house.  We went around the table and told what we were thankful for. When all eyes were on me, I said I was thankful for food because it makes me strong and helps me feel better.  I look back on this experience and am always thankful for food to keep us going from day to day.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Inspiration

I am feeling a little inspired because of a reading assignment from my religion class.  I just want to first off say how amazing BYU is.  There are religion classes that I have taken here that really brings the spirit to my day/week.  This is my last semester at BYU and, although, I did not need to take another religion class, I heard great things from my cousins Rachel and Vaughn as well as two friends Mandy and Trever that the Marriage and Family class was amazing.  Of course, thinking I need a two credit-hour filler, I got into Brother Goodman's Marriage and Family class.  What better way to also improve Brian and my calling as marriage and family relations teachers then having a professor of BYU teaching us the material.  Win, Win!


I am so happy already!  It is week two and I have read a couple things for this class which have been really good.  I was a little anxious to read the assignment for Tuesday's lecture because it is the longest one of the semester, 27 pages of information!  The topic was on The Family: A Proclamation to the World, which, thanks to my mom, I memorized when I was 15.  I thought to myself, oh this will be easy as pie to read because of course, I know everything within the Proclamation.  Thats true, I do have the words memorized, but the 27 pages I read today inspired me to want to be a better person in so many ways.  The topic began with many quotes from general authorities, apostles, and prophets on Repentance.  Oh how important it is say you are sorry to your spouse.  One quote I got out of it was from Robert L Simpson:

"Every couple, whether in the first or the twenty first year of marriage, should discover the value of pillow talk time at the end of the day--the perfect time to take inventory, to talk about tomorrow. and best of all, its a time when love and appreciation for one another can be reconfirmed.  The end of another day is also the perfect setting to say 'Sweetheart, I am sorry about what happened today.  Please forgive me'"

How sweet that is. The next thing I really enjoyed reading about was finances.  This is one thing I find hard to read because I like buying stuff :).  This topic was brought about in many different ways, but I thought it was interesting how there was a story shared about two couples who met at the boat loading doc one Summer night.  One man explained to the other couple that it was so sad for it to be the last time his family was going wakeboarding until the following summer.  The other couple explained that they always buy winter snowboarding passes for them and their children so they always have family things to do together.  The first couple then asked, "how do you afford that?"  The couple then explained how they have used their money they have saved for remodeling their bathroom and have used it for snowboard passes. 
The family who went snowboarding together always talk about the days they would go up the mountain to snowboard.  Who would ever remember  a bathroom that was remodeled 10 years before?  Wow.  Cool story.  I really just had feel good moments reading about the proclamation to the family.  Emphases was given on how "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."  How amazing it can be to love, to forgive, to work, and to have fun in our activities.  I have grown to love the Proclamation even more than ever because of this religion class' reading assignment.

Families are so important.  I just love my new husband and am happy to begin a small family with him.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Recap of 2010

Oh Twenty Ten, how important you were in my life!
A quick recap of the year,
January 2010, Brian and I went up to Idaho to meet his family for my first time!  We went snowboarding and had a great time :)

February, I took off for Valentines day to California with some friends.  The next week, Brian and I headed down to Arizona to see my Sister and family.  That was very eventful, and a party!

 I even ran into Troy and Brooke in Cali!
 Az


March was filled with school and going back to Idaho.  :)  Oh and Sarah, Kurt, Brian, and I went to Moab so us girls could run a half marathon.  How accomplished I feel! Never go camping before running  :)
April was an amazing time for Brian and I as we began the month engaged, then we took engagement pictures, and then we ended the semester and took off for oklahoma



^meeting the family and thinking we are all insane  :)
May was a VERY tough month.  Brian and I did a 40 day "fast" from each other.  I have nothing to say about this month.  It was difficult
June!!!  I can hear wedding bells once again!  We got married on the 11th and went to Bahamas on our honeymoon





July was full of hard work.  Luckily there is a holiday!  the 4th!  We saw Aaron and Kim's family :) Also, Brian surprised me for my birthday and took me out to eat at PF changs and then we went to get icecream in Boise


August, we went back to school and went to the very first football game of the season!
September was Brian's Birthday.  I guess I didn't pull out my camera for his birthday.  I am a horrible wife!  But i got him tons of clothes.  :)
October was full of General conference, Mark and Samantha's wedding, as well as school!  Here are some caps of it.


November was a lot of fun as we returned to the Bahamas on a cruise with my family.  We then went to Brian's sister's house (Katie) for Thanksgiving



December!  Christmas at the Millers!  this was quite the trip and totally worth it!  Just a couple pics.  I will be writing about this trip again  :)







Our first Christmas! 
Oh how fun the year 2010 was!  I cant wait to see what 2011 holds for us!