Snow day = blogging :)

Ok so our first snow of the winter season and the whole town shuts down. As you can see from the picture below, the snow isn\'t even sticking to the road but everyone in Arkansas freaks out :)



Our good friends the Pilkingtons joked not to go to the store right before a storm of any sorts. And this picture explains it.

This is really how people are around here. They think the world ends during a storm. Anyway, enough with making fun of Arkansans since technically we are considered one of them right now.
So now we will go a little back in time to Thanksgiving. I posted a little about this already (I think) but we spend Thanksgiving in Dumas, which is like the armpit of Arkansas. Out in the middle of no where, hick people, little town, etc. We spent it with the Pilkingtons, who have taken us in and pretty much adopted us. We had a blast with them and Molly\'s (the mom) parents. Well before we left, her dad had woken up early to go duck hunting. Well I couldn\'t resist a good picture moment to a) freak out my parents, maybe? and b) to play a prank on some of my co-workers. So here is the picture.

Ha! We had fun. Next came Jonny\'s birthday. We had practice the night of his birthday so our amazing club parents brought pizza and baked him a birthday cake. They are really amazing. Here he and I are celebrating his birthday.
Next we bought Jonny a car. He was getting pretty chilly driving his motorcycle to school every morning. We got hooked up with a great deal from another great parent who works at a car dealership in town. He gave us this car for just under the state tax price. So we got this car, which isn\'t the nicest but really in great shape, for 2400 bucks! We were so grateful. So here is "white lightening"!
Ok next on the list is that Jonny applied for the tv show survivor!
They told him after applying that if he doesn\'t hear anything back by Feb 29th, that his torch has been snuffed. Ha! So we are waiting to hear back, crossing our fingers that will get to do this.
Next stop is our tournament in Memphis. It was a two day tournament and Memphis is about a 3 hour drive away. So we left on Friday night and were there Saturday and part of Sunday. We played Saturday morning and after we were done playing we toured the town, ate some amazing food, walked down Beale street and even went shopping at the mall since Russellville doesn\'t have a mall.

Sunday we played in the morning and left around 2 after getting something to eat. We didn\'t have to rush or anything since we knew that it was only a 3 hour drive. Well little did we know that there was a HUGE wreck on the 2 lane highway that takes us back. They had shut down the whole highway. We sat in traffic for about 3 hours pretty much at a standstill. They had us exit for a detour that was just as bad. Finally they opened up the highway again and as soon as we started picking up speed,we hit construction. Let\'s just say by the end of the 7 hour trip, we were all ready to be out. It sure was fun to spend time with the Pilkingtons :) this is what we were doing.


We had to stretch our legs and give our butts a rest. It sure was an adventure though.
Last but not least is our weird missionary/Pilkington story. Saturday night, we had been invited to come over to the Pilkington\'s for dinner. I was cleaning the house like I normally do on Saturdays when I get a phone call from the missionaries. Hold on...a little background. The Pilkingtons are Methodist but we have spent a couple of hours telling them about the Mormon church and they asked about Jonny\'s mission, etc. Ok back to the story. So I got a phone call from the missionaries, and this is what they asked. "So what do you know about Melinda Pilkington?". I said that I didn\'t know a Melinda Pilkington just a Molly Pilkington. The missionaries went on to tell me that there is a Melinda Pilkington on our church records and were in the area and stopped by her house to see if she was home. Well apparently the address is the same as Molly\'s address. So a couple really weird things here a) we have never talked to the missionaries about how we know the Pilkingtons so when he called and asked what we know about a Pilkington it was crazy weird b) Molly and her husband Neylon built that house and made that address so no one else has ever lived there and c) the bishop of our ward has never known of a melinda Pilkington. It was crazy weird. Anyway, we come to find out that the way the church records works. If there is someone that moved and never told where to transfer her records, it goes to a lost records department. Then they try to find where they live. Once they have found where they believe Melinda Pilkington lives, they attach that address with the m Pilkington that lives in Russellville. so Jonny and I got curious and looked online if there was ever a Melinda Pilkington that lived in Russellville and this is what we found.

That was one crazy experience.

As for us, we are enjoying living in Arkansas and all the people we have met. We are so grateful for our supportive family! And can\'t wait for others to come visit or for us to find some time to go back and visit. We miss everyone.

Also, my sister came out with her two little boys and we had a BLAST!!! I\'m already planning the next time she comes out. She posted all about it on her blog so you can read about it. :)

Thought I updated a long time ago...

Ok so I thought that I had lost this when I wrote it like a month ago. So I'm I'm going to post it now. Here it is...

So I kept telling people that I would blog a lot when I moved off to Arkansas....well I wasn't taking in consideration how busy I would be and that I would lose my camera cord in the move. So I will keep trying to blog as often as possible and keep people up to date with our Arkansas lives. So first off, I want to tell some stories...in no particular order (just in order that I remember them right now). I started working at Blackstone Construction which is an asphalting company and I absolutely LOVE my work! The people here are awesome and so funny and joke around with each other. Never a dull day at Blackstone. Anyway, my co-workers get a kick out of thinking about family coming to visit. They think about what they can do and say to make whoever comes out that they will experience the full Russellville, AR feel. HA! I can't wait for people to come out and visit and see what we live with everyday. Like I said before, I got called to be the Miamaid advisior in our ward. Well we had our quarterly temple trip planned (since the temple we go to is 3 and a half hours away in Memphis, Tennessee). Well at mutual, they kept asking the girls to make sure and get their recommend interview down early. (Keep in mind that our stake center is 72 miles away in Little Rock so the members of the stake presidency can be anywhere from Russellville to Little Rock basically). Well friday afternoon came, and I was driving from work to the Junior High for some private lessons and realized that temple recommends expire after 2 years. So it is 4:30 on friday, the day before I leave for the temple with the youth and realize I don't have a current temple recommend. Also, I had 3 private lessons that night so I wouldn't be done until 7:30. So I got the number of a stake precidency member that lives in Conway (40 minute drive) and called him up to see if he could help me out. Well everything worked out. He ended up giving me the interview over the phone so that when I made it down there, I could just get it signed and be on my way. To add to this wonderful memory, I met with the bishop after the lessons before going down to Conway and I was in workout clothes and he was in his UPS uniform. Most un-formal bishops/stake president interview ever. Plus, I went straight down to Conway after the interview and met the stake presidency member in a gas station off the freeway. That was where he signed my temple recommend on the hood of my car. It was a priceless memory.

Well that was as far as I got with that post. So here is my update from that post....

I'm still at Blackstone and I still love it. Jonny is now done with volleyball season at the junior high and is now coaching girls and boys basketball at the middle school. That is an experience in of itself. He is an assistant coach of the girls 7th grade team and the head 7th grade boys team. We have learned that hard wy how difficult it is to move into a small town and be a threat. During volleyball season, it turned out that he rubbed the coaches the wrong way. Now it seems like it's carried over to basketball. I guess we just have to keep working on being accepted. Also there are a few of school board members that work with me at Blackstone and they have said there is good talk about Jonny and his volleyball knowledge. So we will see what happens with that. We are hoping for the best.

We went to Florida for Christmas this year to spend it with Jonny's family. We have a had a wonderful time so far and excited for the rest of the break. Jonny got us an iPad for Christmas which is what I am writing on right now and we LOVE it!! I got Jonny a weighted gold club to help his swing for golf. We had a wonderful Christmas with the Neeleys but miss our family of course.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and hope to see some family soon. All I can say is thanks to technology www can skype and not miss each other too bad.

As of late

So we have been living here for about 6 weeks. It has flown by. We have met new people. Jonny just loves the volleyball team and his classes. I have found a job that I am super excited about. It is a secretary position at a gravel company. I just answer phones and input things into the computer. I get full health and dental benefits which I am very happy about. I am also doing private lessons on the weekday nights after work is over. Also, I am going to be score keeping at the local University for the Volleyball games. I am going to be going from not doing much to being super busy but I am happy that I will be out and doing something.

Jonny's parents came into town this weekend and we were able to spend some time with them. Jonny and I took them to Mt. Nebo which is a mountain that is just about 15 minutes from our house. We went up there and it was a gorgeous overlook of the towns. When any of y'all come out here we will make sure take you up there. We also showed them around the town and showed off Jonny's school and took them by our church. They sure were fun to have around and we will miss having some family in town.

We also have been getting our house complete with pictures on the walls and everything set up. I know that I need to post pictures and I need to get online and see if I can find a new cord for my camera since I lost it. :( Hopefully, I can find one I can buy. As soon as I do, I will post some way over due pictures.

A few weeks ago, Jonny and I spoke in the ward. It was a great Sunday. I taught on starting religious traditions and Jonny spoke on testimonies. Jonny's of course was an amazing talk. He is just naturally good at speaking. After sacrament meeting, I was pulled aside by a member in the bishopric and was given a calling. He told me that I was a wanted woman and they have been trying to figure out for weeks between primary and Young Woman's. They said after my talk (since I talked a lot about traditions about modesty, staying chaste, etc) they thought they had me in the right place (primary) but they changed their minds. So last week I was called to be the Mia maid Adviser. I am very excited to be able to help these young women out. I feel like this is a good place for me to be at this time. Also, that same week, a man in our ward came up to Jonny in Elders and told him that he has been married to his wife for a few years now and have been trying to get her to come to church with him but she never has. He said that this was her first time coming to church (the week we spoke) and she told her husband after sacrament meeting that she felt like our talks were intended for her and that we spoke directly to her. Now she is taking the discussions and wants to get baptized. Awesome huh? And on top of that, she said she loved church so much that last week, she brought her friend and now her friend wants to get baptized too. Being out here in the south is hard, but man it is deserving!

Jonny's volleyball teams are doing great. His 8th graders are undefeated and his 9th graders are undefeated in conference play. They lost 2 matches in a tournament to a very good team. These teams are awesome and love to learn about volleyball. They are fun to watch and I am excited to see how well they do.

Well I think that's it for now. I need to get back to work! :) Man the first day has been a breeze. If everyday is like this, I think I might REALLY like this place. I will try and post pictures asap.

Settled in

Ok finally we have unpacked the last box (that we needed, some are still in storage). The only thing that is not done completely is the picture frames up on the wall. We have so many picture frames and not enough space in the house. So right now they are all sitting in a pile in the first spare bedroom. But we have two rooms available for anyone to come stay :)

So the first sunday, we thought church was at 10:30, so I got up early to get in the shower and get ready. Jonny woke up at 9:50 and had a feeling to check what time church was.....turns out it was at 10. We got ready as soon as we could and left. We walked into church 30 minutes late. You can say that we got jokes for the rest of the day and even throughout the week from the bishops family. HA! We won't ever forget what time church is now. Also, after church was over, we went outside to leave and looked over and the car was not in the spot we parked. We went to the other side of the building to make sure that we weren't getting confused on what side we parked. When we came back, I decided that I would go look at the parking spot to make sure the car wasn't there. As I got closer, I saw the front of my car more than half way out of the parking spot. I took a picture of it on Jonny's phone and will have to post it later. Apparently, I didn't pull the parking brake enough or something. Weirdest thing ever cause I have never had that problem before. It sure was a shared laugh with the people around. So the first week, we were known as the couple that shows up 30 minutes late with no kids, and the car that rolled half way out of the parking spot. Awesome.

This week at church was better. Jonny got a calling. He was called to the 2nd counselor in the elders quorum. After church, he went in to get set apart and after they were done, they were talking and the man in the stake said, "you pretty much have had this calling since April when we found out you two were moving out here." HAHA! Jonny had no chance of not getting a calling. I was certain they were going to meet with him and give him the calling the first week. I was wrong but we knew a calling for him was coming. Now we are waiting to see what I get called as? Any guesses?

The job hunt is still on for me. People here have been so helpful to me for looking for jobs or talking to people that do have openings. Now I just need one of them to work out. I have an interview Wed for a secretary position for the assistant superintendent for the Russellville school district, which is the same school district as Jonny. It would be ideal because the hours would be similar and the year contract would be the same. Also, I would get the same vacations as him and it would be something I would be interested in. I also have another job that I should be hearing back from next week. It would be a job at a sporting goods store here in Russellville. I just hope the Lord helps me out with this decision.

Well, it has been over 100 degrees for the past week and about 80% humidity. People around here have said that normally they get a few days hitting 100. The past two days have been 116. Easy to say, it has been miserable. But luckily, we have air conditioning in our house. Every place is air conditioned except the gym. Ugh, its so nasty in there. I guess I have just been spoiled these last 4 years playing in a nice air conditioned gym. Speaking of that, coaching all this volleyball and thinking we are already into August, it is weird and VERY sad that I am not at the school getting ready for season. This time for the past 4 years, I have been working out, playing volleyball and getting ready for school and season to start. This is the first realization that it is over. And it is sad. I miss my team, my coaches, the gym, the school (but not going to school) and everything about the life I have been living for the past 4 years. It is for sure something in the past. So now its time for something new which is Russellville. We are excited for this new adventure. I just need to find a job so I don't just sit at home and think about how much I miss everyone. Hopefully this week. Wish me luck!

home sweet home

So we made it! We are in Arkansas. It was a long trip though. It started out Friday the 15th. We said our goodbyes and after the tears started coming I knew we needed to get out of there soon before it would get worse. You don't realize how much you truly love your family until you leave them. I sure will miss being able to drive 20 minutes to see my sisters and hang out with them. Anyway, enough with the sappy-ness. We drove through Wyoming and arrived in Fort Collins, Colorado. We were able to stay with some friends that just moved out there a few months ago. We were only planning on staying that night and waking up the next morning to finish our trip. But, the sloan's house was pretty sweet and had lots to do so we decided to stay another day. We went and toured the place ashley's dad, Ashley and Kevin all work and got some free stuff. It was pretty awesome. Thanks again guys for letting us stay there and the hats! Sunday morning we woke up and was out of the house by 8. We drove down through oklahoma. That was by far the longest part of the trip. We entered Oklahoma around 1 pm and didn't cross over into Arkansas until 10 pm that night. Our plan was never too drive the whole way on Sunday but we weren't tired so we did. We arrived in Russellville around 2 am Monday morning. We pulled up to our house realizing we have no way inside. So we were planning on sleeping in our car. Jonny went around to the windows to see if there was one open that we could climb through so we could sleep in the house. Luckily there was. And also the electricity was on which was surprising because we never called to have it turned on. It was perfect. We were able to sleep indoors and have the AC turned on. The next day we woke up and unloaded the truck. We drove to pick up our keys and started calling gas, cable, electricity, etc to get everything turned on and put into our name. Now we are a week into it and there are still boxes we haven't touched and picture frames everywhere. We have been here for a week and I have already applied for a few jobs, Jonny has meet most of the people he needs to, filled out and signed contracts, and we have already given private lessons to 4 different girls. We are so excited to be here and help out the volleyball world expand. Jonny starts practice with his girls volleyball tonight and will practice pretty much everyday til school starts. I have been offered reffing jobs and scorekeeping jobs. I have been given many leads for jobs from pretty much everyone we meet. People out here are super nice and we are so blessed to have this job. Looking back on our 27 hour drive and everything that happened, it truly is amazing how the Lord works. He has given us so many blessings and we are so happy to be here. As hard as it was to leave, we are really beginning to like it here. Just FYI, anyone that is out in the Russellville arrange kore than welcome to come stay with us. At the moment we have two clean bedrooms but hopefully soon we will be able to have 3. :) There is tons more that I want to blog about like church yesterday and a few things that I have pictures on my camera. But currently I have no idea where my camera cord is so those pictures will have to wait. Thank you to everyone that helped us in this move or allowed us to stay with them for the past 2 months. You helped us out in more ways than one. Thanks for the support and come visit whenever y'all want! We would love to have you. Ps the accents here are sweet and Jonny said I am already beginning to pick it up. Ha. Love you all!

Arky trip :)

This past weekend we took a 3 day trip to Arkansas. It was the first time for the both of us had been in the state of Arkansas. It was so beautiful. We got up Monday morning and walked outside to this....



It is so unbelievably green there. Not only really green but super humid. When Jonny and I stepped off the plane Sunday night at 11 pm, it was hard to breathe. It was like getting out of a hot shower but staying in the bathroom. It is very hot. So Sunday night we drove to the guy we were staying with whose name is Jim. He is the Athletic Director at the High School. He was so kind to open up his home for us to stay with him. Thanks Jim! Anyway, we got up pretty early (considering the time difference from AZ to AR is 2 hours ahead) to head to the Junior High. The reason why we took this trip out there this week was because the whole week, the Junior High was holding a volleyball camp for the 8th and 9th graders (which is who Jonny will be coaching) so that they could meet him as well as him being able to see where their skill level was at. They were all so nice and welcoming. The girls seem like they will be a lot of fun and Jonny is super excited!

I know I will probably say this over and over again but everyone there was SO NICE!!!!! Within 10 seconds of meeting someone, they would always say, "here is my number....if you need anything just let me know." They are all so nice!

So Monday after the volleyball camp was over which was about 11:30 am we started our house hunt. We checked the classifieds, craigslist, etc. and started to get ourselves familiar with the street names and the area. What we did find out was that the little town of Russellville has a grid system. Not as easy as Utah's with numbers but similar. So that helped to be able to understand where some streets are. We had no luck the first day looking for houses. WE decided to call up the Bishop so we could meet him and family. They are so nice and we know that we will be close with them. Then, we went back to Jim's and woke up the next morning.

Tuesday, we woke up and decided to go by the school again to see the girls. However, we had some appointments for some places to look inside that afternoon so we left early. We liked one of the places that was a duplex with a garage but it just wasn't exactly what we were looking for. So we kept looking. The search contiuned to not go super well and we started getting super frustrated and overwhelmed. All of a sudden we got a blessing. We decided that we were going to go to a real estate agency and see what they can do to help. This happened to be at 4:00 at night and they closed in an hour. We went by and they had a list of all the houses and apartments that are for rent, all the amentities, the rent, and when it will be made available. It was like a prayer answered. We started to drive around and look at the outside of most houses and got to go in a few. Thats when we came across what we hoped would become our house. This....


The owner was outside but said he wouldn't let us in because he didn't want to invade. We looked around and realized that the previous tenants had already moved all of their stuff out. So we decided that we would go to the real estate as early as possible the next morning so if we like it we could get it for sure. So we woke up the next morning, drove to the place and asked if they could go show us around. We went there and LOVED IT!!!!! Here are just some pictures that I took of the place. I have more but its hard to tell what they are unless you know the layout of the place.


Here is the backyard. We found out that it is 1/6 an acre. So pretty big and super open. I don't know what we will do with all that room but I think that it will be nice :)

This is the living room. We love the wood floor and the fireplace. Now the only thing we don't know what to do is where to put our sectional. But I bet we will figure it out. To the right but out of the picture is a sliding glass door and an area to put our table that Sandy gave us. Thanks Sandy!!

The house is 3 bedrooms with all walk-in closets. There is 2 full bathrooms. A pretty small kitchen but all new applicances. There is also a washer and dryer that comes with the apartment. And a garage! We are so excited for a little house but now we will just need to have some friends and family come visit cause we have extra bedrooms and bathroom! :)


So to finish off what we did. Jonny was super nice to me Tuesday for my birthday. He took me shopping for cowboy boots (which we didn't find any :( but I will keep looking ) and then Jim and his wife took Jonny and I out to dinner. Then that night, Jonny had secretly planned for the Bishop and his family to bake me a cake and have us over. It was a great birthday!


Wednesday is when we woke up and got our house squared away, just in the nic of time! After, we went by a school board's office to make sure all of the paperwork is done. After, we went by the school and said bye to the girls and coaches. Then headed to the airport. Luckily we had better luck getting on flights yesterday then we had on Sunday. We are glad to be back safe and sound.

We are so excited to move out there. The town was great. The people are super nice. I even applied for a job while I was out there and we will see if I get it! :) It will be SO sad to leave family and friends but I really think this is will be fun for Jonny and I and it will help us to grow together. Thanks for all the support and we hope that some of y'all will be able to come out and see us. If anything, come visit the beautiful area.

P.S: Jonny did say that within 2 days of being there, I was already picking up the accent. Oh boy. It's just so catchy and easy to catch on to.


Here are some other random pictures to see...

Everyone there is so religious and openly religious. I like that. We prayed in the restaurant and no one even cared.
This is the view of the lake that is right next the Junior High School. It is so pretty and we caught it right at sun down.


So at the Chicago airport, we were waiting for the plane to board and had some time to kill so I walked to a little shop to look around. As I was walking out of the shop, I looked up to find Barto walking by that EXACT shop. It was crazy! We both were in shock and it was a nice little surprise to be able to see her before we left for good to go to Arkansas and before she took off to Poland. She was on her way to the terminal to wait for her plane to Poland. It was awesome and we had a good kick out of it!
That's all for now. Hope you enjoy reading and looking at the pictures. Maybe later I will just post all the pictures of the house and you can try and figure out what they are. :) Love y'all!

life as we know it....

So we moved out of our apartment in Utah and moved down to Arizona. Jonny's brother said he would employ him for a few weeks before they go on vacation. This is a picture of there cute little family. Well we have been here for 2 and a half weeks already and the time is almost here that we are done. Sunday we will take off to Arkansas to look for places to live. I am excited but nervous because we are only going to be there for a few days and it scares me that we wont find a place. Hopefully, that won't be the case.

We will be there for a few days then head back to Arizona to stay with Jonny's other brother for a few days then we will be driving down to California to see my parents and for a Neeley family reunion before we leave to Arkansas for a while.

I am going to take my camera with me to Arkansas so I can take pictures of everything. I am excited to see the town but flying out there will make it too real for me. I am so scared to have to say good bye for a longer time next time to my sweet neices and nephews and also my siblings. Living so close to them for the last 4 years has been awesome and I don't want to move away. But knowing that we won't be there forever (cause Jonny wants to go back to BYU for his masters asap) makes the move a little easier. However, it is never easy saying goodbye.

I just hope that my parents and maybe even siblings can possibly make a trip out to see Arkansas. I have only heard good things about the state. It is so pretty and the people are so polite. Yet, the humidity and my hair are not going to get a long well. But, I have a feeling that this is what we need to do with our life as of now. I believe that the Lord gives us these paths to follow and makes sure that everything will work out. I know this because this is a job and in this economy right now, that is better than most people have. Also, Jonny's position at Russellville Middle School is a PE teacher, Head volleyball coach, Assistant basketball coach, and assistant track coach. They just called his last week and wanted to know if he would be willing to take the head basketball coaching position. This means a 4% pay raise for just about the same amount of work. I know the Lord is looking after us and I know that everything will work out.

We are excited for this new adventure in our life and we hope that you follow along with it. Cause who knows....maybe we will end up having a little Arky baby ;)

nanny-ing

So this week from Wed to Sun Jonny and I are nanny-ing for 3 kids (7, 13 and 15 year olds) in a 6000 square foot house. The house is beautiful and the kids are old enough to basically do their own thing. It is a lot of fun but stressful at the same time. I have to remember where everyone has to be at what time and where. I now know why the Lord gives us only one (maybe two if you are Sarah Collette :) ) babies at one time...and props to those who adopt multiple kids at a time. That would be hard too. When I came over before the parent's left for Las Vegas (Bro. Barlow is participating in an iron-man this weekend) his wife Wendy was telling me what I need to do and where everything was. She looked at me and said, "You look overwhelmed." Of course I was overwhelmed. Bro. Barlow aka Pete said, "Just think of it as your own principality." I responded by saying, "Except your principality is 6000 square feet and ours is 600 square feet." He laughed and I was still overwhelmed. Ha. But now a day into it, I think I may that the hang of things. We'll see.

Anyway, this is a heads up in case I don't get to blogging much this week. The cause....3 kids and a 6000 square foot house to look after. :) Wish me luck.

spring break=catch up

So this week is my spring break. That means I have been cleaning and baking and now blogging. I will finish this week the 30 day challenge :) finished it in 45 days probably....oh well.

Day 26: A picture of something that means a lot to you

My wedding ring means tons to me. I love it. It is perfect for me. I love the heart shape because I have something that is somewhat passed down since my mom and one of my sisters had a heart shape. Maybe my future girls (if I ever have any) will follow along with this "tradition." All I have to say is that Jonny did awesome, since I didn't go with him to pick it out. :) I love it.

Day 27: A picture of yourself and family member


I consider myself to be in this picture. I am the #2 :) This is my wonderful family (minus Brian, Jeff and Shannon, and before the other little ones, and Ed and Karen) that made it to almost every single home game and a lot of away games. I am so grateful for such an amazing and supportive family. I couldn't ask for a better family. Thanks guys!


Day 28: A picture of something you are afraid of

I am absolutely totally 100% terrified of heights. I get nervous even when someone else is looking over the edge or if I feel they are in danger. I even get nervous looking at this picture above. I used to be so scared of heights that I couldn't even look over the second story at the mall....pretty pathetic. I really wish that I wasn't so that I would enjoy roller coaster more, want to go sky diving, etc. Maybe one day I can overcome my fear but probably not :(


So that will be it for now....tomorrow, the last 3 days :) and then I can start updating my blog with my life which, sadly isn't much now.

way far behind....

Ok so I am like 7 days behind...I guess that just shows the priority of this blog to the rest of my life. Can't hate me for that right? My sister is the one that keeps me on track. Thanks Sandy :)

Day 23: A picture of your favorite book

This is my ABSOLUTE favorite book ever! It makes me so happy and sometimes makes me cry. If you haven't read it, you need to. I read it when I miss being little and miss my mom and dad. It just shows how much parents really care about you no matter what. Even if you are a rotten teenager or a toddler that pees on them when changing their diaper, they still love their kids. One day, I will know that unconditional love. I am grateful for this book for reminding me how much my parents love me. It's a good lifter-uper when you need one. :)

Day 24: A picture of something you wish you could change

















As the above pictures show, the one on the left is a men's basketball arena and the one on the right is a women's basketball arena. Notice the difference in the stands? I wish that I could change people's perception on women athlete. Women athletes don't get the respect and hype that they should. The media coverage is like night and day. The appearance at the games are like black and white. The only reason that women's volleyball even has as many people come that do is because what we wear. If it wasn't for that, no one would come. It's sad and I don't like it. Girls are good athletes....just as good as boys, just different. Ok I think I am done with my short little rant.

Day 25: A picture of your day


My day consists of this boy and his craziness he brings. He is always smiling and laughing and having fun. I love him. Period.

Update: STILL CAN'T FIND MY KEYS!!!! Ugh! I am getting very unhappy about it.


Day 21: A picture of something you wish you could forget




So this Spring of freshman year but same thing. I wish I could forget all the dumb decisions I made freshman year. I threw away precious time getting to know my teammates for dumb reasons. I focused on one friend and that wasn't healthy. I wish that I could go back in time and replay the whole first year. I had awesome seniors that barely got to know and wish that could change. Sophomore year was so much better. I had Jonny in my life as well as getting rid of a unhealthy 'virus' that was bringing me down. I guess it made me stronger and who I am today but really wish I could forget it.


Day 22: A picture of something you wish you were better at.
I wish I was better at church knowledge. It is hard to read and study scriptures with someone who spent two years of his life dedicating every second to learning about the church and gospel. I find it frustrating sometimes like I am the only one learning and benefiting from studying the scriptures. And because of the problem I have, I feel like I lack even more learning than I could. What I should do is be happy that I have a husband that served a worthy mission and knows as much as he does and take advantage of that....I need to learn my lesson and get over this problem.

Day 19/20

So really quick...I am home blogging because once again, I cannot find my keys. I feel like Jonny lately. This is twice in the last few weeks that it comes time to leave and I can't find them.

Anyway, Day 19: A picture and a letter

A select few playing in the Collegiate Beach Nationals. It was a blast and we got tan :)

A team picture after a game. Pretty good picture besides Abby not looking at the camera :)

Right before the start of the sweet 16 game at University of Washington. We lost :(


Not really sure what this means but....oh well. Here is a picture Utah Volleyball. Utah Volleyball has been great to me. Here is the letter I would write to them.

Dear Utah Volleyball,

All teammates, coaches, staff and fans included. I write this to you to say thank you! Thank you for loving me, for including me, for teaching me lessons, for giving me a chance. I know that I had ups and downs but thank you for sticking with me. Thank you to my teammates for loving me and being my sisters. All four years I made friends that I will keep forever. You all are the greatest. Thank you coaches for allowing me to play. I am so grateful that I could be part of such a great program. Thank you mom and dad for stepping up and talking to the coaches in the first part or I would have never even played in college. So thank you! Utah Volleyball, you have made me who I am today. Thank you!

Love always,
Stephanie


Day 20: A picture of a place you would love to travel


Well I already used one places as day 15 (something you wanna do before you die) but there are many places that I would love to go too. I would love to travel to New Zealand. Just last year we got a new staff member on the Volleyball team. He is the guy that records all the games and puts together video so we can watch and see what we are doing wrong. He also records our stats. Anyway, he was born and raised in New Zealand so he had the sweet accent and everything. Well, I talked to him a lot about the culture and how I really wanted to go there one day. He expressed how much he misses it and how all of his family is back there. Anyway, the more we chatted about it, the more it made me want to go. I think that it is beautiful and after talking with him, he made it sound perfect. Maybe one day?

dang it

Dang! I was doing good....I just need to get back in the swing of it. Well here is the last 3 days posts :)

Day 16: A picture of someone who inspires you

So at the moment, this is the only picture that I can find. Plus, I am posting on Jonny's computer which doesn't have all of my pictures of here. Anyway, my mom is my biggest inspiration. I know that she has gone through so much with her cancer and treatments. I was lucky to be home while she was enduring that trial in her life. I say I am lucky because I was able to see her everyday and know how she was doing, but my siblings up in Utah couldn't. Even when she was having the worst day ever she still had a smile on her face. She is a strong, independent, spiritual women that I strive to be like everyday. I want to be a mom just like her. I continue to learn from her and want to be like her. She stayed at home and dealt with all the fighting of her 5 little kids. She loves her husband more and more everyday, no matter what happens. I want to be just like her and wish I could come somewhere close one day. I love you mom and so glad that you fought hard through cancer so you can be here today!

Day 17: A picture of something that has made a huge impact on my life recentlySo of course, I had to use this picture as one to describe how Utah Volleyball has had a HUGE impact on my life. (PS: This is me solo blocking Christina Measom on BYU's team at Utah....definitely the highlight of my year). Not only was I practicing everyday, on top of working out, on top of school and homework, on top of being a wife, on top of a social life (which I didn't have much of when I was playing volleyball) but seriously, I don't know where I would be or who I would be if I was never apart of Utah Volleyball. The coaches have taught me so much and I cannot even being to tell the girls thanks for being my sisters. I know that friends come and go but I feel like teammates never do. I learned how to manage time, how to be responsible, to trust, to work hard (even when the odds are stacked against you), to keep trying even when you fall, and to love something so much you don't know what to do with your life now. I have been playing sports for 18 years now, and now I'm done. What the heck do I do? I don't need to go to practice or go work out. I don't have people giving me advice on what classes to take or making sure I'm even going. And I won't have people paying me money every month to play volleyball....come on now what am I supposed to do? Anyway, seriously I have learned so much about myself and what I want to be by being apart of this team. It was the hardest thing I had to endure but heck, I am sure glad I stuck through it.

I get really excited when I play. I miss it. A lot!


Day 18: A picture of your biggest insecurity


If I knew how to do photoshop I would use it to circle my insecurity. If you know me really well, you know that I ABSOLUTELY hate my mole. I cannot stand it. If I knew a way to remove it without leaving a nasty scar I totally would. I think that it is hideous. I am lucky that I found a guy to love me even with it on my face. People always say that they love it and that it is a beauty mark, but they don't have one so it is easy to say that it is pretty. I have it and I can tell you that you would hate it too if you had one. It has been something that I have always been so insecure about...that boy won't like me cause I have this nasty thing, or that girl won't want to be friends with me because she is prettier than I am. I just don't like it. Period.

13, 14, 15

I am trying to get caught up to my sister....She is on 20. oh boy.

Day 13: A picture of your favorite band or artist

I would have to say that Rocket Summer is my favorite band...if you can call 'one guy' a band. I fell in love with The Rocket Summer back in high school. They are not a band that is widely known, and those are the bands that I like. I like the music on the radio but it always seems that all their 'other' songs that don't make it on the radio are not good. I feel that with underground bands like The Rocket Summer. Although I have always wanted to see them in concert, I haven't. Maybe one day. Go check some of their songs out. They make me happy listening to them.

Day 14: Someone you could never imagine your life without.


My sisters are my best friends. Ya we fought like crazy when we were younger but now growing up, we all live so close and we hardly go a week without seeing each other. They are the reason I don't want to move out of Utah (even though every other fiber in my body wants to). They have supported me in volleyball, heck they even flew out to Seattle to watch me compete in the Sweet 16 game. They are the best sisters in the whole world and I am so lucky to call them mine :)

Day 15: A picture of something you wanna do before you die.

I really love the water and sun. I think I have made my point about this. I want to visit a place that has crystal blue waters. Somewhere like Tahiti. I would love to be able to walk out of the hut and be right next to the water. The best part about it is the warm water and it is so clear that you can see the bottom of the ocean. How cool is that? After watching The Bachelor for the past few seasons I have seen all the cool places they get to go to and I have wanted to go to Tahiti since Ali took the guys there last year. It looks amazing doesn't it?

Woah....

Man I was doing so good then it came to the weekend. You would think when I have more time, I would blog more. I guess not. So this is going to be my catch up post.

Day 10: A picture of the person you have done the most ****** up things with.


I have known Sarah since I could remember. We spent every weekend spending the night at each others house, watching movies, talking, making up dances/games...pretty much if you name it, we did it. We did some crazy things. I love her to death and even though we don't talk a lot, when we do, it feels like we never stopped :)



Day 11: A picture of something you hate.


Eww. I can't stand seafood. I have yet to find a kind of seafood that I like. I have tried quite a bit. The taste of salt is so strong to me that it overpowers my taste buds. It feels like I am just eating salt. I don't like it and I wish that I did because I know that it is good for you. Oh well.



Day 12: A picture of something you love.


I absolutely LOVE the sun! And even more, California sun. I could sit outside in the sun all day and be perfectly happy. When we were traveling different places for volleyball, I remember one trip that I was missing Jonny a lot. We went to Chicago and were walking around in the sun. Then we drove to the lake that is right on next to Chicago. I sat and looked at the water and felt completely relaxed. It felt like home. I told my stats guy that I love water and sun. Those two things together make me very happy and very relaxed. A part of me REALLY wants to live in California someday but it is way too expensive and started to get overpopulated. I guess we will just have to live the next state that has a lot of sunshine, Arizona :)

day 8 and 9

I slacked for a day. But here are the next two days posts :) today and yesterday

Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh.



This was taken at the BYU Utah football game 2 years ago. We had just won the MWC championship and came directly from my own game. We walked down to the game and sat in the BYU section with Jonny and got some nasty looks the whole game. I think this funny for a free reasons. One being that Jonny would never hurt me, he barely can kill a fly in our house (ok not really but he isn't abusive, promise). The second reason that this is funny is because when we tell people that we are married and go to duel schools, they wonder if we get along. Of course we do dummys or else we wouldn't have gotten married. Anyway, I find it funny. Do you?

Day 9: A person who has gotten you threw the most.



(please disregard how terrible I look in this picture. I thought the end of high school was the end of my life so I was pretty much balling my eyes out. I know I am retarded. ) Anyway, this days post was pretty obvious for me. My parents have been my everything. They have gotten me through the MANY problems with sports, boys, friends, school, pretty much everything. When I got mono in the 4th grade, when I fell in the bathtub and needed stitches, even in college when I didn't think I could go another year in volleyball and wanted to quit, they were there to help me, heal me, and give me the perfect advice. Not to mention the thousands of dollars they paid for travel ball, high school, club, and college volleyball and the sports I did before that. They were there for everything. I traveled so much to watch me play. They were my biggest fans and I am thankful for that. I don't think that I tell them enough and I wish there were a way to tell them how much I am thankful for them but I am pretty sure words wouldn't begin to describe. I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD!!!! You seriously have been the best and thank you for everything.

Now, I am grateful for my wonderful husband who helps me with little things. But, to be honest, my parents will always be my parents and no one could replace them.

Treasured item

Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item


So I know that this is pretty ridiculous but I would say that one of my most treasured items is my phone. Its sad to say but I rely on my phone for almost everything. Being able to call someone whenever and wherever you want is pretty crazy in of itself, but to search the internet while in the car or at the store is unbelievable. I can check my emails, text, call, search the internet, pretty much do everything on this phone of mine. Of course, I wish that I had an iphone because it would be easier but heck, I am so lucky to have this one.

Of course, there are many things that I treasure in life. My health, Jonny's health, our functioning cars, our education, our jobs, my ring, our marriage, etc. But I have just recently thought about how crazy I rely on my phone and it amazes me every time.

Day 6

Day 6: A picture of the person you would love to trade places with for a day.


So this is a weird question I think but I recently watched the movie "The Social Network" and LOVED it!! It was interesting, inspiring and pretty funny. Well this is Mark Zuckerberg, the owner and creator of Facebook. I have many classes that discuss how Facebook has changed the world and how it is the #1 most popular site. There are people of all ages and from many different countries. I think it would be cool to trade places with him for one day because I would love to know how Facebook is in his life. Also, it would be cool to know what it feels like to be a billionaire at the age of 26. It is crazy to think how he went from an average college student to a billionaire in just a few years. And plus, I could even convert him (I mean me) to the church if I switched places with him for one day :)

Anyway, if you haven't seen "The Social Network" you really should rent it. It is in Redbox and it is very interesting.

Day 5

Yay! So to be completely honest, I am so proud of myself. I have been doing so good at this whole blogging thing. I think maybe I need to find more of these "everyday-blog-a-new-blog" thingys.

Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory

How can I forget the greatest day of my life? My life would be nothing without Jonny. He has been there for me through all the tough times with volleyball, friends, school, etc. He is my everything and so happy he is the one I get to spend my life with. Thanks Jonny for being the best!

Day 3 and 4

Ok so it was friday night and I slacked a bit. Anywho, here is day 3 and 4 together.

Day 3: a picture of the cast from my favorite tv show.

24!! I love it. Jack Bauer is my hero. And this is a picture of one of the earlier seasons before they started getting rid of my favorite characters. It is so addicting and I just might go back to season 1 and watch it again with Jonny.



This is one of the best shows ever! I was so hooked and was angry when it ended last year. But the problem with this question is that I love tv shows so I can list a tons of tv shows. I will post more below of the ones that I really like too :)

Saved by the bell. Holy smokes. I watched this everyday when I came home from elementary school. I would rush home so I could see BOTH episodes. I remember Jessica, my sister would watch them with me. I loved it. Well, thanks to DVR I have been able to record the episodes and it took me back in time. I love it all over again even if I have watched them before :)


Survivor! Jonny got me hooked on this one a year seasons ago. We are so hooked that we are thinking about going back to season 1 and start watching them from the beginning. I am pretty excited.


Ok I won't bore you with more of my favorite shows cause I am pretty sure that I can go on for a while. I really like tv shows. Probably a lot more than I should.


OK onto day 4!

Day 4: A picture of your night

Well since I am posting this in the morning, there is no picture for the night. So I will just post a picture of last night. But I am terrible at taking pictures so I will post the movie that we went and saw last night.
It was really good and I would suggest to go see it.

Well thats it for now. I will post tomorrow. See you then!