Omar (aka my fiance) y Yo (me)

Omar and I at Jacksonville Beach after apartment shopping

Omar and I after opening Christmas crackers on Christmas Eve

Omar and I drinking a delicious shake from Steak-n-Shake (it ain't no Utah shake)

The Amazing Race Auditions

So December 8, 2007 I tried out with one of my bestest friends Naomi for the Amazing Race. We had talked about trying out before we both served missions for our church. Naomi was super sick and I ended up covering for her a lot at work. However, we ended up still making the trek to Ft. Lauderdale. It was totally awesome! We got there late at night and we stayed in this really dumpy motel. It stank really bad - but was the cheapest place we could find. We had walked up to the line for the Amazing Race and it was in this place where there is the BODIES exhibit (I don't know if you have heard of it, but it is a bunch of dead bodies and you can look at all the muscles and things of the body - sounded cool) - well it was a really happening place at night - tons of clubs, music, drinking. There were about 3 teams in line about 1:30 AM. So we went to the hotel and slept - we wouldn't have gotten any sleep there. We woke up really early and got in line - we were nearby some sweet people. We played Phase 10 - a game that lasted about 3 hours - we talked, filled out applications, jammed to music. There were some interesting stories of people. It was totally awesome being there and doing it. We were team 18 in line. Open call auditions were only for 2 hours (1-3pm) - we got done about 1/2 hour into it. I was amazed at how people were still showing up to get in line at 1:30 pm. We drove by later that day about 2:45 and there was still a huge line! No way did half those people get interviewed - because they cut it off at 3pm! It was so nerve-wracking. We had 1.5 minutes to tell who we were and how we would win amazing race 2008. We were rattling off our reasons and the guy held up his hands to tell us that there was 10 seconds left - we thought he was saying to stop. We stopped and he said you have 10 seconds left - so I just was like "UHHHHHHHHHH..." and then added "because we are amazing!" - they laughed at us - we left. I thought I would faint. But it was totally fun. Ft. Lauderdale is a pretty cool city. Call-backs are Dec./Jan. for pre-liminaries...Feb. is Finals and the show films in April. Say a lot of prayers and many Hail Marys and we might get it. How awesome would that be! But at least we tried and I can say I auditioned for a reality show. I think of all of the people there we for sure had the best story. Both returned missionaries. She served in Germany and learned German and I served in Texas and learned some sort of spanish. We have known each toher since I was born and have been friends since then, but never had we spent more than 8 hours together - we even went to college at the same place and everything. I could go on, but I won't.

The Celestine Prophecy

I finally finished this book a few weeks ago. It was so awesome! I felt this connection with this book. It talks about a manuscript that is in Peru. I have been thinking about going to Peru and this book talks about how there are no coincidences and people and things are placed in our path to help us to be able to learn, grow, and be able to fulfill our mission. I really liked how this book talks about the energy that we receive from others and how everything in this life truly is an energy battle - everything is about receiving and giving more energy. That the people we fear are energy takers and that we give our energy to them by allowing them to manipulate or control us. Also that those that we generally like to be around are those that give us energy - they make us feel good. That life truly is about learning how to control and increase our energy. This book allowed me to think more about what religion or God - there roles are in life. I totally recommend this book to all...it will get you to think and wonder - is the Manuscript real?

Miami/Palm Beach Trip

 
 
 
 
I have lived in Florida all my life and had never been to Miami. So I drove down with my mom to Miami. I spent the day with my friend Ismael. He showed me the North and South Beach - pointed out all the famous places and hotels and homes. We ate lunch on Calle Ocho in a Cuban restaraunt. I had milanesa, marduras, y platanos. The next day my mom and I drove back via Palm Beach where she showed me the home where my grandma lived, we walked down ___ Blvd. (which is like 5th Avenue New York). I couldn't believe how many jewelry and designer shops were there. Everyone has dogs there - you go in the store and there are little dog bowls of water and treats...very rich people.

Georgia Trip

 
 
 
 


So I have been back from my trip to Georgia for 2 weeks now - but have been too busy to update this thing. It was awesome! I visited my aunt Dianna and Uncle Marshall - I hadn't seen them since before the mission. Kelly also said her good-byes as she is now serving a mission. It was fun doing a little road trip just the 3 sisters - we have never done that before. Up in Georgia the weather was awesome - we had a bonfire (you can see my uncle going all crazy with the leave blower getting that thing fired up!) where we roasted hot dogs and smores, we talked and talked, went to the mall and had makeovers, and I even was able to sleep outside in the tent! I loved every second of it. I need to go on more trips!

Sarah's Faith

It is amazing how you can read a book at just the right time. When I read "Sarah: Women of Genesis" it was when I was making some decisions in my life. I have been working doing insurance stuff and I liked it fine and all, but had been struggling to know if that was what I should be doing. There were a lot of pros to staying with my job and not as many cons. But for some reason, I kept coming back to the question of whether it was right. I had been praying and doing many things to get my answer.
But I realized that the Lord had been telling me all along, I just didn't have the faith to accept the answer because I couldn't see the end...what would be the outcome. I love this part:
“Faith. She felt hypocritical, pretending to a confidence she did not feel. Of course, she could hear Abram’s voice in her head, saying that to give the appearance of confidence was an attribute of faith, for to behave as if you were certain when you had no certainty was to throw yourself into the hands of God, and encourage others to make the same leap. But if she could not be certain in the first place, it was hard to then be certain of the rightness of her pretense of certainty. It was like the way four-legged creatures moved across ragged ground. Having three legs to stand on while the fourth found a new step, their bodies remained steady and their forward found a new step, their bodies remained steady and their forward progress smooth. But Sarai was a two-legged creature, and so when she walked the same ragged ground, she lurched back and forth like a drunk, She just didn’t have as many legs to balance on, when it came to faith.”
That is what it has been for me - stopping what I began when I got home. Now I am walking with crutches, leaning on the Lord to help me to know what it is that I should do with my life (at least for the moment), that will not only bring me great joy and wonderful experiences of learning, but serve Him to the best of my ability. Faith - the answer is so easy, but never comes easily.

Mutant Message Down Under

I'm just blown away by this book. It was recommended to me by Nancy Pratt. It is one of her favorites. I can't even begin to explain how it has touched me. I want to copy so many parts of it down and just absorb it. To become one with the incredible lessons taught within. It explains perfectly not only the purpose of the Gospel now and in eternities, but how we can overcome that natural man. Who would have ever thought that really the native aboriginies have it right. Her experiences on her 120 day walk-about is incredible.
While I was on my mission my family went through the garage, to my dismay, I returned to learn that many of my precious items such as my tent, sleeping back, treking poles, and other items were thrown away. This was a great tragedy to me. But really this book, helps me to understand more about how each thing is a lesson in life, and how we can't hold onto anything material. It is insignificant. How bound we are to our imitational surroundings. How we don't see what is real. How we aren't real - we are mutants. I can't even explain the way this book opened my mind and heart to harsh mutant reality that I live in. I recommend it to everyone to read.