BirtHdaY LuaU!!

Yesterday was my big 26th Birthday! Still cant believe that it was 10 years ago that I was learning to drive and cruising the streets of St. George. Well anyway my day was great and in honor of this big day, my roommates and I decided to throw a party for me and my friend Brenda who also turned 26 yesterday! We really wanted this to be a great party so we chose a Hawaiian Luau theme and went all out. It was def a great night full of hawaiian fun. I wish you all could have been here with me to celebrate but since many of you werent be sure to check out the fun I had with all my friends! Enjoy... but dont get too jealous of my coconut shells.

I was too lazy to add all the pics on here... so just check out this link for all the fun:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020082&l=096f8&id=122802152


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCI... 26 years Old!

the FOOD... my favorite part of any party.

Love these girls!

So as I think back on the year I realize that alot has happened....Time flies... It boggles my mind to think that I have been here in Boston for over a year and a half. It really has become home and I love so many parts about it. As I look forward to the coming year I am excited yet nervous because of the unknown. So many big decisions and events are in the near future for me.... Graduating with my Masters(finally school will be done), deciding where to move, what job to get, and basically what to do with my life. It all takes faith and dependence on the Lord! Everything is going to work out and I will end up where I am supposed to be.

Just wanted to thank you all for a great year! You have all influenced me for the better and I hope I have done the same for you. May this year be as great as the past!

Life is Good!

Today I woke up, did homework, went to work, came home, made dinner, chatted with the roomies, worked out, and watched a little tv.... basically a pretty normal day with nothing exceptional happening. But for some reason today was one of those days where I realized how good my life really is. I pretty much have everything going for me with nothing to complain about... why wouldnt life be great?

we shall now see what tomorrow brings.....

Bring on SPRING

Love Boston... not such a big fan of the Snow and Cold (unless I am snowboarding in Utah)... March 1st should not be plagued with snow, thus resulting in yet another snow day... Should not have to spend time shoveling a 50 foot driveway... should not have family in St. George, Utah and Arizona informing you they are going to the pool in 70-80 degree weather. Life is just not fair.... haha I just need to remember all the great things I love about Boston, cause it really has so much that I do Love.


This is one of the things that I am most loooking forward to in the next few months.... running along the Charles river.... this is just one of the beautiful views I get to see everyday!


Here in Boston Spring is also equivocal with The RED SOX and the beginning of another baseball season. April 8th is opening day! I cant wait for another summer filled with good times and good memories at Fenway.

Also when July comes around and my family is roasting in the 110+ degree weather I can be happy I am here!!

Compliments of Weather.com:
-Santa Clara, UT: Saturday March 1st; Clear & Sunny, 71° / 42°
-Boston, MA: Saturday March 1st; Snow flurries, 38° / 23°
-Glendale, AZ: Saturday March 1st; Clear & Sunny, 83° / 51°

Kickin it.... Maine Style

So this past weekend, my roommates(and Brian) decided to get up and take a little road trip to Maine. We all felt like we needed a little break away from the city and just wanted to relax. Jo has a family friend that owns a little house in Northern Maine(Stonington) so we called her up, got the keys, and were on our way. Lets just say that it was crazy wild fun from moment one.. Here are a few of the highlights.

-Most of you probably know how much I love Cafe Rio and Costa Vida Pork Salads. Being on the east coast, where they are practically non existent, I crave them even more. So... we had heard that there was a Costa Vida in Portland, Maine... So yes we stopped, I stuffed my face, enjoyed every bite, and then headed on our way. Yes it was as good as I remember it all.


-Lets just say that the last 50+ miles to get to our destination was nothing but windy roads and huge potholes... mind you it was eleven at night and we were going over an old bridge that had recently buckled 6 inches... Good times. Good thing we had 'Gus' to guide our way.

-So we get to the cute little island of Stonington and our adventure really begins.
1. We may have tried to break into our neighbors house. How were we supposed to know which two story white house #21 on Main Street is?


2. The upstairs of our house was a literal suana... loved it.
3. The City public library and making friends with 'Muffin Smith Bartlett'
4. The Harbor Cafe: the one restuarant that is open during the winter months. Claim to have the "best muffins... and they dont even need butter." Our waitress doesnt even have anything against 'colored' people. haha


5. Mikey G's Local Bar and Restuarant. This place was Classic.... some of my favorite moments here were: -Getting looks from all the locals the second we walked in. We were def. invading their territory b -Listening to the live band, "Toast". They were a pretty much amazing and I loved the shout outs to "Tom" and "Carlos." -Making up names for everyone. -the fact that as soon as we were leaving they finally acknowledged we were there and how they didnt want us to leave.


6. Movie after Movie. Batman Begins, Circle of Friends, Madhot Ballroom, Stranger than Fiction, Devil Wears Prada, and more...
7. Singing in Monte... gotta love the ipod game.


8. Costa Vida Part 2. Yes we stopped by on our way home... and yes I did eat the whole thing again.

The weekend was a huge success. I love love Maine. It is so gorgeous. I cant wait to go back again in the summer time!

God Works In Mysterious Ways

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine the other night regarding some of the things I believe and why it is I believe in them…. regarding religion. As most of you know I am not someone who expresses my feelings vocally about these types of things very often (which I should probably do more often); I don’t comment much in church, I don’t push my beliefs on others, I kind of just mind my own business and live my life like the person that I feel God wants me to be and the best person I feel I can be. So when religion based discussions arise, I do get a bit anxious but then realize that I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss such topics. In this particular conversation we discussed issues of God-his plan, choice, guilt, and true happiness to name a few. Without going into much detail about the conversation I can say that although I may not be the smartest person and may not always have a logical answer, but I do know that I am Happy and know what I know is true. Answers to life’s questions are often more about Faith, Hope, and Desire then logic.

Usually when I finish with these conversations, I realize that the other party wasn’t benefited much…. but instead I am reminded how strong I feel about my religion and God, always such testimony building experiences. Other thoughts as I was having this conversation: I know that God has a plan for each of us and as rough as it may be, it was part of the plan. As ironic as it was, as soon as I got done with this conversation, I got out my Book of Mormon for my daily scripture reading, opened it to find I was on 2 Nephi Chapter 2; all about agency, choice, and joy. I want to mention a few thoughts from that chapter; v. 24, “But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.” God does know all things… and has a plan for each of us... we may make mistakes and go against the preferred plan, but that doesn’t mean that God suddenly bails on our life… his plan for each of us isn’t always going to be “happy” and “perfect”. While I was reading I also thought about what motivates me to want to do the things that the gospel teaches as right. I thought about Force, Reward, Guilt, Duty, and Love. Why do I do the things that I do regarding the church? It isn’t because I feel like I am being forced, it isn’t because I want a tangible reward, its not because I would feel guilty if I didn’t do them, it is because of the LOVE I feel not only for the Savior but the LOVE that he has for me. LOVE is the ultimate motivator.

Well enough said…. I want to end with saying that it is so true that God works in mysterious ways. I don’t know what the future entails for me, but I do know that God will be there for me through it all. Thanks friend… for getting me thinking about what it is that I live for.

Bowling.. New England Style

I had heard so much about it since living in Boston... but I had yet to experience Candlepin Bowling until this past weekend. Those of you that are fellow New Englanders may know what this is, but for all you westerners that read my blog I will give a little explaination.
My friend wikipedia does best at explaining the difference between this and regular bowling. "The main differences between candlepin bowling and regular bowling are that each player uses three balls per frame, the balls are much smaller (4.5" diameter) and do not have holes, the fallen pins are not cleared away between balls during a player's turn, and the pins are thinner, and thus harder to knock down. Because of these differences, scoring points is considerably more difficult than in ten-pin bowling, and the highest officially sanctioned score ever recorded is 245 out of a possible 300 points."
These are the pins... it is hard to tell but they really are much skinnier and harder to hit.

So in a nut shell that is what candlepin bowling is all about. I must admit that it was much more difficult but so much fun. I am always one that is up for a challenge so I loved it. My friends and I are wondering how we can sign up to be in a league. Here are some pics of our night!


So these are the scores. I had to take a picture because I was first place out of the seven of us. I am the second row and got 84..... which I think is good for this type of bowling.


This is me in action!! I have such good form.


T and Mike waiting for their turn.


Jo and I!!
Everyone should experience CANDLEPIN bowling once in their life.... so next time you are in the neighborhood lets do it!!

My pathetic but great tv life!

So its been a little while since I have posted anything.... it isnt because of my lack of time but more so the lack of interesting things to talk about. School and work are back on full force and really thats about all I do..... well except for TV.... So in honor of my extra curricular activity I thought you should all know how I spend my nights.

Because if the writers strike, reality television is taking over... I am def a little sick of it but I must admit that most reality shows do a pretty good job of sucking me in week after week. Here are some of my faves(in no particular order):
1. The Biggest Loser.... I dont know if it because I love to see what hard work can do for someone or that I want to be Jillian... I think it is more I want to be Jillian.... my dream job would be to take her place and help these amazing individuals reach their dreams through proper exercise and eating habits.

2. American Gladiators- No explanation needed here.... it really is as great as the 80's made it be and now with HELGA as a gladiator it is only that more exciting. How do I get on the show to challenge her.

3. Intervention- I have learned more life lessons from this show than anything else....haha not really but you never quite know what is going to be thrown at you.
4. The Amazing Race- Although I didnt watch much of this last season, i will always have a special place for this show.... and if Jo ever finds her passport we are totally on the show.
6. Any dance competition show (So you think you can dance, Dance Wars, Dancing with the stars)- fills the void of my lack of personal dancing skills.

Outside of the reality tv world I love the following:
1. LOST- just started a new season and already I am LOST but loving it.

2. Gossip Girl- its as if I living the lives of these upper east siders. Sometimes I feel like the drama and excitement are happening to me.
3. October Road- Just a great show.
4. The OC- it has now been off the air for a year, but recently we have found that re-runs show quite often on the "Soap Network." It has now become a permanent item for our DVR.
5. The list could go on and on and on.... but we will stop here.

My life may be pathetic and filled with TV, but it gets me through the Boston winters and keeps me entertained while I do homework. Thanks KAREN for all the memories. haha

Home SWEET Home

The Beauty of St. George

Two more days until I am back on the East coast. I am not sure whether I am am excited or a little bumbed. I can tell you one thing and that is I have had a great month hanging and chilling at home. Can I just say that I love this place. There is a benefit to living so far away from home and family and that is that you dont see your family very often so when you do you really appreciate your time with them. They too usually treat you extra good because they dont see you as often.

Reasons why I love being home in Santa Clara, Utah....
-The number one reason is that I get to hang out with my family. I have such great parents, bros/sisters, and nephews!!
-Free food and home cooking from Karma(my mom)
-Able to catch up on all the movies I have been wanting to watch over the past 6 months(Red Box was one of my best friends while I was home)
-Cafe Rio is here (along with other great restuarants... its great that the parents usually spot the bill as well)
-There was not a drop of snow!!!!!!!!!!!!
-I can drive into town and not have to worry about how much I am going to pay for parking in either street meters or parking garages (i love parking lots)
-Time to read..... and I dont have to feel guilty about reading books that I CHOOSE to read instead of my ever excited text books.
-Able to watch my little bro Jordan play in his basketball games. Go WARRIORS
-I can wake up at whatever time I want
-Hanging out with my best friend from growing up... Beck your girls are adorable
-Red rock landscape
-PRETTY MUCH I HAD A MONTH OF NO WORRIES and RESPONSIBILITIES!!!

It has been a much needed month break away from Boston, School, Work, and basically Life. I am now recharged to get back into the real world and get things accomplished. I am excited to see my roommates and friends back in Boston.
I love St. George but I too have gained a love for Boston!

The Beauty of Boston