"On a rainy monday, I feel it inside me!"

Over the years you might remember me gushing, literally, about a Dave guy. I met him snowshoeing the second week of attending the Bair Canyon Branch almost three years ago, but I didn't get to know him until two and a half years ago when I went on my first trip to the Snake River. Dave was the first guy to throw me off my raft into the water, and every time we went down the river his raft was at war with mine. We got to know each other a little bit, but not too much right away. Then every couple months he'd come up to Kaysville from Salt Lake to visit his family, and he'd come to the branch. It was so funny seeing him right after the river trip, because when he spotted me he said, "You're the fighter!" I'm glad that's how he remembered me.:)

He's always been just out of reach with a girlfriend, but I've always come back to him, hoping. I can't believe it's been so long now! Every time we'd see each other we'd catch up on life, but he always had a girlfriend and was living in Salt Lake. I'd see him at church and in Salt Lake at institute and even at his work. Dave's the guy who I told you about last year who I ran into at REI when I was wearing my bibbed snow pants.:) Ha ha ha. He's seen me go through probably six different hair styles since January 2006, which got kind of comical. When I first dyed it black a year and a half ago and had it in a short choppy, messy style, we ran into each other up at the U. He said, "Oh, your hair's different. Do you like it?" I said yes, of course, and he said, "Good. That's all that matters." What a good guy. :) He probably was like, what's with this freaky girl who looks different every time I see her!

So Dave finally transfered to the branch a couple months ago, and then just about a month ago broke up with his girlfriend. We've been slowly getting to know each other better, which has been really, really good. He's not yet over his last relationship, which is just fine. That's all I'm saying for now. We'll just have to wait and see what happens!

(And, by the way, in the picture I was trying to hold a tough, hardened look, but I lost it right before the picture was taken. That's why I look like I'm grimacing. Ha ha!)

Your Input Please

I'm in need of a really good eye make-up remover and wanted all of your input! I want something that isn't so greasy but works really well. Please pass on your good experiences as well as your bad so I don't waste my money on something you didn't like!

Iz

This is the first video I've been able to post on my blog!! I've tried and tried, and it's never worked. Chelsea's here for the weekend, so she let me upload it to YouTube. I definitely need to set up my own account. Thanks, Chels! :)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mother, Lisa Lindsay, is turning 38 years old tomorrow! Yes, she had me when she was in fifth grade. She has taught me how to use coupons and save my money, how to make fried eggs and sew on a button, and how to laugh in every situation—it's never the end of the world. I'm hoping to soon be able to say she's taught me how to play the piano! Ha ha. We'll see how that goes. She makes the best sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, hot fudge pudding cake, and lasagna, and food is what really matters in life.:) And since the accident and hours in bed, she's acquired a gift for knowing "what not to wear." She is the fashion expert!:)

The Flood

Last night, on our way home from the McKell Family Reunion (my mom's mom's side of the family), we got a call from the bishop asking where to shut off our water because our basement was flooding! All I heard of the conversation was Dad saying, "Oh crud. Oh, crud," so I knew something bad had happened. A family in our neighborhood had been on a walk by our house and saw water shooting up in the air. They hurried and called the bishop to see if he had our cell number to know how to get into our house. We gave the bishop our garage code, he hurried and called his wife to get the pump, and luckily the family that saw the water has a shop vac, which sucks up the water from the floor. The water was pouring into my room through the window well.

When we got home, our wonderful friends were running around moving the furniture out of my room, wringing out towels, lifting up the carpet in my room, and sucking up the water with the shop vac. I was amazed at how much water just the cement under the carpet and padding had absorbed! (The pictures show the wet carpet resting on cans with fans underneath. I'm not sure where they put the padding, but they took it all out to dry. The fans are still running with the door shut and the window open, and I'm sleeping in the queen-size bed we have in the other part of the basement.)

Here's where the whole part about being blessed comes in—last Saturday I did a major cleaning of my room, lifting everything up off my floor and putting them on my desk and dresser. I'm known to start big projects and not finish them, so I've had stuff all over my floor for the past couple months. Ever since April I've had the contents to my 72-hour kit on the floor below my window, waiting for the moment when I would strategically squeeze everything into my backpack. Last week, I finally took the time to put it together and then moved it into the other part of our basement. My big maps had been on my floor and piles of papers and a bag of Argentina memorabilia. I am so hugely blessed that only one book and some mail and a few papers got soaked. It was amazing for how much could've happened!

And when I heard my room was filling with water, my first thought was, "I hope my LASIK receipts are okay!" Right before we left for the reunion I read a letter from my flexible spending account saying they couldn't track when I'd used my card for my LASIK eye surgery. In order to prove I used my money correctly, I need to fax them copies of my receipts or else I have to pay the amount back! So I luckily found the receipts right before we left for the reunion and was all set to fax them in, but decided to wait until we got home that night. I'd set the two receipts side by side on my bed. When I got home, they were the first things I looked for but only found one of them! So I looked and looked and then said a prayer, and thought to look under my bed again in case it'd blown off when all my furniture was quickly shoved to dry ground. The receipt was a little smooshed, but I found it!:) I was SO relieved.

Me and My Mom

The "content to be cute" look.

The "just try and look as hot as us" look.

The "electric shock but still breathing" look and the "you know you want me" look.

WORDS . . . words

Have you ever stopped and thought about how differently we internalize life? How the guy sitting next to you on the merry-go-round or on the metro can overhear the same conversation as you but he hears one thing while you hear another? How word association in and of itself triggers each of us to make that word an emotion, something entirely it's own creation? And one author may be furious or frustrated about the same thing that leaves another author elated or calm. Ever thought about that? Oh, and for all of you who still owe me money, I'm ready for you to pay up now. I've got plane tickets to buy!! How did those words make you feel? :)

Girl Talk! Slumber Party!

This is me trying to keep up in the blogging world. Last weekend . . . or was it two weekends ago? Oh no. I don't know. Anyways, we had a Relief Society slumber party. Get this. We didn't go to bed until 5 a.m. Then I had to get going with my Saturday at 8:30 a.m., and I was definitely realizing, "Hey I am not 18!" (Christine: I still wear the shirt you made me!!) The party was at my enrichment counselors Amber's house and her little sister has sugargliders, which are the little creatures we're holding. The funnest part of the night was throwing M&Ms and Skittles in each others' mouths and trying to catch them. And then I loved The Sisterhoof of the Traveling Pants. That's when 5 a.m. rolled around.

Ponch and Matching Socks

Have you ever played Go Fish with socks with the "Chips" theme song playing in the background? I have. Yesterday Nicole brought home literally more than 250 socks to be paired. The socks came from her family's home, from her mom, dad, and two youngest sisters. Nicole's mom passed away last week and was sick for about a year and a half, so little things like matching socks slipped down farther and farther on the list of importance. So yesterday, Tracy, Nicole, and I had a race to see who could make the most pairs. I got a little distracted with "Chips: Season One" playing on the DVD player. Now I see that it was a plot to get me to lose. I LOVE Ponch and do believe the love affair started back in 1985 . . . when I was 4. The three of us sock sorters ended up with about 100 pairs and 50 spares. Not bad.

Clockwork

It's been a couple days, but I finally have time to write about Monday—the day that ran like a beautiful clock made in Uruguay. I have a clock from Uruguay, so I know who smoothly they run. I have to share because it was an amazingly fulfilling day.

7 a.m. Wake-up
7 a.m. Push snooze
7:23 a.m. Get up and eat
8:00 a.m. Talk to people who are awake too and eat some more
8:45 a.m. Grocery shop
10:00 a.m. Start dinner
11:30 a.m. Edit a BYU project
1:20 p.m. Email the finished project to Mel!!!
1: 30 p.m. Eat lunch
1:45 p.m. Drive to eye appointment
2:30 p.m. Hit Lowe's and Target—I finally found my dream trash can!!
4:20 p.m. Drive to hair appointment
4:30 p.m. Get my mullet trimmed
5:00 p.m. BBQ the chicken and finish making dinner
7:00 p.m. Eat dinner with the fam
7:30 p.m. Pick up more food from Rose
8:00 p.m. Take dinner to my friend Nicole and hang out

And then the rest is history! I did everything I needed to!! It was a miracle—a Monday miracle. How I edited that beast in two hours is beyond me. I definitely had help from above.