Paper Airplanes

Tonight we had a paper airplane contest for home evening. My dad will be pleased to know that I took second in accuracy and first in distance. My prize? 

That's right. The Elite Force Distance Award. Dollar store street cred. 

Why I maybe should have been born about 7 years sooner

If I could do my hair like this every day, I would. 

Also, this shirt is dedicated to KT.

Dear Reading While Blow Drying My Hair,
Thanks for making an activity that used to be an abhorrent waste of time into one of my favorite ways to multitask.
Liz

Tourette's Syndrome

There's this really cute little guy in my parent's church congregation named Caleb. He's one of the most outgoing, friendly, good-looking young men I've ever met. Recently, he was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome. When my dad told me about it, my heart just sank. While I've become somewhat accustomed (if you can call it that) to diagnosing people with new disorders and to taking care of people who have recently had life changing accidents and injuries, I'm not used to the diagnoses affecting people I know so well. December 25 during sacrament meeting, 12-year old Caleb passed the sacrament with his left arm shaking and multiple phonic tics while I sat there and cried.

See, the thing is, now in order for anyone to be able to see how great Caleb is (and he's pretty great), they're going to have to see him through the Tourette's. It's something that can happen, but Caleb is going to have to spend the rest of his life bringing his A game. Luckily he's got game. My dad told us a story about how Caleb got up a few weeks ago and bore his testimony. Caleb basically said, "Everyone in life has challenges. Tourette's is my challenge. I didn't want this, but I'm not going to let it beat me. Bring it on."

Caleb, You are awesome. As it says in D&C 45:62, "Great things await you." I have no doubt that you're going to rock it. All the while, you will inspire people like me and remind us that God loves us, and he can help us do whatever hard things we need to do.

HFCS Among Other Things

Dear Hershey's Strawberry Syrup,
Thanks for containing High Fructose Corn Syrup. I'm trying to eliminate it from my diet, but I like you too much to get rid of it all together.  You keep me from being self righteous, so thanks for taking one for the team.
Liz

Dear Utah,
Thanks for this year. I was convinced for a while that I'd have to go to Arizona to escape your winters, but this year has talked me into staying for a while, a choice that I know I'll never regret when summer comes around. I love you. Really, I do.
Liz

Dear Nephew,
Thanks for the way you sometimes throw both your hands up in the air and say, "Touchdown!"
Liz

Dear Chris Medina,
Thank you for this song. This video. Your heroism. You make doing what I do for a living so worthwhile.
Liz

Plato's Closet

Yesterday I bought all of this at Plato's Closet 

for less than 100 dollars. 

12 shirts/tank tops/sweaters, 2 scarves, 2 belts. 

Plato's Closet win. 

The Benefits of Being Adjunct Faculty at BYU

Biking, Pens, Words, and Glasses. Also, Yogurt.

Sometimes I write a blog post like every day for a month or two, and then I stop doing that. The end. Just kidding! It's not the end, it's the beginning! I've decided to update you regarding the goings on of my life via cell phone photos.

 Riding my bike like an masked bandit on January 4th. Notice, no jacket. Love that. Also, my helmet was apparently like that the whole ride. :/ Oops.

Bike ride with Macsen in short sleeves January 5th. Careful for biceps envy in this one. Especially you, Brooke. 

 Finding my missing favorite pen from brother James. James says this pen is unpurchasable outside of Canada, so you can imagine how happy I was to find it. Please notice how clean the bedroom is. New Year's Resolution success!

Using the word "mitigate" and "joule" in a round of speed Scrabble. 

Wishing I owned these killer Ralph Lauren glasses that belong to roommate Rachel. 

I've also picked up a new love for Yogurtland. If you ever want to go, I'm in. 

Six words: Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcake Batter.

The end.

(For real this time).

James

My brother James is awesome. 

For Christmas he got me a bike computer. 

Inside the box from Amazon was this note:

He wins.

Bless My Heart

The other day, I pulled this box out of the ol' storage closet. 

Pretty sure that's supposed to say "WINTER," But I must have written it while hanging upside down from a vehicle moving at freeway speeds. That's the only explanation I can find for why it looks like that, bless my heart.