What a week

Well this week hasn't been boring, that's for sure.

We'll start it out with Monday night, getting a phone call at 11 at night that your uncle is in the hospital in critical condition. Because a barrel blew up on him.

That always makes for a good nights sleep.

Good news is he was somewhat responsive today, which is such a relief.

Then we move to Tuesday through Thursday. Nothing to terribly exciting happened.

Friday...oh Friday...So I woke up in a terrible mood because nothing was going right. I had to get up early to finish an assignment I'd put off. (the speech I was to give in 3 hours. I didn't do terrible considering I threw all of it together.) And then I couldn't find the things I needed, and I was basically stressed out and so I wasn't exactly thinking straight, which happens.

So I survive my speech, and then while I'm sitting in class I get a phone call, and they leave a voicemail. I look at who it's from and go "Why is Tate calling me?" If you read my post about my dress, than you know that Tate is someone I work with at the park. If you haven't read that post, you now know that Tate is one of my co-workers at This is The Place. Basically, I get to go down and spend all day at the livery tomorrow. I'm basically really excited.

It made my whole day better. I freaking love that place!!!

Basically, I'm really excited to go to the park. I miss it. :)

My Friday

So after a night of not sleeping because my stupid head kept trying to give me nightmares, I woke early to finish preparing my speech for my public speaking class and to attempt to study for my test in Marriage and Family relations.

Get to class, give my speech. I thought I did fairly well.

Take test.

Bump into my friend Ryan from high school. Haven't seen him since his wedding, so it was fun to catch up. Apparently his wife loves my facebook statuses, she thinks they are funny. It's probably because I have this major sarcasm issue.

Go hang out with friends while we wait for Chambers to start. Also, get the last of the creamy tomato basil soup at Aggie Ice Cream. Seriously guys, that stuff is sent straight from the Gods.

Go into Chambers and we are singing for the Lehi High School Choirs. GO PIONEERS!!!!!!! Saw the younger brother of one of my good friends.

Walk home and kill lots of time until I go pick up Amber for Hannah and Sarah's Recital. Which was amazing, by the way.

While at home, my friend Irvin was coming through town on the way to visit a friend, so he stopped by for a few minutes to visit. I miss that kid. He is my might as well be bigg brother.

Go to Becca's where she has rented Les Mis, and they decide that it is a great time to watch it, except of course I am the only one who has never read or seen it, and people keep talking so I don't really know who is who and whats going on. And my opinions of the actors is so different from everyone that I just keep them to myself. I was also tired and grumpy so not only was I NOT moved to tears by Anne Hathaway, I don't think she was as amazing as everyone else in the room did. I'm not saying that she was bad, maybe it was just to built up for me. Or maybe it was the fact that they are riding every other actors technique when hers was just as bad during I Dreamed a Dream. But what do I know?

After One Day More we turned it off because everyone was tired, especially me. I would have left sooner but I promised Mandie a ride home.

Want to know one of the cool things I saw yesterday? At least I thought it was really cool. There was a (I think) crow that wanted a nut it had found opened so it could eat the inside. So it dropped it in the road right in front of a car, which than ran over it. Once the car had passed, it flew down and ate from the opened nut. How cool is that? Birds are smarter than we give them credit.

Spring Break 2013

So for spring break this year, I went to see my Family down in Texas to thaw out. It was so warm there!!!!

Here is a picture of my house.

While there I helped clean the house, and I cooked some food. But mostly just hung out with the family, and got to eat at Rudy's, which has excellent BBQ! Basically, I'm not in the mood to write. But here are some pictures.

The back of the shirts at Rudy's.

My dinner at Rudy's, and the plate's they give you.

My Uncle Derek and Tita Fe.

100 blog posts

This is my hundredth blog post.

I started this blog the summer after my freshman year of college. I keep looking back and realizing how much has changed. The new people I've met, the friends who've gotten married, the friends having kids.

The trials and blessings I've had.

I thought that maybe I'd do an overview of the last 3 years. Than I thought...nah. To much.

After toying with other ideas, I thought "Hey, how about I ask anyone who may be reading my blog (there is someone reading it, right?) what their thoughts on the matter are?"

So, everyone, what have been some of your favorite posts? What have been ones that you remember? What are ones that made you laugh?

Just something.

As for me, life has changed so much since I started blogging. It's weird to think about life then vs. now. But life now is what I'm living, and I've learned a lot from the last few years.

Punkin Chunckin

So I have this thing that I absolutely love...

It's called "Punkin Chunckin"

It's on every year around Thanksgiving, and my mom will record it on the next time I'm visiting I can watch it. (which is usually Christmas, but this year happened to be March)

Basically, it's what it sounds like. People shoot pumpkins out of machines. and the prize? A trophy.

It is still the second most popular sport in Delaware (as far as I'm aware.)And it's cool because all the proceeds they make go to charity. (as far as i'm aware)

They have different categories. Torque (using twisted ropes),Trebuchet, human powered, catapult, and air cannon. It is so much fun to watch and I think it is interesting how many different ways people will come up with ways to launch pumpkins.

Pumpkins have to weight between 8 and 10 pounds and they have to stay intact until they hit the ground. There are more rules in each category.

If a Pumpkin breaks before hitting the ground, it's punkin pie.

The world record is 4 thousand 4 hundred something feet. Everyone is aiming for the coveted mile. Shooting a pumpkin over a mile.

And it's hosted by people from mythbusters.

Yes, I am a nerd. I LOVE Punkin Chunckin.

Being 7

So after being grumpy for two days, last night I decided that I wanted to be 7 years old.

First, I needed a mental health day, so I called in sick to everything in my life. (which was four hours of work and one class)

I proceeded to do pretty much nothing all day long.

Then that night, me and my roommmates first, put mentos into 2 liter bottles of soda. Then we made a run to the grocery store. After ordering some pizza. I bought what I needed for cookie dough and a PIRATE COLORING BOOK!!!!!!!!!! I was really excited about my coloring book.

We then got home, ate the pizza. Then I made cookie dough, we put in Hercules and I colored in my coloring book.

I wish we had built a blanket fort. but that took so much effort, and really, I wanted to do nothing but be 7 as fast as I could.

Being 7 is so much more fun than being an adult.

Mandy's Rules

So for those who may not know, I am an avid NCIS fan. If I had to pick one show to watch it would be NCIS. One of the lead character, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, has a list of around 50 rules that he lives by. One summer, I decided that I wanted to make my own list of rules to live by. So, here they are. The list is still growing, and I'm still working at being excellent at them.

1.Friends and family first, then worry about yourself. ( I get grief for this one sometimes, but it reminds me that people are more important than anything else.)

2. Always pay your tithing.

3. Be sincere.

4. NEVER break a confidence

5. Always have a shoulder ready to catch a tear.

6. Avoid burning bridges at all costs. *6b-pick your bridges carefully.

7. Cars were not designed to hit people with.

8. Never say anything out loud that you can't say to their face.

9. Know what you will and won't stand for. Never abandon what you've chosen.

10. Be on time. (anyone who knows me, knows that I am rarely late)

11. You're never to busy to help someone.

12. Compliment at least one person a day.

13. There is always room for one more at the table.

14. Never run in the rain with your socks on.

15. It's not your place to judge, only to love.

16. The hearts of men change everyday. People change everyday. Never give up on people.

17. Don't assume you're always right.

18. You NEVER completely understand what someone else is going through, so never say you do.

That is the start of the list of Mandy's rules. They expand as I learn more about life. Sometimes they change because I realize I reacted to a situation in a way I shouldn't have. Sometimes, I observe a characteristic in someone else I wish to develop. And sometimes it's learning to teach myself that people are people and deserve to be treated as such.

This Girl

I know that there are people who know this about me, but there are people who don't.

I stumbled across this video on facebook and I finally decided to watch it.

www.upworthy.com/bullies-called-him-pork-chop-he-took-that-pain-with-him-and-then-cooked-it-into?g=3">

It was made by a man who was called pork chop in elementary school. It talks about others who were bullied in school.

For anyone who was never picked on in school, first, you are incredibly lucky and should be so grateful. Second, you may not know this...but "sticks and stones" is the biggest lie that someone ever told.

Sticks and Stones may break your bones, but words are what will kill you.

I know that some people know how I was treated, but not many appreciate it. Not because they don't want to, but because they haven't been there. Or they don't see what the other kids saw. But here is the honesty. To this day I struggle with names that people called me. I still believe their words, despite how hard I try not to.

But I can't tell you how many times this girl

was told straight to her face that she was fat, ugly. Just fat ugly Mandy. Just. She wasn't worth anything. She wasn't talented. She was stupid. She was an idiot. She was weird. She sucked. Nobody wanted her on their team. Nobody wanted to be stuck with Mandy. She wasn't good at anything. "Don't make her the goalie, they'll score every time." Even though I had blocked every single puck in floor hockey that day. Every. Single. One. But I shouldn't be the goalie. I was just fat ugly Mandy.

What they didn't know was that this girl

cried herself to sleep almost every night by the time she got to 6th grade. They didn't know that she learned how to cry silently so that her little sister on the other side of the room wouldn't hear her. They didn't know that to this day she doesn't cry in front of people. Because she taught herself to never let them see her cry, because that would mean they won. They couldn't have known how much they tore her down. Because they were just children, just like she was just a child.

The part that they really don't know is that she doesn't hold personal grudges against them anymore. She realizes that they were just children. But...she knows that children are some of the most honest people in the world.

So they don't know

that this girl.

still struggles with every word they said.

that this girl

is still trying to believe that she can accomplish something.

that this girl

is still trying to believe that she is worth your time.

that this girl

is trying to believe that people will be there for her.

that this girl

is trying to believe that her friends truly do love her dearly.

that this girl

is still trying to believe that she is worthy of love.

that this girl

is trying to believe that she could be remotely pretty.

but let me tell you something.

this girl

has made it this far.

And she is determined to keep going. There are days when she can get those words they said to quiet down. There are times that her incredible friends and family make her feel so loved and happy that there aren't words to describe it.

I am still here. I am still going everyday. I may not be good at getting myself to believe the words of people now, the ones who tell me I am smart, I am pretty, I am talented, I am kind. And I know that I don't always respond well. I know it seems like I can block out those words. But whether or not I'm listening...I still hear them. They really do mean a lot.

Because of the words and actions that I dealt with when I was young, to this day I try to make sure that everyone I know is aware of how beautiful they are. I compliment random strangers, because people need to hear it.

Why are we so quick to point out the negative in people, but pointing out their positive is so much harder?

I don't care if someone thinks I am flirting or just trying to make myself look important. I know why I point out the positive in people.

I do it because people need to hear it. People need to know that they are amazing, talented, beautiful, smart, incredible people.

So to anyone who may be reading this, please know of the sincerity of my words when I say this. I don't have to know who you are to know that you are Beautiful. You are smart. You can do it!

I promise that YOU CAN MAKE IT!

Life is going to be hard, but I promise there is someone there for you, to help you make it at least one more day.

It's okay if you need to take it down to "I can only go one more day." Just go that one more day. Then when the next day comes, be assured that you can make it just one more.

Please, never forget, YOU ARE WONDERFUL!