Carving Pumpkins

I always think that carving pumpkins is a great thing but the second I open the pumpkin to clean it out for carving I realize I have just undertaken a project that is more work than I actually care to do for a couple of days worth of decoration for a house.

witch over a cauldron

Last night I felt the same way, good thing pumpkin carving this year was a group effort activity. This pumpkin was carved by myself, Anya and Valerie. It still took the better part of an hour to get it all cleaned up and carved, even with three of us working on it. I have to admit I walked away the most but I would come back every now and again to put in some work, just in case our team won the carving contest. It came really close, we might of for sure won if we had picked the hardest pattern to do. It was the prettiest but would of been way too hard to actually carve out. It seems that though it was a small activity we all had a great time anyways and that is what Family Home Evening is really all about.

Driving The Night Away

Family Home Evening this last week was a really great one. We ended up going to the driving range, which I know is just whatever for most people but for me it is more of a sentimental event. Golfing was always something that I did with my Grandfather when he was alive.

About to swing

When I was 8 years old I started to go golfing with my Grandfather his co-worker friends. I would get all kinds of food and snacks and drinks. Once in a while they would let me attempt to hit the ball off a tee. I knew they were laughing at me, I usually missed the ball altogether or couldn't hit it very far. If we were away from the clubhouse I got to drive the golf cart, which started my obsession to eventually live somewhere that I can drive a golf cart around. If I could drive a golf cart everywhere I went I would be super happy every day of my life.

At some point I even took a youth golf class. You would think that I would be decent at mini-golf because of this but putting and driving have never been my strongest areas. Chipping was always so easy for me. Anyways when we went to the driving range for family home evening this last week it gave me a chance to feel closer to my Grandfather again. It is amazing how things like that can give you a calm comfort like your loved ones are right there beside you because this is something that you enjoyed together. I am planning to make another trip out to the driving range soon especially since the holidays are coming up and missing Grandpa means so much more during that time.

Hit the 200 yard sign

12 Miles to Victory

Saturday was definitely a day to remember. Our branch did our Annual Relief Society (Branch) Hike for Big Basin to the Sea. Everyone who had been on the hike before said it was fun and mostly downhill, even if it hadn't been I was ready for the challenge, well that is until I saw the following sign.

If only I had known before hand

Strenuous is not necessarily a word you want to hear on a Saturday morning, not to mention that by the time I had seen this sign our group was well on the way AND the cars that transported us up to Big Basin had already gone away. So basically by the time this sign came around there was no going back. 

Sis. Burgon being a rebel

Berry Falls

By the time we reached the waterfall and had our snack I was glad for the time to rest and stretch out my knees. Plus to get a little bit of food in my stomach. It was a beautiful view and a great place to stop and reflect and converse for a bit.

There should be a law against hiking and taking photos, I almost fell of the side

The ride home

The camera cut out the thumbs up she was giving

After all the hard work, and some very hardcore aches and pains, we finished our 12 mile hike, had a bar-be-que and as you can see some people needed a little nap on the ride home. But we all made it in one piece and I know that although I could barely move the day after, I had accomplished something that I could look back on for proof of my personal strength and something I knew would make my body stronger.

As The Day Turns

It is always amazing to me when a day starts out in what seems to be the worst possible way and ends up evening itself out with some good and bad. When I woke up this morning for work, I hadn't slept much, I had an argument the night before with a good friend and a headache and neck pain that made me want to cry. I knew that it was best that I call in sick for work because there was no way that I was going to be able to do any work in the condition I was in. It bummed me out a little bit because for the first time in a long time I had a great number of consecutive days of work without calling in sick.

Besides the aches and pains of my body, I received a call from the hospital telling me that the application packet that I sent in back in June and they originally told me that they had was actually lost in the mail. Interesting to say the least, I do feel a little bad for raising my voice at the lady on the phone, she was just the messenger of bad news. I knew that I had to get this taken care of so I decided to hand deliver the application packet this time. I had to go to my office and get all the paperwork, then go to the hospital where I was shuffled to three different departments before I found the person who could actually help me. He was a rather understanding man and even let me print out the only paperwork I was missing from his computer.

Then came a decently restful afternoon and a difficult should of been dinner. I was starting to lose hope that the day was gonna be a loss, then we went to the pub. I was thinking it would just be a chill night with some karaoke and meeting new people, nothing special. Then it just turned into all kinds of fun. My friend and I were cheering for the singers and random people just starting talking to us. We danced, we laughed, we conversed, and by the end of the night we begrudgingly had to leave so that we could be ready for a hike in the morning.

It is funny how things can happen that just change your perspective and attitude and make the world right even if for just a short time. All I know is that we vowed to go to the pub again sometime soon. 

Corn Maze Adventures

Had a great time at the corn maze this last weekend. There are many other activities there other than just walking around in the corn maze. We got to shoot corn out of a corn cannon and pumpkins from a giant sling shot. There was great food, homemade fudge in all kinds of delicious flavors and winning free stuff from the radio station that was there that day. I am excited to go back at night time and go through the night maze and haunted houses that they have there.

Corn Maze entrance

Lea picks out the perfect pumpkin to sling shot

Epic win, I hit the target with the corn

Team work to launch the last pumpkin, it went pretty far

Aches, Pains and Clarity

When you are a bigger girl people tend to expect you to be unhealthy. They sometimes expect me to not be able to run or be very athletic or even to have normal blood pressure. People see me exercising and tend to believe that I am doing it because I want to be skinny like other people. Sometimes the thought crosses my mind, just how much easier my life would be if I was thinner, but for the most part I exercise because I want to be healthy and strong, not necessarily thin.

At this time I have frozen my gym membership and have began just running and working out with my best friends just in the area around where I live. I have never liked running in the past, I have found it boring and annoying. But recently I have found that when I run it gives me a chance to clear my head or just not think about those things that plague me the rest of the 23 hours of the day. It is nice until I have to worry about the aches and pains for the next day or so.

But no matter the aches or pains, I am willing to continue because I can see my improvement over such a short amount of time. A couple of weeks ago when we started running I couldn't run for very long at all, now I improve each day and can run longer and faster, depending on the weather, stupid asthma. And even better I sometimes get to run with my dog and I am pretty sure that he enjoys it as well. Overall I am ready to keep up this venture through all the pain.

Officially Promoted

I guess in terms of church callings there aren't really promotions, there is just you doing the Lord's work in whatever capacity he deems you ready to do it. But there are some callings that we receive that are more work and time than others. I have now taken on one of those callings and though I am ready for the challenge I am still very scared that I am just going to mess everything up.

In the past when I have been called to be a teacher it was never a surprise, well that much of a surprise. For whatever reason teaching comes easily to me. Even before I was called to teach in Relief Society, back when I was doing martial arts, I had a great time teaching others all the forms and self defense that they needed to learn for their rank. I loved it then and I love what I get to teach now.

I have recently been teaching my regular lessons on the 3rd Sunday of every month but also volunteering to teach once in a while for Sunday School since there is currently only one teacher called. I have always wanted to teach Sunday School and when I first started doing it I was scared to death, but now I feel very comfortable with it. And by taking the extra time to prepare the lessons for Sunday School I am learning to understand the scriptures much quicker than I ever have before. It has been a real blessing in my life.

But now all that will change as I have taken on this promotion of sorts. I will still get to teach every once and again but I will now be responsible for the well being of all the women of the branch. I am so nervous that I will let them down, that even though I know I have the ability to be a leader, I don't quite have all the skills necessary to achieve this at the moment. I know how this works though, I know that the Lord will give me all the abilities that I require to accomplish this calling if I have the faith and the willingness to get things done. I am reminded of my favorite scripture that refers to missionary work but I like to apply it to all opportunities the Lord gives us to serve him.

"And they shall ^ago forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them."

- Doctrine and Covenants 1:5

Light vs. Dark

We often hope that things can be black and white so that our choices will be easier. Many times in life things are just gray. Tonight we talked about something that is very much black and white, being reborn. Not an actual childbirth but a spiritual rebirth. Or in other words a baptism.

As we read in St. John tonight, we found out Jesus talks to Nicodemus about baptism and how baptism is the first step into gaining access to the kingdoms of God. It takes more that just baptism to get to the kingdoms of God, we do that by our works and faith and obedience in this world. When talking about how we can get to that point, Jesus talks about light vs. darkness. And how men love darkness rather than light.

We can think of the darkness in terms of acts or things that go against the words of the Lord and the light as just the opposite, those things that bring us closer to our Heavenly Father. I am just as guilty as any man of enjoying the darkness more than I should, but it is a great gift that we are given to be able to change and walk towards the light at any time, just like Alma the younger did in his time.

But I also had the thought tonight about thinking in literal terms on light vs. dark and times in the scriptures or in our lives when that happens.  Sis. Dorff brought up how we talk about childbirth as being a darkness and we come into the little when we are born. I thought about how when I was baptized I closed my eyes to go under the water and was in the darkness and when I arose out of the water I opened my eyes and it was light. Even in terms of death people often talk about walking towards a bright light which means that the person is in some sort of darkness. And having just recently read Joseph Smith's account in the sacred grove, I thought about how he was engulfed by a darkness before he saw the light and the two personages standing before him.

If I sit down and really think about it I am sure that even in my own life I could come up with a large number of instances when I have had to experience a darkness before I could reach the light. Bishop Dorff really said it best when tonight he said that in darkness there is no contrast but as the light comes, as we get closer to the Lord, we may find those dark spots and that is what we need to work on. Such great advice, and so very true.

It's Tuesday Night, Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

Tuesday nights are currently becoming my favorite night of the week. A couple of weeks ago before the school year was underway, I decided to make another great effort to take an Institute class this semester. It didn't work out the best last year but considering the craziness that I have felt in my life recently I decided that just going to church on Sundays and Family Home Evening on Mondays was not enough, so I decided to make sure that my friends and I get to go to Institute together.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to go to class in the area because at the time they hadn't called a new teacher. Little did I know they would do just that shortly after my decision to make this extra effort. But just in case, to make sure I was going to get this extra learning that I needed, I knew about the Tuesday night class they offer in Saratoga. I had gone a couple of times the previous school year with a couple of friends in my branch and it was just an amazing experience, so I knew that if this was going to be the only way to take this class I was going to do it and I was going to take my friends with me.

Together with two of my best friends, we travel the 45 minutes each Tuesday and attend this class. Though we have only been going for three weeks it has been a great experience for me and hopefully for them as well. In the car ride there we get to talk about random things and sing all kinds of songs together. Once in the class we get to learn and grow spiritually. When the class is over we can stay and play volleyball with other young single adults in the area or we go eat dinner. We have currently taken to eating in different places each week and finding great food in the surrounding area. Eating together gives us a chance to talk about ideas and concepts that we learned in class that evening or even different topics that come to mind. Then we head home where we get to enjoy the warm evening air with the windows down and the radio up.

By the time I am home I am so happy. I love this time that I got to spend with my friends as well as the new concepts of the gospel that I have been able to learn. And even more so, as mentioned in and earlier post, I enjoy the Spirit that I get to share with my best friends. Their answers and questions are just a joy to hear and though we now have an Institute teacher in the area for Thursday night classes and I want to attend those as well, I hope that together the three of us can keep going on our Tuesday night adventures.

Remembering

Like many people today I spent some time thinking about how ten years ago today was the attack of 9/11. Like many people, I find it hard to believe that it has been ten years already. I think about all the things that have happened since then and where I am in my life and I am amazed by everything that has happened.

But like every year on this day I take a minute to think about how that day was through my eyes. What will I tell my grandchildren when they learn about that event in their history books and ask me how I felt while it was happening. I still remember that day very clearly in my memories.

It was a school day, I was a Senior in high school, and I woke up at the normal time in the morning to go to seminary. When I got out of bed to go through my morning routine, my dad called me into my parents room where they were already watching the towers burn. The first one was hit about 15 minutes before I woke up and the second one just as I was coming to find out what was going on. They filled me in on the information that they knew and as interested as I was I knew that I had to keep getting ready for my day even though I didn't really know how the day would go.

I remembering going to seminary but not what we were learning that day. By the time that I was out of seminary another plane had crashed into the Pentagon and Flight 93 had crashed somewhere random due to the valiant acts of the passengers aboard. Also the second tower hit had collapsed. We listened on the radio as my brother, sister, cousin and I drove to school. And then the first tower hit began to collapse.

When school started there was definitely a level of panic and shock that was blanketed all over the campus. No one could think to talk about anything else and the teachers gave us the opportunity to listen to the radio and watch the news on TV if we could get the TV to show the news. Mostly school TV's aren't able to show anything but the VHS that the teacher wants to show in class, but we had a couple of tech savvy students who were able to hook it up.

We watched the news coverage and speculated about if it was over or where they might hit next. What was going to happen to the country, the principal even gave us time out of class to sit and be with our friends. We couldn't believe how people were being effected but we did know that they must be hurting and our hearts and prayers went out to them and their families. We did have some student's family members that were part of California Search and Rescue that were called out to New York to help in the efforts of finding any survivors and that was scary, we worried for them and their loved ones. We prayed that they would come home safely.

But the day eventually passed and we grew together as a nation, our sorrow was as one and as they say we all mourned together. The stories of the people involved came in over the next few weeks and months and we listened, and we helped any way that we could. But we never forgot the feelings we had and the stories that generated from that tragedy.

A memorial at Ground Zero has been erected and we have experienced a war over this event. Finally it seems that after all this time things are settling down and we have been able to move forward from that day but never move on. We are at a point in the world where my friend, who is a grade school teacher, has only two students in her class that have actually heard of the event. But for those of us that experienced that day we will remember, just as our parents remember the day they watched man walk on the moon and as our grandparents remember the start of World War II.

Dogs are People Too

I feel like even though I didn't give birth to my little Guido, he is just as much my child as anyone who has a kid of their own. Granted he has been able to stay at home by himself since he was 1 year old and he doesn't need clothing but he does need food and water, plus attention and walks at least twice a day. I will say this, one thing that having my little man around has taught me is that single parents are amazing people.

It is quite a bit of work to take care of Guido by myself and sometimes I think that I gave up some things to make it happen. There are times that I wonder if he would of been better off in a different family, one with two parents and maybe some kids, but then I take sometime to really look at him and realize that I can't imagine ever living without him.

I am so proud of how well he has been able to adjust to the many changes that we have made as a family in the last three years. He has lived with dogs and cats, roommates and annoying neighbor children. I sometimes think that there is nothing that he can't handle. It is quite inspiring when I really think about it. And now he has a new little friend, Macy.

 

 I never know how he is going to react to new dogs or people or places, but I had a great feeling that he was going to love Macy. It has been awhile since he has had another dog to play with and tonight's play date turned out really well. At first Macy didn't know what to expect but just a short while later they were weaving in and out of people's legs and the furniture. She was jumping on him and rolling around like crazy, it was the cutest thing ever. And he was so good with her, he just played with her and didn't hurt her at all. He just let her do what she wanted, he even shared some of his food. I bet this is what it feels like to have an honor student now if only I had a bumper sticker for my car.

Institute

What an amazing Institute class we had tonight. I am so in love with the institute teacher Sister Dorff. She is amazingly talented and brings in an unbelievable spirit to the lesson. Going to her class is so worth the 45 minute drive that it will take every week to get to Saratoga to hear her words of inspiration.

But tonight it was more than just getting to listen to a great lesson from Sis. Dorff. Tonight I heard the voice of the spirit come from two of my greatest friends. Listening to the words that they had to say in response to the lesson we were being taught about what it is to know Christ, I really was touched by their words and could feel their love and understanding of the gospel parallel to my own testimony. It was the greatest feeling.

I know that we are not the quietest people and that we aren't perfect, no one is, but I was so glad that we were able to share this experience tonight. I think that is why I enjoy having them at church with me on Sundays because it feels exactly like that is where we are suppose to be together. And tonight was an even stronger bond, I have never felt as close to my friends as I did tonight when they were being sincere and sharing their thoughts and feelings about knowing Christ. My spiritual cup for the night has been filled and I have my two best guy friends to thank for that. I don't feel as bad for forcing them to attend class with me tonight.

From: Gospel Art Book

The Approaching Holidays

Everywhere I go it is apparently clear that the fall season is fast approaching. It is not necessarily the crazy weather because let's face it the weather hasn't been reliable for telling the seasons in quite sometime. It is not even the fact that every morning when I walk my dog there are kids waiting for the school bus. What really reminds me that fall is here is the fact that Halloween candy and decorations are already on the shelves.

I am not the biggest fan of Halloween, although I am learning how to enjoy it more each year that I get older. I even have decorations, garland, light up ghosts and a door hanger that unfortunately no one will be able to see because of where my front door is currently located. At least I know that I don't have to buy candy this year because there are no children to visit me.

But what it all really means is that as Halloween gets closer so does the other holidays that come very quickly after. I have always very much enjoyed Thanksgiving and Christmas, they were some of the best memories I have of growing up. However I am realizing how much I kind of want to forget the holidays this year. It is not so much that I dislike them, it is more that I dislike how different they are in my family now that my grandfather has passed away.

It feels so different and not like the holidays at all and it was really hard for me to adjust last year. In fact I don't think that I was able to adjust at all and that is why I am having this small dilemma. I worry that I don't even want to take the time to go home this Thanksgiving. I am eagerly awaiting for the time when my holiday traditions change and are more like they used to be only just two years ago.

HP Challenge - Day 30 Harry Potter Changes Lives

I am trying to sit here and really think about how to word my thoughts on the affect that Harry Potter has had on my life over the last decade or so. I never really think of myself as an overly obsessed fan it is really just something that I enjoy. I don't camp outside of theaters days before the movie opening, I don't fly across the country to premieres of the movie and I haven't yet been to Florida to Harry Potter world. Although take note that I will one day very soon be doing that.

I think there are a couple of main things that have made an affect on my life in regards to this series. For one, just like many other people in the world it got me to read again. I for many years before the books came out always wanted to spend more time reading in general, but I was never really interested in any other books. Then the Sorcerer's Stone came along and I remembered the pure joy of my imagination. Of being transported to another place and having a connection to fictional characters like they are real, like you could actually know them in real life. Amazing how the brain can do that.

I love how it not only helped me realize the potential of books but it helped the rest of the world do the same. Learn to love their imaginations and reading again. To remember that a good story is really enjoyable and worth reading.

Secondly I really love the camaraderie that is brought on by the mere fact that a bunch of people like the same book. I have watched families come together over this book. Families that sat down together and read out loud to each other so they would all finish at the same time. I have seen friends that have conversed over the subjects found in the books. There are whole college courses that relate the world of Harry Potter to real life. We have even adapted Quidditch to be played and teams in schools to be formed. And most of all there is that feeling you get when you go to the release of the book or the movie and you stand in the cold, dressed up in Hogwarts gear talking to other people in the area that are there to share this experience with you.

I can honestly say that this series will live on for generations. The movies and the books, I already plan on reading them to my children from a young age. My hope is that they will learn the many lessons that I have from the books about good and evil, about friendship and love, about perseverance and triumph, about greatness and how to live up to your destiny even when you aren't really sure that you can. So yeah Harry Potter has influenced my life as I am sure it has for many others and I could never imagine not having it around.

HP Challenge - Day 29 Very Potter Musical

Watching it as I write this all I can say is that I love it, but being a musical theater person and Harry Potter person this is really the best of both worlds. I love that people put time and effort into things like this. My initial though upon watching the first part... hey is that the guy from Glee?

HP Challenge - Day 28 Wizard Wrock

Wizard Wrock! I want to say that I have heard of the genre but haven't actually heard any of the music. I could be totally wrong about the that though. Either way I plan on looking it up on Wikipedia and the Google machine.

So after researching it I have heard Harry and the Potters and some of their music. Check them out!

HP Challenge - Day 27 Which Hallow?

Of the three Hallows I would have to join Hermione's choice in choosing the Invisibility Cloak. I would definitely be way too tempted by the other Hallows plus I hate to admit it but I really love knowing things and to be able to eavesdrop would be awesome until it got me in loads of trouble that is.

HP Challenge - Day 26 Spells

I think today's theme should be what spell would you want to do, not what spell would you want to do without a wand. However I will answer the original question. To be practical if I could only do one spell without my wand I would do Accio, so that I could get my wand. But just for fun I think that I would want to be able to preform Stupefy. There are just some people you don't want to deal with, so getting them out of the way for a bit seems okay.

HP Challenge - Day 25 Endings

Am I satisfied with how the Harry Potter series has ended after all these years? Eh, mostly yes. I was honestly very confused the first time I read through the book. I mean King's Cross really? What was that even about. And then to go on an find out the names of those children, I was pissed. Look all I am saying is that I wish there was more written to explain what happens between King's Cross and the end of the book. No offense J.K. but your characters will not be naming my children.

HP Challenge - Day 24 Missing Movie Scene

There is no doubt that if you have read the books that you know there are scenes missing from the movies. Having just read the final book again I am realizing that I really think that they should have showed Kreacher actually liking that Harry Potter is his master and wondering how they are going to justify Kreacher's part in the war at Hogwarts. Also going back a couple of books, I really miss that there were so many rooms that the kids visited in the Ministry that we never got to see. Just saying, I wanted to see brains!

HP Challenge - Day 23 Movie/Book Tears

So this is kind of a dumb question I think just because you basically would not have a heart if there was no part of the movies or books that didn't make you cry or tear up even a little bit. I remember clearly the night that I finished reading the Goblet of Fire. I remember very much that it was very late in the night and the whole house was asleep and I had to keep down the sobs when Cedric was gone. And every time I watch that movie and Voldemort steps on Cedric's face and then when Cedric's dad yells out when he sees his son's body. It is all too much for me. then to follow up with the death's of Sirius and Dumbledore in the following two books. And not to mention the final book, it is not uncommon for me to throw the book across the room when a character dies, be upset for a little bit of time and then run over to retrieve the book and continue reading. So to answer this question very much yes the movies and the books make me cry or tear up.

HP Challenge - Day 22 Harry Potter vs. Twilight

If you have read any of my previous posts or even talked to me you will know the answer to this question already. For me it is Harry Potter to the end. A lot of people might think that I am choosing HP or Twilight because I have never given Twilight a chance, which is totally wrong. I have read the books and watched the movies for Twilight. Even though I enjoyed the base value of Twilight it was hard for me to get into the story enough to even think about reading the books again. And I tend to only re-watch the movies when I am in the mood for a laugh. So overall, wizards, dragons, magic and long life will always be way cooler that strength and living forever, when you really think about it how boring would immortality be?

HP Challenge - Day 21 Character Resurrection

Over the years we have seen many of the beloved characters die so being able to bring one back would be great power but a very hard decision. I think that overall I would bring back either Sirius Black or Lily Potter. I just feel like Harry needs some kind of family, and though the Weasley's have always been a family to him it is never quite the same as him having even his Godfather there. Someone to remind him of his past and of his parents. Though I imagine there are enough Weasley's that in the end as much as he misses his original family he is pretty happy with his lot in life.

HP Challange - Day 20 Cast Member

The cast member that I would meet would have to be either Alan Rickman because he is just so damn awesome, or Daniel Radcliffe because then i might be able to see his new Broadway show.  They are both very talented actors and from the interviews that I have seen with either one of them they seem like a lot of fun to talk to, especially when Daniel Radcliffe sang the elements song on television.

A Little Help From Our Friends

Today really seemed to be all about friends at church. Or at least that was what I was suppose to learn about today in church because that is what I took away from all the different lessons.

In Relief Society today there was mention of sometimes how the spirit can speak with our friends through us. What an amazing thing to be able to help out someone special in your life. I think that is what just happened to me, after being reminded of this fact and having a great spiritual day at church today I came home and just wanted to rest. As I laid here on the couch watching terrible TV shows and contemplating a nap, I was told to get up and get my scriptures and read them. 

I am never really the person who knows what to look up and study so I just try to pick up where I left off. Currently I am still working my way through the Book of Mormon. Slowly but surely I will get through it. But apparently this is exactly where I was suppose to read because while reading through I found a verse that I was prompted to send to all my friends. I can't be sure at this time if it was something they needed to hear or something that I just needed to share but I feel really confident that it will help them. I absolutely love days when I can feel the spirit helping me help someone else, even if i don't understand what is happening or how it might help them.

HP Challange - Day 19 Books vs. Films

The age old question which are better the books or the films. Honestly I enjoy both very much. I love the story of the books and I love the humor of the films. I often think that what allows me to enjoy them both is that I can treat them as two separate things. The movies are based on the books true, but they are their own thing. They can't have exact word for word from the book and I think as long as you have that understanding of what they are you can really just enjoy them. The books do have more details and depth but sometimes I just want to watch the story unfold and not necessarily read an imagine it, but sometimes I feel the opposite way.

HP Challenge - Day 18 Least Favorite Book

No doubt about it Order of the Phoenix was my least favorite. Don't get me wrong I still really enjoy the book, but of all the books it is the one where the majority of the book is just Bella complaining and being depressed. Oh wait that is Twilight series, but in OOTP Harry does quite a bit of whining himself. Granted it is not as to the scale of being in Bella's head but it makes you want to reach into the pages and slap Harry because if you do he might realize there are reasons that Dumbledore does what he does, even if it turns out not to be the best course of action in the end.

HP Challenge - Day 17 Deathly Hallows Review

With the first part of the movie out already and knowing that it was really good, I am excited for the second part of the Deathly Hallows movie. I am not necessarily excited for this to be over with. It has been a part of all of our lives for so long. And watching Hogwarts burn I think many people are going to be brought to tears. I have high hopes for this last movie which can turn out to be a bad thing when you head to the movie theater, but I think this will be so epic, and based on the fact that it is directed by David Yates and so was the last couple, which were pretty darn good, I will continue to believe that is will knock my socks off.

HP Challenge - Day 16 Favorite Professor

I am going to have to say that my favorite Hogwarts professor would be Remus Lupin. Whenever you read about the classes that they have with Lupin it just sounds like fun, he seemed like a great teacher too, one that was really informative to the students. He took the time to help Harry with the Patronus charm which leads Harry to be able to save Sirius and later on teach the DA to use it as well. Plus of all the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers we witness over the years during the books, he is by far the best.

HP Challenge - Day 15 Best Friends

I have always imagined that my best friends at Hogwarts would be Harry, Hermione and Ron. I still to this day think that holds pretty true. I often wonder if I could actually get in trouble like they do, but for all the things they do that could get them in trouble they manage to stay out off it most of the time. Who wouldn't want the adventures that they get to have. I think that is part of what makes the books and overall story so great. We all want to believe that that would be us, running around saving the day and being just plain awesome.

HP Challange - Day 14 Team Voldermort or Team Harry

With the rise of the Dark side in Star Wars we get the rise of the Death Eaters in Harry Potter. There are for sure times when joining the Death Eaters seems like a good idea, mostly because isn't it better to join the force that you think is gonna win?

But that is what makes this entire story so great. Besides knowing that good always triumphs in the end, the characters on the good side of this story seem to be the underdogs. Especially once Voldemort gets back to normal, well normal for him, and he just gets the bad ball rolling and it seems pretty unstoppable. But that is when those that really believe in the good cause band together and help change the outcome. So for me it is Team Harry from the first page, I mean he is the boy who lived.

HP Challange - Day 13 Least Favorite Movie

I don't know if there is a movie that I don't like, but my least favorite would have to be either the 1st or 2nd movie. I understand how crucial they are to setting up the entire storyline however they are for sure the most campy of all the movies. I still watch them often enough, but when it comes down to picking out an HP movie I prefer 3 - 6 because there are some great jokes and writing that makes life better.

Listening

Sometimes we hear things when people speak and we hope that someone else was listening as well because we know that that someone was listening too.

Today we had a great Sacrament meeting. I am eternally grateful that even though I wasn't really feeling up to church today I went to Sacrament anyways. We were graced with the presence of Brother James Welch and his family. He is an amazing performance organist, it was wonderful to hear him play. But even more so it was wonderful to hear the words of wisdom that he and his wife imparted on us regarding Eternal Marriage, especially at his time in our lives when many of the people I know, including me, are feeling rather lost about this topic.

Most importantly I loved the talks today because I knew that what was being said was helpful to one person in particular. And my fondest hope is that that person was really listening and can use what was said as guidance in their own life. Not just regarding marriage but regarding how to turn their perspective around.

HP Challange - Day 12 Favorite Ship

My favorite relationship is probably the Ron and Hermione one. I think that like everyone else it is just interesting to watch the relationship of these two characters grow over the years. From the beginning when they couldn't even stand each other to the very end where we get to know about their family together. Even better than that was everything in between, Viktor Krum and Lavender Brown included. I think that it is really all about watching something that we always knew was meant to be get to happen.

HP Challange - Day 11 Character You Are Most Like

I have never really thought about what character I am most like for the franchise. Sometimes I like to think that I would be a lot like Hermione, good grades and great at magic. I always hated getting in trouble in school so I just tried my best to do what I was suppose to much like her. I don't think that I would be top of my class, or the school for that matter and I really think that I would be much better at flying on a broom.

With these criteria I think that I am more like Ginny. She does well enough in school and is a powerful witch. She is brave and doesn't take crap from anyone. She is great on a broom and well she is from humble backgrounds much like myself. So overall yeah I am most like Ginny which is okay with me because in the end I will have my own Harry.

HP Challenge - Day 10 Horcruxes or Hallows

I remember how awful I felt inside thinking about learning about what Horcruxes were and how they are made. I literally shivered and then to watch it on the movie screen, no way I can get behind the idea. But the Hallows are not only amazingly awesome they also come with a great story. Though parts of the Three Brothers story is tragic what an interesting little side story JK added to the overall plot to make it that much more wonderful. And really who would not want to have an Invisibility Cloak? 

HP Challenge - Day 9 Least Favorite Male Character

Hands down Cornelius Fudge. I am just so tired of listening to his crazy conspiracy theories of how Dumbledore wants his job and how Potter is making up stories of Voldemort. Whine, whine, complain, complain. I was definitely excited when Scrimgeour took over as Minister of Magic.

HP Challenge - Day 8 Favorite Lesson

I was thinking this would be a difficult one until I realized that the Quidditch lesson would be my favorite. I don't know if it is only for first years to learn how to fly on brooms but man i can't express in words how much I would love this lesson.

I have always wanted to be able to fly of my own accord. Just think about how much traffic I would avoid if I were able to use a broom to get around right now. Not to mention how much money on gas I would save. I have never imagined myself as a sports star but if I could play Quidditch I would train everyday to be the best.

HP Challenge - Day 7 Favorite Female Character

This is a three-way tie, although like with the male characters it could be a twenty-five way tie. But I love, love, love Hermione, Ginny and Lily Potter.

A brave best friend, a powerfully magical girlfriend and sister and of course the mother that was willing to give her life for the safety of her son's. What wonderful women, even if they are fictional, we have to look up to in these stories. They are faced with challenges like we may never know and they stand up to it all with a grace that surpasses even the most beautiful swan.

Oh I almost forgot mad props to Mrs. Weasley for being a kick butt mother and raising all those awesome kids, plus being a crazy good fighter when it comes down to it.

HP Challenge - Day 6 Sorting

From the first day that I heard about Hogwarts I knew that Gryffindor was the house for me. Gryffindor values courage, bravery, loyalty, nerve and chivalry. This is everything that I would ever want out of the people around me. And everyone from this house always seems to stand up for right no matter what is gonna happen. You just don't see that very much and i would want to be a part of that.

My Daddy

I don't have any pictures on my computer of me and my daddy, so I am sharing a picture of my family from my brother and sister-in-laws wedding. That is me and my dad on the left.

How very lucky I have been to have my father in my life. He is not a man of many words and sometimes he just doesn't know what to say, but he was never at a lack for words when it came time for a blessing before the school year started or if we were sick. How wonderful it was to have him be an example of what to look for in a husband in regards to being a worthy priesthood holder.

How grateful I am to him for the countless number of times that he checked the oil in my car, changed my brakes or just added some water. For an example of someone who works hard and provides the necessities and a little bit more for his family. How grateful I am for all those times I get upset, my mother can't calm me down and my dad picks up the phone, says his simple words of comfort and a calm washes over me.

I am so very blessed to have a father in my life that continues to grow spiritually and physically. For the example he sets for how to treat his spouse well. And most of all for always make sure to support his children in all their endeavors even when he doesn't agree with everything that they are doing. Happy Father's Day to my wonderful daddy!

HP Challenge - Day 5 Favorite Male Character

This question is even harder than yesterday's question. How do you pick one favorite in a cast of extremely valiant male characters?

I could go with Fred and George because how awesome is it when they just up and leave Hogwarts in a blaze of fireworks? What about Charlie in the background training dragons, I mean how cool is that? Neville is so wonderfully pathetic, Remus is a werewolf, Sirius is a bonafied bad boy, Hagrid ain't afraid of any crazy creature and Dumbledore well he is so awesome it isn't even funny.

Then of course we have Ronnie the Bear and Harry freakin' Potter. I mean need I say more? They get by in school but when it really counts is there anyone else you would want to go into battle with? I don't think so.

HP Challenge - Day 4 Least Fav Female

How does one pick a least favorite female character especially in these books? I mean I could give you a list in other books but I feel like J.K. did a great job of making all of her female characters very strong in their own way. So I will have to take a different approach to this question.

The female character that bothered me the most is probably Lavender Brown. I have to go with her just because she called Ron by Won-Won. That is probably the only reason I can come up with. In every other instance when we hear about Lavender she is not causing any kind of trouble. But seriously Won-Won?!?

HP Challenge - Day 3 Missing Storyline

I know the movies are very different from the books, what I like most is that I can enjoy them all especially when I think about them as separate things. Looking back over the years there have been a couple of things that I missed when they had to do the editing for the movies. Mostly we could all use more Quidditch in our lives. I am grateful that there are organized leagues in colleges across the world that are allowing for this great sport to grow and flourish.

So besides the clear lack of Quidditch in the movies, I do have a couple of other moments that I missed. I know many loved Peeves but I was able to overlook his absence. I wanted so much to see the Sphinx in the Tri-Wizard maze, I loved that riddle in the book. In recent times I have missed the part of the last book when Dudley reveals his actual feelings for his cousin Harry. I wanted so much to see Hermione use her logic to get through the potions chamber in Sorcerer's Stone. I miss the reactions of the Hogwarts girls when they get Firenze as a teacher.

But no matter how much they might of had to take out of the movies, I will always and forever remember the reaction my friend Kristen when she freaked out when there was magically a new actor in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and she couldn't place him as a character from the books. I think to this day if you bring up that movie that might be her first response.

HP Challenge - Day 2 Favorite Movie

Oh man how I have enjoyed this movies many times over the past decade. I have been to every midnight opening for each of these movies, it was never something that I was willing to miss. The t-shirts, the dressing up, loads of sugar to stay awake and the friends that I was able to share the experiences with. With all these memories how do you pick which movie is your favorite?

Although I love watching all of the movies, I think I get most excited when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire comes on TV. I have very fond memories of the night that my entire college apartment got together, dressed up and went to the theater. The thrills of watching the Quiddtich Wolrd Cup, the Durmstrang boys enter, the excitement of the Yule Ball and the performance by The Weird Sisters. Then the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the return of Voldemort and the sorrowful death of Cedric. At this time I would like to go on record as saying I loved Robert Pattinson back then before this Twilight craze.

HP Challenge - Day 1 Favorite Book

I figure this is it, the home stretch so I might as well jump on at least one 30-day bandwagon. And if I am going to pick one it might as well be one I am interested in And there is probably no better time to do it than the 30 days leading up to the EPIC final installment of Harry Potter, so here goes nothing.

My favorite Harry Potter book would have to be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Not only is it the beginning of the magic, no pun intended, but the it where we get to make new friends in the form of fictional characters. It reminds us about the power and intelligence of younger children and how important it is to break the rules sometimes.

It was a simple story, originally written on napkins in a coffee shop and even from it's pauper origins it changed the way that the world looked at reading and literacy. It brought families together and reminded everyone across all nations that we can, at any age, use our imaginations and believe in good vs. evil.

Extend Your Family

Who makes up your family? Is it just your parents and siblings? How about your Aunts, Uncles and cousins? Do you consider classmates, church members or co-workers to be your family? What makes a family, a family?

I am so blessed to have such wonderful people as part of my family. A lot of times lately I have lost sight of this fact. I think of myself as an island. That I stand alone and that I have to take care of everything myself. I have struggled with my sense of self-worth and wondered if I actually matter to people. I think that we all struggle with that sometimes. We all want to know that something we have done or said has helped or made a difference in the lives of the people around us.

But self-worth is not what this post is about. This is about me remembering that families are amazing things, and they come in all different shapes and sizes. I allow my family to be very large, it doesn't just stop at blood relatives. Though I am close to many of my aunts, uncles and cousins and they mean the world to me, I have always grown close to other people as well.

When I do theater the people I work with are accepted into my family. Then there is church, my branch now, friends from other stakes and even my family ward from when I was growing up. I am lucky to have recently gained a sister-in-law and with been able to accept her immediate family as my own as well. And above all else I have always enjoyed that portion of my family that is made up of my close friends.

How wonderful it is and how lucky I am to be able to have such uplifting and fantastic people to play a part in the movie that is my life. My advice to everyone is to allow your family to grow, allow people to be a part of you. I leave you with my favorite thought from a grand movie Mrs. Doubtfire

There are all sorts of different families, Katie. Some families have one mommy, some families have one daddy, or two families. And some children live with their uncle or aunt. Some live with their grandparents, and some children live with foster parents. And some live in separate homes, in separate neighborhoods, in different areas of the country - and they may not see each other for days, or weeks, months... even years at a time. But if there's love, dear... those are the ties that bind, and you'll have a family in your heart, forever. - Mrs. Doubtfire

Don't Hold Your Breathe

That is the saying everyone knows. The funny thing is that in life there are events that happen where it feels like you are doing just that, holding your breathe.

Right now there are a couple of those events in my life that I can think of. I am at this point, the one towards the end where you are thinking to yourself I can't keep this up forever. And at the same time your lungs just start to burn a bit, but you push yourself to hold on just a little longer. When all you really want is for it to all be over or to be able to feel that relief when that oxygen hits your lungs.

I would give anything to be able to breath again. To know what the decision is going to be and most of all how it is going to effect me.

The Demon Side (Book Review)

I am not very good at reviews but I figured hey let's give it a try. I just read a great self published book entitled The Demon Side by Heaven Leigh Eldeen. 

I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I first received the book as a gift. I stared at it for a couple of days, and it stared back. I wanted so much for it to be a really good read because I didn't want to have to tell my mother that I didn't like it. No it is not my mother who wrote it, it was a friend of my mothers. Good news, it was a good book.

I had a little trouble getting into the book at first. I found the whole concept a little hard to grasp. A demon in a home, taunting residents is not so bad it was the demon having feelings part that was hard for me to grasp. P.S. if you are worried I just gave away anything you are mistaken. At page 10 I was worried about a book from a demon's point of view, considering they are terrible beings. At page 50 I was still wondering what path this story was taking.  About 100 pages in I thought to myself this is such a weird, in and interesting way, book. At 150 pages in I was pretty hooked, I didn't want to stop reading even though I couldn't keep my eyes open. And by 200 pages I was ready for the next book in the series.

My favorite parts of the book were actually the parts that focused on things found in the teachings of the church. The concepts of repentance, being forgiven by the Lord for things that we have done, being one as a family and the concept of a marriage that is more than just an earthly one. It is very nice to be able to have a book that subtly brings up ideas that you believe in personally. I think that is why so many female church members enjoy The Twilight Saga. Overall, this is a good book. It has great characters and the story is easy to understand and follow. The foreshadowing was there but not all up in your face, the author clearly doesn't want to treat her readers like they are dumb. Plus this ending is worthy of any M. Night Shyamalan movie.

Like A Nomad

Lately I have been coming around to this feeling of being a nomad. I guess that I have felt it for some time but it is lately that the realization is actually hitting home. Haha nomads don't have homes.

I have been thinking about what is making me feel this way. Most of my overwhelming feelings these days seem to stem from a lack of structure in my life. Yeah I have work pretty set, but it is all the other time that I spend outside of work that seems to be the problem. I never actually know what I will be doing at night, I know only one thing that my dog needs to be taken for a walk and fed. Other than that it could be sitting at home, it could be movies, it could be trivia, there is no plan for the after hours.

Don't get me wrong what I end up doing in the evenings is a lot of fun. I have wonderful friends that make me laugh and live. What doesn't help with this feeling is the sense of not belonging. This isn't a belonging in the social sense as much as it is belonging to an area. I grew up in California and lived a couple of different places. I was most comfortable at my grandparents house, I spent a lot of time there even if as my family moved to different places around the county. But everything back in that place has changed. My parents house (they moved after I left for college), my grandparents house, the roads, the landscape, everything that you could think of.

I realized on my last trip to my parents that the feeling I get when I visit is more of a sense of familiarization. I know the streets and how to get around but I don't necessarily feel a sense of home. The same can be said for where I live now I guess. I love it but it never feels quite like home. I have moved housing every year for the last 9 years of my life. I hate moving! But I do it because it is what I know I should do. However this leaves a hole in my heart where that home feeling should be. I long for the day when I am no longer a nomad and that space in my heart is full, but I am not sure what will help with the filling. If I have my choice I would like raspberry creme filling like those fancy wedding cakes on TV.

Climb Every Mountain

Or in this case stair.

Let's talk about StairMasters. It is the newest machine at the gym that I am attempting to work out on. And I do mean attempting in the loosest of terms. When I got on it for the first time last week I started to have an asthma attack. Between the pain from lack of oxygen and the fear I had of falling off the machine I quickly decided that I wouldn't be stepping on that death trap again anytime soon.

Seriously check out this machine

You can't tell me that this doesn't look completely scary. There is at least a foot and a half between the first step and the ground.

However I faced my fear today and got on the death machine again. I made it twice as long as last time without stopping which was a great achievement. But even more than just that, this machine made me sweat like no other machine I have been on in the gym. Not that the other machines don't give me a good workout but literally sweat dripping down my face, it was just so weird.

I liked it very much, it made me feel like I was actually accomplishing something at the gym and in such a short amount of time, which is nice because I have only been dedicating about 30 mins to the gym after work these days. And in all honestly that is a big improvement over the not going at all that was happening before now.

It is my personal goal to work out two important things this summer in the extra time I will have. One, to get a nice tan so I don't look like a ghost in the dark at night, and two, have a fantastic set of gluts. A little vain you may say and perhaps it is but I will be working on other things at the gym as well that will make my body a bit stronger and that is the ultimate goal. Nice gluts are just a side effect ;)

Exhausted

I am realizing now that it has been almost two weeks since I had a decent nights sleep. I am not really sure what is going on, but I do know that since i have moved into my new place sleep has been dismal.

The first couple of weeks in the new place it was just not sleeping through the night. Waking up every couple of hours and tossing and turning so much that the blankets were wrapped around me like I was a mummy. This lack of sleep lead to a weakened immune system and then a cold. Luckily that didn't last long and I was sort of back on my feet but the lack of sleep still continued.

It got a little better after the sickness. I can sleep through the night but it still isn't a restful sleep and I wake up completely exhausted. Now it has been almost two full weeks since I last had a decent nights sleep. I have tried many different things, added things that I thought were missing from the move, changing the direction that my head faces while sleeping and even trying a sleeping aid.

Hopefully soon I will be able to figure out exactly what is going on. I am even ok with not knowing if it just goes away. I am so ready for a good nights sleep again.

Tough Decisions

Always I hate making tough choices in life. Sometimes I even hate making the small ones. But right now I strongly dislike that what dictates my life is finances.

Coming up I have the wedding of a very dear friend. I met her in college and even was around for when she and her soon-to-be husband first met. I got to watch their love grow and really just love being able to be with them whenever I can. I always feel close to them even though these days we don't get to spend much time together. I remember when they first got engaged and I swore that I would be at the wedding no matter what. I was originally planning to use my tax refund to fund my trip to the wedding. Now that I am going to owe the government money I am not sure that I can make it at all.

Even more difficult is knowing that the following weekend is General Conference and knowing that I have been planning to go in April since before I even knew the wedding date. However with this new debt that I will be owing I can only really choose one trip, and even that might be a stretch.

So I am feeling very torn, in my heart I know that going to conference and being with my branch will bring untold rewards. I want so much for things to work out all around, but I know that things don't always work that way. I guess this will take more thought and prayer and a little bit of planning before I know what is really going to happen. Wish me luck!

What's Good For The Goose...

I get so upset when there are double standards in life. I get even more upset when they directly effect me. Case in point growing up my brother was always allowed to walk around the house in his boxers for the simple fact that he was a boy. My sister and I however, always had to be wearing some type of clothing to cover ourselves up.

Today, grown up and out of my parents house, I make the rules but at the same time I find that this basic concept still remains outside of my control. I don't understand why people still get it in their heads that it is an okay thing to do. And even more so when they know that they are doing it.

I know it is hard to stop yourself from doing those, perhaps not so great, habits that we have taught ourselves to do, and no one is going to stop their habits overnight. That is just not how it works. But I am constantly faced with trying to change those things about myself that maybe others don't find acceptable. I try my hardest to make those changes if those changes are to better myself.

But when others seem to not even try it gets to me. I do believe that we all have the ability to change, if we really want to. The key being if they really want to. So all I really want to change is the double standards that are applied to my life by others. Just be honest and respect me and I will show the same courtesies that is all I ask. 

What's Hidden Inbetween

I was going through the profiles of suggested friends on Facebook today. There are many people that I don't know but there are even more that are friends from church and school when I was younger. Sometimes I like to see if people's pictures are available for viewing just so I can see what is happening in the lives of the people that I grew up around.

Once in awhile I get to see people's happiest moments. Everyone is happy or getting married or having babies and it is great to see. But sometimes all the happy pictures really start to make me think that everyone else has such a perfect life and my life is lacking somehow.

When I was pondering on what was so wrong with my life, as I usually do, I had the epiphany that the thing about basing people's happiness on the pictures that they have posted on Facebook doesn't give anyone the correct overall assessment of others lives. These pictures show the happy times, the party times and the fun times, and although those are important times in people's lives, Facebook doesn't show you the times inbetween.

Those pictures never show the arguments, the fights or the not so great times. But everyone has them and it can be hard to remember that at the end of the day we are all the same. We face challenges, many of us the same ones, but when we face them it is at different times. And not many of us post pictures of the sad times on the internet.

I realized that this means that I am no different than any other person. Everyone has a life inbetween those photos that are posted. What those moments consist of I am not quite sure, but I have a feeling that those moments are actually just like mine just with a couple of variables.

Financial Woes

Of all the things that I want to talk about, the thing that is weighing the most in the front of my brain is my current tax season debacle.

I am at a time of great financial difficulty. I sometimes find that I am very jealous of the financial situation my parents had when they were my age. Though they have never been any kind of well off, at least at my age they had each other and an income that could cover their families needs. I have bills, bills and rent and only my income to support it.

I know somewhere deep down that I can do this. I can turn around my current financial situation with hard work and dedication to the task at hand, but I constantly feel the pressure. This is exactly why we are always cautioned to stay out of debt and this is the express reason why. I constantly feel like I am drowning. No wonder the real estate term for a house that is worth less than it's debt is called "under water".

The biggest stress is the feeling of never being able to get out. Just when I think that I got the situation under control the government needs more of my money, I mean what is that all about. Or the doctor charged me for services that weren't part of my preventative care.

So the current solution is that I will work and work hard and hopefully soon I will be able to find a second (part-time) job, at which I can work a little more and start to make a dent in this small iceberg of debt that I currently have. It is like anti-global warming in my wallet.

In the end, I know that this is a sacrifice that I must make, for not only my health and stress levels but also to increase my quality of life. I want to travel and can't, I am even looking at not being able to attend weddings and conference which are very important to me. And even more than that, I am looking to get married, not anytime in the near future, however when the right guy comes along I know that I personally can't marry him until this debt is taken care of. It is very important advice that I received that I wish I would have listened to long before this.

Creative Writing - assignment 1

Jaime stood there gripping her boarding ticket so tight that it started to show signs of creasing. She never felt quite comfortable navigating the airports, everyone that she visited seemed even larger than the last. She stared at the monitors checking to see if her flight was still on time, there were so many flights she couldn’t even find hers.

            “Hey!” shouted a male voice in the distance behind Jaime.

Jaime turned around to find a random man running straight towards her. She couldn’t think of any reason this would be happening, she didn’t recognize the man, so her natural instinct was to walk away and rather quickly, however her legs didn’t seem to want to move.

            “Miss, don’t move, I think that you have my bag,” the man said.

With a sigh of relief and a slight giggle, realizing this was just a misunderstanding, she began to relax and retorted, “I am sorry sir, I think you are mistaken.” Jaime turned to walk away again, maybe she could ask an attendant to help her find her flight.

            “I don’t think so. I had that bag sitting at my feet during check-in and YOU grabbed it right out from under me. Just who do you think that you are?”

Trying to stay calm from the accusation that she was now facing, Jaime replied, “This is my bag sir, I have had it since I came into this airport. It has all of my belongings in it, now please leave me alone.”

The man could see the fear of violence beginning to grow in Jaime’s eyes. He knew this was his chance and grabbed for her bag. The robber snagged one of the straps of the bag and held on tight, pulling to get it away from Jaime. She knew that her strength was no match for his, and she didn’t want to let go of everything that she had, but she was unable to continue holding on. The strap of the bag she was holding then slipped from her grasp.

The robber, feeling very victorious and more than ready to enjoy his loot, turned to run when he hit face first into what seemed like a brick wall. The robber fell to the ground stunned. The brick wall of a man bent over and picked up Jaime’s bag., he would have worked to grab the culprit but knew that airport security was right behind him, so instead he went to check on Jaime.

            “Are you ok?” the brick wall asked. “My name is Brad by the way.”

            “I think I am. I wasn’t really expecting that and I am a bit shaken. And I thought that the worst thing I was going to have to deal with today was trying to find my flight.”

            A smirk crossed Brad’s face. “ Let me help, which flight are you waiting for?”

            “Flight 415 to…”

            “Alabama. That is my flight as well, it has been delayed a couple of hours. How about in the mean time you tell me your name and let me buy you a drink or something to eat?”

            “Uh sure,” said Jaime a little reluctant at first but Brad’s smile was to perfect to resist. Brad gestured lady’s first, Jaime blushed a little and began walking down the airport walkway, Brad followed.