twenty years of no death

Tis true. I have made it twenty years thus far of no death to myself. How wonderful!!! I am happy I exist...I hope you are too! haha...well anywho I have a few different stories to tell you. I will start off by showing you my fantastic, blooming sunflower.

I planted about 100 flower seeds in the spring and only two sunflowers grew. Out of the two sunflowers only this one bloomed. I love it! It's my miracle flower.

You know those 'claw' machines? You know, the ones that have a tonne of toys and junk in them and it is absolutely impossible to win anything? Well guess what. Burns won.

He won a playboy bunny hat!

Looks like I'll be wearing this EVERYWHERE I go.

We went down to Raymond on the weekend of October 17th for our own Thanksgiving and for Nat-face's bday party. Good weekend.

Burns bought a shotgun and clay pigeons for us to shoot while we were down. I really enjoyed it, but every time I shot the gun, I got a tiny bit of whip-lash and got a slight headache. Not too bad but still a little annoying. That's probably the only reason I liked throwing the pigeons better than shooting them.

The pigeon launcher.

Yeah....I'm bad.

Family got involved and we would have races to see who could shoot the pigeon first. Even Amy, who had her baby the following Tuesday, shot the gun.

Mi padre y mi novio.



my
BEST BIRTHDAY
so far



So for starters, my amazing visiting teachers came over and brought me an ice cream birthday cake. They also gave me a text book stand. They're amazing.

On the morning of my birthday, the astounding Christine Lyons brought me a delightful breakfast of apples, grapes, bananas, strawberries, peanuts, and cinnamon buns. We had a band practice at my place and let me tell you, that morning was a riot! Not very productive (writing lyric wise) but I seriously have not laughed so much in a very long time.

When I went into the kitchen, I noticed that the last piece of my VT ice cream cake was sitting on top of the fridge! "Oh no!" I exclaimed thinking someone must have left it out and had forgotten to put it back in. I quickly rushed to put it back in the freezer. I blurted out "What the!?!" and I then realized that my wonderful band mates had brought me yet another ice cream cake!!! So the last piece of my first cake melted while we enjoyed pieces of my new cake. They had written on it:

Happy Birthday
Blender Magazine's
2016
hard jazz rock metal
Vocalist of the year!

EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! I love them haha.


And it gets even better! After everyone went their separate ways, Burns came by to pick me up. We went for a picnic at Bowness Park!

This was our spot. It was a bit chilly out but I didn't mind. I love picnics!

Burns brought us bread with spinach dip, vegetables and dip, and a pomegranate!

First of the season!

If you've ever tried to cut up a pomegranate, they aren't the easiest things to get the fruit out. But we did it and our fingers were FREEZING by the time we were done.

So worth it though.

MMMMMMM best looking thing I have seen all year:

Burns holding up a bowl filled with pomegranate seeds just waiting to be devoured by me.

THEN

Burns gave me an envelope. And inside that envelope were...

TWO TICKETS TO SEE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S

KOOZA

THAT NIGHT!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SSOOOOOOO EXCITED/EXCITING!!!!


And let me tell you, NO act was a bad act. They were all AMAZING!!!



Just fooling around before the show started.

Burns bought me a t-shirt and he bought the soundtrack. I have been listening to it all day today and it is sooo good! Just go on YouTube and look up Kooza and you can see what I got to experience in real life. But live is OH STO MUCH GOODBYE BETTER than on TV.

And another thing, if you ever go to this wondrous event, pretty much NO seat was a bad seat! We were quite content sitting where we sat. Except for the tall guy in front of us.

But it was sooo entertaining! I didn't want it to end!

SUCH AN AMAZING BIRTHDAY!!!!

october 23

Today is a special day, for today is the day I am officially 20 years old. Oh and my license expires today. Uh oh!!! Anyways, I know I won't have time later today to do this, so ima do do do do this now do this now while a got da time.

1. Being 20!!! I am now two years away from the most horrible year of my life (18). SOOOO happy! 19 was pretty great, but I want 20 to be even BETTER!!! And it will be, so I am grateful for that.

2. Banff Hot Springs. Tried to go there last year for my birthday, but they were renovating. Anyways I love hot springs. Especially in the winter when my hair gets frozen, but I am nice and warm in the water.

3. Portal. It's the only video type game I have ever and probably will ever pass. Burns said he would get me a t-shirt if I passed it. So I did and he got me the t-shirt. :D

4. Lint Rollers. My, my, I would be gross looking without these magical devices.

5. Bounty. My first year up in Calgs I decided not to buy any fabric softener. SO my clothes were crinkly and they didn't smell good. They smelled like nothing. But when I moved I finally bought some and it is sooo great!

Oh and just for me to remember (because this blog is basically a journal). My amazing visiting teachers are Brittany Logan and Becca Young (you know, the ones who brought me the ice cream cake.) They're so great!

october twenty two

Yay! I`m actually on track today! 5 things here we go!

1. White Boards. I don`t know if I already mentioned these phenomenal things but they are quite great. I have a huge one in my room.

2. Lava Lamps. I can watch those things for quite a long time....small things amuse...small...mi..........never mind.

3. Blankets. Did I already mention this one tooÉ (question mark. This computer suddenly decided to use É in the place of question marks. Anywhoo...I love blankies. They keep me nice and warm. EEEEeeeeeeeeeee!

4. Calendars. They help me keep track of time.

5. Gum. I like when my breath smells good. :D

Wow...that went really fast. I`m just so used to missing a couple days and having to do more than five. SWEET done! Oh and it seems like all that I am thankful for are blending into one massive thing. So I`m sorry if I have already mentioned some before.

oh my

I have a LOT of thanking to do! I missed 4 days and including today's, that's 5 days all together. 5X5 is 25 and therefore, I must find 25 things to be thankful for!

1. KD

2. One of my classes got cancelled for tomorrow.

3. My visiting teachers! They brought me an ice cream cake from DQ on Tuesday for my birthday! It was so great! They are awesome!

4. Ice cream cake. My fave kind of cake!

5. The gym. I just started going to the UofC gym and I really like it. I went yesterday and today.

6. Running with Dalton. On Tuesdays, Dalton and I have decided to run around campus (approximately 5km).

7. Exercising. I feel sooo relaxed after I have a good run/workout! I can see how it can become addicting.

8. Getting a B on that HORRIBLE assignment. I just gave up at the end and I didn't care anymore what I would get and I just handed it in. The class average was like, C or something. Someone got 27%. SOOOO thankful that that person was not myself.

9. Elastics. I really like putting my hair in ponytails to keep hair off my shoulders and out of my face.

10. Bobby Pins. Need I say more?

11. My Voice. Breanne and I are going to try out to sing a duet in the upcoming institute choir Christmas program. We found a really nice song and I can't wait to see if we get to sing it!

12. Cognitive Psychology. I really enjoy my prof. He da bomb. He's just really 'with' it if you're pickin up what I'm layin down. If you know what I'm sayin.

13. Pictures! I just spent about $50 getting 286 pictures developed! I have two photo albums and I love looking through them. It's kind of like a picture - journal.

14. Glasses. I know I mentioned how much I hate glasses and I love contacts oh so much beddo! But, deep down, I really am grateful for them. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a time when glasses were not around. A tonne of people must have been sooo blind!!!

15. Nieces and Nephews. I love them.

16. Burns' Eyes. (SAPPY MOMENT TIME!!!) I have always loved blue eyes and I'm sad I don't have that color as my own. But think about it Paige, if I had blue eyes, I would probably like brown eyes. AND since I like blue eyes, I get to stare at them a lot when I'm with Burns. How often would I stare at my own eyes?

17. Microwaves. I'm kind of against them because deep down I have a feeling that they will one day rule the world by threatening to fry us all and/or give us cancer. But when it really comes down to it, they are really great for quickly heating things up. And by things, I mean food. And magic bags.

18. Hot Chocolate. Nothing better than hot chocolate to warm you up on a cold winter day.

19. Skating at Bowness Park. I LOVE IT!!!! Especially with Burns.

20. Thanksgiving. It's one of the only times that almost my whole family can get together, hang out, and eat a tonne of delectable food. The other time is Christmas.

21. Christmas. Refer to above.

22. Runners. In the summer I bought some good runners and I will never go back to running in my cougars. But the funny thing about runners is that they hurt my feet when I'm just walking around. They are definitely meant for running!

23. 23. I am grateful that I have reached number 23 on my list. It went pretty fast though. Two more left.

24. Highlighters. How else could I make my notes so pretty?

25. Different Colored Monies. When I go to the states, it's so confusing because all their money is boring green. I am thankful for Canada's variety!

DONE AND DONE!!!! WOOT!

october 15 16

10 things of thanks
continued

I missed a day again so I will do ten items:

1. A Puppy. This time I'm thankful for Kobe for having to get up at 7:00am every morning to go to the bathroom and to be fed. He helps me get up. I would sleep in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - my class starts at 12:00pm - and not get as much work done if I didn't have the boy.

2. Scotch Brite. You know those scrubbers you can fill with soap for your dishes? I LOVE those!!! Sooooo convenient!!! My kitchen would be 16 times grosser because of stacked up and molding dirty dishes if it wasn't for these scrubbers.

3. Sunrises. They are sooo pretty! I can see one right now out the window of my parent's home right as I am typing. They make me happy. This one is no exception.

4. Fingernails. I have never thought of them before as something to be thankful for, but now that I am reviewing the situation, I am quite grateful for them! How would I be able to scratch my itches? How could I use them as tweezers so I wouldn't actually have to use tweezers? How could I pop zits? Okay...that last one was uncalled for...but it leads me to:

5. The Tool. The tool is actually a zit popper and yes I am thankful for it. It can reach hard to get blackheads. It can locate, isolate, and ATTACK!!! I actually don't know the name of this ingenious invention, but it is sweet.

Note: The tool cannot locate but it sure can attack!...and isolate.

6. Socks. Make my feet warm ^_^

7. Vehicles. I often wonder why 14 year old kids are allowed to get behind a wheel and control an automobile traveling at 110km/hour. Now that is an accident WAITING to happen! But...I did it. I even learned on a standard and that is a lot more complicated than just an automatic! The point is...cars are pretty dangerous and we don't even know it because we are so used to them. But don't get me wrong. I'm very thankful I can drive and I'm very thankful for the vehicles themselves. I would not be at my mom and dad's house right now if it wasn't for a car. Makes travel time so much more efficient. And that's what we all want right? Efficiency.

8. The Bus. Even though I stand out in all kinds of weather for at least 5 minutes almost every day. And even though if I miss it I just missed a half an hour of my class or I have to get Berekti up and ask her to give me a ride. And even though it can be super awkward sitting next to a huge guy who takes up his seat and half of yours and smells like pot and looks like death. The bus gets me to where I need to be.

9. Teeth. I like chewing my food. :D

10. Sisters. I have pretty awesome sisters who I love!!! :D I get spoiled by their awesome talents.

october 13 14

10 things of thanks

continued

NO TIME!!! to post yesterday. So I will include 10 items: 5 for today and 5 for yesterday.

1. Hyperbole and a Half. In my Brain and Behavior class, I sit behind a girl who every day has her laptop open. I noticed she went on this particular website every day and I wondered what it was. http://www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/ HILARIOUS!!!

2. Straighteners. My hair + straightener = love.

3. Sticky Notes. A place where my central executive doesn't have to worry about it. The central executive is part of a Working Memory theory. You can ask me for more details if you want, but for now I'll just move on to:

4. Dog Spritz. Makes Kobe smell like cucumber melon. Mmmmmmmm.

5. Rice Thins. What a deliciously salty snack.

6. Contacts. Growing up I could not wait for the day I got to wear contacts. No more breaking/bending my glasses. No more getting smashed in the face by a ball and having SO much worse injuries than I would have had, had I not been wearing glasses. No more looking like a nerd! Note: just because I didn't look like a nerd didn't mean I wasn't a nerd.

7. The Newspaper. Depressing? Yes, but I would be so ignorant without it.

8. The Right to Vote. I will be voting in Calgary's municipal election. My first time ever and I am pretty excited about it. I will NOT be accused of voter's apathy!

9. Blistex. My fave.

10. Lotion. I read a fictional book once where women were forced to not wear any more makeup, jewelery, or lotion (etc.) and they would sneak butter into their rooms to moisturize with. Oh lotion, where would I be without you?

october twelve

Five Things of Thanks

continued

Today I am thankful for:

1. My sunflower. It has finally bloomed after six months of love and attention from me!

2. My retainers. Last night I put my retainers in and I woke up with only my bottoms in place. I searched frantically for my the tops but, behold, and it came to pass that my search was in vain. I gave up, collapsed on my bed, and I felt a hard lump on my leg. Thinking it was my retainer in my bed, I looked, and behold, alas, it came to pass that it was not there. I felt my leg and my top retainer was in my sweat pants. HAHA!!! Who KNOWS how it got there! Must have been some weird dream I was having.

Anyways I am grateful that those retainers keep my teeth pretty straight and pretty.

3. Leftovers. I made some concoction of sliced and fried chicken, mushroom soup, and canned, sliced mushrooms. It was super good but I intentionally made a lot for my lunch tomorrow. I love leftovers!

4. Student loans. Without them, I would not survive.

5. Deodorant. Without it, I would not love and I would not be loved.

five things of thanks

I have such a great visiting teaching companion. Her name is Priscila Rojas and she just started coming to Foothills Ward. She is 19 (just like me) in her 3rd year of university (just like me) and she's super cool (well wouldn't you know it! just like me!).





So we had our first visit with our girls (young single adult ladies) and it went very well. It was her first time ever visiting teaching and she took control of the situation! It was great!




Firstly I didn't have a lesson prepared because I gave a talk that same day (on gratitude...you know, Thanksgiving and all). So she started the lesson by just a getting to know each other introducing ourselves kind of thing and then we talked about gratitude. She then suggested we keep a gratitude journal.




We all promised to try our hardest to write down every day five things we are thankful for until our next visit next month. SO here is my list for today:



I am grateful for:



1. My band, Without The Fall. I really enjoy our band practices - whereas before I tried my best to avoid them - but we have come up with a really efficient, enjoyable process of writing and playing some pretty swickedly awesome songs.











2. A washer and a dryer within my own house. In my old house I had to go to the laundromat and it was just a huge burden. Now I have these appliances and it is a huge blessing.







3. My roommate Breanne. Since Arianne moved out, she has replaced the lack of someone to talk to when Burns isn't around. And not to mention I get to borrow her clothes..just like I got to borrow Arianne's. Oh and she loves Kobe which is really nice. :D







4. Burns' incredible musical capabilities! Without him, our band would be mediocre. With him it ROCKS!!!

5. A heated home. Right now it is freezing! Especially with winter just around the corner, I can't imagine being homeless. Soooo sooo grateful for heat.

And just in case you're wondering why I was so thankful for the band in this post...we just had a practice this morning and all our songs are stuck in my head. So I just have band on the mind.

Remembering all the blessings you have in your life can help to make your life not suck as much.

SnatLalCie

YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!!

SLC + Natalie

=

SnatLalCie

just in case you were wondering why this post is called what it is called

We LOVE playing with Natalie!

Just a little pina colada ;)

So HAPPY together!!!

Good thing families are forever!

Don't worry Natalie, you're nice aunts and uncles will always spoil you ROTTEN. But my kids' nice aunts and uncles better not spoil my kids! Just jokes....please...doo...???...wait a second...

Burns and I left the granny drivers in Cowpoogary behind and went to UTAH to visit all the UTARDS!!!

Firstly we went down to Raytown for Thursday night at Mommy and Daddy's and left bright and early in the morning. 5:00am to be exact. I drove because Burns is a complete zombie in the morning. I was super nervous for the border...not because I was carrying any drugs or weapons of mass destruction, but because I have never been the driver crossing the border. Those border guys are sooo intimidating! We got through just fine and we were able to watch the sunrise! Well...as much as I could watch while watching the road.

My camera just does not do it justice.

Since we were making goooood time, we decided to stop at a place I have wanted to stop at since I first experienced the beauty of Idaho and Utah. The whole landscape was made from lava seeping through the ground. Now coyotes, and other creatures make their homes in the vast network of caves and tunnels of dried lava.

Please excuse my severe hideousness...I was in a car for 8 or 9 hours at the time. Possibly more.

NEEDLESS to say. We made it safe and sound to Matt & Steph's place!

















Can you tell they are brothers?



THEN we went to one of the BEST places on earth with some of the BEST people I know!!!



CAFE RIO!!!

With Matt, Steph, and baby Rhett (who is not much of a baby anymore so I will revise) and toddler Rhett!



UGH just LOOKING at these pictures makes me want to EAT FOOOOOD!!! Cafe Rio style of course!

SAMMY!!!

BURNS AND MEE


And look who decided to join us! No, I'm not talking about Matt, Son of Samwise and Frodo. None other than Rick Heninger!

Just kidding...he's just some random guy who Sam saw in the background and we agreed he resembled Rick quite muchly.

Then we went shopping and I got some $20 shoes. Burns got some kicks too!

This all happened on Friday...now let's see what happened on Saturday!

Okay so I have no idea why this is underlining everything I type...but maybe I'll figure it out soon. Anyways...Saturday! Conference!!! We watched the first session at Matt and Steph's. Sam got us tickets for the second session!!!! MY FIRST TIME IN THE CONFERENCE CENTER!!!

Oh phew!! No more underlining. We didn't even mean to match our outfits! Oh soo cute!


We were seriously getting KILLED in the heat! It was seriously hotter there than any summer day I have experienced in Calgary!

Yay! Finally watching conference live!

Cute brothers huh?

We sat in the deaf section with Sam. It was pretty cool! I wish we got to see the Mo-Tab choir but the family choir was pretty good too. I was mostly distracted by the TVs set up for the hearing impaired...I couldn't stop watching the sign language or reading the subtitles. They're just right there! In front of you! You just can't..take..your..eyes..off..them...

So while we were waiting for the session to start, a bunch of photographers came around with the HUGE lenses!!! Burns and I were so confused to as why they wanted to all come to the same location but whatevs. Then the prophet came in and all we heard was

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK click click CLICK!!!!!

Then they all dispersed.

Even during the prayer I heard a few clicks....maybe Burns and I will be in the Ensign. Watch out for us! Haha.

SUNDAY

The boys faithfully watching and enjoying conference.

BUSTED!

I seriously did NOT want to leave. Sunday morning, Matt and Steph cooked us an amazing breakfast. The night before, Steph's mom came by with TONNES of food which was oh sooo good! Then we had delicious burgers Sunday night. We got to visit with Luke and Mandi on Saturday night with their kids. It was actually really weird without Denise there...I'm not used to hanging out with Burns' brothers and their families without Denise around.

Well... unfortunately we had to leave. We wanted to make it back in time for Burns to go to class so we decided to leave Sunday night. We left at around 10:00pm and got back into Calgary in the afternoon. We took turns driving and sleeping in the back. I even had to pull over for an hour to sleep because both of us were too tired. After that nap all was well and I was able to drive again.

We took Kobe with us, as you were well aware, and he was such a good little puppy. He just slept the whole way there and back.

Thanks Matt, Steph, and Sam!!! We seriously had soo much fun! And it was really great seeing Luke and Mandi's fam!!!

And I really want to be able to stay there longer some time because it is just soo beautiful there!!! I wanna go back!!!