New Things I Appreciate

As most of you know, I am taking a break from college this semester and doing some soul searching. This as left me at home with a lot of time on my hands. I want to assure you that I have been soul searching but I have also had time to devote to other things. Very few of them are exciting but they have taught me to appreciate things that I never have before. So I thought that I would share a few of them with you:

1. sudoku

2. talk radio

3. reading the newspaper

4.wonderful parents

5. sunshine in winter

6. an old piano book I had forgotten about

7. the ability to take a nap if I need one (or want one)

8. Mom's golden oldies (50's and 60's music)

9. how much information is online!

10. indexing

11. and great friends who still care!

Just Keep Crocheting...

Merry Christmas everyone! Mine was a little small but great. It was only the Browning families in town and Wendi and I with my parents. At least we still had some kids to make Christmas so much more exciting. It was my turn to give a gift to Holly and her family. She asked for a movie so I got it for her but then I realized I had some extra time on my hands. I also needed an excuse to watch Christmas movies so I decided to make everyone in her family a pair of slippers.

Here are my wonderful foot models: (Luckily they all fit their feet)

I know that this picture doesn't show off my slippers very much but I just wanted you to see my sister's beautiful family that brings such joy to my life.

Love you guys!

Maybe I am Turning Blonde

I have lived with multiple females nearly my whole life so I have gotten used to the bathroom sink getting clogged with hair regularly. College is no exception and maybe even worse. Earlier this week I noticed that the water in my bathroom sink was taking a long time to drain. I rolled my eyes but wasn't surprised. My Dad did teach me how to clean out the u-bend under the sink but it is a pain and smells awful. And as my brother-in-law Scott recently reminded me, these aren't my pipes so I shouldn't worry about as much and thus I decided to to just buy some liquid plumr to fix it. Later that very day I was at the store and I even remembered to buy some. I was so proud of myself for being so responsible and remembering to take care of this problem so quickly. When I got home I invited my roommate Gloria to join me in this plumbing activity. As she looked at the sink (that still had some water in it that was slowly draining) she merely pulled out the lever that plugs the sink and the water quickly drained. It wasn't the pipe that was clogged at all!! I can't believe that I didn't think to just unplug the sink! In my defense, no one ever purposely plugs my bathroom sink and it wasn't plugged all the way so it did look open. Gloria and I laughed and laughed and laughed! And now I am left with a whole bottle of liquid plumr and have no need for it.....

The Ending of a Five Year Era!

BEFORE
AFTER I got my hair cut! I have debated with myself long and hard for months whether I should cut it. I kept going back and forth and then would decide to do nothing. Finally I decided that it really wasn't that big of a deal, it is just a haircut. So I did it....and I love it!! I was really worried how it would work out with my face shape but I think it is fine. It is exactly what I wanted and I don't regret it one bit!!

I was raised by a mother who encouraged us to learn about our family history. As a result I have really come to love family history and am learning more and more about mine everyday. I have worked at the MTC bookstore for over a year now and see name tags with all kinds of different names from all over the world. Many times I have seen names from my ancestors on those tags. A few times I have actually asked them about their ancestors and we found out that we were related. This makes me SO happy!! I get so excited every time it happens. I find it a testimony of the fact that this church is true. Ancestors who joined the church years and years ago have left a legacy that has spread and lasted for generations and is still spreading. And these people are going out to share the gospel all over the world to even more people. I love it! These are a few of the family names that I have recognized:

1. Redd
2. Madsen
3. Neff
4. Ogilvie
5. Butler
6. Roundy
7. Berry
8. Frost
9. Partridge
10. Lyman
11. Buckley
12. Bean
13. Riley
14. Whiting
15. Swensen
16. Taylor
17. White
18. Ekins
19. Foote
20. Hansen
21. Johnson

I am sure that there are more that I have forgotten. Sadly to say, Heap is one of the only ones in my four-generations that I haven't seen in the MTC. Nevertheless, this church is awesome!

"The Little Cassie that Could"

As some of you know, I am taking a bowling class right now. I am a terrible bowler so my goal for the class was to bowl over 100 points in a game (the highest score possible is 300 so this goal is pretty pathetic but oh well). After three weeks of this class I didn't seem to be showing any improvement other than gaining consistency in my poor skills.......until this Thursday! We learned several different ways to "release" the ball. I always have bowled straight but we learned three different ways to bowl a curve ball. The first one I tried just didn't work for me. I was ready to just give up and go back to my straight bowling but I decided to try one more of the new ways. Good thing I did too because me and that method are now best friends! I BOWLED 127 POINTS!!! And the next game I bowled 104! Twice in one day......that is a true sign of improvement! Oh happy day!

Were they bored or inspired?

Once upon a time I was in my apartment at about 5:30 pm putting away groceries. All of the sudden there was a knock upon my door. With one hand holding my instant potatoes I opened the door to find two young men standing there. By my estimations, one was 12 and the other was 16. The older one handed me a long-stemmed red rose and told me that it was for me. I quickly thanked them but asked if there was a motive behind their strange actions. They told me that they thought that I needed a rose today. What could I say to that?! So I thanked them again and closed the door. I think that is one of the most random things that I have ever experienced in my life! I won't complain though :)