ABC's of Thanksgiving

This has kind of become a tradition of mine.  Every Thanksgiving, I like to sit down and use the American Alphabet to assist me in finding things I am grateful for.  This is just another way for me to take some time to really be thankful for what I have.  Enjoy!

A - Apryl, Austin, Amric, Anona, Anona, apples, air, Apple, arms, ankles, art
B - Bob, Brett, balloons, bathrooms, babies, Book of Mormon, Bishops, BLOGS
C - Cici, Charlotte, cars, cleanliness, Constitution, clocks, choir, Church, chocolate, Cafe Rio
D - dad (daddy), Doug Baldwin, dogs, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, dairy, dog shows, dictionary
E - Evelyn, everything, Easter, eggs, earth, ears, eyebrows, elders, EFY, Ensign Peak, eternity
F - fire, firearms, food, faces, fish, feathers, FAMILY, food, fall (autumn), fingers, fro yo, friends
G - Gage, Grandma, Grandpa, glue, grass, glitter, guns, gazing, girls, guys, games, gratitude
H - Hailey, hair, home, hangers, hearing, hips, hearts, hugs, hands, heat, Hawaii, holidays, Hogle Zoo
I - in-laws, iPhone, iPad, ice (for my beverages), internet, ice cream
J - Jesus Christ, Jeannine, Jesse, Jell-o, jumping jacks, jugglers, junk food, juice, job
K - Kyle, kites, Krispy Kreme, Klondike Bars, Kit-Kat, kangaroos
L - Lucas, lunch, lungs, Lynch (Marshawn), laparoscopic surgery, leather, love
M - mother (mom/momma), Melanie, Mac, music, money, missionaries, mountains, military, minions
N - Nicole, napping, nickels, Nike, nursery, nick nacks, ninjas, Northwest
O - Ord, oxygen, openness, Omni, ovens, oranges, orange (the color), Orcas Island, ocean, others
P - parents, Pax, prayer, phones, planes, parades, popsicles, Pepsi, primary, Portland, pie, polar bears
Q - quilting, quests, quiet, quilts, Questar, quotes, questions, quirks
R - Robbie, Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, rings, rights
S - Shawn, Sean, Samantha, Scott, Seattle Seahawks, scriptures, seminary, socks, sweats, slinky
T - Thanksgiving, television, tasty bevs, thesaurus, toes, temples (and temple marriage), tokens, TRADITION
U - United States of America, umbrellas, Utah, unity, umpires
V - Vaughn, vaults, vacations, volume, visits (not visitors)
W - Winston, water, work, Washington, washer (and dryer), walking (and walkers), wings, wishes
X - Xerox, x-ray, x-chromosomes, x-ray fish
Y - y-chromosomes, youth, yams (ick), yourself (and myself..?)
Z - zebra, zoos, zero

Gratitude Challenge

My husband sent me an email this morning with a link to the December 2011 Ensign.  There was an article written by two of my dear co-workers and friends, John Hilton III and Anthony Sweat.  Their article was entitled "Take a Gratitude Challenge."  I thought it was the perfect blog/message for this week, as Thanksgiving is quickly approaching.  I am challenging all who read this to take the challenge.  Write a blog, a journal entry, or a Facebook post about 100 of the things you are grateful for, and then share it!  Here is the link for the article:  Take a Gratitude Challenge!!!  Now go check it out, and take the challenge!!!  This is a great way to prepare (or spend) your Thanksgiving holiday.

10 physical abilities I am grateful for:

1. Walking/running

2. Talking

3. Vision

4. Hearing/listening

5. Agility/flexibility

6. Waving

7. The bend and snap

8. Writing/typing

9. Jumping

10. Hugging/kissing

10 material possessions I am grateful for:

1. Bed

2. Car

3. Kitchen

4. Washer and dryer

5. Clothes (and lots of them)

6. Shoes (especially BOOTS)

7. Smartphone

8. Pictures

9. Laptop

10. My wedding ring

10 living people I am grateful for:

1. Shawn Fielding

2. Richard and Kelly Sobczak

3. Apryl and Sean Larkin (and kids)

4. Austin and Anona Sobczak (and kids)

5. Amric Sobczak

6. My in-laws

7. Machew and Olaf and their families!

8. President Thomas S. Monson

9. Can I say FAMILY in general?? (you know who you are!)

10. John Reim

10 deceased people I am grateful for:

1. Jesus Christ (although, He is resurrected...)

2. Iris McCoy

3. Judy Ann

4. Bill Goeres

5. Joseph Smith

6. President Gordon B. Hinckley

7. Paul Walker

8. George Washington (and all of our forefathers)

9. Tim and Tom McCoy

10. My grandfathers (Poppa and Grandpa Sobczak)

10 things about nature I am grateful for:

1. Fresh air

2. Mountains

3. Trees

4. Rain

5. Flowers

6. Grass

7. Animals

8. Rocks and Seashells

9. Water

10. Fog and Clouds

10 things about TODAY I am grateful for:

1. To be alive

2. My job

3. My eternal marriage

4. School/education

5. To (almost) be a graduate of BYU

6. Seminary

7. The Gospel and my testimony

8. Prayer and scriptures

9. Modern medicine and doctors

10. The Constitution

10 places on earth I am grateful for:

1. The Temple(s)

2. Hogle Zoo

3. Orcas Island

4. Hawaii

5. BYU (go cougs!)

6. Zion National Park

7. My home

8. Bathrooms

9. The Bell Tower (at BYU)

10. Ensign Peak

10 modern inventions I am grateful for:

1. Cell phones

2. Computers

3. Internet

4. FaceTime

5. Bluetooth

6. Television/Movies

7. Streaming (NetFlix, Hulu+, Amazon Prime, Spotify)

8. Online shopping

9. Email

10. Social Media!!!

10 foods I am grateful for:

1. Ice Cream

2. Macaroni and Cheese

3. Mexican (all of it!)

4. Turkey (in honor of Thanksgiving!)

5. Pie (again, in honor of Thanksgiving)

6. French fries

7. Cheeseburgers

8. Toast (especially with cinnamon sugar!)

9. Cheese

10. BACON!!!

10 things about the gospel that I am grateful for:

1. The Book of Mormon

2. My Patriarchal Blessing

3. Eternal families

4. Church (and all the leaders)

5. My calling

6. The sacrament

7. The Plan of Salvation

8. Priesthood

9. The General Authorities and the Prophet

10. The Family: A Proclamation to the World

"When we make a list like this, we discover that a list of 100 doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of all the things God has given us."

How true that is!  I hope you enjoyed learning about me a little bit, and that you take the Gratitude Challenge.  Take some time to show, reflect, and express your gratitude today.  I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

do YOU like YOU?

We are all too aware of the role media has in one's body image and confidence.  Often times, the media can overwhelm us and make us believe we need to be someone we are not.  I have struggled with this myself, and I think we may all have to some degree.  There are so many things I wish were different:

• More of us, women especially, had more confidence in ourselves
• That we didn't compare ourselves to others
• Be comfortable in our own skin - no makeup, sweats, you know!
• Not trying so hard
• That the media wasn't so influential on how we view ourselves

How do we combat this?  I have been trying to figure that out myself recently.  The best example I have to help combat this evil comes from a song.  Currently, my favorite song is "Try" by Colbie Caillat.  Unlike "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor, "Try" has a positive take on being who you are.  Just because you are skinny doesn't mean you are a "skinny b***h" and you don't need to have a lot of "boom boom" to have all the boys chase you and to keep men happy all night long.

Colbie's song is so inspirational!  Her lyrics (and video) motive us to be comfortable with who we are.

"You don't have to try so hard/You don't have to give it all away/You don't have to do a single thing."

"Why should you care, what they think of you/When you're all alone, by yourself/Do you like you?"

Like I said.  I am totally moved when I hear this song!!

So, what do we do about it?  Is there anything we can do?  The next assignment I have for SFL 358 is to write a letter to someone (a company, a person, etc.) and either 1. thank them for their positive influence in the media or 2. ask for something to change.  I think I want to take both sides of this, writing one letter to Colbie and her label thanking them for writing "Try."  I also want to write to a magazine, and explain to them that some of the stories they publish have a negative effect on society.  I will most likely go with the former, because I am so uplifted and motivated by "Try."

Anyway, I hope this is what someone needed.  I think I needed it for myself in some ways, to remember that

I AM A DAUGHTER OF GOD!  

He loves me, and if He loves me, I need to love myself.  I don't need the "popular's" dictating how I view myself.  I need to work hard at loving myself for who I am.  I have been blessed with talents, a family, a loving husband, good education, and much more!  I don't want to show ingratitude to Him who created me.  I am enough.

I just want to finish with these inspiring lyrics from "Try":

"Take your makeup off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror, at yourself
Don't you like you?
Cause I like you."

Amen!  We shouldn't need more than to be who God created us to be.  That's enough for me.  Let's help that be enough for all of us.


Now, for the cherry on top.  Watch this video.  It will change your life, almost more than the lyrics!  You will be inspired to be better and do better.  Oh, you also might tear up, so have a tissue (or two) handy.  And remember, I like you, but more importantly...

HEAVENLY FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST LOVE YOU AND KNOW YOU!

#ILoveToSeeTheTemple

Very simple Blog post today. There has been a lot of negative media the last week via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

My intention is to fill up Facebook with temples and break the saturation of negative images and videos. If you like this post (or comment below), I will choose a temple for you to post. #ilovetoseethetemple.  

After receiving a temple to post, copy and past the above text in your next "status update" - use all of your social media sites to spread the word!

I was challenged with the Hong Kong Temple, so here is picture for you! I hope you all take the challenge, and heck - challenge people yourself!!

"Mean Girls": 10 Years Later

I don't know about you, but I loved the movie "Mean Girls."  Okay, "love" is a strong word..  I related a little TOO well to this movie.  That is probable why it was even more funny to watch.  There are so many good one liners, and a few "shocker" moments as well.  Mostly, I cannot believe how far (or not so far) the actors in the show have come, where they are now, and how they have changed.  Take a quick look:

Meet the plastics!  (I relate all too well to this...)  Always remember that, "On Wednesday's we wear pink."  Thank you, Amanda Seyfried.

Let's just say that if you are looking for a movie to do a research project about "Mean Girls," this is the movie to watch!  So many backstabbing, gossip, I'm an outcast, pick on me situations.  In a way that makes this movie kind of horrid, BUT SO TRUE TO LIFE!

Now, I can't relate as well to this scene.  But what are your thoughts on it?  Does anyone have a mother like this?  And what kind of parents give up their master bedroom to their kid?  This proves my point though about studying "Mean Girls" - do you see how they act, pick at themselves, gossip about others?  Geez...  Is high school still like this?  I hope not, for the sake of my future children, but I am led to believe that girls and high school are still like this...

Regardless of the negative attributes, I enjoy this movie.  If you haven't seen it yet, go watch it.  I feel a little aged, though - I cannot believe it has been TEN YEARS since this movies was released.  Let's just say this - "That's so fetch!!"

Read this article for all the juicy reunion information.  You'll enjoy it!
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/11/05/mean-girls-reunion/

Napoleon Dynamite: 10 Years Later

In August of 2004, the movie "Napoleon Dynamite" was released.  Isn't it amazing how time flies?  It seems like yesterday that I was 14, living in New Mexico, and chilling at my house with my friends watching this movie for the first time.  Oh, the memories!  To help you feel even older, here are some images from the cast members - then and now; take a look...

Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder)
I am almost certain that my younger brother has (or at least had) that "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt.  Yes.  Yes he did.  In fact, he wore that  shirt for the"Napoleon Dynamite" dance that the Young Men did for the Multi-Stake Dance-Festival.  My, oh, my.

To quote some of the articles about this historic event, "Oh, my gosh!  Jon Heder got hot!"  But seriously.  Look at that guy.  No one wanted to date him before, but you can't keep the ladies away now!  So much for the quirky nobody...

Pedro Sanchez (Efren Ramirez)

You have my vote, Pedro!  Who could turn this guy down??  May ten years, ago, but definitely not today!  Don't we all miss Pedro and Napoleon's friendship?  I wish I had had a friendship like theirs.  Pedro was just the friend Napoleon needed; they helped one another pick up chicks and learn that "Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!"

Oh, how I miss this guy...  I will re-state this for Pedro as well: he got hot!!

Deb (Tina Majorino)
Can you say "babe alert?"  Geez, Louise!  Talk about ten years changing someone.  I remember how I went as Deb during my Senior Homecoming week (it was "dress up as a movie character day.")  I wore my hair in a side pony, just like hers; Keds; skinny shorts; and my "Tina you fat lard" t-shirt.  Those were the good ol' days.  Thanks for the inspiration, Deb!  I knew I liked you.

Who knew this lady would become a well-known actress one day?

Uncle Rico (Jon Gries)

Oh, Uncle Rico.  No one could ever forget you.  As one article put it: "If only Coach had put him in fourth quarter.  They would've been state champions.  No doubt.  No doubt in my mind."  You were a bully of an uncle, but man could you throw a football!!  If only we had more quarterbacks that could throw over the mountains...  **sigh**

But let's be honest for a minute: you were the meanest uncle ever.  Napoleon deserved better.

Kip (Aaron Ruell)

Nuff said...

Napoleon: Stay home and eat all the freakin' chips, Kip.
Kip: Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day.  Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.

Napoleon: Since when, Kip? You have the worst reflexes of all time.

Kip: Try and hit me, Napoleon.

Napoleon: What?

Kip: I said come down here and see what happens if you try and hit me.

I'll finish here.  Wouldn't want to ruin all of the ten-year changes of the cast members.  Check out one of these links for yourself.  Reminisce in all of Napoleon Dynamite's excellence.  I may have to go watch this move now...  I would challenge you to do the same.

Links:

http://www.people.com/article/Napoleon-Dynamite-10th-anniversary

http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/11/05/time-flies-napoleon-dynamite-cast-10-years-later-2408830?lt_source=external,manual

http://www.buzzfeed.com/candacelowry/the-cast-of-napoleon-dynamite-then-and-now

War On Women

A week or two ago, we watched this documentary entitled "Miss-representation."  I thought it was kind of biased and one-sided, but here is a link for it if you are interested in watching it: http://youtu.be/ED3ZjvZsh1E

This "War On Women" is no longer.  As you all know, November 4th was election day.  Not only that, history was made in various states - and they involve women!!  Here are some of the results for you:

Saira Blair:
This young lady become the youngest state lawmaker in West Virginia history.  Blair turned 18 in July, which barely qualified her for this position; but she was determined and had a purpose for running.  Saira ran for this position because so many of her friends had to leave West Virginia for employment opportunities.  She ran for them, and for all others in her state who are struggling to find employment.  Blair is pro-life, pro-gun rights, and pro-business.  Talk about ambition!  This young lady will go far.


Elise Stefanik:
At 30 years old, Stefanik become the youngest woman ever elected to the House of representatives.  She won 55% of the vote in New York, and is also the first Republican to win since 1990.  Elise has a killer resume, which includes the following: Harvard graduate; worked on President Bush's Domestic Policy team right after graduating in 2006; served as Chief of Staff; was the Director of Vice Presidential Debate Prep on the Romney-Ryan campaign; and she was the Policy Director of the 2012 Republican National Platform.  Having the support of Romney, Boehner, and McCarthy took her a long way!

Mia Love:
Black.  Republican.  LDS Woman.  Elected to Congress.  Utah was the first state to do this.  Goal: return power back to the people.  Many have said the Mia Love is the "poster child for diversity in the party (Republiucans)."  To this I add, she is an example for the nation.  The color of your skin is not a hindrance.  Your religion does not restrict you.  Love lost two years ago, but she came back this year stronger than ever.

Let this be a lesson to all of us.  This so-called "War On Women" is only making them (and all women) stronger.  Women can be in politics.  Women can have a voice.  Women are strong and can take on their male counterparts in this nation.  These women are powerful, have goals, and will represent the people in Washington.  Thanks to all those who voted, and thank you to all those women who ran.  Go for it!  This is proof that you can do it, no matter who you are or where you come from.  You can do it, just as these women have shown.

Sources:

• http://www.ijreview.com/2014/11/197751-meet-youngest-woman-ever-elected-senate-already-better-resume-obama/
• http://www.sltrib.com/home/1783406-155/love-owens-utah-republican-congress-2012
• http://www.ijreview.com/2014/11/197840-utahs-mia-love-becomes-first-black-republican-woman-elected-congress/
• http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/black-republicans-break-barriers-mia-love-and-tim-scott-win-big?adbid=768202019942719&adbpl=fb&adbpr=273864989376427&cid=sm_m_main_1_20141105_35073957

I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy

This is just a quick follow-up (or addition to) my Hell-oween post.  I watched a video yesterday from "Jimmy Kimmel Live."  Every Halloweeen, parents send in videos for Jimmy's tradition "Hey, Jimmy Kimmel.  I told my kids I ate all their Halloween candy."  In all honesty, this is the BEST ONE YET!!!  You may think this is total horrendous for parents to do this to their children, but the reaction of some of these kids is even worse!!  Then again, some of these kids are too precious!! Thank you +Jimmy Kimmel Live for this gem of a tradition!  This makes this day totally worth it!!! Watch and enjoy.

Happy Hell-oween!