WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO

Two posts in one day... but I am juuuust soooo excited... I forgot to blog about something before and I wanted to blog about it....and I think I might be jumping the gun with this next thing, but I'm just soooo stinkin excited!!!

** IF YOU'RE IN MY WARD SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!**

So you'll recall a post last week about how my ward got deleted off the face of the earth.... and I was sooo sad to be released from the Relief Society Presidency.... and at FHE monday night before we went home for Christmas we watched the Christmas Story with Ralphie... I love that movie!! such a classic... its definately NOT christmas without that movie... anyways... I talked to my Bishop and he told me to "enjoy my retirement from relief society for a brief time" because in the new year he'd be calling me.... and I didn't think much of it... but today Bishop Terner called me, and told me there would be some re-organization within the new ward so that we had old riverparkers with some callings and what not... so I was thinking he was going to ask me to be a ward missionary, or a teacher in relief society.... WRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOONG! He called me to be back in the Relief Society Presidency..... WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO.... most of you are thinking... WTF lady... are you kidding me?!?! why are you so excited for that?!?! but I am stoked to be back in the presidency.... I loved my calling, and I loved the responsiblity. I felt like I was really making a difference and it was amazing, so to be back in the new and improved presidency is such a blessing... and here I thought the Lord had a pretty funny sense of humor by releasing me before my next year got swamped with other commitments!....I figured he released me because that was better than me sucking at my calling... HHA I was wrong! but can I just tell you that I most certainly will not be complaining about all the extra weekly new move in/less active/birthday visits I have to do. I will be doing it with gratitude in my heart! I will just have to re-organize my training schedule that I made to include all of my extra meetings... <3 it! It won't really be until closer to my tri that it will really come to crunch and I'll be hard pressed for time, cause as it is for the next little while my training is pretty reasonable, and after I've hit the end of my training I will just be able to do bricks, and try and improve on my times, I won't really have to "train" I'll just have to "maintain"..... Can I just tell you that my prayers have been answered. I felt sooo lost that Sunday that I was released from the Presidency.... and now I just feel AMAZING again!!! I love the church and the blessings that it brings to my life. I love serving others and I know that its my calling in life is to serve others and bring them into the gospel!. How can I not be blessed... and feel the Saviors love on a daily basis when I have had a simple prayer answered.... I just asked Heavenly Father to find a calling for me soon, because I wanted to be busy.... Call me nuts/physcho/lame/werid.... but I work way better under pressure... and I love it when I'm busy, because when I am not doing anything I feel lazy and I feel under achieved and then I get all sorts of depressed...

Ok, so on a less selfish note... I've been meaning to go visit Chris Evanson in the hospital since his accident, and I tried to go see him before I went home for christmas but I couldn't find where he was, and when patients are in ICU they can't just give out that info without family consent, so I went home from christmas pretty bummed, and after I got to see Darren and talk to him( I realized hes a tough kid, and he knows that he was saved for a reason, and hes not taking that for granted) hearing him talk about what happened makes me feel a whole lot better about it, and after having talked with/heard stories about Chris Yokoyamas funeral and how his family is dealing with it, I'm coming to terms with it alot easier now, anyways on monday night after work I was walking thru FMC(foothills medical centre) emerg and the ICU waiting room door was open and I spotted Thom and Carol Evanson... so I made a Bee line straight in there, and got to talk to Carol for a few minutes, and then she asked me if I wanted to see Chris.... :) OF COURSE I DID.... so she took me back into his room and let me visit with him for a long time. Chris is doing amazing, and hes looking amazing! He's a strong kid! I don't remember him being as big as he was when I saw him... I remember him being not much taller than me, but he's a whooping 6'4! Shows how long it's been since I've seen him :(. I am so thankful for the knowledge I have of life after death, because this would be such a bigger tragedy if we didn't know where Chris was. He's doing more good on the other side of the veil and I'm thankful for him. I'm thankful that what has happened in that tiny town of Taber has lifted that town and brought them together, I truly felt that while I was home, especially on sunday when every single meeting started and ended with a prayer in their behalf! We truly are one large family in the eyes of the Lord..... So yah... I was just sooo excited that I got to see Chris, and I can't wait til I can go see him. He's such a Champ!

9 Goals for 2009--playing catch up too!

well.... this title might be decieving because I don't have 9 goals for 2009 YET!... I've been racking my brain because this year I'm actually going to do this! I'm going to accomplish all 9 goals for this year, while some were no brainers (doing my first,second and hopefully third triathlons) and getting back into shape I'm having a hard time coming up with ones that aren't silly. hmmm any suggestions would be awesome. I'll probably blog about them at some point tomorrow after I've had time to think of the last 2 or 3. I use to get really excited for new years, but the last few years just haven't been what I expected so I'm not really 'excited' for new years this year. It's the samething/people/atmosphere every single YEAR! Hopefully 2009 treats me alittle bit better than 2008 treated me.... As I've been relfecting back on 2008 here are just some of the highlights:

JAN: is my moms/and my birthday(pretty much the best month ever)
FEB: I went thru the Temple on Feb 2 and it was pretty much the best day ever. I couldn't have asked for anything more wonderful and I'm still to this day thankful for all those who braved the crazy canadian highways to support me. I love you all. I also finished my practicum and got a job at the Tom Baker Cancer Center
MARCH: My best friend came up from Portland and I was able to spend a few days with him chillin, and we were able to go to the Temple in Cardston.
APRIL: I went on one of the worlds funniest road trips with my bestie Laura.. only she will ever truly know the 'real' me...and vis versa! ( I feel bad for her hubbie ;))
MAY: I had the chance to go down to Idaho with Chelsea to see Chase again and it was such a fun weekend. I forgot how much I missed that kid!
JUNE:...... urgggggg It's my little sisters birthday
JULY: STAAAAAMPEDE, Camping, Roadtrips, Partying all night and dying the next day at work, Floating down the Bow River, bon fires and the lake! nuff said
AUGUST: Just looovin life and takin a lil road trip down to Utah for the week with my bestie Saren. We spent a week with Erics family and it was awesome. I just love that family and I had so much fun visiting all of my friends and going to 7 peaks with Erics little sister and her best friend Anna... Also I said bon voyage to one of my besties Laura who up and got married on me and moved to freakin Iraq(Iraq to me is anything off the north american conteinent, they moved to Germany and are absolutely LOVING it) and I just love them!!
SEPT:....... played with my friends and absolutely loved it!
OCOTOBER: Thhhhanksgiving, General Conference(Calgary getting a Temple) HAAAALLLLOWEEN!
NOV: roadtrip(flying) down to Utah to spend a few days with Eric and Clay...(just love those two boys sooo much), Tried my hand at Cheering for BYU(they lost, I hate losing)
DEC: Christmas season, service projects, tragedies, Christmas, Navtivities, Hot Chocolate, Zoo Lights, get togethers with Old friends......

I guess I can't really complain too much about 2008 it looked like it treated me pretty well... but I am definately ready for 2009!

I totally forgot to blog about christmas.... which was FABULOUS! I love christmas and I loved spending time with my family. I definately don't go home enough(with how close I live) I got down to Taber christmas eve, and my family and I all went out for our christmas eve tradish of CHINESE FOOD... yum I love chinese food we went home, played games and just chilled! Christmas day was awesome. I didn't really ask for too much this year... I got a crockpot, and a magic bullet... alot of car stuff(roadside kits....my parents are awesome... I've needed stuff outta here before) I got my new snowboarding coat and pants and toque,gloves and goggles and tons of awesome odds and ends. I also scored some sweet giftcards to my FAVE stores!! <3 it!!! Boxing day I had the chance to go do some shopping and I'm proud to say I didn't buy all that much, just a bunch of snowboarding things... I didn't even use my giftcards... I'll save them for a rainy day. I love going down to Southern Alberta...but hate it at the same time... at the mall I saw sooooooo many people that I knew(some I was excited to see, and some that I pretended I didnt see looked down and nicely walked away)...you've done it too! I saw the lovely world traveller Jaylene... whom I love DEARLY! and I got the chance to spend the day with Kathryn and her Brother Darren. I love those two soooo sooooo much! Darren is such a stud and I'm definately thankful for him. Sunday I went to church... I always love/hate going to the family ward.... I never remember all the old peoples names... So get this... there is another lachele in my family ward(go figure right... theres 4 in Taber) anyways... the OOOOOTHER lachele got engaged... and everyone thought it was me... sooo akward right... ha ha....maybe next year team! They're all gunning for me thats for sure! After church I hung out with my family for a bit and then I went to the annual highschool christmas reunion where it was attack of the MARRIED COUPLES... I definately felt very outta place but loved seeing all of my friends! I love each of my friends and still its like the last 5 years hasn't happened.. .we're still the same crazy kids...only some of us have spouses and babies... AAAAAAAHHHH ha ha... lllllove it! I had to work monday morning so I stayed for about an hour then I had to try and brave the icy awful canadian highways.... ooooh the sacrafices I make to see my friends.... the roads were definately soooo bad, I don't think I've ever prayed for a whole 4 hours straight in my entire life.... YES FOUR hours... it took me to get from Taber to Calgary.... cuuuurse bad roads!.... My dad and Saren called me a couple times asking me where I was...and honestly I didn't know the fog was soooo bad! I didn't know I was in Fort Mac until I came into the city limits and even then I could barely see the roads. I am soooo thankful for a reliable jeep that travels thru the ice and fog and bad roads like a CHAMP!

Soooooo.... I think I'm all caught up for 2008, and I'm ready to welcome in 2009 in 11 hours!! Wooohooo... I hope you all have an amazing new years and tomorrow is when I start my "official" Tri Training, so I'm going to try and blog more frequently about that... and tomorrow I will try and get my 9 Goals for 2009 up....<3

Blind Sided......

...... ok so yesterday I was completely blind sided when I got to church. I grabbed my tithing slip, went and sat down and then I saw the new Stake Presidency, which was totally random, cause last week we had our Christmas program, and it wasn't ward conference, so I was expecting something big but when President Laycock got up and said he had a letter to read from the First Presidency, I got a little bit nervous. He started to read the letter and the jist of the letter was that my ward was being deleted off the face of the earth and we were combining with another YSA ward that we had sacrament meeting with. We had heard rumors about this happening, and my ward is super dinky, we were really struggling to extend callings in Relief Society but I never thought they would just shut down our ward... I was pretty upset, and then he says all Members of the Elders Quorm and Relief Society Presidencies are released... I felt my heart sink to the pit of my stomach. I absolutely loved my calling in the R.S presidency, I got to know each one of the sisters in the last year. I felt so attached to my calling, and the other sisters that I served with. I bawled...like a little 5 year old girl who didn't get a candy bar at the store... I was very nervous about who our new bishopric was going to be, but it turned out that my Bishop Frank Terner was called to be bishop of the new ward, which made me really happy, hes probably the most amazing bishop that I have ever had, I've had alot of bishops, I had 3 different ones in Utah, and I've had a couple growing up. I was actually pretty upset, I thought I was going to have trouble sustaining the new bishopric, and the new relief society presidency, but I knew I would have the same experience I did when we sustained a new Stake Presidency last month, and when we sustained a new Prophet in April. I truly have a testimony that the Lord hears and answers prayers, I needed to know in a instant if this was his will, and if it was that I would raise my right hand and sustain this change, then my Stake President, President Spackman who is a heaven sent, got up and bore a simple testimony of the Gospel, and I knew that this was the Lords doing, and that even tho it was his will, it doesn't mean it would be easy.. I had the chance to bear my Testimony to the sisters in my Old ward, and the sisters in my New ward in one of our meetings, and it was really bitter sweet, I am really excited about the new ward, and a new relief society, I remember complaining about how much time this calling took, having to go to a million meetings, and having to do new move in visits, and less active visits and all of my visiting teaching, but now that, that is going to be gone I am definately sad. I know things change, and it's very apparent that I'm not ok with change. I don't even know where I'm going with this post, I'm just rambling. I'm going to miss the girls that I serve with, our meetings were definately a good time, our meetings lasted FOREVER all the time, but the first 15-20 minutes of our meeting was strictly business and the last hour and a half was us talking about boys...good times...good times.... I'm grateful for the chance I had to serve all of the sisters in the ward, and work so closely with my bishop and his councillors, it really taught me alot about myself, I know this won't be the last calling I'll ever have. I am excited to support the new presidencies and the new bishopric, they're inspired of God, and I know that this is truly the Lords will. I love the organization of the church and how smoothly it can transition from something like this. On a brighter note with this whole situation I will have extra time to train for my triathlon, maybe the Lord was just being funny with me, and he knew how much I needed to train, so he gave me an easy out.. I'm thankful that the Lord does have a sense of humor.

On another note, last night Saren and I were bored, so we were watching youtube video's. I think everyone needs to watch Dax Flames youtube videos, this is a 15 year old kid who had a video diary and its the funniest thing ever, hes the most socially akward child on the face of the earth and he's documenting it, last night Saren and I were trying to convince Eric to go watch them, but I really don't think that he has the same sense of humor we do.... he might not want to be my friend after he watches them... we went over to Lance and Bryces after that and made them watch it too...they didn't think it was pee your pants funny like we did, its really amazing how something is funny even after you watch it 5 times...

I got all of my christmas shopping done saturday...wooohoooo I got my parents, and my sisters presents, and I even bought a few for me...haha its really not what its like, my parents were buying me new snowboarding stuff, and the selection down in Taber blows, so I bought my own stuff... I am sooo excited to go home for christmas its not even funny, all of my friends are home already, and theres been little get togethers, and I'm just stuck here in Calgary freezing my butt off... its been -39/40 consistantly for the last week and a half, and I'm getting sick of it, its' way too cold to do anything, snowboarding is definately out of the question until it gets warmer. So it better get warm SOOOOOOOOOOOON!

T minus 6 days.....

until I head home.... and here's just a little update for you. I still haven't boughten any christmas presents, and we have no tree up at my house in Calgary, and I think I'm starting to turn into a scrouge. I guess all the grinches I work with are starting to rub off on me. I'm getting on that this weekend, all my shopping will be done by saturday. I just know it.... I am so excited for christmas, and I am excited to go home and see my family!!!

After a week or so of laziness I've finally bucked up and headed back to the gym and can I just tell you I am soooo much happier. I love the gym(even tho I am sore as heck today) I really need to get a pair of those padded shorts all the bikers are raving about, because my glutes are just sooooo sore right now. I guess thats what a 23 mile bike ride will do to you... bah! It's either the padded shorts, or I will be walking like I just got off a horse for the next 5 months.... no bueno! I am really excited about 2009 and I think I've made some pretty good goals, and I hope that I keep them, my number one is training for this triathlon.

The last week has been absolutely nuts, just so much has been happening and I think I just shut down. Friday night was our ward christmas party, and it was fantastic(the parts I got to enjoy) We had a little tragedy down in Taber this weekend, and it really hit me. I'm sooo thankful for the plan of salvation and I'm thankful for my knowledge of things happen for a reason. I'm thankful for prayer, and I know that there is someone who hears and answers them, not exactly the way we hope that they will be answered. I know that the Lord knows the bigger picture and sometimes we don't know why things happen, but that they do happen for a reason, with that being said I know that the Lord is watching out for Chris and I know that if its the Lords will he will recover and be fine, I know that Darren will pull thru this like the Champ he is and he will know that he was saved for a reason, and not to take advantage of the chances hes going to have. I'm grateful for the Yokoyama family and their testimonies. It must be really hard to lose a son at such a young age. I'm also grateful for the families that these boys come from, because I know that they know that the Lord loves them. Saturday the roads were still so bad, and I just didn't want to drive so I did something I haven't done in a really long time. I stayed home allllllllllll day long and did nothing but watch saturday morning cartoons, I had like a months worth of laundry to do and I just left it. I got bored around 4 and so I decided to go tanning but on my way tanning my tire just went flat.... WTF.... it was -49 and my tire was flat, if I tried to call AMA it would have taken me up to 72 hours to get someone to change my tire...... and I didn't know how to change a tire( I know I should know, don't tell me) I was sitting at a light for 20 minutes and this guy stopped me to help me he said he passed me 20 minutes ago and it took him 20 minutes to get back to me, but he felt bad and wanted to help me, he said he was a little disappointed that no one else stopped to help me. Let me tell you how grateful I was for that man who stopped to help me.... He said he stopped to help me because last week someone stopped to help his girlfriend, so he thought it was only appropriate to stop and help someone elses girlfriend... THHAAAANK YOu.... also, a huge shout out to my parents for teaching me to have extra gloves,toques and blankets in my jeep..... being the smart girl I am, I wasn't dressed all that warm, I wasn't anticipating a flat tire, and my blanket, and my gloves definately came in handy while that guy was changing my tire.

Well I haven't been too good at blogging lately, I did so well the first week and fell off the bandwagon the last week, I'll be better I promise, especially in 2009, I have to be! I can't wait to be done with work for a few days and just go home and hang out with my family and friends, I don't get to go home as much as I should(with only living 2 hours away) I think that will be one of my goals to change in 2009 too... Lately, I've been thinking alot about that, what if this is the last time I get to see someone in my family(heaven forbid) but in lieu of recent events you never really know what happens from one minute to the next.

just sooo long

Two posts in the matter of two minutes.... I just can't get over how I can just write and write, my posts are always GIGANTIC....holy hannah!!! I'll try and tone down the next one so they're not as long, but when I tell stories, I tell every detail......

It's allllmost time for CHRISTMAS!

So today it pretty much just dawned on me, that christmas is in 15 days...two weeks.... no big deal... only... it is a HUGE DEAL... I haven't really listened to much christmas music yet, and I haven't done any christmas baking(not that I did before, but I thought this was a good year to start.) and I haven't brought any presents yet(except a few for me) oops!! I always do that, buy myself stuff right before christmas.. No bueno.... So in light of my realization this morning, I've been trying to bring the christmas spirit to work, and I realize that I work with a bunch of GRINCHES!!!!! One girls boyfriend cancelled Christmas...who just cancels Christmas...crazy man!! and I've been belting out christmas songs, and talking about carolling all day, and I've been playing christmas songs off of youtube.com all day, and everyone just thinks I'm BONKERS! I'm the nuts one... I also realized that I SUCK royally at wrapping gifts... just the worst present wrappers ever... and I think I kind of already knew that, cause every year at christmas my mom always puts the presents I wrap at the back of the tree so that it doesn't make her "christmasness" look stupid... how rude.. I have a complex dang it! The last few days at work have been spent wrapping presents that people in my dept. bought for our Cancer family( each year the Tom Baker has lists of families who need help this time of year, and each dept takes a family and buys them things...) Well my dept took on two older couples and spoiled them rotten, and I got my ward involved in one too, and let me tell you did they ever score BIG TIME... I just love it!! My whole jeep was full of boxes and presents that were donated my people in my ward, and the bishoprics families.. it was amazing.... I just love this time of year.

As for the whole Tri-delimema(sp just doesn't look right) I got it all figured out last night.... actually Rianne and Mal knocked some sense into me...they're my workout buddies and part of the reason I got into tri's well kind of... Its a long story but needless to say I'm thankful for them, and that they're kicking my butt into gear.... only problem is that both of them live in another COUNTRY..... oh man!! They work out together and I work out alone, but with them...ha ha if that makes sense at all.... Ri is going all out, she just loves this sort of thing, and I love her, last night we were talking about how shes going to get shirts made, and we need a team name and we're going to get sponsors and all that jazz.... She wants to start a blog for us to write on so we each know how the others are doing, which I think is great and since I prove to be such a good little blogger here I will be just as good with their blog too... how fun is that. It's going to be a tri-training/weight loss thing that we're doing, and needless to say I'm pretty stoked, so once that blog is up and running I'll probably add the link here somewhere( HA I'm speaking like I actually know what the pickle is going on with this blog business) Ri also introduced me to this thing called the hcg diet, her and mal have both done it, and I'm starting it Jan 1st with them and a couple other people, so we'll be blogging about our experience there, if you want more info just go to www.hcgdietinfo.com and if you have any other questions I'd be happy to direct you to Rianne, shes fantastic... I just love those girls, last night I was thinking about what a huge committment I've made, and it made me really excited because I really think that this is something that I will contiune to do for a long time(if I do well in my first tri) I've read alot about goals within a tri, and how we need to make realistic goals when doing them, especially for my first one, so really my only goal should be to finish the race and not die.... but for some reason my competitive side is kicking in, and I just want to do the best I can. I found an 11 week training program that looks pretty easy, and I will spend less time in the gym that I do now( but I will do other things at the gym that will keep me there my normal time) but the specific training things I need to do are short, anyone can do a tri. I'm doing the 11 week training but I've got 21 weeks to do it, so until I find something better I'm just going to do each week twice and push myself a little farther everytime. I'm excited now.... but tomorrow or even tonight I will probably be second guessing myself..... but as long as I have Mal and Ri to be there for me, I think I will be fine....

Just freaking out a little bit.....

So, is it too late to bow out gracefully from my triathlon committment.. I mean I haven't even officially started training, or registered for the stupid thing .... so I was talking to my two friends Mal and Ri down in Utah...the ones that I'm doing all of this with... and well.... I'm just freaking out a little bit. I spent the better half of my afternoon on the internet reading stuff on training, and trying to find a program that will work with me. www.trinewbie.com is amazing. This website is the whole reason I am re-thinking this whole thing.(freaking out) Part of me just wants to start training and love it, and just keep doing it for the rest of my life....and just go out and buy a new bike, new running shoes, new bike shoes, biking shorts with the built in butt.... and all of that snazzy jazz....but the other part of me is now realizing that this is one of the hugest committments of my LIFE!!!!! and for those of you who know me, know that that C-word scares me...and I suck at it. So I have some decisions to make...and FAST...... I have the time... thats not really what I'm concerned about, I'm ready to dedicate everyday to training....for as long as it takes...the part that concerns me is the whole 'dedication' thing.... I tend to lose motivation/dedication on things unless I have someone kicking my butt.....so pretty much.... I guess I'm just a pile...with no self motivation..haha crap!!! I just don't want to start doing this and realize that I suck at this... but I guess I will never know unless I try right?? right..... so it looks like I'm pressing on... and hopefully I don't embarass myself out of Utah County in May. I've been doing alot of reading, and I'm glad that I'm trying to get as prepared as possible now, because I didn't realize how much stuff I need and how intense this really is. There is a Tri store that I pass every morning on my way to work, and I'm going to go in there someday soon and just look around, get some more info. I don't need brand new stuff now... I can get a new bike, all the snazzy jazz once I decide that I'm in this for the long haul, for now I can just get the basics and go with the flow..... I think I've calmed myself down quite a bit logically thinking this thru...so maybe I will be fine after all.... besides I have 5 months... so really... if I can't train for a triathlon in 5 months and get a pretty decent time there really must be something seriously wrong with me.... I've only got 21 weeks and that might seem like a long time, but most of the programs that I've found are min 13 weeks, so by the time I get started I really don't have that many weeks. I want to do well at this, because I think this could be something that I want to keep doing. Hopefully it will spark my interests in something... because I feel like my life needs to change in a few different ways, and I think the biggest change is my career path... I don't really have anything specifically set in stone, and I have alot of options open to me right now. Maybe something to do with nutrition or sports...or I don't even know. I feel like I'm just blabbing now to blab.... and by all of my last posts you can probably tell that I'm just quite the little typer... just keeps going and going and going... Anyways I've got to head back to work right now, and do some more research on this... and start making a list...then I'll be heading to the gym tonight for another work out.....(oh ya.... my first workout without my ipod wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be....) It was a little boring... but I had time to think and to reflect... I don't really remember what I was thinking about, I just remember thinking " wow this time is really going by alot faster than I thought it would" but that doesn't mean I'm not giving up hope of finding my ipod or buying a new one within the next week or so... it just means I tried something new.... and I don't mind it.

Just sooo much snow!!!

Ok, so here I am to complain just a little bit.... it's snowed like 30cm in the last day.... Normally I wouldn't mind but you see.... saturday I bought a BRAND new jeep... and everyone thinks that it's ok to drive really close to me on the crappy roads in Calgary(Calgarians are the worst drivers EVER) I'll never be one of them.... so yeah if it wasn't for the fact that I didn't just buy a new jeep, I wouldn't care about all the snow.... it would just mean I get to go SNOWBOARDING!!!!!!! I don't have the best track record with new vehicles. Ugh! So I think I will be on edge for a while, but can I just tell you that I absolutely LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE my new jeep... it's amazing!! I love my dad so much for finding it for me(he found it, but he did not buy it) I bought it allllll by myself, and I love that I can do things like this for myself now!

Now, that I am done complaining about the snow... I am going to say that I LOOOOOOOOVE how amazingly beautiful the tree lined streets of Calgary look with all of this snow. It's absolutely breath taking, I took a couple pictures yesterday, I'm not the best photographer/or have the best camera......but If I ever learn how to upload pictures on here I will for sure do it..... I am so excited to go snowboarding this winter, it will be my first winter in 2 years that I'll be able to go, and I'm so excited. This weekend I'm going to pick out all my gear(cause thats what I'm getting for christmas from my parents) so I'm pretty stoked! I'm not a huge fan of winter, but this definately makes it bearable thats for sure!


Also, another reason I just love winter is because of CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!! I just love christmas and the spirit that is around. Everyone is sooo much nicer, and giving and charitable! Yesterday I had the chance to give the Presidency Message in Relief Society. Sometimes I struggle with what to teach on that first Sunday of the month, because the Presidency doesn't really have a topic/lesson to go by...we pick our own topic and let the spirit direct us. Well... all week I just struggled with what I was going to teach, and I hate leaving this until the last minute because I almost never feel prepared and I don't think it's fair to the Sisters I teach if I'm not prepared. So everyday last week while I was at work I was trying to find christmas stories or something to spark an idea... and everyday I read a couple stories and found myself crying at my desk at work... and at the end of the week I picked the two that I felt made the biggest impact on me. I ended up teaching on the Spirit Of Christmas(Christ) and how to keep that feeling present all year long instead of just thru the month of Decemeber. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye left in that room when we were done because of the Spirit that was present! One girl said something that I can't stop thinking about, she said shes been so stressed out with trying to find presents for her family who has everything, and that what she really needs to be stressed/worried about is finding presents/ways to serve those who have nothing, and I really think that this time of year we each need to stop back and reflect on finding ways to help those people that have nothing. That is my thought for the day!

NOOOOOOW, I said that I would be logging my training for my triathlon, but I'm not actually starting "official" training until Jan 1st, so I guess you can call this a "pre-training" update. Saturdays are usually my long workout day( I'm inlove with Biggest Loser, so I like to call it my Last Chance Workout) I'm at the gym typically for 4-5 hours.... and I just do cardio and weights and maybe take a class or two depending on what time I drag my lazy bones outta bed.... but saturday I didn't get my chance to workout, cause my dad called me telling me about this jeep and it was a crazy good deal and I had to jump on it today, so I just drove down to Taber on a whim and bought a jeep.... totally not like me, most of the time I like to plan things out... I kind of like it. Anyways, I haven't really been the best at going to the gym since I got home from utah either... which needs to change too... and that all starts TONIGHT..... everynight after work on my way home from the gym I'm going to try and spend 1-2 hours just building up my endurance, come January I will be on a set schedule for running,biking and swimming. I'm taking a spin class in january on monday nights too that I'm really excited about, I'm hoping it will help me with my bike. Right now I'm just running and biking whenever I feel like it. Most of the time I'm excited to get to the gym, but tonight I'm really not excited becuse I lost my Ipod. I think I left it in Taber, and I honestly want to cry. I hear those Ipod shuffles are like 40 bucks.... I think I might actually go get one after work, load up some music and head to the gym...

So I really don't know when it's time for a post to end... do I just stop typing at the end of a story and hope everyone realizes its the end... or do I say.." thats all for now folks.... signing out" haha I'm just werid I guess... I don't even think anyone reads this. hopefully I'll learn to put up pictures soon...and do cool things with it, because I think I could have fun with this.... I actually know one person is reading this. Sarah said she'd kick my butt if I didnt update it, hopefully I'll be able to update it everyday with my stats....

And so it begins!

So I still don't think I have this whole "blogging" thing down.... I see how everyone else has friends on their lists, and I know that I have friends that blog and I don't know how to get them to be my friends....who knew this would be sooo stressful.... oh well I'll just sort of go with the flow, and just write...

So I have to be very honest... I'm kind of a slacker, and unless I have people to answer too I usually let things slip.... soooo I guess this is where I become accountable to everything I say on here...... but before I do that... I guess I should kind of just start off by introducing myself, where I've been for the last few years and what not... I probably won't dwell too much on the past(the bad things) and just focus on the future and all the positive things! So here goes.... I graduated highschool in 2004, moved straight down to Utah to go to school... I took a bunch of random classes... looooved it, ended up taking some massage therapy classes, deciding that I really loved it, and I wanted to work with althetes. I worked with the Football/Rugby teams down there and absolutely loved it!! I had so much fun while I was down there... but definately now that I look back on it I was really young, inmature and would do sooooo much over again if I got the chance. Some unfortunate circumstances brought me back home to CAAAAAANADA before I was ready, and I've been here ever since.... and go back to Utah every chance that I get!! When I first got home I lived with my parents to help me get back on me feet(literally) then I started working with a chiropractor...thought I'd try and give my massage skills a try.... decided I didn't really like it all that much, and it definately took a toll on me physically......coached some jr.high volleyball. I moved to Calgary and have been here for almost 2 years.... Some say this is the Utah of the north....buuuuut I'm not so sure about that. I guess I have high expectations since living in utah where....in that tiny space there were mormon boys busting from every seam! Now I'm in Calgary... working at the Tom Baker Cancer Center(yeesss it's depressing sometimes) but it's a really good place! Soooo really all in all thats been my life for the last 4 years... now you know why I didn't really start a blog sooner....I'm sooooo boring!

Lately I've been thinking alot about alot of things... I feel so unaccomplished, there are just so many things I want to do. I want/know I will go back to school...but I don't exactly know WHHHHHAT for yet... maybe something to do with medicine...or medical admin... or maybe I'll take some writing classes and write one of those churchy self help books.... I've been back and forth emotionally lately, and I'm just trying to decide when I was the most happiest and how to make that an everyday thing..... which got me thinking about my hobbies... I loooooove painting.. I'm not the best but I would definately like to become good... I painted in highschool and a couple times since then...I would love to take some classes.... and I also love sport...playing, watching all of the above... sooooooooo since I'm not longer in highschool and there really are no organized sports teams for someone in my position I thought I would pick up something new! TRIATHLONS!..... yikes! I thought it was definately a good idea when I first thought of it, and it just so happens that some good friends of mine down in Utah do them regularily, so Rianne is setting me up with some training and I'm going to be doing my first Triathlon in May down in Salem Utah... I'm excited and scared all at the same time!! I'm excited because its going to teach me alot about myself, and its going to help me with goal making.... I eventually would love to do an ironman(in 20 years when I'm a hott 45 year old mom) .....so I've got to start out somewhere.... so the Tri isn't until may but any of you who know me, should know that I hate doing stuff crappy... and I beat myself up alot if I'm not great right off the bat.... sooooooo I have really high expectations with my first triathlon time.... I will be realistic but I really want to do it in a good time... SOOOOOOOO I'm starting training NOW!.....(speaking of training I really should be at the gym this very second....I'll go in a bit) So now that I've committed myself to doing this I will be blogging about my experience.... it will make me more accountable if I know someone is checking up on me!(hopefully atleast one person will read this) So I'm training for the sprint tri... .5mile swim,13mile bike and a 3.2 mile run...sounds pretty easy... I can do all of those things... at the gym the last few months(since sept I've been working on my bike....I've been going to the gym5-6 a week for a good 2 hours a day) and I've been doing better on my time... not to mention losing a little bit of weight..p.s I'm super stoked about that....because my physical appearance is definately something that I'm self conscious about! sooooo we'll just kill two birds with one stone..... in the last 2 weeks I've started running 3 days a week on top of my 20 mile a day bike ride and my weights.... my run is slowly coming down...I've got alot to work on...I'm coming off of a pretty seriously injury about two years ago and so I've been pretty sore after my runs, but I'm going to keep pushing thru it.... I'll learn alot about myself and what I can do.... I haven't really started my swim yet... I don't exactly know how well thats going to go over... I've been scuba diving for the last 10 years so I'm pretty confident in open water....so I think with some practice, and a good swim coach(my bestie Saren) I will be good to go by May. So I'm really excited! I really want to coach basketball too.... I've just been all over the place for the last few years, hopefully next year I'll be in a good place, back in shape and have a handle on this whole life business so I can take on my next challenge! I'm not going to lie, but I've been a bit of a slacker since I got home from my last trip to Utah(last week, I'll blog about that later) I haven't been to the gym to much and when I do go its for like 90 minutes... you might say 90minutes is pretty good....but I'm looking for some serious results, and I spend 2+ hours a night at the gym.... soooooo I guess you could say I've definately been a slacker! I'm getting back on the bandwagon, and I'm trying to remotivate myself..... soooo if anyone has any motivating tips they'd be great!

I've got a few adventures to catch up and blog about, but I'll have to save those until tomorrow.... because I need to get my little butt to the gym. I haven't officially started training for my tri yet. I'm waiting for Rianne to send me her training stuff, so hopefully january 1st is when I can officially start, but I guess I'm just trying to keep my endurance up. I'll probably blog everyday once I've actually started training.... I'm a pretty good little journal keeper, so I think that it won't be a problem to keep up with this, if I can just get it figured out!

Well I'm off to the gym... I'll keep you posted on my stats.....most of them...ha ha I probably won't keep you posted on my weight(we'll wait til I get that number down a little bit more) I was doing really well.... from sept til about two weeks ago, but I definately think I've hit a stand still..... so hopefully this blog will help me kick start it.... I've got big plans for 2009...good thing I don't have a life, because I've signed up for a couple spin classes, some swimming and the gym will take up most of my nights.....wow..... really... and I wonder why I'm still single.... HA!

First Blog

It seems like everyone is getting into the whole "blogging world". Mostly married people, engaged people or people having a kid, and well..... I'm none of that. A few of my friend told me that I should start a blog so that they could keep up with my life, but really.... My life is boring... literally.... I go to work... go to the gym(cause I'm training for a triathlon) and randomly just play with my friends... so thats pretty much all you're going to be seeing on here I guess...I've always been pretty good at keeping a journal but haven't really done so lately..... so here I am... I'm not going to lie... of my friends who have blogs I stalk them regularily... is that super creepy?? I sure hope not...This is going to be a super short because I am at work, hopefully tonight after I get home from the gym I will have more time to post a little bit more about myself, and what I've been doing for the last few years. I don't even know how to properly sign off from a blog post... am I supose to say something like... See ya later... or ttyl....ttfn...ha ha I'm just a nut I think....