11/28/10

So, somtimes I fall in love...
...with whole families.
Okay, just one whole family.
Namely, my best friends extended family,
The Strickland's.

I spent a good part of my weekend with them, just doing stuff.
And, it was so much fun.
I love them all as if they were my own family.
Why were they all in town?

1. Thanksgiving!
2. Dale and Amanda's wedding.

They're all just so goofy (in so many different ways!),
and make me feel included.
I love them.

I don't want to go on exclaiming my love for this family, while sounding
terribly weird and creepy in the process... so I might stop about now.

Thanksgiving was fun!
We did our usual 3-day camping trip, Wednesday-Friday.
Half the family went early to set up camp, and half of us stayed home,
and listened to Christmas music while cooking food.
Definitely one of my favorite times of the year:)
(cooking while listening to Christmas music, I mean)
After all the cooking was finished, and all the house was cleaned,
we left for Gold Head State Park!
And, who knew Gold Head was just off of Blanding?
All my life I thought getting there was a long, confusing route,
but no!
It's just down Blanding a ways, then on the left.
"Well, I feel sheepish." (Name that movie!)
We got there, ate beef stew, some Spanish soup, and Elena's yummy
broccoli and cheese soup, with FRY BREAD, of course! :)
Then stayed up, and sat around the camp fire, just talking and playing games.
You know, the usual.
Went to bed, woke up, got dolled up,
and took Elisabeth and Courtney out to take pictures!
I usually take all the kids out one by one to take pictures,
then take some pictures of my parents,
BUT, things just didn't work out this year,
and I only ended up getting pictures of the girls.
Oh well. They're still good pictures:)
I'll edit them and put them up later.
After the pictures, we came back to the camp site,
and started getting things ready for the meal.
The two turkeys we brought to the camp site went bad,
due to someone not putting wood in the smoker.
Lame.
Luckily, we had two more turkeys come, a ham, a chicken, and a leg of lamb! :)
Plus all the wonderful sides.
And then there were desserts. And the most magnificent,
the Cherpumple! :)
What is a Cherpumple?
Just what it says!
Cher = CHERry
Pum = PUMpkin
Ple = ApPLE
It's a white cake with a cherry pie baked into it, a yellow cake with a pumpkin pie baked into it, and a spice cake with an apple pie baked into it, all layered on top of each other.
I was seriously skeptical when I first heard about it,
but it's delicious!
(Minus the pumpkin pie layer - I don't particularly like pumpkin pie.)
Anyway, so we ate the Thanksgiving meal, then I mozied around for the rest of the day.
And did lunges, cause I felt terrible, and hadn't worked out in AGES.
Then I woke up the next day and my legs were sore. Ha.
But, we woke up, ate breakfast, packed up camp, cleaned up, and headed out!
Once I got home I showered, then was right back out the door for a photoshoot.
Janelle Heath and her family.
They're so cute, I can't wait to edit their pictures.
But, after Janelle's shoot, I went over to Kelsey's house to hang out with my favorite family, the Strickland's:)
I had fun.
We crammed in my car like Mexicans (7 in a 5 seater?), and ran to the mall.
Then came back to get more vehicles to go up to the Hendricks building to help Dale and Amanda set up for their wedding.
...and, in the process we might have played a little knock-out.
One of my very favorite basketball games!
It was a blast. I always have the best time when I play that game.
Also, I became disgustingly sweaty.
"It looks like you put gel all in your hair."
Thank you Alec. Haha.
Sorry Kayla for the blow to your midsection! Ha, I'll probably always feel bad for that now.
I had a good time, went home (blasted midnight curfew), and slept - I didn't sleep very well, though. Hm.
Anyway, I woke up, ate breakfast (apple bread with icing! Probably not the healthiest breakfast...), and went to Target to get Dale and Amanda's present... sorta last minute. Ha.
And, who did we run into at Target?
Evan and Daniel!
We said our hello's, talked a little, then we all walked around and looked for presents for Dale and Amanda.
I think we got some great, practical gifts:) Haha.
We went home, I did some homework, then went to the wedding!
Oy vey, it was cold!
Who doesn't have a nice jacket/sweater/coat to wear with churchy/formal stuff?
This kid.
I ought to get one, huh?
Anyway, the wedding was fun.
I learned the meaning of cabbage, and my dad threw Evan's cake on the ground.
Overall it was a great, fun weekend
thanks to the Strickland's:)
And, a great Thanksgiving,
thanks to my family:)

As of today, my legs are sore from the lunges,
my arms are sore from carrying chairs back and forth
(cleaning up Dale and Amanda's reception),
and the rest of my body is sore from basketball.
Feels goooood:) Haha.

Now, I need to go get ready for church.
I'm SO glad my Ward doesn't start until 1pm:)
Ciao!

- Sara

PS: I feel like my posts are so scatterbrained... are they?

Lyric: "Oh look now, there you go with hope again.
Oh, you're so sure I'll be leaving in the end.
But I'm not, I will stay where you are always.
I will stay, I will stay, I will stay."
- Dashboard Confessional, "Carve Your Heart Out Yourself"

Longest weekend of my life

Oy vey!
This is the longest/busiest weekend of my life.
Seriously, I haven't had this much stuff to do over the weekend in ages!
Usually it's just work.
But now, I've realized I'm kind of easing myself out of work.
I'm only available over the weekends now, and I'm wanting to request every weekend off!
I dunno what to do about it.
I have other forms of income, they're just not consistent, and I wouldn't feel "right" without a steady form of income. I just wouldn't feel... safe? No, wrong word. I dunno, just not right.

Anyway, what to do first? Go off about little things that have been on my mind lately/slight obsessions as of late, or go over my uber busy weekend? Or, do a mix and match?!
Let's go over the week, then end on my obsessions:)

Okay, I just want to briefly go over these, cause really, I'm swamped, and want to go to bed so I can wake up and be even more swamped (that last part was sarcasm. I'm not excited to be even more swamped.)
Thursday: School - such a long day at school. I went at sun-up, and was practically there until sun-down. Maybe it was dusk. Either way, we (Elisabeth and I) were there for the longest time. Then, I came home, planned on writing my essay for History, but ended up wasting so much time... then went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1)!
Firstly, can I say: Bazinga!
(I know, I use that word all out of context. I got it from the show "The Big Bang Theory," but I use it as a form of exclamation. Like "oy vey" or "holy cow" or "shwing" [Waynes World reference - if you don't know the movie, look into it! My favorite movie of all time.], or... well, just any form of exclamation, really.)
HP7Pt1 was SO good.
Really. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
And, I READ THE BOOKS!
Slight obsession(s) about it?
The Weasley twins? I love them so so much. They're my absolute favorite characters. Even though they were only in about 2 scenes (literally), they're just the best.
Secondly, Ron and Hermione? Favorite couple, ever. I think they're completely adorable together. It makes me so happy:)
After HP7PT1, I proceeded to go home, and go to bed. Only to wake up mere hours later to go to work. Hagrumph.
And, we're back at WD.
But, we won't talk about that right now.

Friday: Work, bank, home, BETWEEN THE TREES.
Oh, it was such a great show.
Took the camera, of course. Got a couple good shots:)
Slight obsession(s)?
My new BTT tshirt. I love it.
It says "Do you want the moon?" with an astronaut on the front of it.
Love love love.
Other obsession? Their guitarist. Stevie, I think it was?
No worries, I'll be over it in mere days (I hope that doesn't make me sound fickle. I'm not fickle, I promise. I like things. A lot of things. I love guys. And, sometimes they get to me. But then I realize, "Wait, he's in a band. I'll probably never see him again. Just leave it be." And, I leave it be. [Granted, every situation has different specifics - I don't always think "Wait, he's in a band... etc."] So, to clear things up, I'm not fickle.)
But, as of right now, I kinda adore him.
I liked his personality. He sold me the great BTT shirt.
Besides my slight obsessions, BTT is absolutely amazing. Sad this was their last Jacksonville, FL show before spliting! :(
Hagrumph.
They're really one of the best bands.
Also, some kids got injured pretty bad at the show.
This big bar that held cameras, up at the ceiling fell, and hit two kids in the head. A girl was knocked out (it seemed), and someone was holding her neck, as if trying to help her support it (ouch!), and a guy had blood splattered all over his white shirt, and a towel pressed on his head.
Wowza, right?
Crazy night.

Now, to go over what else has been on my mind as of late.
1. Old people are cute. Their little flannal shirts, and old people shoes. I just think they're cute:)
2. Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely gorgeous. I love him. Swoon.
3. It's probably silly how much I love some fictional characters (i.e. Weasley twins, Ron & Hermione, etc.) But, oh well.
4. What's up with everyone wearing hats/caps lately? And, why do you guys insist on leaving that stupid sticker on the bill? I don't understand it. I just want to go and rip that little round sticker off.

That's kind of mostly it.
I'm sure there's lots more on my mind, but my body is yearning for respite.
I'd usually post pictures/links to certain things that I mention on here, but I don't feel like going and finding pictures/links. I'm tired. I'm going to bed. If y'all want to know about anything I talked about, google it.
Really, I google everything.
It's a life saver! :)

Goodnight!

- Sara

Lyric: "Tired of this repetition (tired of this repetition), over and over, and not getting closer to where I want to go."

Photogrpahy

I need a mentor.
I need to go to a workshop.
I need to learn all the little technicalities of photography.
It's killing me!
And, kinda holding me back.
Well, I'm holding myself back due to my lack of knowledge with DSLR cameras.
I want to find better locations for sessions around town,
(as of right now, I can only think of 2 I'd use, off the top of my head.)
I want to find a field. Tall grass. Short grass. Fence. No fence.
Anything.
I just want to find a field, that I can have access to for photography, that isn't far away!
I'm freaking out.
Sunday's are my "I wish I had more time for/knowledge of photography" days.
Sunday's are my days to go look over all my favorite photographer's photoblogs, and wish I had the time/experience that they had.
I probably have the ability to.
I've been told I have a natural talent for photography.
I got my first camera when I was a little kid, and haven't ever gone without a camera since.
Very first camera ever:
I do believe I have a little talent for it, it's just hard for me to get out there and do it, when I have so many other things going on, and so many other priorities.
Anyway, I just want to go to a workshop, pronto.
I want to learn all about DSLR cameras, and how to shoot in manual, and how to shoot in different lighting conditions.
Hagrumph.
Oh well. I'm off. Goodnight!

- Sara

PS: Poll! Should I buy a Nikon D90, or a Nikon D300 - I have the money for both, so $$ is not an issue. But, D300's look more intense. For people who fully understand DSLR cameras. Should I hold off on buying a new camera body until I fully understand them? Or, go ahead and buy a D90? Please give your advice! I need to take a step in a new direction with photography!

Quote:

· "Your fear of regret should always be more important than your fear of failure."

- Laura Novak, Photographer, davina.squarespace.com

I'm terrible with thinking up Subject Titles...

So, today has been a long day.
We (my family and I) woke up, and went to clean the church building at 8am. It was supposed to be my family, as well as 3-4 other families, but, only one other woman showed up. But, that's okay, cause my family is an army enough as it is, so we had plenty of people.

After that I came home, and write a short little extra credit thing for History class (and, I sure do need it! History is not my best subject. At all.) Then, dad came home with...
Brunswick stew!
No big deal, it's only my favorite stew in the world! :)
He brought the stew, as well as a bunch of other Sunny's delectables.
(Mac & cheese, ribs, baked beans, garlic bread... the works.)
Needless to say, I was well fed.

Then, I went to work. Blah.
Long day. But, on the bright side, the safe was only -$5.01, and I was out of there in good time! So, I'm pleased:)
Then, when I walk outside there's a tremendous amount of police cars next door in the Rooms To Go parking lot - they're having one of those "let me pull over every 3rd-4th car, to make sure you're not jacked up" things.
So, of course,
I get pulled over.
I always get pulled over in those things!
Every. Single. Time.
I mean, it's not that big of a deal, they check my info, and let me go.
But still.

Now, to go over a couple things that have been on my mind lately:

- Bob Harper :
I absolutely adore this man. I have no idea why, but I do. He's a trainer on the show The Biggest Loser, and I just think he's the coolest person. His style, his personality, and that fact that he keeps himself in shape... I just love it:) He makes me want to go work out, and just be an overall... "with it" person. I dunno how to explain it. Hahaha. And then, there's the fact that he's a completely smokin' 40-something year old.

- No-bake cookies & eggnog : Just the idea of them, together, sounds wonderful. I haven't had them together yet (this year), but if/when I do, it will be a sugar overload, and someone will probably die due to excessive sugar. But, it will be well worth it! Hahah. Bring on the holidays! :)

- Working out : I really, really miss working out. Not just going to the gym and pumping iron/doing cardio, but I miss classes. Pilates, and kickboxing, and zumba. Makes me want to switch back over to the Y. But, in general, I miss working out. I really want to go. Soon. I just lack one thing: time. But, I'll get it! One way or another! Ha.

- Vintage : I love little vintage things. I've always loved them, but I'm noticing them everywhere now. It just kinda makes me happy:)

- Creative/crafty/productive : I sorta mentioned this on my facebook, that I want to become more creative/crafty/productive. I've had the urge a lot lately, to be super home-maker, but this just put me over the edge.

http://lookieloophotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/birdie-bliss-bedroom.html

One of my favorite photographers is a sewing machine! And super-duper crafty. And, she made the majority of the stuff in her little girls room. I adore it:) I used to hate the idea of crafty stuff when I was a kid - my mom used to want me to sew, and cook (which I actually liked), and crochet, and a whole bunch of other stuff... but I never wanted to learn them. But, now all of a sudden I do! :) Ha.

- Thanksgiving/Christmas : I'm just SUPER excited for the Holidays.
That's all:)

And, I do believe that's all I had on my mind for tonight. Off to read a Marcia book:)
Goodnight!

- Sara

Quote:
"We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise me and women obey. Promptings of the Spirit are not to be postponed."
- President Thomas S. Monson

Julian Smith

Funniest kid in the world.
I died laughing both of these. He has such great videos.
And, I love that he's not just a kid with a camera.
He writes scripts.
He uses soft boxes, and microphones...
the whole shabang.
He knows what he's doing with that camera. I love it.






Did you cry?
I did.
I laughed so hard, I could barely breathe.

I hope you had a similar reaction.

Off to La Nopalera with the family! Then work. Ew.
Good day!

- Sara

Quote: "This life may be a little difficult at times, but it is certainly not inherently complicated. Life only becomes complicated through our own decision-making. If you look objectively at most of the complications of your life, more than likely you will discover that you are the root cause of those complications. The complications probably came from a decision or series of decisions you made at one point. The more we can simplify our lives and learn to make better decisions, the more emotional and intellectual room we will have to work with on other more meaningful things."
- Willard Stawski, That Ye May Prosper

Life

(I'll come up with a more interesting name for my blog later.)

Hi, hello.
If you're reading this, you might have seen my little poll asking whether I should have a hand-written journal or an online/typed up journal.
Well, I tried the whole hand-written journal thing.
Didn't work out too well.
My hand cramped up too much. I felt like I was limiting my words due to the hand cramps, which led to me writing random, pointless stuff because of me limiting my words.
Like I said, didn't work out.
So, I'm trying out this blogging thing.
I used to blog. Whenever I was 15, and went out with my friends to the mall.
Super great entries. Haha.
But, instead of using this as a "how my day was today" I'll probably vent, and rant, and gush, with a little bit of how my day went.
Sound good?
Great, I think so too:)

So, what's been on my mind lately? Everything you can possibly think of!

- School : blah, I hate it. Scratch that, I hate math. Immensely. I cannot wait to be done with this semester, and never, ever, ever take another math class again. Actually, that all depends on my major. Which, I have NO idea what that is going to be! Yet another thing on my mind... that I eventually have to figure out.

- Work : should I stay or should I go? I've had thoughts of quitting Winn Dixie for probably a good year now. It's not that I don't like it there. I enjoy it. I love the people I work with. I love the regular customers, who aren't suuuuuper creepy. I just feel like it's a gigantic waste of time. I could be doing so much more productive stuff with my time, instead of standing around, waiting for some angry customer to come and demand a refund on something they never even paid for. Or, selling lotto, cigarettes and booze to disgusting people. And, I'm not talking about their attire, or their hygiene, I'm talking about the attitude they have towards people. The language they use. The inappropriate stuff that I hear and see come from these people, over and over again. It just saddens/disgusts me.

- Nannying (which apparently, isn't even a word?) : I love it. Amanda Orrock, thank you for asking me to be your nanny! McKay is the best little baby in the world, and not to mention the cutest! I just adore him, and the time I get to spend with him. Makes me want to be a mom, and have my own little adorable family. Oy vey!

- Boy : Oh, jeez. This is a subject I shouldn't even touch, cause I might just go on and on.
Dear boy, I adore you. I don't know why, cause we're terribly different in so, so many ways. But, at the same time have some similarities. But, I guess that was bound to happen, huh? Having similarities as well as differences? Ha. Anyway, we rarely talk. And, when we do talk, you do all the talking. I just sit and listen. When I do open my mouth, I try not to stumble over my words, while trying to say something that might interest you. Do you know how confusing you are Mr. Boy? I can't read you! At all. One minute, I think, "Why do I even bother? You have no idea I exist." then the next minute, you do/say little things that make me get my hopes up. Hagrumph.

- Life! : So, my life in general has been rather hectic lately. Not so much literally. Okay, somewhat literally, but mostly just me freaking out in my mind, thinking about anything/everything. I feel like now is a time where I could/should take a new direction with my life. Which mostly entails, getting a new job. But, with my available hours, and the random time I request off for church/family things... I don't think anyone would hire me. Plus the economy, that might add to the "not hire me" thing, too. And, I need a steady income! :( Also, there's my thoughts about photography. Should I keep it as a hobby? Start a little business? (I already have an unofficial side business, but should I make it bigger?) Should I spend money on new camera bodies/lenses (photography is a pricey business, I might add.) What should I do?! I have no idea. But, I've been praying and trying to read my scriptures as much as I can, hoping to get a bit of guidance. Then, there's always the General Conference Ensign that just came out! Ah, those are my favorite. I love to read the GC Ensign. So much. It always uplifts me, and helps me in so many ways.

But, I guess this is enough venting for one night. No school in the morning! Oh, sweet goodness! Happy Veterans Day! Also, Happy Birthday to my brother, Jacob! :) Goodnight.

- Sara

PS: I'll probably post a lyric/poem/quote at the a the end of each post. Just a heads up.

Lyric: "What a find, if I could I'd hit rewind, and replay all the moments that I wished I could've called you mine."
....
"A night away and we've got a few to go. And I've mastered the art of missing and my smile lacks a glow."

(Same song, different parts. Love it.)