This is the place

Pioneer day. Days of '47 parade, dressing up as pioneers as a kid (some of my family still does that), having a BBQ with the Orton's, wandering Liberty park with Jeff while eating Navajo fry-bread and taking pictures of the crazies, and they enjoying the spectacular fireworks.

Stuck to the plan for the most part (minus the dressing up as a pioneer), but it was different because Jeff is on a mission so I had to do the sociological observations myself this year. People may think Utah isn't all that diverse, and maybe some of it isn't, but Liberty Park on the 24th is about as diverse as they come.

quote

This is an interesting quote that I really like my sister introduced to me by C.S. lewis...

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses. To remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe, and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another. All friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, are, civilizations - these are mortal. They are to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit. Next to the blessed sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."

Yay List

Saw this on heidi's blog and since today is kind of blah and I need a pick me up here does : the Yay! list...

Things I think are "yay-able":

going to see Batman tonight
getting some "wow" cards at work
falling asleep
friends who go the extra mile
not being left out
cracker jacks
new scrapbook supplies
having the weekend off to use the scrapbook supplies

music of the night.

Since I went to the American Idols Live tour concert tonight (I know some of you are laughing at me...megs... :) and I didn't go by myself, fyi)...anyway, I saw that brynn did this and thought a blog about music, one of my major loves, would be appropriate...

name the 7 songs that are shaping your summer and explain why.

1. Handlebars by flobot. This was the song that started my summer off when I heard it on X96 one afternoon in late April. It is a strange song that I love a lot. Some of my favorite lyrics are, "Look at me -Look at me -Just called to say that it's good to be -ALIVE- In such a small world -All curled up with a book to read...Look at me -Look at me -Driving and I won't stop -And it feels so good to be Alive -and on top- My reach is global -My tower secure -My cause is noble- My power is pure -I can hand out a million vaccinations -Or let'em all die in exasperation -Have'em all healed of their lacerations -Have'em all killed by assassination -I can make anybody go to prison -Just because I don't like'em..."

2. Viva la Vida by Coldplay. I like the revolutionary passions protrayed by this song so I listen to it a lot.

3. Love me Dead by Ludo. this song represents how addictive love can destroy your soul. am I addictively in love with someone? No. So why this song? It just makes sense. check it out: http://www.myspace.com/ludorock

4. 9 crimes. by Damien Rice. Another song I really like for no reason.

5. Wonderboy by Tenacious D. who doesn't want a wonderboy to take them away from the mucky-muck and from young nastyman. hello!

6. 2 am-Breathe by Anna Nalick. This was technically last summers song, actually the past year's song, but I still have to include it because it gets me through some hard times. My favorite lyrics "2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song-If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer inside of me,Threatening the life it belongs to-And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd-Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud-And I know that you'll use them, however you want to."

7. Maryjane by Alanis Morrisette. This is an old song that has recently resurfaced in my life. No I am not smoking "maryjane" nor do I believe the song is about that, at least that's not what it represents to me. "What's the matter Mary Jane, you had a hard day-As you place the don't disturb sign on the door...It's a long way down, On this roller coaster-The last chance streetcar, Went off the track-And you're on it. I hear you're counting sheep again Mary Jane-What's the point of trying to dream anymore...Well it's full speed baby-In the wrong direction...You're the sweet crusader-And you're on your way. You're the last great innocent-And that's why I love you. So take this moment Mary Jane and be selfish-Worry not about the cars that go by-All that matters Mary Jane is your freedom."

girls camp...

As we get closer and closer to girls camp the more I am becoming worried about it...just looking over the list of things to bring, and wondering how on earth we are going to get it up to camp...

But this is what I have done... menus, chore lists, crafts up the whazoo!, and devotionals.

Now I just need handouts, tent assignments, life jackets, and a prayer that the girls will behave.

15 more days...

trauma divert...

I am a trauma junkie, but everyonce in awhile I have to go on trauma divert. In the 4 hours I've been at work today we have had 7 code: trauma 2's called. While we like code: trauma 2's better than code: trauma 1's (1's aren't even breathing) it causes me to wonder what on earth people are doing out there. The closest trauma 1 hospital to us is on trauma divert so we are getting hit hard on top of the normal patient flow.

After hearing that I decided to go on trauma divert myself. This has been a strange past couple weeks. A man I worked with at EFY drowned in Utah Lake. One of our ED nurses died after being in critical condition d/t a medical helicopter crash. A family in town lost 2 kids and a father in a roll-over. It's just a little crazy.

In Craig's obituary there was a list of his personal goals and I want to share them:

1. People are always more important.
2. Do what you need to do when you need to do it whether you want to or not.
3. I am not a victim, ever.
4. Purity is power.
5. Leave it better than when you found it.
6. Life is a joy, a journey in becoming like my Heavenly Father.
7. Live with purpose.

Craig's Obit: http://www.legacy.com/DeseretNews/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=113064347

James Taylor's Obit: http://www.legacy.com/DeseretNews/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=113009179

A view from above

Being on the top floor and spending half my sift enjoying the beautiful view I decided to take some pics. My favorite view is of Murray Park. One of my favorite things to do (surprise surprise) is sit and watch the life-flight land, and ambulances roll in. The day that 3 helicopters landed at once and there were already 4 out of 7 ambulances there was a problem...stop driving drunk people- for the love!

You can almost see my house...not really but this pic is the west side, and thus in the general direction.

Independence Day

My most favorite holiday in the world is the 4th of July. I love the flags, the food, the swelling with pride. I love that Americans celebrate their Independence by parading themselves around, eating meat, and blowing things up.

My traditional celebrations growing up started with a rocking $5 bag of fireworks being bought at Jobbers Odd-Lot the day before. Seriously the best fireworks ever...tanks, pagodas, worms, parachute men, etc. Then on the 4th of july we would wake up and scramble to the Murray parade on main street, Always stopping at Smith's on the way to pick up donuts (my favorite being the bars with chocolate frosting and patriotic sprinkles, followed by a similar cream-filled one) and chocolate milk. Once we settled in our spot across from the high school we would enjoy the parade. My favorites have changed from the clowns, to the Cottonwood Hospital ER float (I always planned on riding that float someday as a nurse), to the police motorcade, and the tacky Murray Fireman mascot guy. After the parade we would hang out and do "day" fireworks like the scaps and worms, go to the park, or go hiking until we had a bbq. Then we would go down to the Card's and have fun playing with sparklers, and blasting off all of our crazy fireworks, while eating delicious treats.



I am a traditionalist and wish every 4th could be like this typical one, but the ones that haven't have been good too. I spent one in the airport in Amsterdam waiting for a flight to Kenya. Seth was eating his super-american PB&J with an American flag stuck in it, and we all sang the National Anthem and practiced our sign language. Some were at EFY, the most memorable being in Georgia as we made 500 kids stand in formation of a "4" and lite all of their sparklers creating way too much smoke. Actually kind of looks like a cross burning. oops. Later that night we lite off a whole bunch of whistling petes at once, and laughed as the guys took turns leaping over the fireworks. Once we went up to have puppy play in Morgan at my Aunt Sandy's house. We saw my uncle sing, probably played settlers of Catan, Apples to Apples, and Mexican Train all of which Michael probably won.

This year was different too. My family wanted to camping and I was on call for work. I went to the parade with Loretta and Ben, saw the Lever's, and found a new parade favorite...the giant walking frosty. lol. Then I went up to Logan to play with some of my friends. We bought a random assortment of fireworks )the cactus and t-rex being my new fav, besides sparklers of course) we spelled out USA with sparklers, ate pizza, drank rootbeer, and went to see Hancock. It was different, but still fun. We continued our celebrations the next day in Bear Lake and at the Cache-Valley cruise in.

Anyway it is celebrated, I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate at all. We are free, we are independent. As President Benson once said, "Patriotism is more than flag-waving and fireworks... Patriotism is trying always to give more to the Nation than we receive. It is selfless service."

insomniac

Benjamin Franklin once said something like, "either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing about." I tend to do something worth scrapbooking my self, but since I'm on this self discovery kick I am attempting to write in hopes that it will not only become something worth reading, but will help me gain a better understanding of why I am the way I am.

For example I once came to the realization that I am a little OCD about everyone getting a fair share when it comes to food. I actually came to this realization 10 or so years ago, but it wasn't until recently that I knew why...when I was a kid we had a tape with various Mickey Mouse cartoons on it. One of these cartoons involved Mickey, Goofy, and Donald taking a trip with a trailer attatched to a truck. Goofy was driving and Mickey was preparing the food. When he called for everyone to come eat, Goofy left his driving post and went to eat. The problem was everytime he went to take a bite they would hit a bump, a drawer would open, etc...and he never got any food. As a kid I thought my dad probably felt that way when he got home from work because there was no afternoon snack saved for him. This made me sad and thus I made it a quest to make sure everyone got some. I know random right?

Anyway some things that I have thought in the middle of the night during a recent insomnia streak...
1. "it's a silent cry for help, but it's only silent because no one bothers to listen."
2. I wish some guys would get over themselves. Meaning, it is ok for us to hang out as friends. I am not obsessively in love with you. I will not think that because you actually took the time to be the friend you said you were that you are suddenly in love with me. Get over yourself and stop being conceited.
3. As a country we need a change. That change is not going to come by the political process, it is going to come when people become humanitarians, not just humans. that natural man thing will kill ya everytime.
4. Hi, my name is Jill and I'm an addict. Today I feel dissapointed with myself because of my dissapointment with others.
5. I know thousands of people and believe that every single one has made a difference in my life. I hope I have been able to make a difference in at least one of theirs.
6. I like to sleep with my kitten and puppy because they will actually sleep together, and they like to cuddle.
7. there isn't a rewind button boy, so I better just breathe.