updates

-It took me about two hours to shovel all the snow on our driveway... it just kept snowing and snowing
-My psychology teacher doesn't even know the answers to questions on the test that he wrote
-Lyla is a mooch, whenever we eat dinner at the table, she has to sit on one of our laps... she thinks she'll be able to sneak a bite
-Still haven't had a diet coke, though somedays I feel like I'm gonna break down and get one... but I'm going strong
-I'm on the fourth book in the Children of the Promise series... love it!
-I wish I wouldn't have quit piano lessons so soon
-We finally got our guest bedroom/office lookin amazing... I'll have to take pics and post it
-I like to go to the gym everyday (except Sunday of course)... I just do... it makes me happy!
-Wii fit is a lot of fun, I am kind of addicted to it
-Dixon brought me home tulips today... it was our eight month mark yesterday... he's the best!
-I'm ready for the summer, I'm so sick of the cold
-I really want to find a cute swimsuit
-It's been a long week... I'm so ready for the weekend!!

So grateful

It's been an emotional week. My second mom when I was growing up, Pam, passed away over the weekend at the age of 38 after a long battle with cervical cancer. She still has two kids in elementary school, and one in Jr. High, one in highschool. My heart just hurts for those kids!
Pam and my mom were always good friends, and when we lived in California...away from family... she was always over, and we would always go over to her house and she would babysit us and take us fun places. We went to her house when there was a big flood and we couldn't get home... i got really bad hives because I was so scared. Her parents were my grandparents: they had a pool in their backyard and we would always go over there and swim. And I would play grocery store in their pantry. When we moved to Layton, UT, she moved to Layton too. As I got older I would babysit her kids. She let us stay at her house when Kenadee was being born, and she was the one that woke me up the next morning to tell me I had a new sister named Kenadee (and I thought that was the uggliest name, I thought Pam was making it up. I love the name now though). One day she went and got a lot of canvas and had all of us kids paint our favorite flowers on it and then she hung it up in her kitchen. She always loved animals, and I always thought it was so funny that she had a dog named Kylee. I remember that she would always make Mac n Cheese with hotdogs (which I never did get used to). She's really did help raise me.. a lot of my childhood memories involve Pam.

Especially at this time, I'm so grateful for the knowledge that we can see our loved ones again. With the passing of Dixon's Gram, and Pam this week, it's caused me to really reflect. I just feel so blessed that Heavenly Father has blessed me with people in my life, I learn from them constantly, simply by their examples... they lift and inspire me and help me to be a better person. I truly do feel so blessed to have gotten to know these two wonderful people. They have both inspired me, have been examples to me, have helped me to be a better person, and have taught me how to have fun! I am so excited to get to see them again, and to smile and laugh with them again.

I have been blessed

An excerpt from my journal 12/08:

"Gram is such an amazing woman. I feel so extrememly blessed to have gotten to know her a little bit. I treasure the conversations we had at the beach, and I will never forget her phonecall when Dixon and I were engaged and she was just calling to check on me. She has been so accepting of me since day one! I admire her zest for life, I loved her colored fingernails at the beach and going to the movie with her and Ky. She is so classy, she always looks so beautiful even when she's not feeling well. I know I haven't even gotten to know her as well as I would like to, but she truly has touched me. I love how she enjoys serving others the way that she does. Already, I have learned so much from her, i feel so blessed to know her."

problem

So i have this problem....

I don't take pictures. ever.

It's not like I don't have a camera, we have two. It's not that they are hard to use, for once in my life I actually do know how to use the technology. It's not like I don't have opportunities to take pictures, I have so many moments that would make good pictures. I think what it narrows down to is... I don't really like pictures of myself. I keep having these conversations with myself (yep, more talking to myself) and telling myself that I will regret it, and I do, I regret it a lot. So perhaps I have another New Years resolution: to take more pictures! You all will know if I am fulfilling the resolution, because most likely the pictures will end up on the blog. I think I should probably start carrying my camera with me... I have a feeling that might help!:)

New Years Resolution

Dear Diet Coke,
Thank you for saving me on days that I thought I would go insane or pull my hair out or curse my english professor, for refreshing my mouth without any calories, for sharing your addicting taste with me. I have loved having you as my friend...you've always been there when I needed you if I just pay a dollar. I am sad to say that our friendship has to come to an end. It's not that I don't love your caffeine and carbonation and yumminess, but I have come to the realization that I need to become better friends with water or Crystal Light or both. Granted, they will never be as good as you, but I have to make friends with them... I just have to! I'm really going to miss you, especially on those really stressful days where all I can think about is you and crushed ice from the nearest Maverick. I probably won't be seeing you for a while...not until 2010 at least...but I'm sure I will be thinking about you often. Goodbye my friend, I already miss you!

Sincerely Yours,

Shaylee

SLIP!

It happened on Monday. It was snowing like crazy and it was FREEZING cold, so naturally the sidewalks and roads were very slippery. Fortunately, I observed this as I was walking all around campus (and when I say all around campus, I mean all around campus...I'm going to be in good shape at the end of this semester) and told myself many times "be careful, walk slow, it's ok if your late to your class, be careful, walk slow." I admit it, I talk to myself, I kind of have to...it keeps me in check. I had done well all day and was pretty proud of myself, I was even thinking of rewarding myself with something yummy like hot chocolate... but alas, I spoke to soon! I was walking to my car after a long day of five classes, and I was freezing, and all I wanted to do was get into my car so I could maybe defrost my body. My car was within probably fifty feet, I was counting myself pretty lucky to have avoided all the slipping opportunities, and then before I knew it, my whole body was in the air horizontally and I landed flat on my back and my head hit the ice hard.... All I wanted to do was lay there and cry, but once again, I started talking to myself: "you're ok, get up before a car hits you, you're ok, get up before a car hits you." And so I did, I have battle wounds (bruises) on my arms, legs, butt, and I think I may have done something to my brain... I just haven't been feeling as smart as usual;)

Usually every year I have one big slip... but only one. So I'm hoping I got it out of my system, because that was a huge slip and I don't really want to do it again this year! Be careful out there...its icy!

Lyla

This is how we found Lyla the other night.  Notice her head is laying on the little pillow that's just her size right in front of the heater...she gets that habit from me... cute stuff!