8 Things Tag

My extraordinarily impressive first best friend ever, Betsy Simmons, tagged me. So here we go…

8 favorite TV Shows (in no particular order)
1. American Idol
2. King of Queens
3. The Simpsons
4. M*A*S*H
5. Law & Order
6. Don’t Forget the Lyrics
7. So You Think You Can Dance
8. Seinfeld

8 things I did yesterday
1. Opened Christmas presents early with my family
2. Visited with my Grandma Simpson
3. Ate the tasty “Christmas” dinner my stepmom made.
4. Wore my new BYU hat Sheila gave me.
5. Tried to figure out how to send text messages on my new cell phone
6. Played my new Wii quite a bit.
7. Browsed through my 2009 Utah Jazz calendar
8. Realized my family & Santa must like me a little.

8 favorite restaurants (in no particular order)
1. Olive Garden
2. IHOP
3. Pizza Hut
4. Fanatics
5. A&W Restaurant
6. Garcia’s
7. Chuck-a-Rama
8. Chili’s

8 things on my wish list
1. I’d like to be able to give Betsy the $1 million she wants soon.
2. To see friends again
3. Move to New Mexico
4. Go to the NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, AZ
5. Travel to another continent besides South or North America.
6. Make more of a positive impact/difference in the world.
7. Complete my Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
8. Live life to the fullest.

Best Friend Survey

Name one of your best friends:
Teddy

List one thing you appreciate about your friend:
More than anything I appreciate Teddy’s attitude that she can’t be everyone's friend without me in her life.

One quality you most admire about your friend that stands out above the rest:
Selflessness

When you see your friend, what is the first thing you notice:
Her amazing smile

Name one thing you really enjoy doing with your friend:
Basically everything, but having a simple conversation with her is the most fun.

Describe one of your friend's good habits:
She’s very outgoing.

Name one of their unique talents or gifts:
Talent: Singing
Gift: Her ability to deflect the spotlight/focus onto other people & build them up.

How well does your friend interact with you socially? Very well. Teddy’s always gone out of her way to make me feel needed, included & appreciated in her life.

How has your friend helped you in your life? Teddy’s helped me in so many ways. Following her example has pushed me to become a much better person. I took voice/singing lessons growing up & have done several things I would have been scared to try without her influence in my life.

One wish for your friend:
I hope Teddy will be as happy as her friendship continues to make me for the rest of her life.

If you had one thing to say to them, what would it be?
I’d thank her for all of the support & encouragement her friendship's provided me. ;)

Happy Birthday

Today was my dad's birthday. So I just wanted to express my appreciation for all the effort my dad's put into making my life easier over the years. I'm very fortunate to have parents that have supported me, protected my interests,and helped me become who I am. Thankful my dad's worked hard to give me everything I needed and more than a few things that I've wanted growing up. I'm grateful to have a family that cares about me & that has always been willing to be there for me. I hope that he had a great day.

2008 Survey

JANUARY
1 Who kissed you on new years?
No one

2. Did you have a New Year's Resolution this year?
Yes, to be more healthy.

3 Does it snow where you live?
Yes

4 Do you like hot chocolate?
Yes, with marshmellows

5 Have you ever been to Times Square to watch the ball drop?
I haven’t. That might be fun though.

FEBRUARY
1 Who was your Valentine?
I didn’t have one

2 When you were little did you buy Valentines for the whole class?
I think so.

3 Do you care if the groundhog sees its shadow or not?
No, it’s going to snow in Wyoming regardless.

4 What did you receive for Valentine's day?
Nothing officially, but I did have some candy

MARCH
1. Are you Irish?
No

2. Do you like corn beef and cabbage?
Not really

3. What did you do for St Patrick's Day?
Watched basketball

4. What did you love about this month?
See #3

APRIL
1 Do you like the rain?
Sometimes

2 Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone this year?
I didn’t

3 Do you get tons of candy for Easter?
Usually

4 Do you love the month of April?
My birthday’s in April so it’s a pretty good month usually.

MAY
1 Finish the phrase "April showers…
Bring May's flowers

2 Is May anything special to you?
Not really other than Mother's Day

JUNE
1 What year did/will you graduate from high school?
'99

2 Did you do anything fun during this Month?
June was a very dull month

3 Have a favorite baseball team?
Boston Red Sox

JULY
1 What did you do on the 4th of July?
Watched my sister & brother-in-law blast off fireworks.

2 Did you go to the fireworks?
No.

3 Did you blast the A/C all day?
I didn’t

AUGUST
1 What was your favorite summer memory of '08?
Lincoln Co. Fair with Aubri & Teddy.

2 Did you have a sunburn?
Not this year

3. Did you go to the pool a lot?
No

SEPTEMBER
1 Are you attending college/school?
Yes

2 Do you like fall better than summer?
Usually.

3 What happened this month?
College homework mostly

OCTOBER

1 What is your favorite candy?
Candy corn

2 What was your favorite thing about this month?
My sister’s birthday

NOVEMBER
1 Whose house do you go to for Thanksgiving?
Uncle Evan’s this year

2 What are you thankful for?
I’m thankful to have so many wonderful friends.

3 Do you love stuffing?
Yes

DECEMBER
1 Do you celebrate Christmas?
Of course

2 Have you ever been kissed under mistletoe?
Never have.

3 Get anything special last year?
Katie Williams & Todd Kennington coming to visit me made it special.

4 What do you want this year?
To see friends & family again.

5 What do you love?
Having a better life than I thought was possible.

Things I've Done

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

The ABCs of Me

A is for age:
27.5

B is for burger of choice:
Cheeseburger

C is for what kind of car you drive:
Chevy Lumina

D is for your dog's name:
I don’t have a dog

E is for essential item you use every day:
IPOD

F is for favorite TV show at the moment:
M*A*S*H

G is for favorite game:
Yahtzee or Clue

H is for Hometown:
Wyoming

I is for instruments you play:
The piano when I was younger

J is for favorite juice:
Orange Juice

K is for whose butt you'd like to kick:
My own some days ;)

L is for last restaurant you ate at?
Fanatics in Idaho Falls

M is for your favorite Muppet:
Fozzy

N is for Number of Piercing:
Less than 0

O is for overnight hospital stays:
Several

P is for people you were with today:
Family

Q is for what you do with your quiet time:
Listen to music or watch sports

R is for biggest regret:
The “risks” I didn’t take in life so far

S is for status:
Single

T is for time you woke up today:
9AM

U is for what you consider unique:
My friends

V is for vegetable you love:
Corn

W is for worst habit:
Worrying about things too much sometimes

X is for x-rays you've had:
Too many to list

Y is for yummy food you ate today:
Omelet

Z is for zodiac sign:
Aries

Photo Tag

Lacey Wheeler was kind enough to tag me. So here we go...



Aubri, her husband Jason, daughter BriAnna & I looking at the Lincoln County Fair booth exhibits in August. It meant a lot to me that Aubri took the time to see me before going to the Philippines. We didn't really "hang out" much in high school so it was fun to get to know her better. I appreciate Betsy trying hard to be there as well even though it didn't work out. My original intent was to watch Teddy sing, which would have been too much fun by itself, but I'm thankful she didn't mind me trying to recruit a few of my friends to help me heckle her.

5 Favorite Family Memories

Camille tagged me. Hopefully the first of many more tags by my cousins. :)

1. Watching a Christmas movie in Idaho Falls, as a family tradition, every year growing up.

2. Cousins party at Uncle Evan & Aunt Bev's house.

3. Playing bingo at the Simpson Reunion.

4. Going on a family cruise to Belize & Cozumel.

5. Simpson Reunion Horse Shoe Tournament.

Friendliness Quiz

Your Friendliness Score is 90 (Very Friendly)

You are an amazing friend. You can talk to people easily, and you often turn strangers into friends. You are also a good listener. You are there for your friends when they need to vent, without judgment. Overall, you have a genuine interest in people and their lives. And your friends can tell. Taking time for your friends is very important to you. And because of this, you have lots of deep and meaningful friendships.

The Simpsons

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

Friendship...Makin' Halloween Great?

Today I had a chance to go to lunch with Tara Barber at Pizza Hut in Afton. She's been a very good friend to me & always takes an active interest in whatever is going on in my life. I enjoyed being able to be around her bubbly personality once again.
She's had a busy day & I appreciate her taking some time out of it to have lunch with me.


I've learned a lot about resiliency from watching Tara. She's a wonderful person & uplifts others despite whatever she's personally going through. It bothers me to see her struggle, but she always seems to find a way to bounce back from adversity which I have a great deal of respect for. I'm grateful to her for all the times that she's helped me & that she continues to look for ways to include me in her life.

Jamie & Tara really have made the last two weeks enjoyable for me. They've certainly provided me with a lot of hope & joy that I wouldn't have had otherwise when I've needed it. Both of them may have "tricked" me into being their friend, through their kindness to me, but it really has been a treat for me that they'd consider me as their friend.

Idaho Falls in the Fall?

Last Friday, I decided to travel to Idaho Falls since I needed to get a haircut somewhere. Jamie & I had been talking about meeting for lunch down there whenever I became healthy enough to travel again. So I’ve been anxious to see Jamie in person for quite awhile now. I really don’t need much of an excuse to be around Jamie, because I never can get enough of being able to spend time with her.



That morning I looked at one of Jamie’s blog posts for suggestions of what restaurants she liked & decided to meet her at Olive Garden. I’d never taken the opportunity to go to Olive Garden so I thought I’d enjoy it as well. I went to Olive Garden about 10 minutes early and watched as various people walked in the restaurant. Jamie arrived & I noticed that she always has some very unique qualities that instantly allow her to stand out in any crowd. It reminded me of the first time I saw her in Jr. High & how eager I was to be with such a high quality person as she certainly is.


Jamie wanted me to try some of her meal and I gained a better understanding of why she hasn’t ordered anything different for a long time. It was quite tasty. She was very amused that I’d never been to an Olive Garden before commented that it must be a momentous occasion for me. Obviously what was actually making it a momentous occasion was having the opportunity to spend time with her again.


I really enjoyed talking with Jamie and discovering that we have even more in common than I would have thought. I didn’t realize some of the challenges she’s had to overcome in her life which made me admire her even more as a friend. I always try to be more kind to Jamie than she is to me. She makes doing that an impossibility because Jamie’s such a caring, considerate, and extraordinary person. I appreciate the example that she's always been to me and that we were able to spend time together again.

7 Random Things

Tara Ann tagged me so here we go...

1. I've always wanted a John Stockton basketball card, but never could find one. Santa wouldn't give it to me either, for some odd reason ;), despite multiple requests. Two years ago I started playing fantasy sports games with a few random people that I’m good friends with now. One of them, a kid from Chicago, mailed me a John Stockton & Karl Malone card for my 26th birthday along with some sweatbands from the movie “The Comebacks” he thought I’d enjoy.

2. I owned a turtle, in my teenage years, so I could complete the Reptile merit badge for Scouting. I remember being excited to go down to Idaho Falls & purchase a turtle of my choice. Then I had a lot of fun watching him swim around each day in his medium sized aquarium. Unfortunately, about a year later, he became sick & died. Or maybe he was just playing dead. ;)

3. I’m majoring in Criminal Justice. I really enjoy how the subject ties in with Psychology, and Sociology. I remember taking Mr. Linford’s Sociology class in high school & wanting to learn more about why people think, or interact with other people, in the various ways that they do.

4. I am usually too nice. I’m very loyal to the people who’ve been kind to me over the years especially. I still have a tendency to get too caught up in making sure my friends have the best life possible like they’ve helped me come closer to.

5. My favorite “job” growing up was being the scorekeeper for the Afton City League Softball Tournaments each summer. My dad was one of the umpires & I was able to spend some quality time with him doing that. I always enjoyed trying to figure out who would advance in the brackets before the games were played. So it was a lot of fun to be getting paid for something I would have done for free.

6. "Michael Bolton's Greatest Hits" was the first CD I ever purchased. :) Growing up I always had fun trying to sing as "screechy" as he does. Actually it's not quite as easy to sing that way as I originally thought it would be.

7. I'm 27 years old & have no idea how that happened so quickly.

You’ve been tagged, if you want to do this, but there’s certainly no pressure.