Elizabeth Michelle

August 27, 1996:

My adorable little sister, Elizabeth Michelle Anderson, was born. 

I thought I looked really awesome in that outfit.

I was not terribly fond of her at first. She came along right on the heels of my brother getting better from his brain tumor, so in my eyes the attention went directly from Zack to Liz. Middle child syndrome to the max. I was not pleased. However, as the years went by, she really started to grow on me. She was a pleasant, mild-mannered baby and toddler and always wanted to play the same things I wanted to.

 

When I reached my awkward preteen years and started watching awkward preteen shows, I saw so many sets of sisters on TV that were best friends. All I wanted was for me and my sister to be best friends as well.When she reached her awkward preteen years I think she secretly wanted the same. She told people her favorite movie was Mean Girls because that was my favorite movie.

 We've done a pretty good job of becoming best friends. I love her more than any other person on the planet. As she's reached her teenage years and her sense of humor has started developing, I've realized that she is practically the same person as me. Which means she's SUPER FUN TO HANG OUT WITH. I can't get enough of this girl. I can't imagine my life without her. She means the world to me. I am so honored and lucky to have her as my sister.

I love you, Lrzbrth.

Love, Krtr

:)

Ramble Ramble Ramble

Sometimes you watch a really thought-provoking movie like Perks of Being a Wallflower at 10 in the morning. And then you have a different outlook on the rest of your day. And sometimes on days like those you listen to an album that you've listened to a hundred times before, and today it strikes you differently. 

I'm constantly amazed at how that can happen. I have three songs in mind, all of them by the Format. The first is Tie the Rope, the second Give It Up, and the third A Save Situation.  Give them a listen:

Tie the Rope:

And I think I know why you never get too close.
It's cause you're too scared to.
When I'm with you, there's no point in breathing.

So, so you run away for no apparent reason
Cause you and I are changing with the seasons.
Don't give me an answer as to why you're leaving
The tables are full, but nobody's been dealing,
so fold your hand.
Come on and fold your hand.

Give it Up:

So give it up, throw your hats in the air,
And change just as they land, you're saying
"We'll get out of here."
But something tells me you're too scared to go.

So the stairs that you could climb
Are the ones you've left behind
and your eyes light up when you talk about the past.

God I miss the songs we used to sing,
Talking like getting away would be the greatest thing,
Well me, I got out, and you kept singing to me
Like that's really going to set us free.

A Save Situation:

It feels like you've been asleep for days.
The television is on, I can't stay awake. 
I'll fall down...again.
And when your friends leave,
Oh they get gone. 
It's such a pet peeve when you prove me wrong.
I'll fall down. And we all fall down.

I need to get back to Tempe.
It's been two years since I've been here before.
Back down to the streets that lead me,
The ones that keep me away from Glendale.
Open your eyes and let me in 
I swore to god I'd never swear 
And we all fall down
Yeah we all fall down...again


A Save Situation was the one that kind of slapped me in the face and made me rethink things differently. It's a new favorite.

Lesson for the day: Everybody has pain. And everybody deals with it in different ways. It's good to help people out when you can.  But it's important not to let wanting to alleviate other's pain get in the way of your own needs and happiness.

Those are my thoughts. Take 'em or leave 'em. 

Grouping Gratitude #2

What do I do best when I'm supposed to be doing homework? Blog, of course! Here's Grouping Gratitude #2. Keep in mind some things are kind of out there, but I'll explain.

#12 The sense of community that can be found on the internet.
Like I said, this is going to seem weird. One of the things about the internet that I find incredible is how close it can bring people. If you're struggling with anything you can google search a forum where people are struggling with the exact same thing. Complete strangers have the ability and opportunity to help, inspire, and uplift one another. And I think that's pretty incredible.

#13 Pinterest
Only Pinterest can give me a place where I can organize good ideas about organizing. Need I say more? I love Pinterest.

#14 Music
I would be very lost if I didn't have music to listen to. In fact, I've already done an entire post dedicated to my favorite artists and songs. If you'd like to see it, click here.

#15 School
I LOVE school. I love learning, reading, and getting to interact with people who are interested in the same things that I am. I'm not the greatest at going to class...but I'm getting there :) Also, I'm incredibly excited to start teaching. I love school so much that I decided to go to school forever!

#16 My Fifth Graders
They're not really "my" fifth graders, they're Kenzy's. I am so glad I get to go in weekly and hang out with these kids, help them understand what they're learning about, and listen to their funny stories. Fifth grade is such a good age-they still like their teacher and they haven't become too incredibly sassy yet. They are wonderful. The opportunity to watch children learn is a pretty incredible one.

#17 Citrus Scented Things
Here's a hint: If you want to impress me or have me LOVE some gift you're buying me, make it citrus scented. There's something about the smell of a fresh orange that really gets to me. I adore it.

#18 Tina Fey
I'm grateful that Tina Fey is famous. Why? Because she makes me laugh on every project she's ever been a part of. I think she's smart, witty, and she doesn't feel the need to bash other people to be funny. I find it admirable.

#19 A Job
I have had a job of some kind since I was 15. I don't really remember what it's like to not be working. But I'm so grateful that I have been able to always have a job to help me pay for school, my car, clothes, and that's allowed me to live a fairly comfortable lifestyle. Whether it was working at McDonald's or driving around a front-end loader at a paper mill, I've been appreciative of it. Having these jobs has also introduced me to a ton of my really close friends, which I am also grateful for.

#20 The Sun
There are fewer things that make me happier than being outside when it's sunny. I don't mean laying out tanning. I mean doing something when it's warm outside, feeling the sun on my skin, absorbing as much of it as I possibly can. Summer months are blissful for me. And the fact that we have the sun makes it so we don't have to worry about nuclear winters!

#21 Humor
I have the ability to laugh at whatever I want, whether it's a spoof of an elected official or a video one of my friends have made. I'm grateful for funny things people post that brighten my day.

#22 My Sleep Schedule
My body is pretty damn good at falling asleep when I want it to. I read some statistic somewhere that said the average human takes 14 minutes to fall asleep. For me? Three, tops, unless I have something large pressing on my mind. Good work, body.

#23 Memories
If you know me at all, you know that I'm a nostalgic FOOL. I could spend all day reminiscing about old times and looking at pictures. And I'm grateful that I can remember those things and am able to still feel joy from them. I also love that I can almost always whip out an appropriate movie quote for a situation. :)

Congrats! You've made it to the end. If you made it this far, feel free to leave a comment about what you're thinking! Ask questions about what you'd like me to write about. I crave feedback. Glad you stopped by!

Cause and Effect

Isaac Newton teaches us "to every action there is always opposed an equal reaction."

This applies to both good and bad things. Every single decision and choice we make has a reaction. It may be a positive reaction, it may be a negative reaction. There are a lot of people who are shocked when something that they've consciously chosen comes back around to bite them.

Case in point. A few months ago one of my friends got charged with possession. She called me up and complained about how unfair it was and how she shouldn't have gotten in trouble. I believe her exact words were, "It's not my fault, it's the officer's!"

Wait a second. She consciously decided to do something that she knew was against the law in her area, and she's complaining about getting in trouble for it.

Don't take this the wrong way, friends of mine who participate in illegal activities. I've done my fair share of illegal activities, whether it be speeding or tasting alcohol before I was 21. I couldn't care less that you're choosing to do these things. I seriously do not care. No judgment here. However, we all should be aware that our choices have the potential to have consequences. These consequences may not happen every single time we do something wrong. They may not happen immediately after. But they do have consequences.

I guess I'm just feeling that people need to take responsibility for what they do. Don't come seeking absolution or sympathy from me when you knew that what you were doing was wrong. Stand up straight, put your head up, and take it like a man.

That's what's been on my mind lately. I'll get off of my soapbox now.

Danyelle Schaumkel

Two days ago was my best friend's half-birthday. The fact that I'm writing it two days late does not mean she is any less important to me!
In honor of her half-birthday, and because I already have something super cool planned for the blog post on her real birthday (21!) I'm posting the story of how we became friends. I will do the "21 memories" post on the real thing :)

It all started August of 2010. A summer of excitement and shenanigans had just ended for me, and I was headed back for my second year of Snow. As I had done the year before, I had elected to live with a bunch of random people I had never met before. Seemed legit.

David, Moriah, and I packed up my car and away we went, with Austin and Allie following behind us. We got to Ephraim, checked into the 3.5 star Pinetree Apartments, and headed over to my apartment for the year, #22. I walked immediately to the first bedroom, checked inside for occupants, and waved David and Moriah over. We unloaded the car and then left to go eat Chinese food.

I spent the next week and a half awkwardly avoiding my roommates and getting their names mixed up. I accidentally ended up with a private room, so that didn't help the social matters much either.
One fateful Tuesday evening I was sitting on my bed doing homework, my door ajar. Dan stuck her head in and said, "We're making tacos if you want to eat with us!" in that awkward, sheepish way that only she can manage. I awkwardly smiled and said thank you, planning in my head to ignore the invitation.

As I sat studying biology, the smell of taco seasoning wafted into my room and I could no longer resist. I went out and sat at the table with these four strangers, and we had an incredibly fun dinner, singing raucously and bonding over our love of Cholula.
After it was over everyone drifted away to their rooms and Dani and I started cleaning up the kitchen. We chatted awkwardly for a few minutes and then the conversation sort of died down. After we finished the dishes we went into the living room and somehow the conversation turned to illicit activities we both had participated in. As we kept comparing our lives, our excitement grew! It's like we were the same person!

Our friendship was solidified two weeks later when we decided to go on a road trip to St. George together. We've been fast friends ever since.

Happy half-birthday, Dano! I can't wait for all the birthday celebrations we'll have in the future :)

Grouping Gratitude

I unfortunately don't have a ton of time to blog right now, and doing a post a day about something i'm grateful for seems a little bit unfathomable. Thus, I'm going to list the first few "days" now and get to the rest another night :)

#1

This girl.

Liz is seriously the best sister I could possibly ask for. She's kind, hilarious, beautiful, giving, forgiving, and a whole host of other things. I am constantly in awe of how lucky I am to have someone like her in my life.

#2

The rest of my family.

When people meet my parents they often say that they're intimidated or that my parents seem scary. That could not be further from the truth. I can't think of two funnier people, and they complement each other perfectly. Zack is probably the greatest brother I could imagine having.

#3

These two.

David, Texas, and I have been good friends since high school. We're the type of friends who will still be friends 30 years from now. They brighten my day every time I see them, and I don't think I could possibly be more comfortable and more myself with any other two people on the planet.

#4

College Roomies

Dani, Robyn, and Celeste. I love these girls so much. I can always talk to Celeste about something I'm having a hard time with. Robyn is the most genuine, caring person I've ever met, and can always brighten my day. And Dani. I don't think I've ever met someone more similar to myself than Dani. She's who I consider my female best friend, and I'm so grateful I met her. 

#5

Baby Jaxson

Dani's new son. From the moment I met him I have LOVED him. I was so ecstatic when Dani called me and told me they were going in to the hospital. I'm so glad i have a cute little baby to worry and wonder about and to buy clothes for :)

#6

Kenzy and Moriah

They don't really have anything to do with each other...but they're going in the same number :) Something I love about both of them is that they both tell it to you straight. They don't try to cushion things or make them easier to swallow. If I'm being a dumb ass, they're both going to let me know.

#7

All of my other friends

Kind of a cop out, I know. But I don't know where I would be without all the people in my life. They've made me laugh, cry, and throw up from laughing so hard. They understand that I'm unhealthily competitive and are okay with it. This includes people from work, high school, and college. I'm a lucky girl in the friend department.

#8

Cache Valley

In high school, I was always talking about how I wanted to get out of Cache Valley as fast as I possibly could. And I did, and it was a VERY good thing for me. But now that I'm back I've found myself growing attached to this place. It's beautiful, the people are generally friendly, it's not too big. I feel like no matter where I go in the world, this place will still be here waiting for me.

#9

My cell phone.

Picture not necessary.

I still have a T9, sliding screen cell phone that uses actual buttons and not a touch screen. And I love it. I've neer had a problem with it. And i like that I can keep connected with people who I never get to see so easily. It's always kind of blown my mind that even if someone is across the country from me or in another country all together I can contact them instantly.

#10

My bed is GLORIOUS. It's a queen-sized, black and white damasked piece of heaven. 

#11

These boys and their mom and dad.

My aunt Sarah and uncle John graciously invited me to live with them a few summers ago while I worked in a paper mill. I am so in love with their boys, Buzz, Lars, and John. I loved my time there, and had a blast honing my sarcastic ability with my aunt and getting to play with my cousins.