Present Participles.

I have been SO busy in the last month. I had an outline blog saved of everything I needed to blog about. The list goes back to labor day. That's ridiculous.  Maybe I'm not cut out to be a blogger after all. Here are my sad attempts at getting it all in. Is it lame to blog about things that far back? Maybs. All well! Call me ridiculous or lame, I've been called a lot worse things in the past 6 months. So, have at it.

Anyways, I am absolutely horrible with parts of speech.  I am not exaggerating here, at all. Recently, I've been trying to get better at identifying parts of speech and I have come to find that I LOVE -ing words, I love them so much I tend to make up new ones! Judge as you will, I love my -ing words. These present participles are going to be the best way for me to describe my life recently. Some are probs real. Some are probs made up. Such is my life!

1. Scootering. I have a new found love for scooters. This big guy, Tonto, sparked my adoration for scooters.

This guy, took me and someone much larger than me (I know it's hard to imagine, but humor me) all the way down University Ave. At 11:30 at night. Goin' a strong 45mph. But wait, we also had these in tote...

 

That's right. Two nine by thirteen pans of enchiladas, brownie batter, eggs AND my blanket. Tonto is a stud. I love him and might just steal him one day. Which has made me decidedly set the goal of a scooter with a side car. You're going to see me soon, on my scooter with goggles and a scarf blowing in the wind.  Wanna ride in my side car? We'll be the cool kids together...

Whatta man. Seriously, find me this guy! 

 

Hopefully I don't find either of those beauts in the next year. I want one MUCHO!

2. Natureing. Utah is beautiful, it is gorgeous. If you would have told me that I was going to type those words four years ago I would have laughed right in your face.  I have really come to appreciate the beauty of Utah recently. 

Don't mind the cop car.

Good hikes with good friends, good runs with not so good running legs and some exploring has really helped me to appreciate what is right here in PROVO! I know, I can't believe I'm saying it either. But, I love it.

3. Baking. Hello, my name is Rachel and I am a baking addict. When I get stressed I bake and it usually ends up being cookies. 

I wish I would have taken more pictures to show just how ridiculous this is. In the past month I have made chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, nutella cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, oatmeal peanutbutter white chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter snicker chocolate cookies and chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips. Don't be my friend if you are on a diet. Not a good idea.

4. Missing. I miss my family a lot.  They are the coolest...ever, if you don't know them you are missing out.

(And to answer your question, yes. You should be very jealous of my super cool perm.)

He's family too. Don't challenge me on this one.

5. Green Smoothieing.  This smoothie has changed my breakfast ways, forever. It looks like you are scraping the clippings from the bottom of your lawn mower, but it tastes so good. It gives an incredible energy boost and provides SO many vitamins and nutrients. Oh, and it is filling. Let green smoothies change your life, you won't regret it.

6. Remembering.

With 9/11 passing and my recent visit to Washington D.C. I have had a lot of time to reflect. I am lucky to be an American. I am proud to be an American. This is a strong country that was founded by inspired men and that has been shaped by the hand of God. 

Harold B Lee once said...

"Men may fail this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail.

We are living in the time of a great crisis.  The Country is torn with scandal and with criticism, with faultfinding and condemnation. There are those who have downgraded teh image of this nation as probably never before in the history of the country.

I plead with you to not preach pessimism.  Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world...It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through.

We must be on the optimistic side.  This is a great nation; this is a great country; this is the most favored of all lands.  While it is true that there are dangers and difficulties that lie ahead of us, we must not assume that we are going to stand by and watch the country go to ruin.  We should not be heard to predict ills and calamities for the nation. On the contrary, we should be providing optimistic support for the nation." ("Have Faith in America, October 26, 1973)

I don't care who you vote for, who you dislike, who you support, what you support, what you dislike or what you think is right or wrong. If you are American, be positive about our country.  Work hard and be active in your community to make the changes that you want come to pass. Vote. Always always support the men and women that risk their lives every day in the sacred name of our country.

I am so humbled by the men and women that have lost their lives, will lose their lives, risk their lives and have risked their lives in our armed services. Keep these men and women in your prayers. Never disrespect what they have done for each of us. Consider the attitude towards the armed forces that each of the Presidential candidates demonstrates as you are deciding who you will vote for. 

God bless America.

7. Forgetting. Got this text on 9/11. 

Surprise! My phone was dying. But, I'm so grateful for good friends with some crazy good memory and extreme thoughtfulness.

8. Crepeing.

So yummy.

9. Wishing.

 Someday, right!?

 10. LSATing.

No pictures for this guy. The test doesn't deserve any. BLECK! So happy to be done. Took the test on October 1. Missed my FAVORITE session of conference for that dumb thing. Hallelujah and good riddance.

11. Conferencing. 

I love General Conference.  I do, I love it a lot.  It deserves a whole post of its own, but it's true. Take a peek.

I do have to say that I love this man. I am so grateful for him.

12. Basking.

 The weather in Utah has been AMMMAZING.  When I first got here it was nice and toasty.  The perfect kind of warmth though.  The roll your car windows down so your hair blows in the wind and you can sing at the top of your lungs warmth.  But, recently it has started getting CRISPY! Oh, I love it so much it is painful. The leaves on the mountain are starting to change to red. GLORIOUS. So gorgeous.  We have had some rain and clouds in the past few days. I LOVE IT! It makes me all snoogly and want to curl up with a good movie, a good snoogler, a caramel apple cider and just bask in the glory of fall.

You can smell fall in the air. The pumpkins are out at the grocery stores. There is something so, dare I say romantic, about fall. Fall is perfect. I love everything about it. 

13. Casting.

I have decided that my life needs to be made into a movie. Audacious you say? Don't worry it will be a comedy. In the "I'm so glad that's not my life and I can just laugh at her" type of way. In one week I found out I was going to be living in a hotel ten days before my LSAT, was car-less, shattered the screen on my phone and got some other not so good news. Long story short, the refiner's fire is real. I am grateful my family and friends are healthy and well. The gospel is ture, the basics are essential and necessary and I am already a much stronger person because of all of  this poo.

14. Listening. 

This song is Bad-A. 

Listen to it while you are working out. You will run faster, lift more, push harder and just be better. It's a great workout song.

WHEW! long post, sorry. Hopefully I won't be such a blog loser in the next month.