Moms are amazing.

I just have to say that I love my mom.  My mom was made and shipped especially for me.  She does so many nice things for me, even when she doesn't have time.  She listens to me when I complain about every small insignificant detail in my life when I know that she could be doing the same to me--and she doesn't.  She is so understanding of the fact that I am airheaded and unorganized and she helps me to try and overcome those.  She dedicates her life to those around her--from work to her family.  She tells me that everything will all work out and for some reason, I believe her every time she tells me.  She is brilliant in every aspect of life.  I can even ask her point of view on whether dinosaurs really did roam the earth and she'll give me some amazingly awesome gospel related answer.  I can talk to my mom about anything and she will listen and give her motherly advice--she is my greatest friend and I love her so very much.   I LOVE YOU MOM!!

First the collar, then the yoke.

SO, here is the deal. I got back from Israel just over a week ago, and I still have jetlag! I miss being there more than anything, but it is great to be home for a little bit before heading back to school. When I was on the phone with my mom one day over in Israel, she said to me, "when you get back, I'm going to teach you how to work." YESSSSS!!!! Just what a twenty year old wants to hear from her mother. So, that's exactly what I've been doing. It took two days to clean out my room, but I proudly and sadly gave up 12 garbage bags of clothes and other "junk" to DI/Plato's Closet. And now here comes the reason for the title. Yes, I am twenty years old and I don't know how to iron. I've tried...really. but I'm just bad. I tried to iron my own blouse last sunday and I threw a fit because I had spent 30 minutes trying to iron it and it was still wrinkled. So usually I just go to church or school with a wrinkly shirt claiming that wrinkled is in style. And my mom gave up on me so she called my grammy to come over and help me today. Grammy came over, we got a wrinkled blouse out of my closet and we set it on the dreaded ironing board. She took it firmly in her hands and said, "Alright, first you do the collar both sides (so she did the collar both sides). Then, you do the yoke." I replied by saying, "what the heck is the yoke?" She explained that it's the back of the shirt just below the collar and you fold it over the get a good iron. After the yoke, she taught the rest and then I got to do my own shirt. I did it really well!!!! Now, I realize that this story isn't funny or life changing but uh...I think that it's important for a girl to know how to iron...ya know (especially at age 20) ha! and what better way than to learn from your grammy elen!

I'm in the Holy Land People!

Ok...so my dear room mate is letting me use her computer and so I'm posting my ongoings now. I can't believe that I only have 20 days left! I feel like I just got here! I have made so many memories here and I am going to be so sad to leave. I can't wait to come home though! In two days we are leaving for Galilee for 10 days! That's going to be an adventure! So here are some pictures of me having a good time!!!!

So this is me at Jordan River....Where the Savior was baptized by John the Baptist!

Me and my friend Erica at a Islamic Mosque. We had to wear robes and head coverings.

haha. I rode a donkey in petra all the way up the mountains. My little guide told me his name was Jack and I said to the Donkey, "Oh Jack! You are such a good donkey for letting my heavy self ride you all the way up this mountain!" and then the little boy said, "Haha No no no no... his name is Jack-ass." I was somewhat offended.

Oh you know...that's just me jumping off the Treasury in Petra.

That's me in Petra!!!!

My friend David found out that I broke my camera so he is letting me use his second camera (props for him bringing two incredible nice cameras) but I experiemented and found this color accent feature and found a green accent!!!! This is rest stop on the way home from Egypt.

Me writing in my journal in Gethsemane

Me at the Garden Tomb.

This is my feet (far right) along with some other peoples at Siloam Pool. This is an area where Christ very possibly could have walked. When Christ told the Leper to come wash in a pool to cleanse himself, it was this pool.

Me in Hezekiah's Tunnel!!! FUN FUN FUN!

In Egypt, a bunch of us bought these crazy dresses and then wore them to Sacrament meeting! I personally think mine is the prettiest. :) Me in the mosque of Muhammad Ali!!!! P.S. This was after the Train ride from He**!!!

This is an Egyptian man sleeping at one of the temples.

ME ON A CAMEL!!!! say no more.

Me on a faluka crossing the nile...with the breeze blowin in my hair!!!!

THE PYRAMIDS!!!! As you can well see..... I am having a good time!

Hey! I'm OK!

Hi everyone! I know I haven't posted in a long time and I really don't have any time to do it right now but I thought I'd just tell you all that I'm doing just fine! Our group just got back from the land of the pharoahs last night at midnight! It was a great week and I didn't end up getting sick surprisingly--and I say this because some pretty interesting things happened! First of all, Egypt is soooo dirty. You can't eat any of the food unless it is fully cooked. All the fresh food is washed from the nile which has piles and piles of garbage in it. Second, the men in Egypt like to grab you if you don't buy their stuff and those Egyptian men have diseases on them, I swear (I know their children of God but still)! Anyways, many girls got grabbed, but I didn't. Third reason I surprisingly didn't get sick is that I sweated buckets and didn't really even shower ever. Why? Because when I stepped into the shower the first night at our hotel butt naked, the water came out a lovely coffee brown! Thank you Egypt! Other than that, I loved the pyramids and the tombs and the mummies and all that good stuff. And now I'm back in the Holy Land for a week and then next week we are off to Jordan! Hope everyone is doing well. As for me, I have three finals this week....oi. P.S. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to post. I seem to be electronically challenged because my camera broke and my laptop is broken as well.

Change is a comin!

Well...I've done it! I have done what most girls rarely do--I waited for a missionary. Granted, I had some stops along the way with other males, but in all reality, I never could quite get the Spokane serving, six foot four, gorgeous skinned, humble, adorable, goofy, Cameron Simonsen out of my mind. And now he's coming home in less than 31 hours! I am just a bundle of nerves, but boy I am sooooo excited! I'm going to the airport to see him and although I would love nothing more than to just jump on him when I see him, I will merely be giving him yes--just a handshake. Pity.

I'm two decades old and I have the vomit to prove it!

So, this last Tuesday was my blessed day of birth. Sad thing was, I just happened to get the stomach flu right on my birthday! I was supposed to be having a party that night with about 70 people for my b-day at my house and at about 4 o'clock that afternoon, I threw up on my kitchen rug and then again in the sink--A LOT! Thankfully enough, I felt a lot better after I threw up, but I was still REALLY sick for my party. Alas, it was still a wonderful day and we had great food! The biggest surprise guests I got were my cousins Ashley, Josh, and Paul! I didn't even know that they knew about the party and it was sooo great to see them--too bad I completely forgot to get a picture with them. Thanks for the great day friends and fam! This is our beautiful spread of food. We had fondue with strawberries, pineapple, apples, marshmellows, pretzels, and angel food cake. We also had bacon wrapped chestnuts, chicken croissant sandwiches, watermelon, a veggie platter, and TONS of other goodies! Too bad I didn't get to eat any of it!Me in front of the beautiful spread. Do I look sick? Because I had just barely vomited on the rug.Everyone singing happy birthday to me! There were lots of people there!The Love of my life right before your very eyes.

On mother's day, we kind of celebrated my birthday with the fam and here I am with the parentals.B-day/Mothers day the all the kidlings.


AND back to the party at the yellow house...this is just some ballroom friends.
Old Roomies! I love you guys!
Me and JAKAY!!!! She drove and hour down and then spent the night. It was so Fun!

On The Street Where I Live!

So, I'm very proud of where I live--the infamous Meringue House! But it is also known as the "Yellow House" to most people. People ask me where I live and I tell them, "The Yellow House," and they say back, "I love that house! It's so cute!" So, I thought it was high time that I posted some pictures of the lovely place. Oh ya! And by the way. When I moved into this place, it was not so cute on the inside and I owe all of its cuteness to my mother because she decorated it--she is kind, brilliant, wonderful , and I love her!!!! P.S. She graduated with her Master's Degree last Saturday and I am soooo proud of her. I didn't post anything on that though because all my sisters already have.




This is my lovely house! Aint it cute?

This is my glorious walk in closet that absolutely adore. I wish I had it forever because I can actually fit all of my stuff in the blessed piece of space.

My cute room--thanks to my mom!
Our cute kitchen!
Our cute family room--my mom got that rug at Buckoos and it has leopard print on it! I love it!