Floral Verbiage

I am so sorry.

2010-06-29T23:57:00.000-10:00

A quick post to apologize for the poor spelling and grammar of my posts. Please note that I do know better, I'm just too lazy to proof read. However after reading through and seeing just how garbled things can become I promise I'll take more care with my writing. Look for a new post soon, this time properly edited.

Catch Up

2010-06-05T13:43:00.018-10:00

It's bad. I've been pretty listless about life lately. Maybe lazy is a better word. I can't exactly put my finger on why I've been that way, but it's the overall lack of productivity the mood has placed me in has caused some problems. First, I've been terrible at corresponding with friends and loved ones who are scattered all over the world (sorry guys... it's not you; it's me}. I've also not completed a single productive thing these last few weeks. I haven't read a book, prepped anything for the new school year, or even picked up a new skill. Pretty much I've worked and watched movies. It hasn't been so bad on my end, but obviously it sucks for you because it means that you haven't been updated on the saga that is my life (don't worry, I'm being sarcastic when I say that). So fear not. My productivity level is slowly rising and with that comes a blog update. I'm even throwing in plenty of pictures to make you forgive me for ignoring you.

My roommate Becca wasn't sure that she would be returning to school out here in HI. She had accepted this fact and was doing her best to enjoy her last few days on the island when she realized that she had failed to do something very important. That something was hike to Maunawili Falls. So, to celebrate the last day of the semester and honor her time here on what we affectionately refer to as "the rock," we journeyed into the jungles of Hawaii.

As you can see I wasn't kidding. That's what the trail looks like. You turn your head to the left and BAM! There's just a jungle there. You turn you head to the right and BAM! More jungle on your right. The trail winds up into the hills, crossing the stream you're following a total of 3 times, 6 if you include crossing again on your way back. You climb up to the top of a hill and get a gorgeous view of Kaneohe and its respective bay and then climb down in to the waterfall.

Here are my roomies, happy and sweaty, ready to just be at the waterfall already so we can jump in. From left to right it's Emily, Becca, Ashley and Stacey. I am behind the camera (of course).

This is what awaited us at the end of our very slippery hike. All of us eventually jumped from the falls, some from higher points than others. Em and Becca climbed up like 40 feet to the left of this photo and jumped on in. Crazy, I know. Em also climbed up like 25 feet to the right of the photo and jumped in from there. The rest of us just jumped from the 6 foot edge of the falls like normal people. One thing to be noted: the water was FREEZING. I haven't been in water so cold since I lived in VA. It made no sense to me. The water isn't melted snow. It's steamy rain that dumped in the mountain tops. Why did it have to be so frigid?

Anyway, the hike was delightful. As we walked back to civilization it began to rain. I'll never forget the sound of the water falling through the canopy of trees. It sounded like someone had turned a rainstick over and rice was falling over the thin, slick needs. It sounded like the sky letting out a long, deep breath. I stopped and looked up in that moment; the green of the leaves was dark and glistened against the gray background of clouds. The trees were so tall. Standing there with my neck craned back I felt tiny. I was insignificant compared to the miracle of that jungle. Surrounding me was something that has existed perfectly for millenniums and would continue to do so even after I was gone. How very humbling... Not in a reprimanding or chastising way, but in an eye opening way. I was more grateful to be a live in that moment than I ever had been in my life. It's amazing to think that I could live with that feeling every day of my life if I would only take the time to realize the creation around me.

Fun factoid: everyone but Ashley did the hike with bare feet. Kaneohe is incredibly rainy, especially that time of year, and we had only worn flip flops to hike in (we're not crazy; it's an easy hike, I mean ladies were doing this hike with a baby strapped to their body), so we ditched the shoes and let the mud squish between our toes. Our feet in the photo have mud from only the last bit of the hike. The total muddiness of our feet with never be known due to the fact that you have to cross the stream so many times. It will forever be an enigma. Try to guess which pair are Ashley's.

Emily, myself, Jesse and Todd randomly went to Hanauma Bay during spring term. It ended up being quite the adventure. Traffic meant it took a while to get there and on the way some RIDICULOUS lady almost plowed right into the car. She was coming in passenger's side and I was in the front seat. I thought I was going to die.

We had a fun little time swimming around in the bay. The water is incredibly clear and you can see how much reef there is from the photo. One nice thing about snorkeling here (though I do prefer shark's cove) is the fact that the fish are so used to people. They don't freak out and scatter when you swim by, and they come right into shore. You don't even have to swim to see them. Another nice thing is that because the area is protected, the fish can be ginormous. It was a nice detour from spring term classes.

This is Mokoli'i Island. Also known as Chinaman's Hat, this island is out to sea directly across from Kualoa Ranch, an expansive property where many movies and tv shows have been filmed (including LOST and Jurassic Park). The expansive ranch has meant that the area remain relatively undeveloped and, as a result, full, green monkey paw trees line the base of the impressive Ko'olau Mountain range. I mention all of this because on the other side of the highway from the ranch and it's mountains is a public beach park and camping grounds where I had the privilege of spending three days.

As many of you know I am currently completing student teaching at a local elementary school. Every year the kids go camping and this year we took my fifth and six graders here. That's right I camped with approximately 50 10-12 year old tweens. It was a roller coaster ride of fun. The kids were great and our camp ground was gorgeous. In front of us just past some trees was the ocean and Chinaman's Hat. Behind us were the Ko'olaus. I'd really like to go back and spend some time camping there minus the gaggle of children that love so dearly.

An okay shot of the mountains. This really doesn't do them justice...

Here we're herding our children on a nature walk through the trees, down the beach and ultimately to the largest ancient Hawaiian fishpond on the island. As we walked, some kids found shells, other helped pick up trash and some watched for turtles. We even saw one. It swam down the shore in time with our walking, poking her head out of the water every so often to see if we were still there.

Another delightful surprise was David and Nancy Dorius visiting the island. Nancy was my Young Women's president in Fallbrook, CA. She's one of my many Moms and I love her dearly. They moved to Spokane, WA after I graduated high school and as a result I hadn't spent time with her in years. It was really fun to catch up with them and even have them join me at church. She is such an amazing woman and I'm so glad that I had her to take care of me. I look up to her quite a bit. See her has been the biggest treat of the year.

So yeah, other then those happenings, life has been pretty simple here on the island, especially now that the spring term is over. If I'm not at work and the sun is up then I'm at the beach (hence the photo of Waimea Bay). If the sun is down I'm hanging out with Netflix. I really can't complain. Only one of my roommates ended up staying for summer and she's been gone on vacation for the last month so it's just been me and ocean for the last four weeks (the time outside has me looking quite sun kissed). Since I can't go home at all this summer, I'm grateful for having the house to myself for a bit; it's been nice to have some quiet time, though I'm ready to have roommates again and have the excitement level of my life rise a little. I want to squeeze in a few more epic adventures before the slavery that is the rest of my student teaching begins. Hopefully something cool will happen soon. Then you won't have to wait two months for another update...

The Holidays, now in Technicolor

2010-04-17T12:11:00.010-10:00

Some super fun holidays have passed by recently... First there was Saint Patties day. Here at the Bus Stop House we "represented" with some delicious, incredibly green, velvety cupcakes complete with the best butter-cream frosting I've ever tasted.

the delicious cup cakes

Apparently Cooper wanted to share his cupcake... Stacey politely declined.

Next comes Easter. Easter also marked General Conference Sunday so my roomies and I enjoyed spending the day together. We died eggs and made a yummy Easter dinner. I made green beans and chicken, my friend Becca made funeral potatoes, Ashley made cloud biscuits and Stacey used the eggs we died eggs to whip up som deviled eggs. It was a FABULOUS Easter Sunday...

Hooray for friends!

Cookie Party Wednesday!

2010-03-11T18:14:00.006-10:00

See that? It's my apron (made for me by my dear sister)and it means that I <3 cooking and baking.
A lot.

This love the the culinary arts has generated a little thing that we at the Bus Stop House like to call Cookie Party Wednesday. Basically every Wednesday I bake cookies, our friends come over and we enjoy them together. We LOVE it and our house cannot wait for Wednesday to come. Here is what the family has to say about CPW:

Emily Mearns gives CPW 6 out of 5 gold stars. Whitney Schuebert loves CPW she's speechless and in awe. Kyle Young refers to the spoils of CPW as delights. And Cooper calls CPW irresistible.

CPW is the real deal.

Here are some of my personal favorites:

chocolate cookies with mint chocolate chips

butter scotch scotchies

perfect brownies (not a cookie, I know, but perfectly acceptable for CPW)

And those are just what I've photographed! We've also enjoyed good old chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate chip macadamia nut, oatmeal toffee, sneaky snicker cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip, Reese's peanut butter cup cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip, sugar cookies (decorated as people in the room), world peace cookies, and I don't even know what else... I've made a gajabillion cookies; I'm not kidding. And I'll make a gajabillion more. I love it.

I'm writing about CPW because not only is it awesome, but I plan on starting to post the recipes I use. Be on the look out for deliciousness.

Run for the Hills!

2010-03-04T00:35:00.007-10:00

A lot of things have happened this semester. A lot.
I'm the RS Pres in our ward,
went on a couple field trips with my sixth graders around the island (so fun),
we held the Neon Riot (a giant glow in the dark, black light, dance party and our house),
I did the Music Man here,

(awesome right?!)
throw in some big surf and a little Hale'iwa Eats action and that was pretty much my semester thus far...

UNTIL SATURDAY

On Saturday, plate tectonics moved and the earth shook and the pacific held its breath. Then our worst nightmares came true. We received a phone call at 5am telling us that a tsunami was headed our way. A 500 mile an hour wall of water was barreling towards our little island. Our house is directly across the street from the beach. We can see the ocean from our couch. Even more terrifying still, our house is held up on rotten wooden stilts. If a wave of water, no matter how small, hit our house it would fall to the ground! We had to evacuate. We quickly bolted out of bed and began packing our bags. How do you pack your life into a back pack? We didn't know but we were grateful we could take even that small amount. After my possessions were secured I quickly began calling our off campus sisters. Had they heard the news? Did they know where safety was? When it boiled down to it, there was only so much packing and planning we could do. It soon became a waiting game. A wave, if one were to hit, would not come until 11am... And so we waited, and waited, and waited.

(Our "I'm so pissed that it's only 9:30 and I've already been away for like 5 hours" face)

At 9:30 we drove the mile to the school and parked our truck. Hopefully we were far enough inland... We decided we weren't going to wait around to find out. We figured we were safe. We were a mile from the shore, but we wanted to see it come. We decided we would hike to the top of the little mountain behind the school. So we set off into the jungle. At first there was an absolutely beautiful dirt road that we got to walk along, but soon we had to walk through the school farms and into the jungle. It was so lush, green and peaceful. I couldn't believe that in a matter of minutes my house could be washed away. We hiked across a dry riverbed and past some banyan trees to another dirt road. This one ran up into the hills behind local property. The dirt on these roads was a deep red. The farther up the hills the redder it became. Soon our flip flop clad feet matched the cracked earth.

Eventually the road ended and we had to crawl under a barbed wire fence into the Koa Wood forest. So epic. There was no trail, just trees and a soft bed of fallen needles. We made our way strait up the mountainside until we hit the first summit. There a dirt path crawled a way eventually turning back up the mountainside. We followed it, clawing at exposed tree roots for stability. Finally the top came. We could see all the way out to the ocean. How perfect is that for an impending tsunami?! As we hiked we were receiving updates from the mainland. Nothing had hit the big island yet. When the tsunami finally made it our way we would see it break on the shores down below. So we sat. And waited. And waited. There was a tree house at the end of our hike. Some climbed up and fell asleep, others of us wandered off on the phone. Was the warning a false alarm? They had pushed back the wave's arrival time... We were not going to be hit by a frightening natural disaster. But then, the first wave hits Hilo! It's a whopping 3 inches.

We were all very grateful that something damaged hadn't headed our way. We were grateful for our safety, that our house was still standing and that no one here had been hurt. However... To be a little bit honest... It was kind of disappointing that nothing happened. I mean, there was SOOO much anticipation. We'd been awake for like 7 hours waiting for something to happen. I don't want anyone to be displaced, or worse, injured or killed, but I hiked up a mountain to see a wave hit an island. Couldn't a little one have hit?!

Oh well. It was an exciting adventure. And now that I'm all caught up with this bad boy and have had something exciting enough to motivate me to write I'll hopefully update this more often.

You think you can love me and leave me to die...

2009-11-24T21:37:00.002-10:00

I love Queen.
I love the Muppets.
Queen and the Muppets together?
AMAZING!!

Separate Ways

2009-10-29T23:10:00.006-10:00

So I mentioned (in my long list of excuses as to why I don't ever update)going to a Journey tribute band concert. The band? Separate Ways. Their amazingness rating? 11 out of 10. Some of you might be thinking, "What about real Journey?" Don't worry. NO ONE could surpass real Journey. I'm just saying, as cover bands go, this was the creme de la creme.

Just look at that poster. I mean, how could you not want to attend that concert? The best part was that they sounded almost exactly like Journey. It was life changing to be there with hundreds of other people singing the words to every song played like there was no tomorrow. You know they loved Journey like you do because who would go to a cover band concert if they didn't? Whitney and I just rocked our little hearts out to say the least.

Please notice the crazy long haired bassist. He jammed like none other and his hair was always blowing in the air conditioner wind. It was awesome. Also acknowledge the rockin' guitarist. The unsung hero of the night in my opinion. The bassist obviously catches your attention, as does the lead singer, but this dude? Humbly rocking out. Loved him.

Now, after reading that poster some of you might be thinking that the lead singer looks a little creepy. In regards to that photo, I have to agree with you. He does. However, in person he was kinda of hot. Like, he doesn't really look like that. It's weird. This is him below.

We sort of fell in love with him a little bit...

Another thig that I found to be super fun was the fact that there were people from all walks of life there. Young, old, fat, think, white, black and every shade in between. The people watching was supreme. For instance, the couple below (look to the right of Whitney). These "nifty" fifty year olds were ALL up in each other's business. They were way in love. It was actually pretty cute. I bet they did this to the real journey when they were like my age. Tender, I know.

Here is some video from the concert. They are just clips because I was saving up camera to record all of "Don't Stop Believing." I did it too. It was amazing. It had shots of the crowd, of me and Whit. It was perfect. And then I accidentally deleted it and didn't know how to recover it. Sadness, I know. But this will just have to do.

Untitled from Jessia Davis on Vimeo.

tender

Separate Ways from Jessia Davis on Vimeo.

Okay, one last photo. It pretty much sums up how excited I was too be there. Don't judge me for being so happy, okay?

Hey hey hey!

2009-10-27T12:33:00.006-10:00

Check my Tracie love out!

tracie darling photography

She's amazing and one of my inspirations to start exploring photography.

I'm definitely lucky to know someone this talented.

So Busy

2009-10-24T17:46:00.004-10:00

Life is rough. I have a ton to do and I'm not really diggin' it. But this isn't a complaining post; this is an explaining post. I'm going to explain to you why it's been a million years since I've updated this bad boy.

Reason number 1
6th grade. I'm loving it. The kids are awesome. We're finally used to each other and I can see my skills improving every day. However, 6th grade demands a lot of my time and it can be quite tiring. Either way, it's my favorite and I'm SUPER excited for student teaching in the winter.

Reason number 2
College. Not only do I have 6th grade but I have university classes too. I spend all day at the school of ed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Like, 6-8 hours depending on the day. Holy Hannah it's draining. With that said, the non class part of it all is super fun. My professors rock. Everyone is laid back and we've known each other for years now so that's nice. Our cohort of kids is like one happy little family. I kinda like it.

Reason number 3
Work. I have a really cool job. In July, my job changed hands from the EIL dept. to the Dept. of Online Curriculum. The DOC is now BYUH online and instead of working on curriculum development teams for EIL courses, I'm doing instructional design. I take existing on campus courses and modify them to an online format, or, in the case of Physical Science 100, I build courses for online use. The school is trying to put all of its courses online to help students get through BYUH faster, and to reach thousands more people world wide. As if that wasn't enough for me to love my job, everyone I work with is HECKA cool. BYUH Online is probably the most awesome dept. on campus.

Reason number 4
The family aka the kids that hang out at the bus stop house. And don't worry, we do refer to ourselves as the family. There's not much to say except that we're the shiz-nit and we kick trash day in and day out. Straight up. Hahaha! We just chill and have fun and conquer the island and there's no one cooler than us. I love it.

Reason number 5
Adventures. We go on legit adventures. First it was crazy out of season 15 ft. shore breaks on the North shore. People were just getting rocked. We straight up saw a dude get taken away in an ambulance. It was that crazy. Alexis and I conquered it though. We went out, swam in it and came back in without so much as tripping.
Next was a trip to see Separate Ways (a Journey tribute band). It was AMAZING. Like A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. The lead singer sounded SO much like Steve Perry and their guitarist kicked some "a." It was so chill and yet everyone was all pumped and singing along. I often wish I could go back to that night...
Last weekend, Whitney and I went on a circle island shopping excursion. Very successful. OH! And I got NEW GLASSES and CONTACTS!! Wooooo! Lots of great stuff going on.

Life is hectic. Yes, it is. But, you know what? It is also flippin' sweet. As demanding as stuff is, I don't think I've ever had so much fun out here.

I promise I'll update more often with all of the fun things we do. I mean we're going to continue baking for sure and we're going to tie-dye soon. Plus there is soccer and volley ball. We're all up at those games. Exciting posts are coming. For sheez.

NOTE: I was gonna upload all of these awesome videos and photos but the internet wasn't cooperating so you get a super boring post.
Sorry.

Miss Davis

2009-09-26T01:57:00.004-10:00

That's right. I am an official Teacher Candidate. I have started my professional year with the BYUH College of Human Development. I spend every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Hau'ula Elementary teaching and working with my 6th grade students. Like this whole becoming a teaching this is for real now. They call me Miss Davis and everything. It took me a while to get used to it, especially because there's a girl named Jessica in my class. Every time my CT would say her name I would turn around and look like she was actually calling for me. It is weird... Weird, but wonderful. I mean I correct homework, administer tests, discipline students, run copies in the teacher work room and everything. I'm legit. Too legit to quit some might say...

I admit, I've had kind of a rocky start. Not to sound like a snot, but I struggle when I'm not relatively good at something right away. My CT (Cooperating Teacher) put me straight to work and of course, I've never been in the classroom as an actual teacher, so it took me a while to figure out what I was doing. Now, I am not complaining. I'm super grateful for it. My CT is awesome and my skills and abilities have improved already. I'm just saying, I didn't immediately feel super comfortable and capable. In fact, I felt rather inadequate and like I was struggling to keep my head above water. I've spent so long learning about principles and psychological concepts and pedagogy that all of a sudden having to put them into action was a little overwhelming. Not a happy feeling for me. Plus, it's always harder for me to work with older students. They have attitude problems because they are at that awkward in between stage. So my not being perfect right away at being a teacher coupled with snarky sixth graders made things kinda hard.

With that said, I'm finally to the point where I'm loving my class. As I've relaxed around the kids they've relaxed around me. Wednesday was my first good day and we actually had a lot of fun together. I'm happy to finally be settling in and I can tell this is going to be one heck of a year. All I have to do is get used to balancing my O & P with classes (4 to be exact), work and my church calling. My schedule is hectic to say the least, but I'm going to work hard, endure to the end and complete this program with flying colors. I won't let myself do anything less.

Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.

(Hau'ula Elementary School)

Good People Make All of the Difference in the World

2009-09-13T03:42:00.008-10:00

It's one of those nights when I can't stay asleep. I am tired, and searching for rest, but I have a head full of thoughts. I think that the worst part is that none of them are quite complete. In fact, I don't even quite know what's going on up there. I simply feel them, thick and smokey, swirly around, waiting to be shaped into something I can release. So, forgive me if I ramble, or don't quite make sense. It just means that my thoughts were not as complete as I had thought.

I wake up each morning and I am given things. They are perfectly ordinary things like music, beauty, sights, and sounds. They are things we experience every day -- friendship, excitement, struggles and victories. And for some reason, today, I cannot quite make sense of what I'm feeling. There are so many wonderful things happening all at once that I can't quite register them all. In essence, I'm overwhelmed in the best way possible.
What makes this such a dilemma is the fact that I feel so immobile. I'm trying to respond to the world around me and I don't really know how. What do you give back to the reflections that dance off of an ocean made of the bluest glass? What do you say to laughter so rich that fills every inch of you? There's nothing. There's nothing you can say or do that will be as beautiful. There's just the feeling you have inside, lingering on after the moment has passed. All I want to do is give something in return. My heart is aching to whisper back to the moments of perfection I am blessed enough to experience everyday.
I hope, someday, I find a way to answer the world around me. I like to imagine something equally eloquent sweeping out of me. It will be smooth, gentle and steady, like the light the night sky gives. It will let the life around me know how content and grateful I am, how much I appreciate its radiance.
But then again, maybe we aren't meant to respond. Maybe instead of giving something back we are supposed to build upon these moments, add notes to the song. Maybe we keep them like secrets, sharing them with the people we love the most. I'm not really sure.
All I know, is that it has been a wonderful summer, and my heart and mind are full of these moments that make me want to sing.

7 Days (featuring blue bubbles, gerber daisies, the happiest place on earth and oceanic vessels)

2009-08-27T21:02:00.019-10:00

It's been a crazy week to say the least.

I almost died for one. Wednesday, just three hours before I left for the airport, I was stung by a Portuguese Man O' War. Now, it was just a baby one -- a blue bubble they call them -- but I had a terrible allergic reaction and started going into hardcore shock.

I got stung on the ankle. Most people compare the sting to that of a bee. That's not too bad for an adult. It hurts, you push through it, and life is good. But after I was stung the pain began to intensify and move up my leg. The sting formed big welts and swelled up. I began to shiver and sweat, and my breathing became shallow. Soon I was nauseous and pretty worried about where my life was headed. Now, I was prepared to wait it all out right there on the beach. I had Alexis on the phone coaching me via Google (I was combing the shore alone this particular afternoon), I wasn't dizzy or experiencing tunnel vision and vertigo. I had a plane to catch! I was NOT about to go to Kahuku and have them kill me (you laugh but Kahuku Hospital does that to you). Soon, however, my kidneys began hurting. The shutting down of vital organs is never a sign of recovery, so I phoned Marissa and had her pick me up.

This is right afterwards--you can just barely see the welts starting to form

In retrospect, I'm very lucky. I knew exactly what to do to prevent the sting from being too severe. I knew what to do to keep my physical stress level in check. I had Alexis there, reminding be to lay down and put my feet up. By the time Marissa got me to the Health Center I was in much better shape and, obviously, I survived and made it to CA, albeit in some pain. Mahalo, Alexis and Marissa, for your kokua!! HA!

The damage one week later

As for CA, I made it there without a hitch.
DAY 1: Coronado Island, the Rhino Cafe, picking up Brit, Fred's in Old Town, the Carlsbad Outlets (where Camille and I decided-after shopping for men's clothing and experiencing new men's frangrances-that we needed some classy gents)and a sweet, sweet reunion among sisters.
Day 2: Spa day, lingerie shopping, In n' Out, Hojo & company, a questionable bachelorette party, and more amazing chocolate chip cookies.
Day 3: The Wedding! Beginning 6:30 and ending at 2:30, the temple, Big D, C Level, a wedding reception where gerber daisies abound, sending my little sister off with her new hubby, Dr. Pepper and new friends.
Day 4: Teaching Primary, Trish & Rob's monthly partay, more new friends, peach pie with a perfect crust, and heart to hearts with my favorite cuz.
Day 5: DISNEYLAND! Pirates of the Carribean, Blue Bayou, Buzz Lightyear, Tower of Terror, Soarin', new fireworks, Dumbo's magic, tears of love, "they light the lake on fire", postcards, and good music.
Day 6: Kayaking in Mission Bay, more In n' Out, sea gull catching, jumping photos and Uno!
Day 7: The DMV, baby kisses, Harry Potter chopstick wands, the Word Shaker and a welcome home.

I'm tired just from typing that bad boy out. In an effort to make the most of my time there I definitely exhausted myself. However, that's okay because I loved my little adventure and am very grateful for being able to go. I'm also very grateful for those of you out there that helped give my sister the most beautiful day of her life. Thank you. They are little words but I don't know how else to express my big feelings. The love I've felt the last seven days is life changing.

Needless to say, blessed doesn't even begin to describe my life.

Okay, fine!

2009-08-19T02:20:00.005-10:00

I love the idea of secret, family recipes. Really, I do. Bush's Baked Beans? I wholeheartedly agree with their add campaign and think that that blabber mouth dog needs to be punished. I had this wonderful idea for that chocolate chip recipe to become one of those secret, family things. However, I also have an affinity for sharing things I love. What good is something awesome if I don't share it with someone? It's like that whole tree crashing in a forest question.

You're lucky.

The urge to share the goodness with you is stronger than the part of me that wants to keep it top secret, so here it goes.

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE BEFORE WE BEGIN:
Beth, I accept your chocolate chip cookie challenge. However, no cheating and comparing the baked goods before the competition. With that said, next time we see each other it is on, sister! Hopefully it's soon because the idea of a bake off makes me incredibly excited.

THE RECIPE:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups unsalted butter MELTED
1 cup packed brown sugar (do think about it, just do it)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 TABLESPOON vanilla (drool)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2+ cups of chocolate chips

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees
Melt the butter and combine it with the brown and granulated sugar. In a second bowl, gently beat together the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until just blended. DO NOT OVER BEAT, DO NOT ATTACK IT WITH A WISK! Combine the eggs and butter/sugar mixture until just blended. RESIST THE URGE TO CONTINUE MIXING FOR GOOD MEASURE! Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and once again mix until just blended. When I got to this step I used my electric mixer and finished up the last 10% of the job with a spatula to ensure I didn't beat the shmickle our of my dough. The secret to these cookies really is not over mixing. Don't say I didn't warn you...
Upon combining the deliciousness fold in the chocolate chips. The skinny on the chocolate: half and half--half milk, half bitter-sweet--I promise it will NOT let you down.
Chill the dough. You don't have to wait forever (just 40 minutes to an hour) but they won't set right if you don't cool things down, so be patient and put the dough in the fridge. Once the dough is chilled, don't hesitate to get those bad boys on a tray. These cookies like to spread, so don't put them too close. Place them in the oven for 15-17 minutes. Bake them until the edges just start to turn golden brown. The middles probably won't look completely done. Ignore the middles. They are liars. You are using the edges to get these things perfect. Once you take them out let them cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet. The residual heat will finish baking the cookies, allowing them to reach an ooey-gooey nirvana. Finish cooling them on a rack, parchment paper, whatever your fancy.
Now for a confession: I did not eat any of these when they were fresh out of the oven. I don't know how they taste then. If they taste funny to you just wait it out because one they cool down they will be like your heroin and I'm not talking female heroes here. FYI: When I baked them I placed 12 big or 20 small on a sheet. The recipe will yield over 4 dozen of the smaller cookies.

And there you have it. The most amazing chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. Do not abuse the privilege I have just afforded you. I will know if you have used this recipe for evil...

Turning 21 with Julia and Chocolate Chip Cookies: an Enthusiastic Post

2009-08-13T19:49:00.012-10:00

Monday August 10, 2009 I turned 21, and, I am pleased to say, it was a fabulous birthday. The festivities began the night before with a DELICIOUS lemon cake baked by my dear friend Marissa Greathouse. However, I did not get to blow out any birthday candles. Don't be sad. Candles just aren't how we roll. We're hardcore. We put sparklers in my cake. That's right, my cake looked like a giant, lemony firework and I loved it. After singing and fiery balls of birthday lemon love, there was coloring, birthday kisses, skip-bo and 30 Rock. Basically, only awesome things were allowed to take place that night. Monday brought more happy birthday messages and well wishes from all of my favorite people. In fact, Marie Granoff's happy birthday text ensured that I not sleep through class. Much mahalo, Marie, for supporting my education. It was a delightfully chill day, complete with an afternoon nap and it ended with yummy tacos, ginger ale (<3) and a movie.

Specifically, we went and saw Julie & Julia and from that movie I was given the best birthday present of the year: a new hero, namely JULIA FREAKING CHILD! She is amazing! I've known all of my life who she was but until that movie she was just the funny sounding chick who came PBS on after Wishbone. She made french food. She was old. I didn't think much of her. Little did I know she did some crazy stuff in her life. She was tenacious. She was diligent and purposeful. She loved culture, she loved people and she loved butter just as much as I do. I couldn't have cared less what happened to Julie in that movie. She was someone hopeless taking away from my time with Mrs. Child. Why do I want to hear about some winy woman living in queens when I could find out more about my Julie?! Goodness, I CANNOT WAIT to read her biography!

With that said, let's move on to chocolate chip cookies.
I've been searching for the perfect recipe for a while. I've tried family recipes, friend's recipes, even the Nestle Tollhouse recipe... Each was good but lacked that certain something. I was looking for a cookie that would be slightly crispy on the edges but oh so chewy in the middle, and at the same time, didn't scrimp on flavor. Believe me when I say I've finally found my recipe.

This recipe is perfect. It includes an extra egg yolk for the chewy (but not cakey) goodness I was looking for, and with 1 tablespoon (that's right, TABLEspoon not teaspoon) of vanilla I knew this would be flavor heaven.

I read a LOT of reviews for these cookies before baking (the cookies were for a meeting and i had to get this right) and adjusted the recipe where necessary, executing them perfectly. Specifically, I did everything in my power to avoid mixing the dough too much. It was the most common problem, and produced heavy and sometimes even hard cookies. My favorite personal touch to the recipe was using 1 cup semi-sweet and 1 cup milk chocolate chips instead of just one or the other.

It cut the richness of the 1 tablespoon of vanilla and the cup of brown sugar. Oh, I didn't mention that these cookies call for an entire cup of brown sugar in addition to the 1/2 cup white? Well I'm mentioning it now and Holy Moly does the brown to white ratio make a difference.

I made two batches of these cookies. The first were big, impressive ones to be used as the refreshment for our weekly team meeting. For those cookies I used a 1/8 measuring cup to scoop the dough. It produced about 24 gorgeous cookies.

The second batch (for me and mine to munch on because how do you make cookies but refrain from eating them?) made about 50 cookies that were half the size. The cookies were a HUGE hit with both sets. My friend Kyle at 9 of the small ones, but even more impressive was my boss. He had 8 of the big guys. That's right, 8. I've never seen an adult so adamantly consume cookies. These cookies are just that good.

The smell alone makes your mouth water. I mean just look at them. AMAZING! I'm hesitant to post the recipe, but if you really want it just comment and I'll send it to you complete with my adjustments. I love you just that much.

Photography

2009-08-07T19:34:00.011-10:00

I've enjoyed playing with my camera so much lately that I have decided that instead of reprints of famous artwork, or meaningless pictures little cottages in imaginary seaside villages, I'm going to decorate my home with artwork created by me and my future family, specifically, photographs I have taken while adventuring. Now all I need is a nicer camera (like one of the Canon XSI Rebels) so I have more control. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

Some of the fun I've had recently:

Delerious Day 6

2009-07-31T02:38:00.011-10:00

It is 2:30 am and I cannot sleep. What does that mean? It means that I am going to finish up blogging about Hong Kong and tell you all about our final day in Asia.

By day 6 were were EXHAUSTED (and that is an understatement). Our dilemma was making the most of our last day there (we didn't have to leave for the airport until 1) without destroying ourselves right before 15 hours worth of travel. The answer to our problem came in the form of a spa visit. There was one right across the street from the hotel and we decided we would go have something done.

The spa was on the second floor of this sketch apartment building. It ended up being really nice inside but until we got there we were a little worried that it was all a sham and that we were going to be kidnapped...

Our "I hope we don't get sold into sex trafficing!" faces.

We had ear candles done. The package included a head and neck massage. Hello best part of Hong Kong!

I was lucky. That sweet little lady did a FANTASTIC job. Alexis, however, did not enjoy her experience so much. Apparently the man working on her head and neck was intense and ended up putting her in quite a bit of pain at times. Sorry Alexis! After our massage we got one last yummy drink and headed to the airport.

I don't think we were ready to leave just yet... What do you think?

On the second leg of our journey we were lucky enough to be put in the emergency exit seats. These seats were located on the second floor of the plane (so cool!) and provided us with AMAZING leg room. Everyone on the plane was jealous. You could see it in their eyes. Because it was an overnight flight, we also got this awesome little bag complete with slippers and refreshing towelettes. Domo arigato Japan Airlines!

LEG ROOOOOM!

Japan Airlines slipper models

We spent the majority of the flight playing skip-bo and phase ten (Thanks, Holli, for those cards! They're now international travelers too!), and tried to get some sleep, but I managed only very little shut eye and Alexis got none at all. We were DONE by the time we landed in Honolulu.

game faces

Asia takes it out of you. Alexis lost her marbles and I was obviously hit by a train.

It was a long, intense six days, but Hong Kong was a once in life time opportunity and I would go again in a heartbeat!

To see a few more photos from the day click here!

Daring Day 5

2009-07-27T23:24:00.020-10:00

NOTE: DIRECTLY BELOW THIS POST IS A POST FOR DAY 4! As much as I loved Hong Kong I am sick of blogging about it and want to get this over with. I have other things to say, dang it. So, scroll down and read about Delicious Day 4!

This (day 5) was the last day of the conference. After a LAME breakfast and a delightful keynote speaker we bailed. This meant we got to spend the entire day exploring Hong Kong. Where did we go? The jade market, and boy did we rock the set of stalls we visited.

I'mma cut you!!
You had best believe we worked that jade market!

After that we met up with Holly and Calvin and had one last yummy drink with Aubrey Olsen and sent her on her way back to China. Form there we hit up the Hong Kong History Museum and the neighboring Science Museum. Wednesdays were free days so we didn't pay a cent!

What time is it? It's museum time!
crazy mirror fun

Dinner came next. Holly and Calvin took us to a "hot pot" restaurant. The food you ordered is cooked right there in front of you in a bowl of boiling broth-water. We at some crazy stuff. We had squab brain, chicken feet, whole octopi, fish innards, and a number of other interesting and intimidating foods. We were lucky; nothing tasted bad. However, some things did have questionable textures...

They came to the party.
"Um, eat this?! Are you sure?"
Chicken Feet video

Untitled from Jessia Davis on Vimeo.

"Hi little shrimp! How about you ditch those frightening antenna and get in my belly..."

So when we met Calvin, we thought his name was Kevin. We called him Kevin for like 3 days until, at dinner, when we decided to come Facebook friends, we found out we had it all wrong. Needless to say we felt pretty stupid. CALVIN, why didn't you tell us sooner?!

"Really?! We've been calling you the wrong name this ENTIRE time?!"

Alexis and I were exhausted so after dinner Calvin took Alexis and I to a little dessert place instead of out shopping. Eating with friends is huge in Hong Kong culture. People go out for everything because apartments are so small. The place we ate was packed with young people and it was super fun to chat and laugh surrounded by them. Oh, and dessert was tasty too!

Strawberries in black jelly...
The jelly tasted like black licorice which I am not a fan of. Calvin was kind enough to swap desserts with me.
the mango goodness that I had instead
It was late, and we were tired. That means we were a little loopy.

Want to see the rest of the pictures from Daring Day 5? Click here!

Delicious Day 4

2009-07-27T18:17:00.015-10:00

Let me begin with day 2 of the conference. Day two entailed: a keynote speaker presenting on Assistive Technology (what I want to do with my life), our presentation, the fanciest lunch buffet I've ever been to, swine flu fun, and charlies angels.

Hooray for blended learning!
The buffet was so fancy that they brought me my soda in one of those old school glass bottles.
They had crepes made to order in the buffet line. You had best believe I hit that up and added those saucey swirlies myself. Yumtastic!
Breathing in what we exhaled over and over again was making us crazy...
We understood and recognized the need for precautions like face masks in Hong Kong. With that being said: Swine flu train! Woo!
The highlight of my life: Charlie's Angels with the Bunk.

We left the conference early to have a little breather before venturing back to the temple. It was particularly awesome because the temple president arranged for us to do baptisms even though there wasn't a session scheduled. How cool is that to have something like that arranged just for you? Talk about blessings! We did a ton of work considering the amount of time we were down at the font (only 20-30 minutes). Alexis did about 50 baptisms and I probably did about 70 confirmations plus a good 15 baptisms of my own. It was particularly special because our temple here in La'ie has been closed for over six months. It was so nice to be able to leave the world enter the house of the Lord. The experience was definitely a testimony strengthener.

Here's everyone outside the temple. One of the passing missionaries took this photo and I was quite impressed.
the wet haired happiness that comes only after doing the Lord's work

Our post temple activities consisted of shopping at the ladies night market. I have no photos of that since I wanted to be able to say I was a poor American when bargaining. And of course, no night would be complete without yummy drinks. This time we actually went inside the little restaurant and got a table. The epitome of fun and tasty can be found in yummy drinks. So much so that I plan on trying to make them here at home soon.

YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMY!
Hui Laui Shan Healthy Dessert's new spokes model
One of the hotels on our way home. Classy, right? And don't worry 68 HK dollars equals just under 10 dollars American.

To see all of the photos from Day 4 click here!

Hong to the Kong: Day 3

2009-07-20T00:11:00.009-10:00

Monday, July 6

To begin, it was our first day attending the conference which was held at the Open University of Hong Kong. I'm going to be honest, Alexis and I were really eager to see the city, and therefore a tad upset about the fact that we had to sit in a conference all day when Hong Kong was waiting for us, but that was what we came for and we were definitely excited to learn all we could from those around us. We totally got into it once we got to the University.

Our "Wait... There's a conference we have to go to?" faces.

Not only did the conference give us new knowledge, but we they also gave some pretty sweet stuff in our conference goody bags. We got our very own name tag, information about Hong Kong, the University and the conference, a 2GB jump drive, a coupon packet, information about swine, a weeks worth of face masks and the bag itself (a delightful, purple, eco-friendly tote bag). Very cool.

"Look! I have an official looking name tag!"

I cannot believe how cool we are!

We were concerned about swine flu...

After the conference we got to hit the town. Holly and Calvin showed us around the city and we had the chance to be right in the middle of Hong Kong surrounded by some of the tallest buildings I've ever seen. They then took us to the peak, and across the harbor on the ferry. I don't think I will ever forget what it was like to see the city from above and then from below reflected across the glassy harbor water.

Our "We finally get to play in the city!" faces.

Need I say more?
the amazingly tall IFC building

Hong Kong island from across the harbor

After our adventure, they took us out to dinner at a tasty pirate themed Malaysian restaurant. They ordered us some crazy food. We had entire crabs that had been deep fried (shell and all), chicken joints, cabbage in a cream sauce, shrimp cakes, fried rice, and a hot, sweet, Chinese sticky bun. CRAZY!

Why yes, that is an entire crab.

Alexis had some trouble with her chopsticks--she couldn't figure out how to eat with them...

For dessert we had what we refer to as yummy drinks. They are kind of like fruit smoothies with chunks of fruit and other bits inside (like tapioca, or ice cold crystal jelly [flavorless jell-o]). We had one at least every day we were there. THANK YOU Holly and Calvin for introducing us to the wonder that was and still is Hui Lau Shan Healthy Dessert!

Yummy drinks! Look how happy we are!

Holly and Calvin: our FABULOUS friends and tour guides.

To see all of my photos from that day click here!

Adventures in Asia: Day 2

2009-07-15T12:58:00.006-10:00

Sunday morning in Hong Kong came too soon. I probably could have slept for a good two weeks straight after our day of travel and adventures in Japan, but I got up anyway and, believe it or not, was SUPER excited for the day to begin. You see, we decided to go to a Cantonese ward out in the New Territories. Alexis tutors a girl from Hong Kong and the ward we were going to was her ward.

This is the view from our hotel room. It's much prettier at night when you can't see the stains on the buildings and everything is lit up.

Our first real glimpse of Mong Kok. I don't count our cracked out 2 am taxi ride.

We got there an hour before church began. We decided to sit for a moment in the air conditioned building and write our journals. I couldn't write though; people watching was just too much fun. They say the church is the same everywhere you go, but I was surprised. I mean it was exactly the same! Haha! I sat there and watched little kids get out of primary, running up to their parents and showing them the pictures they had colored. I watched the missionaries chat with new and investigating members, women from the Relief Society socialize, and men stand in circles laughing heartily with one another. I think my favorite part though was watching everyone come talk to the older members of the ward. I sat next to the cutest old man and I LOVED listening to him laugh with others as children and adults alike came and chatted with him. I know Hong Kong is a very western country, and I expected some things to be the same, but I might as well have been watching my own home ward finishing up their Sunday services. It made me feel a lot closer to the people there and it was a testament to the unifying nature of the gospel.

Me outside of the church building where we went to the Butterfly Ward.

While sitting there people watching I received the most pleasant surprise. Out of no where, Holly Yau, a friend of mine from school who had gone home for summer, came running up to me. Apparently the ward we were attending was her home ward. FUN! She sat with us and translated the whole meeting (which was SO kind of her), introduced us to her friends, family and other members, and made sure we knew where we were going and what came next. Her presence was a huge help and we even made plans to hang out and explore the city. So much fun! It was through her that we unexpectedly met my friend Mandy's parents. We took a picture just to show her. It really is a small world when you're a member of the church.

The hymnal in Cantonese.

Alexis and I with Mandy's family.

The best part of the day had to be dinner with the Goos. The Hong Kong temple president is from Laie (where I go to school) and knows Sister Bunker (or the Bunk as we affectionately call her)so they had us over for our Sunday meal. It was AWESOME. They are such humble people. President Goo is so soft spoken and yet surprisingly jolly, and sister Goo has such awesome stories form her childhood in Hong Kong. They were very fun to get to know. Spending that time with them it became apparent that they were called of God and on his errand serving the people in Hong Kong. Also cool was the fact that they live in the temple. Much like the Manhattan, New York temple, the Hong Kong temple serves as more than just a temple. It has a meetinghouse, mission office, Beehive Clothing story thingy and even an underground parking garage in addition to apartments for the temple president and mission president. Going was our first glimpse of the temple and it made us super excited to go back Tuesday to do some baptisms.

the Hong Kong temple

all of us at the Goo's apartment

I was very grateful for the opportunity to spend Sunday in Hong Kong. My time in the ward there and my evening with the temple president was a huge blessing and a wonderful start to our time in Hong Kong.

EDIT: Here is the link to the Facebook album for they day. CLICK ME!

Adventures in Asia: Day 1

2009-07-12T16:19:00.025-10:00

Holy Moley did my day begin early! We were super excited to be on our way, though, and totally amped when to actually get on the plane. We were only a few hours from Japan, not to mention Hong Kong!

Well, let me tell you, being that excited makes for a very long flight. We weren't as enthusiastic to be on the plane 4 hours later, realizing we were only halfway through the first of two flights. I think the photo is a good indicator of how we felt in those cramped little seats...

We did eventually make, and boy howdy was Japan amazing! We landed at Nartia International Airport which is in the American equivilant of a suburb of Tokyo, and then we had to transfer to Haneda International Airport which was just over an hour away located on the edge of the city right on the water. It was a super fun ride.

We had an 8 hour layover in Tokyo giving us approximately 3.5 hours to explore the city. We decided to make our way to Tokyo Tower, which is the tallest structure in Japan. Getting there was more fun the the tower itself, I think. We had to navigate the MTR (metro system) and then take a 20 minute walk to it. Along the way we saw unexpected, often hidden, always beautiful aspects of the city that we most definitely stopped to appreciate.

The view from the tower was crazy! From the observation room thingy you could see all the way to Mt. Fuji and Tokyo Disneyland (on good days). It was too smoggy/foggy to see that far though, so I paid attention to what I could see and took time to think about the expansiveness of the city and how it still supports aspects of traditional Japan even though it's one of the most modern places on earth.

After that it was back on the plane for a 4 hour flight to Hong Kong. How did we survive claustrophobic economy seating after such a long day? Well, we didn't. WE GOT BUMPED TO BUSINESS CLASS! Booyah!! It was TO DIE FOR! Huge seats with foot rests that reclined super far back, acres of leg room, even the blankets and pillows were nicer. AH! I just wanted to spend the night right there...

We eventually did make it to Hong Kong. Our taxi ride was an interesting one. The city was so captivating. It's massive and everywhere you look there are enormous sky scrapers. They were really very pretty, all lit up and hazy look in the rain (torrential down poor welcome us to the city). I was definitely happy to finally be in Hong Kong after months of working and waiting.

The happiness that filled my body as we pulled up to the hotel was indescribable. After 30 hours of travel, I don't think I could have kept going. Believe me when I say the first and only thing we did upon our arrival to the Stanford Hotel in Mong Kong was shower and go to bed (besides record the following video, of course).

SIDE NOTE: If you want to see the all of the photos from day one, click here or visit my Facebook page!

It's Crazy to Be Here

2009-07-08T07:57:00.003-10:00

Okay, so I've been WAY more tired than I thought I would be. An 18 hour time difference plus activity packed, 17 hour days means that I don't have the energy to eloquently update this bad boy. But, rest assured, I will be blogging all about amazing Hong Kong in the near future. Sadly we are leaving tomorrow, and so each day starting July 9th (having arrive home safe and sound), I will write about a day of my trip and cover my blog in photos. If you are interested (and even if you're not) I urge you to check it out because I've gotten some fabulous shots. This trip has been a larger than life blessing. I've seen and experienced so many different things that it is almost like it's all a dream. Alexis says I'm photo happy, but I just don't want to forget that this actually happened.

You'll see what I mean in about 2 days when the record begins... Until then, here's a teaser that demonstrates just how exciting our time here has been:

It's the Hong Kong Countdown!

2009-07-03T01:20:00.002-10:00

4 hours until I leave BYUH
7.5 hours until I board the plane
15.5 hours until I reach Narita International Airport, Tokyo, Japan
24 hours until I fly out of Haneda International Airport, Tokyo, Japan
28.25 hours until I land in Hong Kong

I am excited to get to see these two amazing places!

Look for updates each day about our adventures! Just look at that city! How will I not have something to say?

Honu

2009-06-20T12:29:00.003-10:00

Some friends and I went to Shark's Cove on Thursday. It was an absolutely beautiful day for snorkeling. The water was perfectly flat, there was no wind, and there were only fleeting moments of cloud cover. This meant for calm seas with clear visibility. That visibility allowed for some amazing sights.

We chose to leave the little cove (pictured above) and venture out, around the rocky coast (imagine us on the other side of tha rocky wall protecting the shore) and over to Three Tables, located west (left in this case) of the cove. Doing so allowed us to not only avoid tourists, but to see a much richer, undisturbed environment.

Feeding on the enormous, craggy rocks were the most beautiful fish! I could just list off their names, but I know that would tell you nothing of what I saw so here are some photos.

butterfly fish

moorish idols

eyestripe surgeonfish

yellow tangs

Those are just a few of the fish I saw. We also saw parrot fish, sergeant fish (which look like little silvery zebras), and humuhumunukunikuapua'a, the Hawaiian state fish (google that, I dare you). There were so many fish of all shapes and sizes! Some were small, like aquarium fish. Others were bigger than regulation size footballs. And those mentioned are just the fish that I knew by name. There were others I'd never even seen before in an array of colors and shapes. The lava tubes, and huge rocky caves make the perfect home for coral and fish that feed on it so there was no shortage of wildlife to be seen.

As we headed towards the shore there was a huge school of whitebar surgeonfish and indo-pacific sergeant fish. Hundreds of them just swimming along maybe two feet below us. Alexis was brave and dove after them, but we were coming up on the rocks rather quickly so I was content to watch from afar. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't because she saw a huge eel as she went down and that TOTALLY would have freaked me out.

The big school of fish wasn't even the best part. As we swam around towards the tables we saw sea turtles (honu in Hawaiian). Alexis has good turtle juju and so we saw two. The first one was ten or fifteen feet below us. She was average in size, maybe a little on the small side and she was gorgeous. As if that wasn't cool enough we soon saw a second one. This one was just a little one, maybe only a foot, for and a half long, but she was much closer to us. She was beautiful to watch. Vibrant green and so graceful, she swam out to sea as though she were flying. The sun shown right down onto the ocean, the rays broken up by the water. This gave everything an ethereal glow. Little bits of life floating in the water would catch the light and sparkle. And there she was, not 10 feet from me looking me right in the eye. It was moving to say the least. I swam with her a little, watched her come to the surface for air and then she dove and it was time to say good bye.

I realize that turtles, especially when snorkeling or diving, are not a rare sight here, but this was a gift of an experience. There weren't people all around trying to get a look, just the five of us swimming along in perfect conditions. There weren't kids splashing or the sounds of cars driving by, only the sound of the water hitting the rocks and gentle kick of our flippers. The seculsion of it all is was made the experience so worthwile. It was like I was looking back in time at an island that hadn't been touched by the abrasive west. It was so humbling. I cannot wait to go again! If any of you ever come visit me, we will definitely be going here.

P.s. None of these photos were taken by me. I do not have an underwater case for my camera. However, my birthday is coming up... That's right. I said it. That's just now badly I want to be able to take photos of my own under water experiences because so far they have been AWESOME! ;0)

All You Need Is Love

2009-06-17T18:23:00.014-10:00

Let's compare my life to a puzzle. As I've put it together, I've noticed that some of the pieces are missing. There have been things I've needed to make the picture complete, to make me who I am, that I wasn't inherently gifted with (aspects of family, resources, opportunities). However, I have come to realize that this does not mean I will be left with gaping holes in my puzzle. My loving Father in Heaven has provided me with people to fill in those empty spaces. These angels have provided me with love and support that has changed my life. They are my heroes, my role models, my best friends, my family. They love me when no one else will, and give me all that I could ever ask for. I would be lost without them. I do not say this to be melodramatic, or to complain about the things I do not have. Instead, I say it to remark on all that I have been given. I say this to express an undying gratitude for the gifts these people are. I would be miserable and lost without them to say the least.

I love you and thank each of you for what you have given me!

(in alphabetical order)

The Anderson Family

Señor Brandon Cruz

My Greatest Briton

My partner in crime, Camille

Holli Joy and her men (the Genduso Family)

Greta-badeta

The Hampton Family

Mi Familia (the Lees)

The Peterson Family

My baby sister, Susan

Tralicia!! (Tracie & Alicia)

Recent events have caused me to ponder these gifts. There is an endless list of people I wish I could express this too, people who have effected me and don't even know it. I mean, I could go on forever about the amazing people who have been apart of my life. This also means that not being pictured doesn't mean your aren't amazing. In fact, if you're reading this and you aren't pictured, then you probably should be. Regardless, one last time, thank you everyone (those pictured here and those who aren't) for making me who I am and giving me and an awesome ride down the road of life!

Simpler Times (sorry this is not a simpler post...)

2009-06-13T01:56:00.004-10:00

When I am left to introspection I am often overwhelmed. A train of thought will quickly carry me into the depths of human reflection and contemplation. Even more powerful are these instances when the moment is quiet and the world around me still. Carrying on for any period of time in this state leaves me feeling like a shaken bottle of champagne, cork ready to erupt.

For me, a thought becomes a reality only when it is acknowledged by someone else. What does it matter what has crossed my mind if I fail to share it in some way (be it in a journal of sorts for latter audiences, or with someone face to face)? Any insight, any wisdom or beauty that I possess in those seconds becomes lost to the ages, which is, if you ask me, a pity, for growth and betterment come in the sharing of such ideas.

I have been thinking a lot lately of how technology interferes with this sort of interaction. We have become enamored with and over stimulated by information and electronic connection. These fleeting amusements keep us from, not only our own quiet moments of deliberation, but from sharing the fruit of that introspection. When we connect to technology we disconnect from one another. Obviously, in such a day and age, we cannot nor should we wholly avoid technology. It can be quite a blessing when taken advantage of in moderation and prudence. Instead, however, especially of late, I have failed to ration out the time I spend "plugged in."

It makes me sad to think of the wonders I fail to discover because I am satisfied with a virtual reality, or the emotion I refuse to share or even experience because of such preoccupations. When I realize the time and energy I have wasted I can't help but wish that I were a part of a simpler time when free moments were spent actively bettering oneself instead of passively floating from one day to the next.

I wish I lived in a time of candle light and propriety, when music, art, and witty banter where the source of entertainment instead of television, movies, and video games. People are quickly forgetting how to interact with one another, forsaking manners and elegance for self indulgence and instant gratification. I really do find it an awful shame.

I sincerely hope that, as time passes on, I can pull myself away from technology and keep it as a blessing to be used in moderation and not a dominating way of life. I am, just as you are, blessed with talents and skills that I should be searching out and improving, relationships that deserve my attention, and good people to whom I may provide my loving service.

There are people that act and people that are acted upon and I choose to become the first. I do not wish to look back on my life and muse upon all of the things I did not do or failed to become because I wasted my time. It is a matchless gift to be given a mind that so freely thinks and reasons. Not only would it be an abomination to let it melt away, but it would be sinful and selfish to not develop it for the good of others.

I hope I can master self control and give myself the meditation the prophets instruct us to provide. If I do, hopefully I will be more skilled in and more apt to sharing the things that cross my mind instead of bottling them up as previously mentioned, for if I do not start releasing them, I think that soon I will explode, and I cannot think of anyone that wants to clean up such a mess.

Don't Pretend Like You're Not Excited I've Posted Again So Soon

2009-05-30T03:33:00.005-10:00

I'm a time waster. Every day I just sit around and do nothing, wasiting my time. However, that is about to come to an end. Tonight, because sleep is eluding me once more, I made some goals for myself. These goals focused on using my time better for a happier, healthier life.

I decided I need to manage my time better to prevent the waste. To accomplish this I've made myself a schedule that includes waking up at 8:00am for breakfast (the most important meal of the day) and Pilates, taking an hour for lunch during which I will study my scriptures with purpose and start journaling (because unless this counts I'm a failure at that) and getting to bed by 11:00pm every night. I've decided I need to start going to FHE on Mondays, that I really want to start dancing with the local Halau again (that takes place on Tuesdays) and I've even reserved Thursdays to continue my family history like I mentioned in my last post. I've also made goals to get out of La'ie once a month, go to the beach once a week (to play, to mediate or just to get some sun), and to start studying for my Praxis exam and PLT (teacher tests). I spend hours just clicking away on my computer. I really need to stop throwing my life away. These goals are how I'm going to do combat that bad habit.

BIG NEWS! I'd like to report a new addition to the family. Jefferson Davis (no relation to the Confederate President) was conceived tonight as a result of my insomnia. Don't worry, I'm not knocked up, I've just finally planted the seed paper that the school gave out (seed paper=recycled paper made with seeds mixed in, you know, to help the environment). Jefferson is named for Thomas Jefferson, founding father and agricultural enthusiest. He felt every citizen should own land so now I do. It's a little bit of land that I stole from the school and placed in the cut off bottom of a water bottle, but it's mine. Stolen land... Classy I know; I'm sure he's smiling down on me in approval. I took the dirt from some loose earth around one of the newly planted palm trees. I figure, in Hawaiian culture, the land belongs to no one so it's not really stealing. Besides, I'm going to plant Jefferson somewhere on campus before I leave so I'll be giving it back eventually. Let's just hope that that seed paper actually will grow something. Otherwise I'm going to be sorely disappointed. Hopefully in a week I'll be blogging about his "birth." Raising Jefferson on my own will be tough, but I think I have what it takes to be a good single Mother to him. Afterall, he's just a plant.

Past, Present and Future

2009-05-28T22:12:00.003-10:00

I am SO tired, but I HAVE to blog about today! It was too awesome of a day to not record right this moment how I'm feeling.

Firstly, I received my official placement for my Observation & Practicum and Student Teaching. I will be working with Anna Logan in her 5/6 grade resource room at Hau'ula Elementary School. HOW FREAKING AWESOME IS THAT?! I mean, it's real now. I'm not just studying anymore. I'm going to be in a classroom three days a week working with real students obtaining my license. In a year from now I will have already finished my 20 days of solo teaching and I'll be applying for jobs... like real ones... like ones that come with a salary and benefits. I mean, to even begin O&P I have to join the teachers' union. It's like I'm a real adult or something.

It was funny. Sitting there, waiting for them to hand me my letter, I thought I was going to barf all over the place out of excitement. Then, however, our department chair started talking about all of the tests we have to take and it sunk in that this next year is going to make or break my future career. This isn't like business where you just graduate and go get a job somewhere and figure it all out. If I don't do well and don't get licensed these last four years were basically for nothing. How intimidating is that?! Needless to say my stomach flipped over and I now found myself ready to puke out of fear and anxiety.

I think Heavenly Father new I needed some help because he made sure it was pouring down rain after the meeting. Having ridden my bike there sans umbrella, I had to pretty much wait it out. Doing so enabled me to see my Academic Advisor, Sister Ching (LOVE THAT WOMAN). Working out my schedule kinks and talking with her about what I have to do before I graduate immediately calmed my nerves and pumped up the excitment once more. I only have to take three more tests to obtain my license (I thought it was more like 5), the tests aren't as long or as crazy as I thought, I've started applying for graduation, and apparently Sis. Ching knows Anna; she told me she is a crazy awesome teacher whos won all of these awards and that I will just absolutely love her. There is nothing more reassuring than knowing my CT (cooperating teacher) and I will work well together. Plus, all I have to do is get my psych minor signed off and get measured for my cap and gown and my graduation application is complete. If that's not a wake up call I don't know what is! AHHHHH IT'S SO CLOSE!

To top it off I had an awesome evening on the temple grounds with my dear friend and Relief Society President, Christelle Passil (from New Caledonia), during which we stopped by the family history center and were blessed with the spirit of Elijah. Being in there and starting to find out who my family is and where we come from... I think I've been bitten by the geneology bug. The best part was that it was all totally random and on a whim. We were just coming home from some official Relief Society business when we thought we'd stop for a bit. Three hours later we have decided we're going to go every week and start getting our business done. The whole thing made the idea of forever families so much more tangible, like finding their names and info made me so excited to do their work (if it hasn't already been done) and some day meet them on the other side. I am so blessed to live so close to these resources and to be surrounded by good people with whom I can learn and grow.

Another long post, I know, and I am sorry, but wouldn't you be bursting at the seems if you had a day as eventful as mine?

The Boy Who Lived

2009-05-25T22:23:00.005-10:00

This is a long, long post, and I'm sorry, but it's hard to express the love that I have for that skinny, bespectacled, Voldemort fighting, young man known as Harry Potter. I began reading the series when I was about 11, which is, by the way, the exact same age Harry is when the story begins. The first book had me hooked. I wanted nothing more than to have Hagrid knock on my door and tell me I was a wizard. In fact, I secretly hoped that Jo Rowling got it wrong and that it was on your twelth birthday you found out you were magical got accepted to Hogwarts. Needless to say my twelth birthday left me with the stark realization that I was a mere muggle and instead I waited on bated breath for book after book to come out.

I am sure that a large amount of my attachment to this series stems from the fact that I literally grew up with Harry, but, one cannot deny the awesome power of these stories. There is a reason they are so popular. Jo Rowling presents a detailed, fanicful world full of magic (pun fully intended), one which readers young and old want to be a part of, and reading them all back to back as I did opened my eyes to just how powerful the series is. Not only are they exciting and engaging, but they are intelligent pieces of literature that have a deeper meaning. All of things contribute to their coolness factor.

Firstly, the books are like a giant puzzle. Events in the seventh book are connected to and hinge on plot points that occured in the very begining of the storyline. You see each book's plot woven together in the end, with characters you thought mattered very little to the story doing their part to defeat Voldemort. I tell you, it made me emotional to see everything come together like that. The first time I read the seventh book I cried for like the last hundred, two hundred pages because of it. That is silly I know, but it was gut wrenching to be standing there with Harry, surrounded by so many people so willing and ready to do their part, give up their lives even, to stand up to such a dark and powerful force. Even greater is the understanding that everything Harry has lived through has prepared him for this one moment where he must give his life... it is moving to say the least.

The Potter-verse is that captivating because Jo writes in such a way that the places in her world, like Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and the Burrow, come to life. You could drop me into the Ministry of Magic and I could find my around no problem. I'd be happy to take a weekend at St. Mungo's and volunteer, not to mention spend a Christmas holiday at the burrow. How she paints her world allows it to come to become reality in my imagination. More importantly, it's appealing. The wizarding world is how the real world should be, I think. I mean you can fly for crying out loud! The books have kick "a" characters, too. Because Jo knows them so well, they might as well be real people. She writes with with such detail and nuance. Remus Lupin, Rubeus Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall, Molly Weasley, when compared to the trio they are minor characters, but I adore them none the less. Don't even get me started on Snape and Dumbledore. I literally wept when Dumbledore died and then I wept again when I had to read through all of Snapes memories. What heartache!

That brings me to the third thing I love so much about Harry Potter: the themes. When you are young they are just exciting stories about magic, but as you grow up you understand what it is Jo Rowling is trying to communicate. The importance of equality, the value of unity against inhumanity and oppression, the possiblity of redemption and repentance, the power of love and family (in all forms), the significance and magnitude of agency, Jo's stories have all of these heavy themes intricately written into them and when they create the story's climax you cannot help but cry for Harry and for the whole wizarding world. First tears of empathy come as he calls on his dead parents for strength, next they fall in support as he calmly and knowingly faces Voldemort. When he chooses to return to this life and fight once more I can't help but offer a watery smile in pride at how far he has come and finally tears of happiness pour out of my already tired eyes as he triumphs, rising above the most powerful wizard on earth, fighting for right standing side by side with characters I love so dearly.

I know, "it's just a book," but to me it is so much more. To me it is an escape, a place where I can fight side by side with Harry for the things I value most in life. It is a place where I can leave behind homework deadlines, financial problems and loneliness in favor of having a butter beer at the three broomsticks or taking in a game of quidditch with some of my best friends. You might think it's weird, maybe even pathetic, but instead of being ashamed of it, I consider it a blessing that I can so fully engross myself in the written word. It definitely makes the real world so much more exciting. Thank you Jo for those beautiful books! They have changed my life!

So True!

2009-05-25T17:09:00.002-10:00

This is mostly just for Brit and Camille, but you're welcome to look and enjoy too.

This came from graphjam. A site which you should definitely check it out.

p.s. A post about the awesomeness of Harry Potter is coming soon.

Melancholia...

2009-05-15T20:57:00.004-10:00

...I has it.
Every post I pour out my heart, sharing my secrets, my desires, my adventures, my sorrow, opening up to you, my readers. Are my thoughts and feelings ever acknowledged? No! Do you care enough to comment? No! Why I just documented an amazing experience and none of you blinked twice at it. I am heartbroken; heartbroken I say! What kind of friends are you? You make me sick! Is it too much to ask for a little validation from the people I respect most? I think not! Shame on all of you!

p.s. In case you couldn't tell, I'm an attention whore who desires your comments on my blog. That's all...

A True Hawaiian Adventure

2009-05-10T20:50:00.017-10:00

I went on the greatest adventure yesterday! Last Monday afternoon I sat indoors working. As I was lazily admiring the beautiful weather through a rather large, panoramic window, I realized just how long it had been since I had been on an adventure. This realization did NOT make me happy, so I decided I would go to the beach that weekend. As I repeatedly found myself trapped indoors, however, simply going to beach was not enough and it evolved into something greater: going snorkeling. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted something even grander, and soon snorkeling had become going out to Goat Island.

Mokuauia Island, as it is properly called, is a small island about 700 feet off the coast where Malaekahana Bay and La'ie Bay meet. It's a protected bird sanctuary (various species of birds nest in the foliage on the island where they can reproduce undisturbed by other animals and people). This means that you cannot venture out into the middle of the island, but the beaches are open to the public and you can even walk around the entire thing if you like. To get out to the island we walked across the reef at low tide. We wore flip flops, however, instead of shoes (rookie mistake) and so it took us a little longer to walk across, as we tended to slip or lose our shoes, but we made it and we had an AWESOME time.

Once there, we went swimming in the crystalline waters of a small lagoon, combed the beaches for little treasures and hiked the circumference of the island. It was so interesting to see how the land had developed, untouched by human hands. There were smooth, sandy beaches, jagged cliffs, tide pools and shelves of lava rock where enormous crabs lived. Vibrant green foliage dotted with purple and yellow flowers that grew right out of the sand and old, weather beaten trees, stripped of their leaves, lined our walk. Everywhere you went you heard the birds singing and the sounds of the water hitting the shore. It was a vivid reminder of what this world has to offer if only we are willing to look.

Our adventure was breathtaking! Here is just a peek of what we had the honor and blessing of experiencing.
(for a more humorous detail of events, see Ben's blog--the link is on the sidebar)

Secrets

2009-04-24T16:03:00.005-10:00

I've said it before: I live a rather boring life. Every now and then I'll do something particularly adventurous, but, for the most part, living in HI (while going to school and working at least) is no different than living anywhere else in the states. With that said, two weeks ago to the day, the Winter 2009 semester ended. The ending of the semester was followed by a week free of classes and homework (but full of actual work) during which I didn't do too much either. I went to Honolulu and Kaneohe for some delicious meals and movies, but that was about it. Now I've completed the first week of our six week term. It's rather hectic going to class for four hours a day and then working four hours a day, fitting in an hour at the gym and then attempting to do homework, but I does whats I gots ta do.

Now, because I'm so boring I'm going to do something exciting with this post. I figure, no one wants to read about how boring my life is so I'm going to confess to you my secret dreams.

They are to:

publish an award winning novel/memoir
do voice over acting
be a Jungle Cruise guide at Disneyland
go to culinary school (maybe even be a well known chef)
be a photographer
teach underprivileged children and adults in a foreign country
design clothing
be a comedian/comedic writer
design (architecturally) and decorate my own home
sing in the MoTab (I'm not a very good singer, I just enjoy it and think it would be awesome)

Now you know a little bit more about all of the crazy things I'm hiding from the world.
I'm like an onion, waiting to be peeled, only hopefully I smell better and won't make you cry uncontrollably.

Weird Dreams I Have Had Recently:

2009-03-31T18:44:00.004-10:00

1. I am dating Alec Baldwin and living in a swanky New York penthouse.
2. I am the 5th Golden Girl and the series ends when our house burns down and we are forced to live elsewhere.
3. I am a part of a relay race for St. Jude's children's hospital. The race takes place on Halloween and Tina Fey is my partner. We run in full costume. I am a killer tomato and she is a blue crayon.
4. I discover a duffel bag with puppies in it on the beach. I keep them and they become the hale pets.

How cracked out am I?

The Prophecy

2009-03-27T00:53:00.003-10:00

Preface: This video was made by my very talented friend Ben. It's a highlight video of the school's culture night. Every year the BYU-H puts on "Culture Night" in which the clubs that represent various groups of people attending the school perform. Anyone can participate in any club, and the program is an awesome way for students from all over the world to get to know one another and the countries they come from.

“You mark that word, and from this school, I’ll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally.”

In 1955, David O. McKay spake these words as he dedicated the ground that would become the Church College of Hawaii and finally Brigham Young University--Hawaii. I witness the fulfilling of this prophesy every day of my life. As I attend school here, I am awestruck. Here is a place where people from over 70 different nations congregate with one goal in mind: knowledge. It is true what they say; knowledge is power, and as I am getting to know my brothers and sisters from all over the world I started to understand their cultures and lifestyles. I truly appreciate them, and have expanded my understanding of the world around me. Essentially, I am beginning to fulfill that prophecy. When I leave here I know I will take with me the bits and pieces of the world my new friends have given me, and I will use the power that that knowledge brings to influence the world for good. I don't yet know what the Lord has in store for me, but I know that I am supposed to be here and that there is some divine purpose for my experience in the little town of La'ie. I grateful for the gift this adventure has been, and I am excited to continue to expand and grow, learning from others, over the next year.

Aloha and a hui hou!

Life in Hawaii is not so glamorous...

2009-03-11T00:38:00.005-10:00

I had previously posted an SNL clip. I've taken it down because my blog is too cute now to be obstructed by the video. To watch the clip making fun of Hawaii trouism, click here.

The Magnificent Seven

2009-03-07T23:35:00.002-10:00

"Your fathers are not cowards. You think I am brave because I carry a gun; well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility, for you, your brothers, your sisters, and your mothers. And this responsibility is like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and it twists them until finally it buries them under the ground. And there's nobody says they have to do this. They do it because they love you, and because they want to. I have never had this kind of courage. Running a farm, working like a mule every day with no guarantee anything will ever come of it. This is bravery."
-- Charles Bronson as Bernardo O'Reilly

I've figured it out!

2009-03-04T18:15:00.002-10:00

I was working the other day, writing up a work sheet on self-talk and motivation. I came across a personal account from a young lady who stated that, unlike so many, she never felt test taking anxiety. She didn't fret or freeze up when it came time to be tested like other people do. Instead, she felt assignment anxiety. It was the idea of tackling a large, detailed assignment stressed her out beyond belief. The anxiety that came at the thought of beginning an assignment, pulling it out of thin air caused her to procrastinate even the largest of assignments. As soon as I read that I instantly thought, "That's ME!!" I don't procrastinate because I'm lazy, or I don't think things are important. I procrastinate because I'm so stressed about the assignment itself. I'm afraid I won't be able to thingk of a good enough idea, afraid that my hard work won't yield the grade I'm aiming at, mostly I just never know where to begin.
This very thing happened to me last night. I had a quite large, rather important project do in my course on testing this morning. I attempted to begin the project days ago, but just couldn't seem to get going. Every time I tried I would think about everything I had to do and get overwhelmed. My mind would shut down and I'd calmly go back to ignoring the project. Even last night I decided conversing with good friends was more important than beginning. I didn't finally get going on my project until about 1:30 am. I literally worked all night. I finished a little before 9:00 am. From there I washed my face headed on my merry way. I still had to print that bad boy out, mail out my taxes and find me a black binder clip. Needless to say, I have not slept a wink all day. It has been about 36 hours since I last slept. I'm lucky. I got a lot of sleep over the weekend and today has been a busy day. I'm in class right now, and in half an hour I'm headed off to intramurals. We're playing floor hockey tonight and are in second place to win the championship, but that isn't what I'm getting on about. Basically, I don't quite know how my body is doing it. This semester I've been exhausted. I can't get up or stay up like I used to. Getting my performance assessment (the project I had to do) done was a miracle in itself. I need to start training myself to get my school work done on time...

CHANGE? We'll see...

2009-02-24T16:42:00.006-10:00

Dear Barack,
How are you? I am doing alright, just listening to you address congress. I admit, you are a remarkable orator. Your powerful way with words (well, your writer's powerful way with words) is just what the nation needs to rally together and become united. It is true that without that unity we will not defeat our economic crisis and become, once again, a nation of true predominance. However, Barack, I find that you are talking the talk, but have yet to walk to walk. You use the power of your words to frighten the abstract concepts of homeland security, economic recession, health care, and education. I want you to harness the power of action to fight for or against these things. You have few concrete plans of action. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the efforts of your stimulus bill (though I don't think it's going to work) and your support of education, both in regards to reform and expansion. These are concrete plans of action, but what about everything else you've mentioned? You're stimulating the economy now, but how are your going to alter it for the better in the long run. What occurs when all of the new roads are built and those millions of Americans lose their jobs again? Where is your plan to pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan? Fixing credit, beginning lending and finding sources of renewable energy sound like a great ideas, but how are you going to carry all of those out. Show me a plan that works, Barack, and then you will have my unbridled support.
Please do not misunderstand my words. I am excited for your presidency, Barack. You have so much potentional, and I adore your enthusiastic and fresh approach to policy. I do not agree with you on everything. In fact there are a few key points I disagree with you on, but your intense desire to act is what gives me hope. Please carry out that desire and start proposing policy. PLEASE.
Thank you so much for your dedication and effort to bettering the nation. How I felt about you before the election is now a mute point. You are our president despite that opinion, and as long as you act swiftly, justly and in the country's best interest you will have my support. Do not let me down.

Sincerely,
Jessica Rebecca Davis

p.s. You might want to cut back on the pomp and circumstance... it makes it seem like you're trying to cover up the fact that you have nothing concrete to say.

p.p.s. Oh, and tell Nancy Pelosi to SIT THE CRAP DOWN! Jumping up every time an inkling of support is offered nullifies the honor in the action. She's more like an excited puppy than the Speaker of the House. That goes for the rest of the senate too!

So Cool!

2009-02-20T19:48:00.003-10:00

So this afternoon has been kinda lame. First, my job description didn't list my pay rate and Sis. Bunker (my boss) is off island so she can't inform them of it; this means I STILL can't get properly hired. I got the job at the beginning of the month and I still have not been able to become an official employee of the school due to one thing and another. No hire slip=no pay=no good. Then I get back to the room and wireless is still down (I've been using my roommate's cable when she's not here). It went down this morning, and still hasn't been fixed. This means I'm probably going to be spending the weekend without the internet (mock me if you will, but I live a simple, techno-dependant life). Finally, I couldn't get a ticket for the musical (which I was going to watch with my roommate, Karuna and her sister, Kevita) because it sold out, so there goes my Fri. night plans. I realize these aren't the worst things that could happen to me, but they are no fun, and did make me kinda cranky.
There was, however, something that took away the crankiness. I was calling Karuna to let her know she didn't need to save me a seat anymore since I couldn't get a ticket (congrats, by the way, on selling out; that's awesome for the cast) when I see one of the little girls I worked with last semester at the elementary school. She got all excited and wave at me when she realized I recongnized her. I waved back and listened as she turned to her friend (and fellow classmate) and exclaimed "See! That is Auntie Jessie from school! She was so nice!" She then gave me a wonderful little hug as she left the building (apparently she couldn't watch the show either). How flattering to be remembered and liked by the students. And I wasn't the "cool" student observer that just sat there and let them do whatever either. I definitely helped with classroom control (aka kept them in line) and tutored as well. I only spent a few hours in their classroom a week, but apparently I made some small impact. It might seem silly to you, but I think it's awesome to make even a little difference, and it makes me REALLY excited to be a teacher...

President's Day in Pictures

2009-02-17T21:34:00.012-10:00

Talk about a great day! Monday was absolutely fabulous! Now, as we are all aware, I have the tendency to be a bit wordy, so, instead of boring you with my "floral verbiage" we're going to talk about the day using pictures. Fabulous idea? I think so...

After much planning and anticipation, these crazy kids and I went whale watching. It was something we've talked about doing since we got back from break (since it's "the season" and all), and we finally had the chance to get out there and do it.

(Wolfgang and Jaimie)

(Ben)

We sailed out Monday morning on a 40 foot catamaran called the Ho'o Nanea. Ho'o Nanea means "to pass the time in ease and comfort" and boy did we ever! The boat was awesome; it was a double hulled ship that can be powered by engines, by its sail or by both.

Sailing on a catamaran, we had some unique privileges not afforded to other boats. First, it's a smoother sailing ship. This means no seasickness. Second, because of its design, the boat is very open. Pretty much every surface of the boat provided for a picturesque view of the ocean and of our whales. My favorite part though, was this huge net that connects the two hulls. It was very comfortable to sit or lay on. Just feet from the water, you could peer down and see below you, the glass-like, rolling sea. It was gorgeous.
Once we got out to sea, we began our search for humpback whales. We sailed out with a nice little family and an older couple. The husband of the little family was the first to spot a whale. He saw, way off on the horizon, the whale's blow, or the water that it shoots out of its blowhole. However, those whales were much to far away to sail towards, so we continued on searching. The next person to spot a whale was me! I saw a pod blowing relatively close and we headed out in their direction. By law we can't come closer than 100 feet to them, so our first encounters were at quite a distance.

Here is the whale's signature hump. Please excuse the poor quality of these photos. They have been cropped and zoomed in on so you can clearly see the whale's features. These were the first glimpses of the whales we were given. We watched a couple pods come up and dive down.

When you see a whale dive like that it means they're going deep, so as exciting as it was, there is some dead time after you see their majestic tales. We had no idea where they were headed, so we began moving again. We stopped to search once more, hoping to see another pod. Little did we know but there was one right below us! As we sat searching, two whales came up out of the water well under 100 feet from us. At this point in time, I'm so engrossed in the experience that I'm forgetting to snap photos so I'm sorry. However, we were blessed to have Ben filming the experience and, according to him, he got quite the "money shot." You can expect a video of the day to be posted in the near future with some AMAZING footage of our adventure. Having the whales come so close was such a blessing. They are such gorgeous creatures and seeing them like that was very uplifting and so humbling. They were so large and beautiful! This was definitely a dream come true.

Our adventures didn't stop there, however. After whale watching we headed to Costco and Walmart! Hooray for Costco! Food and toiletries are VERY expensive on our side of the island. You see, we live in "the country" and because of this they like to double the price of goods. They know we without cars have no other choice but to pay. For example, at Costco, I bought some laundry detergent. I bought 105 loads worth for $16.00. Ben and I went that evening to Foodland (the local market) and checked out the price of detergent there. It was about $10.00 for 32 loads worth. Hello amazing savings! I spent about $20 for a case of 48 V8s. At food land I have to pay $6.00 for 6. It was a bit overwhelming to drop $85.00 in one shot, but when I think about how much I'm saving in the long run my blood pressure settles down and I'm grateful for our little trip. Hooray for Costco! Thanks Jaimie and Wolfgang for renting the car and thanks Ben for getting us into Costco with your card! The above photo is of the middle of the island. It's much flatter and more "deserty" that on our side. The mountains between the coast and inland block the storms cut the rainfall in half. Even without the down pour we receive, the middle of the island is still gorgeous!

After Costco and Walmart we stopped along the North Shore to take a look at this sweet little thing. Ben, in all his years of schooling here, had never seen a sea turtle or "honu" as they are called in Hawaiian. I was lucky enough to see one on our own beaches here one of my first trips down to the shore. Seeing these turtles were a bit different however. They show up on the shores of Turtle Beach like clockwork. Their arrival is so predictable that they have a turtle patrol that makes sure tourists don't disturb the animals (which is wonderful). As you guessed there were tons of people with us photographing them and a rope preventing us from getting too close. This experience wasn't as reverent as the one I had on Temple Beach over a year and a half ago, but it was fabulous none the less and Ben got to see his turtle. Great idea stopping Wolfgang and how freakin' cute is that turtle!

Our last stop was Shark's Cove. The waves on North Shore were quite large that day and seeing this from the road, we couldn't help but stop and enjoy the beauty. In the summer months, when the water is MUCH calmer, this little cove is a great place to snorkle. The large rocks you see on either side block out the much smaller waves creating a fabulous, and often more shallow, cove. Living on and the rocks are all kinds of creatures to see. I have yet to go snorkling here, but I've heard it's great. Obviously, Monday the waves were huge and easily pounded the 25 foot high rocks (not good conditions for snorkling). We stood there on the craggy ledge listening to the water hit the stone grateful for such an amazing day. From there we drove home. Everyone was beat; we'd left La'ie at 7:30 and it was 4:30 in the afternoon now. Personally, I finished off my fabulous day curled up in the back seat of the car, perfectly relaxed, dozing in and out of sleep. We did so much and saw so much I couldn't help it and I'm glad I ended the afternoon that way because that nap was pretty much perfect.

All in all, it was a fabulous day, the kind I'll tell my kids about some day. I definitely have some amazing friends. Thanks guys for giving me such a picture perfect three day weekend!

Lifesaver!

2009-02-08T22:39:00.003-10:00

I saved a gecko today. I often find myself releasing really tiny ones that make their way into our room, but this time I saved a big one. He was trapped in the bathroom, stuck in the puddle of hand soap that had dripped on the counter. I scooped him up and rinsed him off (much to his chagrin) to ensure that the soap wouldn't kill his poor, little, reptilian body. Once he was nice and clean I let him go on the wall under a light. I even pet him as I walked away and he didn't run! That means that remembered me! Well, either that, or the poor guy ingested some soap and the chemicals have destroyed his nervous system. We're going to hope for the first though.

Listen to me because I know EVERYTHING!

2009-02-04T11:15:00.002-10:00

Okay, so anyone who knows me well knows I was born to take care of people. Do I do it well? I don't really know, but my instincts and desires don't revolve around me as much as they do the people I love most, and believe me, I realize what a blessing that is. With that said, I understand that I am an odd duck. What I'm about to say might make some people a little frustrated or upset, but before you go sending me hate mail, realize that I know what I'm about to say doesn't apply to everyone, nor do I expect everyone to meet this standard in the same way I do.
First, read this article to understand what I'm upset about.
Now, I asked you to read the article because the author's tone and jargon are SUPER important to understand why I'm upset. However, for those of you who do not feel like expanding your world view, the article is by a woman who is basically saying, "I don't really want kids because they will take so much of my life away. I'll have to feed them, clothe them, listen to them and put them first. I wont be able to do whatever I want. My body is gonna freak out. I really like sleeping. Etc."
Why does this make me upset? Because it is SO SELFISH!! Granted I do have the one up on this chick. I understand the purpose of my life here on this earth (to work towards and create eternal families) and actively live in that direction, but what about all of those folks without the gospel? Am I really going to hold them up to my standard? You bet your sweet bippy I am! Why? Because the happiness that comes in indulging such a selfish desire is fleeting and creates a degraded, corrupt society. Now, I know there's some idiot out there who's like "Well look at communism! Isn't that all about living for the community and look what a crappy set up that is!" or some other idiotic comment bent on proving me wrong on a technicality. Before you leave that RIDICULOUS comment on my blog take a step back and think about what point you're trying to prove and the spirit in which you're trying to prove it. There's a reason they say constructive criticism is best.
So back to my rant. Why does this article piss me off? Because she doesn't want to become a people machine? Because she doesn't want to be a "stay at home" Mom? Because her goals and desires do not match mine? No, not really. What pisses me off is how she degrades the position of mother. Why is the thought of having children so disgusting? Is it okay to want to experience life and accomplish certain things before you have kids? Sure! Go for it! Do I plan on popping out babies nine months after I say "I Do"? Freak no! Do I look forward to not being able to sleep in for 18 years? Are you joking?! But do I understand the importance of creating righteous, healthy families? YES! They are the back bone of society! It makes me upset when I see the people most fit to be parents forgoing the whole child rearing process because it is "not worth it".
Why is it the ignorant, poor folk that are breeding like rabbits?! ...but that's another post entirely.
I don't know, maybe a little bit of my problem is that I don't know how to see her point of view. I have a huge problem with thinking everyone's thought processes work the same way mine do. However, in this case, I don't want to see things her way. I don't want to ever accept that selfish of an attitude as okay.
I'm not making sense. Basically what I'm trying to say is that there is nothing wrong with wanting to be a mother. Your life is simply put on hiatus, it doesn't end. Having children is fulfilling and life changing FOR THE BETTER, if you go at it with the right attitude. Is it painfully hard, and does it take getting used to? YES (how could you think otherwise; are you retarded?)! Is that okay? Sure! Not everyone is born a mother or father. But when we decide that looking at a painting in Italy, seeing the Great Wall of China, having more expensive clothes, getting 12 hours of sleep a night, or having a flat belly is more important than giving your life to bear and rear the next generation, our priorities are CRACKED OUT. The simplest way to fix the world is to teach our children how to run it better. The easiest way to be happy is to unconditionally love another person and share your life with them (that right there is why we have friends, significant others and spouses). The most productive way to learn, grow and become a better person is to teach another how to live. The pros of having children vastly out way the temporary and shallow cons. Do you need to go pop out a baby right now? No, but plan for it someday. Think about why people decide to have children in the first place; it's why we're put on this earth. Not everyone will have the opportunity to have children in this life for one reason or another. But those able bodied persons who can properly create families and chose not to because it "takes to much away" from their life are going to be held accountable someday.
Okay. I'm done. I'm getting off of my soap box now; I promise.

I'm almost a real teacher!

2009-02-01T18:53:00.003-10:00

I'm so excited that I actually have something to blog about! New and exciting things don't often happen for me here in HI. It's pretty much the same day in and day out, as I'm sure it is for most of you, so when I got this news I was pretty stoked. So are you ready? Drum roll please... I have just been hired on to my first job in the field of Education. I'm a part of an curriculum development team that is designing EIL (English as an International Language) courses for students studying through the University over seas. How fancy is that?! I really just layout the curriculum the Professors design, but I get to do some legit things. Like right now they've asked me to create an exercise on "self-talk," which is a form of motivation. It's part of a series of excises called "Manage Your Learning." They are designed to help the students overseas get the most out of their educational experience. Basically I do a page write up about motivation techniques studens can impliment to get through the semester when they begin to lose steam. The goal is to eliminate discouraging assumptions about one's self in order to achieve. After I do the brief write up, I design exercises to help the students understand how to utilize their new found skills. It's cool and TOTALLY applicable in SPED.
Needless to say, I'm really excited about this experience to watch, work with and learn from seasoned professors. This TESOL skills should definitely come in handy when I'm teaching in CA or elsewhere.

Things I Love

2009-01-27T23:53:00.003-10:00

In no particular order:

flip flops
chap stick (also known as lip chap)
fresh cookies
naps
feeding people
real Christmas trees
MUSIC
professional hair care products
yoga pants
my camera
kites
Harry Potter
tulips
Walt and Disneyland
the Gap
the idea of living in Europe some day
peace and quiet
my lappy
action and war movies
Thomas S. Monson
my new aluminum water bottle
heavenly bodies
brushing my teeth
significant bodies of water and port cities
traveling
doing laundry
sweater vests and/or argyle
pillows
kitchen gadgets
classier things
California

That'll do for now

WHAT THE CRAP!

2009-01-20T21:55:00.002-10:00

Can't a girl get a little peace and quiet?! Or how about some privacy?!

Being in school and not having a house or apartment of my own is beginning to wear thin on me. Today I had the HUGEST urge to sit alone in a quiet room and it took me half an hour to find one and even then, I have to be out of here at midnight. Now, this post is not a complaint against my roommate or anything. She's fabulous and I definitely get the chance to spend time in our room alone. It's just that, living in a dormitory, there's always someone walking by our door, talking loudly outside our window (We might be on the second floor, and you might be whispering, but guess what? We can still hear you tell your friend how pissed off you are that Honor Code kicked you out of school and wont refund your tuition, or how you're hoping that cute girl in your ward is at FHE. And yes that does mean we hear you kissing at night. You sound sloppy...you might want to work on that.) or even coming into our room to give us fliers and ask us to join the Tahitian club. Even when I'm alone, I'm not really alone.

Now, anyone who knows me knows I'm a relatively social person. I love hanging out and making people laugh, but I also like to hear myself think. Being alone allows me to relax, to not be so stimulated. It also affords with with the opportunity to fully concentrate. I don't need absolute quiet or seclusion to effectively study. I just need to not be bothered, and all of the idiots running around outside my room bother me. There's no one I'm targeting, and I live around some great girls, my patience has just ran out for obnoxious 19 year old boys screaming as they ride by on their long boards, and 17 year old girls who can't stop telling their friends how awesome they are and how they totally need to go to the beach together.

To all of you who won't stop talking outside of my apartment: BE QUIET and go talk on the benches ACROSS THE STREET. Oh, and STOP yelling! I admit it; the older I get, the crankier I get, but is it too much to ask people to behave like responsible adults. NO I do NOT want to go to a club, another bon fire, or a "party" at your friend's house. It's 1 o'clock. Go home and go to bed. I don't know about you, but I have stuff to do in the morning.

I <3 HI

2009-01-19T20:29:00.007-10:00

There are moments when living here (La'ie, HI) makes me want to blow my brains out, but there are also moments where living here makes me so utterly happy. Luckily the later occurs much more often than the first. One of those moments happy moments was finding a tiny gecko in my room. While having wild creatures occupying the same space as you isn't always an ideal situation, I really don't mind the geckos. They are harmless, disease free (as far as I'm aware), and they eat bugs. I like lizards WAY more that I like insects and arachnids. HANDS DOWN. Plus, this little gecko is so cute.

Doesn't that tiny thing just melt your heart?

The first time I saw him in our room I just left him. I figured he'd eat the ants that are everywhere and grow up big and strong so he could graduate up the food chain and begin eating things like roaches. However a couple of days later I almost crushed him with my trash can so I decided it was best to let him go outside. It was very fun to catch him and, as you can see, was kind enough to have his photo taken.

As for today, I went to the beach. I know, I know: "Enough about the beach already! Not everyone is as warm as you!", but it's really the only thing to do here besides rent movies or go to the game center. If you want to do anything else you have to either beg for a ride or hop on the bus.
So yeah, I went to the beach today with a friend and we played with my camera. I have a Canon SD 1100 that I'm still kind of learning how to use. It's nothin' fancy, but it can do some awesome stuff for a point n' shoot. He has a Canon and he's been through the manual for his so he was showing me how to use the digital macro settings and what not. It was fun. Here are some of the photos we took.

The Digital Macro setting

The Color Accent setting
As you can see, green is the only color in the photo; everything else is in black and white.

Those are just a few of the features we messed with. Better than the camera was the beautiful day. It was nice to be outside and to enjoy the world around me. I even flew my butterfly kite (I'm really sad I didn't photograph it)! Silly, I know, but not being able to hang out outside was something I missed very much in VA. The sun was out, the breeze was blowing and I found a huge cowry shell. I'm lovin' life.

I confess...

2009-01-18T22:34:00.002-10:00

...my life is really boring.
Other than school starting not much has happened here in Hawaii, or, as the locals say, Hawai'i. However, I have found out what my mystery class was and have been forced to make another change to my schedule.
My mystery class is not as exciting as I hoped it would be. It's simply an extension of my course on assessment (SPED 386). The assessment course covers basic in classroom assessment and is combined with the elementary and secondary education students. To cover the SPED specific tests (diagnostic tests and such) we have an additional section that will meet for about seven weeks. I'm sad that it's not some cool special topic like art therapy in SPED or something, but I'm happy that it's not a semester-long course.
The change to my schedule was the dropping of Doctrine & Covenants. The course didn't have enough students enrolled and so the University dropped it. This means I had to frantically find another misc. class to fill the time slot. Religion courses are my best bet because they are relatively light. Just daily reading and some tests here and there. The only other religion course I hadn't taken offered at that time was the second section of New Testament with Bro. Weber. I ran over to the room and sat in for the first day. What he requires is CRAZY for a two credit class. He requires us to read the readings twice (the second time in another translation) which isn't so bad except he also requires us to answer and turn in at the beginning of class a rather lengthy study guide. We're talking 2 pages of questions per reading, and that's not even including the answers. Reluctantly I signed up. I don't know to much about the second half, and it's the exact same time slot... I'm definitely disappoint about D&C but I'm excited to learn more about the New Testament.

As for big events in my life this week, there hasn't been any. Well, I did get REALLY cranky in Psychology on Wed. Like so cranky that it stuck until I watched the Office on Friday. I should have posted while I was cranky. I say the funniest junk when I'm in a foul mood. But let's talk about the Office. I think that was the funniest episode of the season! Who's with me? The duel killed me, Dwight's song made me laugh so hard I watched the episode a second time just to hear it again, and Jim's collecting of Dwight's various weapons what the perfect ongoing joke.
Props to the writer. The show hasn't been that funny since the time Jim dressed up like Dwight. Keep up the good work!

Amen

2009-01-12T17:20:00.001-10:00

"The important thing in life is to try to live and do the best you can. We done had it bad. Let us help give our children a better life, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren. Let's try to give them a better life than we had. But anyway, just keep the good work going, is all I say."
-- James "Little Man" Presley

Ouch

2009-01-05T16:43:00.002-10:00

I just spent 444 dollars on books (vomit), and I don't even get to take my intro to sculpture class. I am not happy about it.

This semester I'm taking:
REL 325H Doctrine & Covenants II
IDS 316H The American Civil War
PSYC 321 Organizational Behavior
EDU 300 Educational Psychology
EDU 306 Assistive Technology in the Classroom
SPED 386 Educational Assessment in Special Education
SPED 414R-02 Special Topics in Education (aka my mystery class; I'll find out what it is when I go)

Why do I get the feeling this semester is going to kick my trash (and not in a good way)?

On a brighter note, I'm officially off the campus meal plan, and my graduation date has been pushed back to June 2010.
Freakin' get me outta here!

A Jolly Holiday!

2009-01-02T07:55:00.005-10:00

So I had this wonderfully detailed post typed out for you all...and then I somehow managed to accidentally delete it. Boo!
Sadly I'm not really feelin' like typing it out again so a briefer version of my break is going to be posted.

We (the sister and I) begin house sitting for friends of our families and they allow us to utilize their vehicle. SUCH A BLESSING.
Camille flew into LAX Dec. 23 and has decided she will be attending BYUH. Life is good.
Christmas!! This includes cooking all day, pie baking, presents from Italy, new pajamas, and a puzzle that was made by idiots (but a FANTASTIC challenge).
Beth, Brad and Madi come to visit the 26th and I go on a walk that disables my ability to breath (courtesy of frigid, moist air, steep hills, and, most importantly, the altitude difference).
Brit flew into Long Beach Dec. 28 and life is better.
I attend Fifth Ward that day instead of singles and avoid "Crazy Mike."
Chilling, dance parties, and music exchanges ensue and life is the best.
A little trip to the beach in Oceanside and Valkyrie (good movie, in spite of Tom Cruise).
New Years Eve! My besties and I make a delicious dinner. The menu: fresh fruit with marshmallow cream cheese dip, lemon pancakes with sweetened sour cream, quiche lorainne, and ciabatta toast with artichoke spread and mozzarella cheese. I, with the help of my dear Brit, designed the menu and then the trifecta executed the flavor explosion.
Really funny baloons
Camille decides to go to Provo, but I'm really happy she's really happy.
The Rose Parade is NOT rebroadcasted and I'm PISSED!
Pedicures, and Anne joins us for dinner at BJ's ... PIZOOKIE
Talking until 12:30 with Holli and the Suz about how fricken crazy my family is. SO FUNNY!

Now I'm headed back. I'm sitting on the airport floor. I've been here for about an hour because my flight has been delayed and my butt hurts but it's okay because they're boarding now. I fricken can't believe I'm already getting on a plane back to Hawaii. LAME!

Maybe I should change my name to Betty Crocker

2008-12-22T16:40:00.005-10:00

So I've done some more baking since I last updated...Big surprise? I think not (maybe you do, but I don't think it's a surprise). Wednesday, I made DELICIOUS chocolate chip cookies. I enjoyed them with a nice big mug of gourmet hot chocolate.

The biggest compliment was taking them to church on Sunday as the nursery snack. We ended up with more adults than children in there and the gallon zip lock bag of them was soon gone. Having something I make disappear quickly is the greatest compliment there is.
On Saturday I spent the day with Sister Anderson. Aside from painting the floor, I made two batches of love letters. A regular cookie recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of flour, one, maybe two sticks of butter. For anyone who doesn't know, the love letter recipe calls for 4 sticks of butter and 6 1/2 cups of flour. Think of how much dough that makes, and I doubled that.
I turned out a few hundred cookies. It was AWESOME! I made angels, stars, Christmas trees and bells. They will be frosted by sister Anderson and handed out to those she loves. I'm a big fan of aiding the creation of holiday cheer.
Today, we made sugar cookies with the girlies (Carly Fay and Eve). It was just bag dough and store bought icing, but the happiness it spread was priceless. I wish I had recorded it because hearing Eve go on and on about her cookies was TOO CUTE! She's two and a half and everything she says is a crack up.There is the lovely pile of delicious cookies we made. I do think I'm going to need to take a baking break, however. I need to reserve my energy and desire for when Brit and Camille get home. There are pies to bake, and black and white cookies, and other YUMMY little treats to be passed out to friends and loved ones.
I do not have money to spend or a car to cruise around in, so this is what I do. I bake. It's a good life.

I'm EXPLODING with Christmas Spirit!

2008-12-17T19:43:00.013-10:00

So, I totally got my bake on, and, let me tell you, it was AWESOME. However, let me first take a moment to mention the best Christmas gift ever: my new apron! Susan, my fabulous baby sister, sewed me an apron for Christmas. We exchanged gifts the night I got in because I bought her a camera and we knew we would each would be wanting to use our gifts while we were here. So every time I've baked I've worn the apron and I adore it.

My new apron and it's creator. Beautiful!

Now, I'm going to confess a deep, dark secret. I want to be a food blogger (on the side) when I grow up. I want to cook and bake and have my own little blog where I document the experience and share the recipes. You know, because home making and child rearing are just so easy that I'll have plenty of time to keep up a food blog (don't worry Christene, that was sarcasm). This is why I am so eager (and lamely excited) to chronicle my baking experience here.

I've baked two different cookie recipes so far. First I baked a chocolate cookie with a delicious peanut butter center. They were difficult to get the hang of, I had no idea how far the filling would go, or how potent it was. There were also temperamental with their baking time. The longer you baked them, the harder they got. I am happy to say that despite these factors, baking them was not a disaster. The first batch was a little low on peanut butter and had crispier edges, but luckily these cookies are perfect with milk and I had no problem "unloading" them. The next two sheets came out much better, softer and better balanced flavor wise, but even then I had peanut butter filling left over. These were very good cookies and I am excited to make them again now that I know how they work. Next time I make them they will be perfect.

The two doughs I had to work with.

I made each cookie by hand. The chocolate dough was like working with delicious play dough. Next time I think I'll roll the chocolate dough into a log and cut it. It will be a much quicker way to get the desired size and thickness.

YUM! 'Nough said.

For my second holiday treat, I baked sugar cookies. You might be wondering what I am going to do with so many cookies. Well, I'll tell you. Holli has visiting teaching to do and so we wrapped up a couple dozen in these adorable, little holiday boxes we found at Pier 1 Imports to be gifted when she goes out and about. Spreading the holiday cheer. You bet your sweet bippy!

They're even pretty without frosting.

But don't worry I did frost them. I made yummy butter frosting and split it in five parts to create various colors. I made blue, purple, and then red, green, and white (of course), and loaded them into Ziplock bags, cutting the corners to allow designs to be made.

ACTION SHOT!

The best part about this was that once everyone realized I'd been frosting for quite some time, they came over to see the finished product. Upon investigating my handiwork, they all saw how much fun I was having and just BEGGED to join in. Just kidding they were like "cool" and I was like "wanna try?" and they were all like "yeah totally, oh my gosh!" and I was like "for sure, like totally come get your frosting on!" Okay, you caught me, I'm kidding again. I simply asked if they'd like to frost one and they said yes and everyone really had fun frosting the rest of the cookies.

The Kodak moment...

When Holli saw everyone decorating the cookies she turned on Christmas music and the tree lights. That's when , you guess it, I teared up. Big surprise? No. It was just so sweet seeing everyone so jovial and having the holiday ambiance thing going on made it a perfect moment. I just felt so wonderful spreading Christmas cheer like that. Hip hip (hooray)!Fin.

Aw Yeah!

2008-12-14T20:33:00.002-10:00

Isn't California beautiful? Let me answer that question for you. YES!

I must say, it is delightful to be back. After 8 hours of traveling I made it to the Golden state and boy was the lack of humidity a shock. I forgot what the crisp cold actually felt like. Though I have been freezing most of these first hours back, it has been a nice change. It truly feels like winter. It was so wonderful to come home from church, get changed into some sweats and slippers, and have a nice hot bowl of pea soup and grilled cheese. I LOVE the feeling of hot food traveling down into my belly, particularly when I'm a little on the chilly side. It's just really nice to be back.
The best part? Tomorrow I get my bake on. Tonight I made brownies out of a box as a little warm up, but tomorrow the I'm pulling out the big guns. I have two wonderful types of cookies planned. "And what is Jessica going to do with all of those cookies," you might ask. Well I'm gonna bake them for Holli's visiting teach-ees (KJ, if somehow you're reading this, I freakin' love you!). I'm very excited to begin tomorrow because Susan made me an Apron for Christmas. I cannot wait to put it on and bake away. She even made a matching hairband with the extra fabric. Awesome? I think so. I'm gonna be a smokin' hot cookie machine tomorrow!

"Lake La'ie" or "When it rains, it pours"

2008-12-13T01:08:00.009-10:00

The last two days have been VERY exciting. Well...exciting by La'ie standards.

SIDE NOTE: For those of you that don't know how to say it (I didn't until I came here) La'ie is pronounced "luh eeay." The "apostrophe" is not an apostrophe, but an 'Okina and acts as a glottal stop. It is considered by many Hawaiian language speakers to be the 8th consonant (Hawaiian Alphabet = a, e, i, o, u and h, k, l, m, n, p, w), but back to business.

Remember, Thursday, my beautiful beach day? If you don't you need to read the previous post and maybe go see a doctor. Anyway, so that night it began raining. This is common occurrence so I thought nothing of it but then it began to poor. It ended up pouring for a good 8 hours. We're talking Noah's ark rain with thunder and lightening and everything. It was so intense I was woken up periodically through the night. The next morning, at 8 am, I brave the still heavy rain to take a final and walk out of my door to find campus flooded. The general classroom building was sitting in a literal foot of water, the streets were like rivers and the hallways were flooded as well. I had to take my shoes off and pull up my sweatpants to make it through without getting soaked. The BYUH campus was lucky, compared to the rest of the town though.
Campus sits high than most of the town. It's up against the mountain and there aren't really any houses behind us. So as you leave campus you travel "downhill" and head toward the beach. This was TERRIBLE for all of the town's residents. Check it out.

A good number of houses are built up off the ground. Some are built on stilts or only have garages on the ground level, others are lifted maybe a foot off of the ground, but most are built normally and those home suffered.
Now, I did not take that picture. I had no desire to brave the floods. However, I did go out that afternoon to grab some shots. Most of the water had disipated by then, but there were still some heavily flooded areas, including the front field of the school.
That sign says "WARNING! KEEP OUT Run off water maybe polluted." Why? Because La'ie does not have a sophisticated sewer system. Did this stop idiots from playing in it? NO. They were playing flood football in their own sh...all we move on?

Our beautiful lake front Stake Center.Don't be fooled. That puddle is about 4 inches deep.

After traipsing around campus, I headed into town and got some great shots of damage there and people starting to clean up. I then headed to the beach where I had spent my Thursday. Needless to say, I did NOT find the shores so appealing. This is why (please ignore the LAME narration on this video as it was spur of the moment)

Post Storm from Jessia Davis on Vimeo.

Silly, I know, but nasty none the less.

So the moral of this post is it rained a lot. It rained a lot, and I'm glad I live on campus in an upstairs room. One last photo...

That's a centipede. We get those there. That one was dead and washed up on the shore; there would be no way in HADES you could bet me that close to one that was alive. I about peed my paints just finding it dead. Finding a dead one means there are more like it alive somewhere. SICK.
Hawaii is nuts!

Whoever can tell me which old school cartoon I've taken my title format from wins a prize. Post it as a comment. Sorry Susan, you can't play because I know you know.

CAUTION! I'm going to brag about the weather.

2008-12-10T15:33:00.005-10:00

Disclaimer: if you live in Utah, Idaho, Virginia, Vienna, or any other snowy landscape, proceed at your own risk. This post is about being outside and not being miserable.

Last week was brutal. I had a final project due pretty much every day except Wednesday. The final project I had due Monday ended up being 14 pages long. Anyway, today was a final free day so I decided it was time I went to the beach. Much to the dismay of those of you in colder climates, I have not been to attend the beach this semester. Other than the trip to Waimea and 2 snorkeling excursions, I haven't been at all this semester...pathetic, I know. So this morning (11am, I'm not that ambitious), I packed a little bag and peddled three minutes down to the sea shore (are you jealous yet?). This is what greeted me:

My Beach from Jessia Davis on Vimeo.

How blessed am I?! It was wonderful beach weather, a sunny 72 degrees with a gentle breeze blowing, and though most of the day has been slightly cloudy, I was blessed with clear skies. It was magnificent. I laid out and even went for a little dip. I was surprised by how warm the water was. I love going to school here. Yeah, this side of the island can get pretty trashy in places and the certain aspects of the school frustrate the sin out of me, but all of that disappears when my toes touch the sand. There are many reasons why I'm grateful to be here, and the beach is one of them (albeit a very dominant reason).
Oddly enough, despite my warm weather adventure today, I am looking forward to going home to chilly weather. It will be very nice to bundle up, drink hot chocolate and enjoy the crisp winter weather. There are tons of wonderful wintery things that don't have the same effect when it's always warm outside. It will be very nice to go home and experience a more traditional Christmas season.
However, I'm not there yet, so here's one more picture of my beautiful beach!
(And yes, the video and the photo were both taken today, which means I have my camera back!)

Don't you judge me.

2008-12-02T22:49:00.002-10:00

It's the last week of classes and my days fly by me before I even notice their wings have begun beating. I so look forward to Friday when all of this is over and I can lay on the beach enveloped in sunlight. Constantly trudging under florescent bulbs has got me burnt out (pun fully intended).
Though, I must say, the short time I did spend reflecting on everyday, my eyes were most definitely opened to the nuances of daily life. It was a fun venture.
I do have quite a bit to be grateful for.

Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-28T16:03:00.003-10:00

My Thanksgiving was simple and humble, but it was wonderful. I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to consistently reflect on all there is to be grateful for in my life and enjoy that feeling of contentment with people I love. Hooray for this American tradition.

5 Fabulous Things:
1. My roommate has a fridge.
I was able to store my left overs and eat them at my own Leisure.
2. Sister Anderson called me
I felt so loved!
3. The GCB was left open.
Not only did this mean movie watching, but it also meant that I didn't have to wait for an RA to go on duty to eat my dinner (the dorm microwave is in the kitchen which has to be unlocked by someone with access to the key aka an RA).
4. I learned a new card game today.
It's called Rage and Birgitte taught me.
5. MORE LoTR special features to watch!

5 Moments of Gratitude:
1. Always having enough to eat.
I don't have to go hungry or wonder how my next meal will be obtained.
2. My ward.
They are the best. They kept Thanksgiving from being depressing.
3. Left overs!
Nothing is better than Thanksgiving dinner round 2!
4. Microwaves
5. Christmas.
'Tis officially the season!!

Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart...

2008-11-28T15:26:00.002-10:00

For Tuesday
5 Fabulous Things:
1. I had two incredibly long conversations with my sister.
2. Shizuka brought Spam and rice sushi style, and brownies to class.
Yum! (Don't judge me.)
3. I didn't have to give my last lesson.
I'm giving it this Tuesday.
4.I spent the night in.
I had hula, enrichment night and lots of things to do at the library, but I took a night off and it felt so nice.
5. No rain!
I know, I know, I love the rain. I've said it many times here. However, no rain meant I got to lay in the sun and goodness knows how I love that.

5 Moments of Gratitude:
1. Hawaii
I get to live here.
2. Cell phones.
Think about it. I push some buttons and start talking into this little plastic box and I can speak with someone thousands of miles away.
3. Almost everything I need is in walking/biking distance.
I am so grateful for accessibility.
4. The internet.
or as I like to call it: the intraweb
5. flip flops
my feet like to breath

For Wednesday
5 Fabulous Things:
1. I wrote my research paper for religion in 3.5 hours.
I'm not proud. It's just fabulous that I managed to do it.
2. I didn't puke when I accidentally ate a pickle.
I did get really nauseous though.
3. We watched Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers extended edition
Love it!
4. I bought kettle korn!
5. My camera is fixed!
It will be sent to me in Approximately 4 business days.

5 Moments of Gratitude:
1. Kettle Korn!
It's so good it gets two slots...
2. The air conditioned GCB
Where else would we watch movies?
3. Email
4. Stars
5. My talents.

It's just another manic Monday!

2008-11-25T23:30:00.002-10:00

I'm almost caught up...

5 Fabulous Things:
1. The new term system might not go into effect.
I know that there are good and bad points to that, but for me, it's mostly good.
2. I had a nice long conversation with Marie.
Hip Hip Hooray for reconnecting with very dear friends.
3. She reminded me I had to go to class. bonus: Class got out early.
I know it sounds lame but that class is once a week so absences really matter.
4. A young man (whom I do not know) went out of his way to hold the door open for me today.
Hooray! Chivalry isn't dead!
5. I had a wonderful group project meeting.
Often times group projects SUCK, but this semester I was blessed with an awesome group to work with in History

5 Moments of Gratitude:
1. My bike
2. Long grass
3. Patience
Mostly I'm grateful others exhibit it with me because I feel as though I lack it. But I'm trying...
4. I'm so grateful for hope.
'nuff said
5. My laptop
It's making my education possible.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!

2008-11-25T23:18:00.002-10:00

That post title is said like a radio announcer, by the way.

5 Fabulous Things:
1. Wall*e was available to rent out of the box thing.
Love that movie! So uplifting!
2. Jessica Creamer sat next to me in Relief Society.
It was fun. I don't think I've sat next to her all semester
3. I had the room all to myself that evening.
A little "me" time was in order.
4. I had the opportunity to fulfill my calling
5. Our ward choir is going to sing a song for Christmas.
Hooray for Christmas!

5 Moments of Gratitude
1. My ward.
I'll live on campus until I graduate just to continue attending with such a great congregation.
2. My sister.
I love you Sushi!
3. My talents.
Be able to express myself with written language has saved my sanity.
4. Where I'm at in life.
1 year ago, I didn't think I'd be living life as I am (as odd as that sounds) and I'm SO grateful for the decisions I made to get myself here.
5. Hot running water.

Saturday is a special day...

2008-11-25T19:26:00.002-10:00

Finals are almost here and I have way more projects due than test to study for so give me a break about these being tardy...

5 Fabulous Things:
1. I woke up to rain.
What better to follow a cozy night than a morning spent in bed listening to the rain?
2. No one was in the Library
3. We had LoTR special features to watch.
4. When my Whoppers SUCKED Ben shared his candy with me.
5. Tums were on sale.

5 Moments of Gratitude
1. Good health
Yeah, I have my off days, but this semester has been a relatively healthy one. Thank goodness!
2. Comfortable furniture
The lack of it here has sprung up a new gratitude in me.
3. Silver lined clouds
4. Primary songs
5. Sweat pants
They might not be the most flattering of garments, but boy are they comfortable.

Donkey Sneakers (It's Friday)!

2008-11-24T13:11:00.003-10:00

I am aware that this post is late. However, that does not change the sincerity of the items listed.

5 Fabulous Things:
1. Due to a stop on the way home from Kaneohe Thursday, we had Sweet n' Salty Chex Mix to enjoy while we watched our movie
2. It was a great hair day
3. The rain stopped long enough for a bike ride to Foodland.
4. One of the cool security guards was was working (This means we were not hassled by the man, but politely reminded it was time to go at midnight).
5. The constant rain has lowered temperatures, so I got to cuddle up all cozy like when I went to bed instead of sprawling myself out in shorts and a t-shirt like I normally do (Those of you in ID and UT had best not start hating on me. You could go to school here too, ya know...)

5 Moments of Gratitude
1. Peter Jackson
Weird I know, but he did the Lord of the Rings films, the first of which I watched tonight (extended version! yeah baby!).
2. Umbrellas.
Heaven bless the dude that invented them.
3. I'm half way done with my undergrad. Woot!
I cannot tell you how anxious I am to get out of here and onto real life.
4. Winter
I really do miss it. Well, the CA version of it...okay, I miss real winter a little as well.
5. Organization.
Only this semester have I begun to effectively manage my time and, let me tell you, it makes a world of difference.

This was for Friday, by the way.

DDDD DAY THREE!

2008-11-20T22:35:00.003-10:00

5 Fabulous Things:
1. The sweet Polynesian lady who works in the post office noticed I'd cut my hair and complimented me on it.
2. Jaimie and Wolfgang had us over to watch The Office.
Hilarity ensued.
3. I gave my first course evaluation today.
The end is near! It is in site!
4. The chocolate chip cookies at Subway (eat fresh!) were just out of the oven.
What's better than warm chocolate chip cookies?
5. I remembered to send off all the post cards I'd been harboring to those I love.
I love sending postcards. If you'd like one, let me know.

5 Moments of Gratitude:
1. Ben.
He's the best.
2. Hawaiian Studies.
Yeah it sucks having a 7am class, but I love being able to learn about the culture of the islands.
3. Cultural Diversity.
I walked into the caf today and they had gone all out decorating for this Japanese festival (I'll edit this post tomorrow with the festival name). It was crazy and I loved it.
4. Respect.
I'm very grateful for those who offer it to others. This isn't about people showing me respect. I appreciate when I see people show respect and kindness towards others, perfect strangers even. It restores my faith in humanity.
5. Hygiene.
I'm grateful for being able to afford a rigorous hygiene routine. It sounds odd, but I love being clean.

I love doing this. It makes me feel better about life.
And, just to rant, Pam (on The Office) really pisses me off sometimes. Oh, and my heart goes out to Toby. Can't that guy catch a break?

Day Two

2008-11-20T01:05:00.003-10:00

I almost forgot to do this...

5 Fabulous Things:
1. A stranger gave up his seat on the bus for me today.
Hooray for Chivalry not being dead!
2. One of the little girls I worked with while volunteering at the elementary school saw me in the grocery store, got very excited and proceeded to wave a very enthusiastic hello in my direction.
3. The film I had to watch for my History 202 course was not boring, but very uplifting and inspiring; it also has me turned on to some sweet new music.
4. Hercules (the Disney movie, not the campy TV series) was playing in the cafeteria giving me the opportunity to be infused by a little Disney magic.
5. I got to sleep today in today and I'll get to sleep in tomorrow too!
Hooray for 7 and 8:30 am classes being canceled!

5 Moments of Gratitude:
1. Laughter.
I am so grateful for not only being able to enjoy laughter, but for being able to give it to others as well.
2. Sunshine.
It feels so good! Plus, being in the sun makes you happier. It's a proven fact.
3. Pillows.
What a luxury they are, and we take them for granted.
4. Alicia.
I love you, miss, and I'm grateful you're a part of my life.
5. Research Papers.
Well, more like I'm grateful for the lack there of. Winter semester I had five to do. This semester I have one and it's only 5 pages. Woot!

I'm really glad I remembered to do this. As I rode down to Kaneohe today to run errands I was remarking on how I'm already feeling better by doing this. It forces me to reflect on the positive things that happen every day and to notice the little things that make life so grand. My goal is to not repeat moments of gratitude or happiness but to find unique things for every post. We'll see how I do...

A Very Good Idea

2008-11-18T22:23:00.002-10:00

It is the end of the semester and I'm starting to get pretty burnt out. Right now, for example, instead of quickly writing my 700 word reflection paper I'm updating my blog. I just don't have the mental energy for the task. I feel as though the burnedouted-ness (Hey look! I made up a new word!) has made me rather cranky so starting today, to combat that, I'm going to be listing, every day five great things that happened that day and five things I am grateful for.
Here we go!

Five Fabulous Things:
1. A nice cool breeze blew all day.
I cannot tell you how nice today's mild weather was. The cloudy, blustery afternoon made it feel very much like fall. When if feels like fall that means winter is close behind. Winter close behind means CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE! Woohoo! If that's not fabulous then what is?
2. Tracie commented on my blog.
I love Tracie (you hear that? I love ya, kid!), so know she is interested in what I am up to and how I'm doing made me feel great.
3. My 7:00 and 8:30 am classes were cancelled.
This means that Thursday I get to sleep in. Enough said, right?
4. My camera can be fixed for free.
Approximately a week after getting here my camera began telling me there was a lens error and it couldn't start. Well I finally called Canon today to find out about repairs an the delightfully nice lady in Illinois told me that if I sent my camera to dell it could be fixed for free because it is still under warrenty. Hooray for free things!
5. Christene updated her blog.
I love the Petersons! Because I'm so far away from pretty much everyone reading all of your blog updates is very exciting for me. I feel like I'm still apart of everyones lives even if I can't be there and that is wonderful. That means all of you need to update more (myself included), and if you're reading this and I love you but you don't have a blog, you should probalby start one, because updates make my day.

5 Moments of Gratitude:
1. Always having enough to eat.
What a blessing it is to be born in a place where even the most impovershed have it better than many of those in third world countries.
2. A caring roommate.
Karuna is so sweet. She stopped me and asked me how everything was going in my life, just out of the blue. How nice is it to have friends like that?
3. My talents.
This isn't about how I am or am not awesome so we're not going into detail here suffice to say that I am so very grateful for how I can affect the lives of others for the better by utilizig the gifts my Father in Heaven gave me.
4. Living close to the coast.
As I rode my bike to hula practice today the wind began to blow and I could smell the ocean. There is something that you don't get at the other BYU campuses. Hooray for Hawaii!
5. Technology.
I was able to wrtie and turn in that paper I mentioned earlier without leaving my dorm room. How freakin' cool is that? Technology opens up all of these amazing doors in the field of education and it is awesome to study how it can change your learning experience (see my EDU 305 blog and website). Even with all the challenges it creates, technology is definitely something to be grateful for.

Well that Tuesday's list. I know it says I posted this Wednesday, but, despite it being 12:21 am here, I still consider it Tuesday because I have not gone to bed. Luckily it is my blog so I get to make the rules. Check back tonight for Wednedays update. This will be going on until I am finished with my semester. Hopefully it will bring me back down to earth and get me back on a positive track.

How much does it suck to be an English language learner?

2008-11-15T16:39:00.003-10:00

About this much:

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it's written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sleeve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation -- think of Psyche!
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won't it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It's a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough --
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?

Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!

According to the website I "stumbled upon:" Multi-national personnel at North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters near Paris found English to be an easy language ... until they tried to pronounce it. To help them discard an array of accents, the verses below were devised. After trying them, a Frenchman said he'd prefer six months at hard labor to reading six lines aloud.

Yeah, reading that definitely made me grateful to have learned English as a first language. It is an unnecessarily complected language.

What a Close Call

2008-11-08T13:51:00.004-10:00

Some where in my hours of study yesterday I decided that I was going to head on down to Kaneohe and get my haircut. I made the appointment, and after a midterm (which I aced, by the way), I took the not so long bus ride ride down the shore. While I wait for my appointment time to come around, I walk aimless and buy some hair care products (a nasty addiction of mine). On a side note, professional hair products really do work better and are worth the money. You use ten times less and they make your hair amazing. The following story is proof.

[The before shot. I figured it'd be interesting to see how much I ended up losing.]

So I walk into Bellaviva Salon and Spa at 6:15 for my 6:30 appointment. The receptionsit immediately goes and gets the stylist who then walks out to greet me. Now, I see the stylist and she has a terrible hair cut -- there is like an entire chunk missing from the front of her hair -- and I begin to become EXTREMELY worried. I sure as heck do NOT want to end up looking like that. However, I give her the benefit of the doubt and reserve judgement and happily walk to the back (it turns out she let a friend in hair school use her for a test; yeah that girl failed). She shampoos and conditions my hair, giving me a DELIGHTFUL scalp massage. It was like little angles here dancing on my head. I then sit in the chair and we discuss exactly what is going to happen. I inform her that I like the style and spacing of the layers I currently have and would like to keep them. However, I am looking to cut my hair shorter, about an inch, inch and a half off my shoulders, so there will be come length that needs to go. I told her I'd like the front to taper down with the shortest layer hitting my chin and that basically I'm looking for a style that frames my face very nicely.
Things start of well. She begins to cut and we chat it up and I'm like "Wow, see, no need to fear getting your hair cut by people you don't know." She then asks me if it's short enough. My hair is hitting my shoulders, so I resond that I'd like a little more off. I want it completely off my shoulders. She's replys "Oh, so about to your neck," and I say yes thinking she means the base of my neck and not where my neck meets my head. She begins to snip away, finishing the back and beginning on the from. Seeing her cut, I soon realize just how short she's cut it I start to panic. Apprently I do need to fear having my hair cut by people I don't know. I close my eyes pretending to be enjoying the feel of someone styling your hair (which is quite nice) instead of trying not to cry. She finished cutting and starts to style. This is the part where I start to get queezy yet still can't tear my eyes away. It was like when you see at a terrible car accident on the side of the road. The carnage is awful and sad, but it's so horrific that it's captivating. She proceeds to round brush and flat iron my hair. When she finishes I look like theres a big blond bowl on my head and I am NOT happy. I looked like a little boy in the seventies or an old lady trying to be hip in the eighties. NOT OKAY. I pay the receptionist, tip the lady really well and leave (No sense in being stingy. She spent over an hour and a half on me and did a good job even if I didn't like it.) I'm freaking out at this point. My hair is my security blanket. It's one of my favorite phsycial attributes and I just ruined it. To make matters worse, I walk out of the mall and it's raining. This means my hair is going to become unruly and do as it pleases (In this case, doing what it pleases means flipping out funny and making me look like a conservative housewife from the sixties. Apprantely my hair likes to time travel.) Sadly, vanity got the best of me and I spent the night complaining about it. However, lucky for me (lucky meaning I was completely underserving of the attention and care given me considering how petty it is for me to be so upset about something so unimportant), I have some amazing friends whose reassurance and comfort had me hitting they hay optomistic about my hair.

Waking up today I decided we'd give this "hair-do" another go and see what we could make of it. I washed out the nasty products that the stylist used, put in my own and blew my hair dry with an optomistic attitude. As I turned to look in the mirror and put final product in I was shocked and awed by what I saw. My hair looked completely different from yesterday. Better yet, I LIKED it! I was ready to bow down and worship my shelf of shampoos, conditioners and styling products (but I didn't because that would be worshipping false idols and I rememberd reading somewhere about that not being a good idea).

[The after after shot. There was no way in Hades that I was posting what I looked like last night.]

Okay, The moral of the story is I'm a cranky, spoiled, vain brat who really loves her hair after all. Thank you to my stylist and thank you Matrix's Sleek Look line of products for being amazing. Also, I'm really sorry I wrote such a long post about hair, but it is my blog, though I do promise I'll write something of value soon.

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth.

2008-11-01T16:16:00.005-10:00

This semester is kicking my trash.
Last semester sucked because I was NOT motivated to get through my classes. This semester sucks because I actually like my classes and want to stay on top of my coursework, which is plentiful. This means countless hours spent in the library. I'm actually paler now than I was when I got here. Not that I'm complaining. I'm being saved from death via skin cancer. But it would be nice to not have quite so much studying to do. All in all though life is beautiful here in Hawaii and I've had a lot of fun opportunities.
One fun experience I've had was jumping off the big rock at Waimea Bay. Waimea is where all of the big surfing competitions happen in winter, but during summer is this beautiful, calm, white sand beach where dolphins play and tourists flock. Let me tell you, jumping off of the rock, while fun, exciting and something I recommend doing, isn't something I'll do again in the near future. It was intense to say the least. I got up there, looked down and realized that I would have to jump before I talked myself out of it and looked like an idiot. It was so high! Probably 25 or so feet. I stood at the edge peering down into the water. I watched a little italian boy run off without hesitation, and his father soon follow suite because if his son could do it, he could. Finally, I was like, "What the crap, Jes? A seven year old just did this. Jump already!" After a couple of "1, 2, 3's" I did it. I jumped off of the edge and and sailed down. As I jumped, I resolved to keep my eyes open the entire time. I thought, what's the point in jumping if I don't experience it. So I'm looking down at the water, watching it come screaming at me. In that moment the funniest thought came into my head. I'm looking down thinking, "How does anyone commit suicide this way. It's like you step off the edge and immediately regret the decision. Then you have to live with it while you rush towards the ground. I will never commit suicide this way." Just look at that close up image of me. My mouth is wide open (evidence of the involunatary screaming that was occuring). About half way down I caved and close my eyes. I was just imagining all of the terrible things that could happen. What if a shark were to swim up from the bottom and catch me in its waiting jaws? What if the tide were to go out in the next few seconds and I landed on nothing but sand? Or, more realisitically, what if I hit the bottom and paralyze myself? Scary crap. It hurt hitting the water, too. I didn't keep my legs together and so the water it my pelvis like a ton of bricks. It knocked the wind out of me to say the least. But you should totally do it!
So, despite the tyranny that is my university education, I've had some fun times. A couple of other cool things: check out my website (click here). It's just this lame little thing for one of my education classes, but it's really getting me excited about having my own classroom. My favorite part is the brochure I had to make. Navigate to the "My Brochure" page and follow the directions for reading. Basically it's my goal to have my own learning center some day and that's what it's going to be called. I'm not going to tell you here because I want you to check out the site, but yeah. Have fun. I'll update soon with some more fun experiences, but for now enjoy the site and my lame EDU blog. Haha!

My Macintosh Adventure

2008-09-29T14:39:00.000-10:00

So, for EDU 305 we have to do a video project. The school provides the cameras, the software to edit, everything (except the tape). That sounds simple enough, right? WRONG! The cameras don't do digital, so I HAVE to buy the tapes (which also means downloading in real time; ten minutes of video=ten minutes of download), I can't store it on a SD card (very inconvenient and time consuming), and (the clincher here) the software we have to use is iMovie. That's right, we are being forced to use Macs. Now before all of you who faithfully love Macs (Alicia) don't get your panties in a knot--hear me out. Macs are good computers. They are slim and sleek and they most definitely can get the job done. Personally, though, I prefer Macs. I am not saying one is better than the other. I am saying one is better than the other for me. Meaning that in regards to my needs and my desired user experience, a PC suits me better. If you are a Mac person, all the more power to you. I am of the belief that Mac and PC users do not have to go to war over which is better (can't we all just get along?). To each his own. So anyway, I have to upload and edit all of my video to the Macs in the Media Lab, edit on their hours with iMovie and create my desired project. I'm not very happy with this. Today in class, just playing with iMovie and the built in web cam, the computer froze. I hadn't even gotten into heavy duty editing or anything yet. Now I'm sure this could have been because they are a school computer loaded with crap. I am not complaining about all Macs in general, just the ones in the Media Lab. Needless to say, I feel some cheating coming on. The odd of me uploading and editing on my lap top and then transferring it to the Mac are very high. I'll save myself from the stress of the University Macs.
This short video is the product of my 50 minute class period. It documents today's journey through iMovie. There is no sound, so below will be a corrisponding description.

BOO EDU 305 from Jessia Davis on Vimeo.
The phases of Media Lab Mac use
1. Unhappiness--thumbs down on having to use Macs, but we'll give it a try
2. FRUSTRATION--really? You're going to freeze AGAIN, iMovie? Really?
3. Disappointment--I just realized I have to create a 4 minute video this way...No bueno.

For EDU 305...

2008-09-08T11:05:00.000-10:00

...I had to create a second blog.
engineeringintelligence.blogspot.com
It's all about technology in the classroom.
It's pretty boring, but through it you can find everyone else in the class' blog. Theirs are much more interesting.
Enjoy!

p.s. I'll update soon with something exciting--just give me some time. My computer doesn't work so I have to fix that problem before I fix my blog.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT

2008-08-14T20:19:00.001-10:00

Jacob Daniel Lopez
6lbs. 12oz.
and absolutely perfect

it was my birthday

2008-08-13T19:31:00.000-10:00

I stayed with Alicia in Anaheim Friday and Saturday.
We went to sushi and to CA Adventure where we enjoyed all that the Disneyland resort had to offer.
Sunday I enjoyed dinner with half of my family (the other half being out of town). We went swimming and my sweet Isaac made me a cake.
Monday Holli, Lance, Logan and Chris celebrated with me--love them.

I apologize for any spelling errors that there might be in this post. I also ask that if you have something rude or scathing to say you call me directly 760-917-9527 and let me know instead of hiding behind the anonymity of the internet. Maybe then you could speak with me like an adult and find out what is new in my life.

Anyway, I thought I'd let "you" know your pleasant remarks succeeded in making me feel pretty crappy; thanks for that.

So much for this being fun...