The goings on of our geeky little family and the musings and soapbox moments of the lone female in the group.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Honor Bee = Check!
I finished my Honor Bee requirements this morning. After completing Personal Progress, you can elect to earn an Honor Bee. To do this you need to read the Book of Mormon again and do 40 hours of service. At least a portion of that service has to be helping a Young Woman with her Personal Progress. I finished both my Personal Progress and my Honor Bee within less than 14 months, which I'm really happy about. I'm excited to go and start Personal Progress all over again now. I love my calling so much and am so grateful for the chance that I have to serve the amazing girls in my ward.
Friday, October 5, 2012
28 Things...
I decided about a month ago that on my 28th birthday that I would post 28 random things about myself. I apologize in advance for any typos as I'm doing this from my phone since my desktop is at the doctor's.
1) If I could learn three things it would be how to dance, how to play piano and how to box on a punching bag properly.
2) I would give a whole lot to be able to sing even remotely well. This, however, I don't feel is something that can just be learned and is simply a gift that I don't have.
3) I wish I'd pursued acting. It was something a few of my teachers over the years thought I'd be great at, but I never did much with it for some reason.
4) I'm a chronic joint cracker, but I try not to do it around other people because I know some people are disgusted by it.
5) I am a people pleaser. John thinks this is more to my detriment than anything else. I bottle a lot trying to keep others happy.
6) I'd also be interested in learning how to make my own jewelry.
7) I was on a med at the age of 14 for a month that gave me lasting problems of my pupils dilating too much. It causes a fair few headaches.
8) I love Booster Juice with a passion.
9) I miss my father-in-law far more than I let on.
10) The smells of canned or juiced pineapple instantly makes me nauseous. I try to simplify things and just say I'm allergic, but I'm highly sensitive to it and it's not pleasant.
11) Any day that combines Dr Pepper and bacon is a winning day in my book.
12) I'm a geek at heart and love being given opportunities to geek out.
13) I love having impromptu dance parties with my boys.
14) My birthday always falls on the same day of the week that year as my mum and my brother. This year we had Friday birthdays.
15) I'd love to have a stylist to work with that could help me find a fashion style that suits my personality and my body type.
16) I'm a huge fan of The Olive Garden and The Old Spaghetti Factory.
17) Caleb and I sang a song together a couple of weeks ago and it was an incredibly special experience that he's chosen to make a daily ritual.
18) I am a planner. I love planning out everything, even vacations I'd never be able to actually take. I just find the process enjoyable.
19) I did the whole Personal Progress program in 8 months (give or take a few days).
20) 1/6 of the music on my phone is by Glee Cast. It's seldom that I like the original better.
21) I sleep better if there's music playing quietly the whole night.
22) I love hugs!
23) I love the Christmas season and have a hard time waiting to decorate, but I refuse to decorate before November12th.
24) I love playing outside in the rain. I find it very refreshing.
25) I'm scared of the dark and sleep with the light on when John's not with me.
26) If I were to go to school I have absolutely no idea what kind of course I would want to take.
27) I still occasionally miss my eyebrow piercing, even though I'd never have it redone.
28) I seriously have some of the greatest people in my life and I'm beyond grateful for them.
Happy 28th birthday to me!
1) If I could learn three things it would be how to dance, how to play piano and how to box on a punching bag properly.
2) I would give a whole lot to be able to sing even remotely well. This, however, I don't feel is something that can just be learned and is simply a gift that I don't have.
3) I wish I'd pursued acting. It was something a few of my teachers over the years thought I'd be great at, but I never did much with it for some reason.
4) I'm a chronic joint cracker, but I try not to do it around other people because I know some people are disgusted by it.
5) I am a people pleaser. John thinks this is more to my detriment than anything else. I bottle a lot trying to keep others happy.
6) I'd also be interested in learning how to make my own jewelry.
7) I was on a med at the age of 14 for a month that gave me lasting problems of my pupils dilating too much. It causes a fair few headaches.
8) I love Booster Juice with a passion.
9) I miss my father-in-law far more than I let on.
10) The smells of canned or juiced pineapple instantly makes me nauseous. I try to simplify things and just say I'm allergic, but I'm highly sensitive to it and it's not pleasant.
11) Any day that combines Dr Pepper and bacon is a winning day in my book.
12) I'm a geek at heart and love being given opportunities to geek out.
13) I love having impromptu dance parties with my boys.
14) My birthday always falls on the same day of the week that year as my mum and my brother. This year we had Friday birthdays.
15) I'd love to have a stylist to work with that could help me find a fashion style that suits my personality and my body type.
16) I'm a huge fan of The Olive Garden and The Old Spaghetti Factory.
17) Caleb and I sang a song together a couple of weeks ago and it was an incredibly special experience that he's chosen to make a daily ritual.
18) I am a planner. I love planning out everything, even vacations I'd never be able to actually take. I just find the process enjoyable.
19) I did the whole Personal Progress program in 8 months (give or take a few days).
20) 1/6 of the music on my phone is by Glee Cast. It's seldom that I like the original better.
21) I sleep better if there's music playing quietly the whole night.
22) I love hugs!
23) I love the Christmas season and have a hard time waiting to decorate, but I refuse to decorate before November12th.
24) I love playing outside in the rain. I find it very refreshing.
25) I'm scared of the dark and sleep with the light on when John's not with me.
26) If I were to go to school I have absolutely no idea what kind of course I would want to take.
27) I still occasionally miss my eyebrow piercing, even though I'd never have it redone.
28) I seriously have some of the greatest people in my life and I'm beyond grateful for them.
Happy 28th birthday to me!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Most Productive Dessert Date Ever
This is an extremely heavy post that I'm doing solely for my own benefit. I had a friend ask me out for dessert on Wednesday. She knew something was wrong with me (cause she's amazing) and called me out on it. I broke down and a whole lot came out about what I've been struggling with. One of those things was a man who 20 years ago broke my self esteem and it hasn't been repaired since. My friend was the first person in the whole 20 years to look my straight in the eyes and say "He was wrong, Nikki. He was wrong." I don't want to go into a lot of details about what happened because there are other people involved in the story that I don't want to talk about in this situation, but I've been carrying an obscene amount of baggage because of this man and it felt so good to FINALLY have someone tell me straight up that he was wrong.
She also said something that I've kind of replayed in my head a lot since. We were talking about how I don't know how to see good in myself and how I can only see my flaws due to my self esteem issues. She said "I wish that you could see yourself the way I see you" and went on to tell me some of the things she really appreciates about me that I don't recognize in myself.
When she asked me out for dessert, I don't think she knew that I was going to start deeply searching and trying to change a huge thing in my life after. I think we just missed hanging out with each other (cause she's the Harry to my Ron). I also know that there's no way she could have known when she asked "How are you doing, really?" just how much was going to come out. It's amazing, though, how much difference one person with a kind a sincere heart can make. I've been grateful for a while now that Heavenly Father brought her into my life, but now that gratitude is beyond words. I am so thankful that He has blessed me with her friendship at this time and has given me a friend who realizes just how much I need someone to help me feel like I'm of worth.
I guess the point I wanted to make, other than having these important things recorded for me to go back to, was to never underestimate what you could end up meaning to someone else just by caring about them.
She also said something that I've kind of replayed in my head a lot since. We were talking about how I don't know how to see good in myself and how I can only see my flaws due to my self esteem issues. She said "I wish that you could see yourself the way I see you" and went on to tell me some of the things she really appreciates about me that I don't recognize in myself.
When she asked me out for dessert, I don't think she knew that I was going to start deeply searching and trying to change a huge thing in my life after. I think we just missed hanging out with each other (cause she's the Harry to my Ron). I also know that there's no way she could have known when she asked "How are you doing, really?" just how much was going to come out. It's amazing, though, how much difference one person with a kind a sincere heart can make. I've been grateful for a while now that Heavenly Father brought her into my life, but now that gratitude is beyond words. I am so thankful that He has blessed me with her friendship at this time and has given me a friend who realizes just how much I need someone to help me feel like I'm of worth.
I guess the point I wanted to make, other than having these important things recorded for me to go back to, was to never underestimate what you could end up meaning to someone else just by caring about them.
Monday, September 17, 2012
I'll Pretend You Didn't Just Say That
Brettley had an appointment with his opthalmologist this morning. We had assumed we'd be getting a date for his second surgery. Instead we're getting sent for an MRI. When John texted that to me, my body just kind of froze and I wanted to pretend that I hadn't just read that. In the back of my mind I've known for a long time that at some point we were going to have to have one. He's 8 months behind in a lot of developmental areas and his eyes reverted back a lot more after the surgery than the doctor had expected. Therefore, we need to know if there's an underlying factor behind all of this, which his pediatrician considered earlier in the year as well. I'm terrified. About what this could mean for Brett, and for all of us as a family. It's been a pretty stressful day and I'm really grateful that I will have a chance to go to the temple tomorrow evening with the youth and find the peace that comes when I'm in the temple. I can't imagine handling any of this without the gospel in my life. I'm so grateful for it.
Monday, September 10, 2012
L Got Baptized
L was baptized on Saturday. Over 8 years ago I knew that one of the reasons I made the decision that I did was so that when she turned 8, she could be baptized by her dad, which is exactly what happened. No matter how much it has hurt at times through the past 8 years, I know in my heart that the experience she had this weekend is exactly what I wanted for her when I did the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life. She is amazing, her parents are amazing and they deserve all of the happiness in the world.
I know that D is a man that respects the priesthood he holds. I've felt it as he placed his hands on my head the day I placed L in C's arms when he gave me a blessing that I've thought back on many times. I'm so grateful that she is being raised in a home with such a wonderful father and priesthood holder and by a mother that is so awesome that I can't even put it all in to words. The love and gratitude that I have for C is beyond description and she will never fully know how much I admire her. When it comes down to it, I think these feelings are what adoption should really be about. I don't feel resentment, I feel love and admiration. I feel gratitude beyond anything I can ever express. These 3 people hold a special place in my heart that I go to at least once every day. I am so proud of L for making the choice to be baptized. That beautiful girl never fails to make me grateful to have had a hand in bringing her here to share her life with such an amazing family.
I know that D is a man that respects the priesthood he holds. I've felt it as he placed his hands on my head the day I placed L in C's arms when he gave me a blessing that I've thought back on many times. I'm so grateful that she is being raised in a home with such a wonderful father and priesthood holder and by a mother that is so awesome that I can't even put it all in to words. The love and gratitude that I have for C is beyond description and she will never fully know how much I admire her. When it comes down to it, I think these feelings are what adoption should really be about. I don't feel resentment, I feel love and admiration. I feel gratitude beyond anything I can ever express. These 3 people hold a special place in my heart that I go to at least once every day. I am so proud of L for making the choice to be baptized. That beautiful girl never fails to make me grateful to have had a hand in bringing her here to share her life with such an amazing family.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Post 2: It's About Me
I decided to do one of those quiz things just to add some fun facts about myself on here, since it is my blog and all...
WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My middle name is also the middle name of both of my grandmothers
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Wednesday night I had a full out cry but ended up getting a lot out of it.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Roasted Turkey or Honey Ham. Also, I hate bologna with a passion.
DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, I have 3. (Caleb is almost 6, Ty is almost 4 and Brett is about 19 months)
IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes and no. I come with a lot of baggage that can be frustrating, but I'm an extremely loyal friend and I love to listen.
DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I tend to be an extremely sarcastic person. Witty sarcasm is my favourite kind of humour.
DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I don't. They came out right before I turned 10 and should have been out YEARS before that.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't eat a lot of cereal, but I love things like Quaker Harvest Crunch and Honey Bunches of Oats.
DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Only if I need to in order to get them off of my foot.
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, no. Emotionally this is a frustrating thing for me because I've had to do things that make people think that I'm strong (and I hate people telling me that I am), but I personally don't feel that I am.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? I love Haggen Daaz Cookie Dough Dynamo, the PC brand of Cotton Candy and Marble Slab's Cheesecake.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I notice shoes a lot, actually. And hair.
WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Physically, my underdeveloped chin (which is a VERY sore spot with me after years and years of teasing). As a whole, I'd have to say my bipolar.
WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My father-in-law, who passed away in March and was one of the most amazing people I've ever met.
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Eggs
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Dora the Explorer that Ty is watching.
IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Pink
FAVORITE SMELLS? Lilacs, vanilla and cinnamon.
FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Hockey, Soccer and Curling
HAIR COLOR? My hair is, medium brown? I think...
EYE COLOR? Fun cause I recently learned a term for this. It's Glasz. My eye color changes all the time between blue, green, grey and even a bit of yellow on occasion. Today they are a bluish grey.
DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, but I am trying to wear my glasses more.
FAVORITE FOOD? I like a good lasagna or chicken parmesan.
LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Hunger Games
FAVORITE SEASON? I think it's a tie between spring and fall.
FAVORITE DESSERT? Either cheesecake or sticky toffee pudding.
COMPUTER OR TELEVISION? I use my phone or computer for most things, including Netflix.
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? I just finished The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. Today I'm starting Fishers of Men by Gerald N Lund.
FAVORITE SOUND? Running water (river, rain...) or just a good song
WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Nova Scotia for distance, Utah for out of country.
DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I'm really good at planning things out in detail. Execution is another story.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Nova Scotia, Canada
WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW? Alberta, Canada
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK? So everyone's expecting a Harry Potter book, right? I'd have to say, though that Behold The Man by Gerald N Lund is my favorite.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? Again, it's not HP. My favorite movie is Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (the extended version).
WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My middle name is also the middle name of both of my grandmothers
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Wednesday night I had a full out cry but ended up getting a lot out of it.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Roasted Turkey or Honey Ham. Also, I hate bologna with a passion.
DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, I have 3. (Caleb is almost 6, Ty is almost 4 and Brett is about 19 months)
IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes and no. I come with a lot of baggage that can be frustrating, but I'm an extremely loyal friend and I love to listen.
DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I tend to be an extremely sarcastic person. Witty sarcasm is my favourite kind of humour.
DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I don't. They came out right before I turned 10 and should have been out YEARS before that.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't eat a lot of cereal, but I love things like Quaker Harvest Crunch and Honey Bunches of Oats.
DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Only if I need to in order to get them off of my foot.
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, no. Emotionally this is a frustrating thing for me because I've had to do things that make people think that I'm strong (and I hate people telling me that I am), but I personally don't feel that I am.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? I love Haggen Daaz Cookie Dough Dynamo, the PC brand of Cotton Candy and Marble Slab's Cheesecake.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I notice shoes a lot, actually. And hair.
WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Physically, my underdeveloped chin (which is a VERY sore spot with me after years and years of teasing). As a whole, I'd have to say my bipolar.
WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My father-in-law, who passed away in March and was one of the most amazing people I've ever met.
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Eggs
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Dora the Explorer that Ty is watching.
IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Pink
FAVORITE SMELLS? Lilacs, vanilla and cinnamon.
FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Hockey, Soccer and Curling
HAIR COLOR? My hair is, medium brown? I think...
EYE COLOR? Fun cause I recently learned a term for this. It's Glasz. My eye color changes all the time between blue, green, grey and even a bit of yellow on occasion. Today they are a bluish grey.
DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, but I am trying to wear my glasses more.
FAVORITE FOOD? I like a good lasagna or chicken parmesan.
LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Hunger Games
FAVORITE SEASON? I think it's a tie between spring and fall.
FAVORITE DESSERT? Either cheesecake or sticky toffee pudding.
COMPUTER OR TELEVISION? I use my phone or computer for most things, including Netflix.
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? I just finished The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. Today I'm starting Fishers of Men by Gerald N Lund.
FAVORITE SOUND? Running water (river, rain...) or just a good song
WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Nova Scotia for distance, Utah for out of country.
DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I'm really good at planning things out in detail. Execution is another story.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Nova Scotia, Canada
WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW? Alberta, Canada
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK? So everyone's expecting a Harry Potter book, right? I'd have to say, though that Behold The Man by Gerald N Lund is my favorite.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? Again, it's not HP. My favorite movie is Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (the extended version).
Post 1: Book Review
I decided that every time I read a book for the first time I'm going to do a bit of a review for it on here. To be honest, it doesn't happen very often, because I'm a bit re-reader. I got to read a new book this week though.
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
by Chris Colfer
I'm going to be honest and say that when I first heard that he'd written a book, I had no intention of reading it whatsoever. I assumed that the book got published simply because it's Chris Colfer and I don't believe in buying/reading something just because of who put it out (read: George Lucas). At some point I ended up finding out what the book was about, though. It's a modern day fairy tale telling the continuing story of the characters from the fairy tales we grew up with (Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, etc). My interest was piqued. So I asked my brother if he'd heard anything about it (my brother works for Chapter Indigo). He said that the writing itself wasn't great but that the story was probably okay. In the end I decided to see if the story concept would override the writing itself and put a hold on it through the library.
In short, yes, the concept overrode the writing. I could tell that writing wasn't the sole focus in his life. However, I was so interested in his take on things (The Charming Dynasty, the back story to characters, how the Bailey twins fit in to things) that I sped through the book. It was very obvious that he's a fan of J.K. Rowling by how he revealed things in tiny bits and pieces through the story before revealing it all at the end, with a bit of a twist. I also greatly enjoyed his witty sarcastic sense of humor, mainly through Conner Bailey, one of the twins, who fall into The Land of Stories and are completing tasks to be able to get back home.
The book itself is a children's book that I would relate to Shrek, Madagascar or any Disney movie. Kids will enjoy it, but there are a few jokes thrown in there for the adults to chuckle at. There are quite a few profound statements in there as well, which I want to write down before I return the book to the library tomorrow.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book. It kept my interest, it kept me laughing and I'm looking forward to the sequel. On the con side, you can tell he's not an accomplished writer and there are points where his writing style got a bit frustrating. I would still happily recommend it as a fun light read, though.
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
by Chris Colfer
I'm going to be honest and say that when I first heard that he'd written a book, I had no intention of reading it whatsoever. I assumed that the book got published simply because it's Chris Colfer and I don't believe in buying/reading something just because of who put it out (read: George Lucas). At some point I ended up finding out what the book was about, though. It's a modern day fairy tale telling the continuing story of the characters from the fairy tales we grew up with (Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, etc). My interest was piqued. So I asked my brother if he'd heard anything about it (my brother works for Chapter Indigo). He said that the writing itself wasn't great but that the story was probably okay. In the end I decided to see if the story concept would override the writing itself and put a hold on it through the library.
In short, yes, the concept overrode the writing. I could tell that writing wasn't the sole focus in his life. However, I was so interested in his take on things (The Charming Dynasty, the back story to characters, how the Bailey twins fit in to things) that I sped through the book. It was very obvious that he's a fan of J.K. Rowling by how he revealed things in tiny bits and pieces through the story before revealing it all at the end, with a bit of a twist. I also greatly enjoyed his witty sarcastic sense of humor, mainly through Conner Bailey, one of the twins, who fall into The Land of Stories and are completing tasks to be able to get back home.
The book itself is a children's book that I would relate to Shrek, Madagascar or any Disney movie. Kids will enjoy it, but there are a few jokes thrown in there for the adults to chuckle at. There are quite a few profound statements in there as well, which I want to write down before I return the book to the library tomorrow.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book. It kept my interest, it kept me laughing and I'm looking forward to the sequel. On the con side, you can tell he's not an accomplished writer and there are points where his writing style got a bit frustrating. I would still happily recommend it as a fun light read, though.
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