Lonesome Polecat and Other Adventures

Our FARM Highlights: Christmas 2011

Chickens! Shortly thereafter Tori and I both discovered the wonders of stinging nettle!

The PUZZLE TO END ALL PUZZLES. We refused to go before it was finished so we stayed up until 12:30 the night before we left. Every time I close my eyes to sleep I am comparing different shades of purple and snapping pieces into place.

Chuck developed the birds-eye technique.

A more accurate depiction of how we felt.

HULU: TV is a luxury I don't make time for during the school year... so in addition to watching the BCS games and Jimmer score his first points for the Kings, this Christmas break we've spent lots of quality time together bonding over Once Upon a Time, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, and Pushing Daisies. (I now own both seasons on DVD. Thanks, Mom!!)

Footie pajamas? Uh... maybe... don't judge.

Farm Fotoshoot. Technically, I invented this with Meg three years ago... but haven't been back to Mississippi in a long time. So this was actually my first time in front of the camera rather than behind it. (True to form... it was still too much work to do my hair hahaha)

Megan 3 years ago. Photographer: Lauren

Megan now. So grown up!! Photographer: Mom.

Oh HAYYY American Eagle

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. This musical sends lots of mixed messages like "Women want honeymoon babies" and "Kidnapping is okay." But we love it anyway. Best line of the entire movie: "Can't make no vows to a herd of cows." Also, this entire song is ONE CONTINUOUS SHOT. Amazing.

Extra plus: Most-attractive brothers Frank, Benjamin and Gideon sing a trio while least-attractive brother Caleb does a ballet axe dance. [I don't know when it happened, but we have them all ranked.]

It doesn't get any better than this, friends.

 Happy Holidays :)

What I Believe and Why I Believe It

There are a lot of things (almost everything) that I haven’t figured out. There is a lot that I can't explain or wish I could fix that I can’t. Fortunately, someone else is already working on it.

Thing I Believe Number 1: There is a God. He is our Heavenly Father, and He loves us.

I was blessed to have a father (of the mortal variety) who, from the way he lives, taught me what God is like. God loves us not because we are smart or funny or charming, but simply because we are His. At times in my life when I’ve felt so very distant or disconnected spiritually, it has been the greatest blessing to me that I can think about myself the way my dad does, and know that if he loves me that much- unconditionally- despite all my flaws and weaknesses, then my Heavenly Father does, too- and then some.

An illustrative analogy:
Now that I’m in my twenties, I realize I’ve never been much of a swimmer. (At this point, I’ve abandoned it completely because my real gift is napping in the sunshine beside the pool.) But like most kids, I still went through years of swimming lessons and lots of summers playing in the water.

I liked it a lot better when my mom would teach me to swim. She would stay fixed in one place and I would fling my body out to reach her as fast as possible.

My dad was different. He would stay in one place with arms outstretched, but as I approached, he would slowly move back a little bit at a time. The closer I came, the more he would walk back, forcing me to go farther than I wanted to. Finally, just when I would think I was about to drown, he’d scoop me up, turn me around and say “Look! You just swam the whole pool!”At this point, I’d be very upset because I had not even wanted to swim the whole pool. My expectations were much lower- and I had narrowly escaped with my life.

Yet how similar is this to the way that Heavenly Father directs our lives. It’s not a hard sprint to the finish- “Come back to me as soon as possible!” Instead, (cliche alert!) most of our lives span like long journeys. Along the way we have to learn to trust Him- because He is going to take us a lot farther than we ever thought possible. At times, we may feel alone- simply because we cannot see His guiding hand, arms outstretched and ready to catch us should we fall.

And inevitably, fall we will- which leads us to:

Thing I Believe Number 2: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

I believe that Jesus Christ is real, and that He knows. He knows what it feels like when your heart is broken or when you think you have gone too far and are out of second chances. He doesn’t leave. He isn’t concerned with how long it takes, but He has literally been there and He knows. He knows, with a love and a power and an empathy like no one else can.

Perhaps most importantly, I believe that Jesus Christ lives (present tense.) I believe that he came into this world- was born in a barn, walked the roads of Palestine, performed miracles and ministered until His crucifixion, all of it. I believe He was and is the literal Son of God. I believe He came to Earth to save us, because He loves us and He wants us to be happy.

That’s it, really. The heart of the heart of it is that He lives; He loves us; He saves us. He has saved me in ways I never anticipated I would need to be saved. I believe in the power of an infinite atonement.

I believe in grace. I believe that just as much as there working against us, (ie. I am among the spiritually paranoid who believe that Satan IS real AND is out to get us!) there’s a lot of power from the across the veil- on the good side- helping us out with favors and blessings we don’t deserve. I believe in angels and tender mercies and I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt. I’m done believing that anybody doesn't have huge problems I just don't know about.

I believe in the scriptures. I love reading the Bible and I love the Book of Mormon. I know they are true not just because a) that is what my church doctrine states, but  b) because I feel them bring peace to my mind and love to my heart. Actually, I think anything and everything uplifting comes from God. But I believe in prophets- ancient and current- who testify of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit touches us in different ways at different times, but I know that by reading the scriptures I draw nearer to God. I do not read them because in my religion I “have to”- but because I genuinely want to. Honestly, in order to feel the way I like to feel, I can’t afford not to.

I believe in a future of light- that things are all going to work out. That they will be SO good, if someone laid it out for us now, we wouldn’t believe them. I believe in hope and I believe in miracles. I believe that people can change COMPLETELY from what they were before- if we will open our hearts and let them. I believe in trusting God and trusting His timing. I believe that He doesn’t forget about us or put the course of our lives on autopilot. I believe that if we put the Lord first, He will provide.

I believe that after we die, we will live again- forever. (Oooh! How cool and also kind of scary!) What this means is that right now, our souls still have a lot of growing up to do. In the eyes of God, we are still His precious little baby children trying to figure things out- what we’re supposed to do and where to go and who to be. But that is what He wants for us. And I believe He will help us get there-
                   

   wherever “there” is.

Top 10: HOMEY-HOME!

(I went for a Top 10 Total- biased in the favor of the good. Because being home is so. good.)

The Christmas picture we sent everyone.

Top 6 Best Things About Being Home: 
1. I am proud to say that I am now the LEAST talented musician in the family. While my skills remain stagnant/ slowly deteriorate, Tyler, Tori and Megan are all AWESOME. As is Lindsay. So our jam sessions get better and better every time we come home. <3

2. Name-brand food. And so much of it. I'm in heaven with all my breakfast cereal options. A full fridge. A full pantry. AND food storage in the basement in case we should ever run out!! I'm currently feasting on my father's homemade pizza. 3 meals a day. If you've had it, you understand what I'm talking about.

3. I am sitting on the couch watching TLC and blogging. I don't have to do anything. My only decision for this evening is, "Should I run the neighborhood with my dog or stay in, eat ice cream, and watch an episode of 'I Hate My Teenage Daughter' with my sisters on Hulu??"
(I think we both already know the answer to this question.)

4. I do not drive. (And not just because my license is expired... working on that tomorrow...) It's because my mommy drives me everywhere. And pays for me when we go places. In the past two days I've been to the mall, the grocery store, Great Clips, the dentist... but haven't used my debit card once. It is awesome.

5. And guess what else? Even though we are running all over the suburbs of Louisville, KY- I never have to use public restrooms. Ever. Instead, I enjoy fancy 12-ply toilet paper at home.

6. I don't enjoy cooking at college. But I am swiftly going through all my pinterest recipes. So far, the family favorite is blueberry breakfast cake..

Sweet but not too sweet. Which means the pan is clean before you know it.

Top 4 Weirdest Things About Being Home: 
1. Kneeling for family prayers. What?? Totally forgot we did that. Also, totally forgot what it feels like to have someone telling me what to do.

2. THE FAMILY WARD. I didn't realize how much BYU had spoiled me until I went to church yesterday. To whom do these screaming children belong? Why do I not hear 4-part harmonies during the hymns? Only the 12-year-old boys get doughnuts in Sunday School? People watching loses its thrill when you don't know anyone. And no one in Relief Society asks to borrow my clothes. (Weird, I know.)

3. Sleeping in the basement. Without memory foam. Is weird.

4. My family can tell me all about the latest episode of "Toddlers in Tiaras" or "Cupcake Wars," but doesn't really keep up with hard news/current events. Yesterday in the car Megan referred to Indians (distinguishing them from Native Americans) as "Baljeet people." Hahaha so PC.

5 points if you can name what show he is from.

Last night I wanted to wake everybody up and tell them Kim Jong-il had died. (Clearly, I made the right choice by refraining because when I bounced upstairs to talk about it this morning, no one seemed too enthralled about what this means for North Korea's presence in the world stage.)

The Christmas picture we SHOULD have sent everyone!
Featuring the sweatpants my father wore to church that morning.

3 days until we drive down to the FARM.
More football, more family, more food.  Happy Holidays, everyone!

Things That Are Not Okay

There are some things that people do that are not okay. 

You may be one of these people. If you are...Repent now. 

Note: It was not my original intention to go public with these pictures. But over a period of weeks, the collection has slowly grown to the point that I am now sharing it for the benefit of mankind. Kind of like Stacy and Clinton do.

Cardinal Sin Number One: exposing your feet in enclosed public spaces.

Yes, we can all sense when you remove your flip-flops. (Why are you even wearing those anymore??)

There is no acceptable excuse that your sock juice should ever marinate upon a public desk.

Also, rat tails. No further explanation required.

Tags. This is just sad. The thing that is really not okay is that her friends/family let her go out in public like this.

Biggest Pet Peeve Ever: Girls who set up camp/ sleep in the library bathrooms. If you are not nursing a baby, there is really no reason you should be in there for longer than 5 minutes. I don't want to see you studying. I don't want to see you skyping. When you pretend to be an inanimate object, it really catches me off-guard.

Nope, that is actually a person. Faked me out, too.

Other things that are not okay

In the Smith Fieldhouse:
1.) The guy walking on his hands back and forth across the gym. Multiple times throughout the evening. I wanted to take a picture so badly but Lindsay wouldn't let me.

2.) The lovely boy on the theatre ballet team who was wearing:

• TOMS boots

• legwarmers

• sweatpants

• a white shirt (tucked into said sweatpants)

• with his theatre ballet jacket on top

I was sweating just looking at all those layers. Again, my angel of a sister admonished me not to laugh.

But in her words, "Okay, the legwarmers were a bit much. I give you that."

Thanksgiving Pt. 2: "Because it's not a real vacation unless Dad ends up in the ER"

Scene 1: Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
Lauren and Lindsay have a splendid rest of Thanksgiving break with the beloved Thomas Family. We trotted with all the other local turkeys (note to self- never again unless it is at LEAST 60 degrees outside), "went out amongst them"- that is, the crowds of Black Friday, and formed a band. (typical.)

After a good half hour deliberating what really captured our essence, the name we ended up with was We Go Barefoot. My personal favorite was the submission from Justin (10 yrs old): Fat Dog Cody.

We really like Adele.
*Lindsay currently refuses to post the one video we have because it is terrible. I call it 'hilarious.' Am still working on persuasion.*

But we liked it even MORE when we got to sing on the streets of downtown Denver with some nice random black guy!! There is no greater joy than belting in public.

 

 

And yes, that is an H&M bag around my arm <3

But alas, elsewhere in the country- tragedy struck on this happiest of holidays. 

Scene 2: the suburbs of Louisville, KY

Father Dear had a little mishap with a bench and a completed pass during an intense bout of Turkey Bowl Football- now identifiable as an avulsion fracture (AKA He tore his right ACL, which took bone along with it.) Surgery to come. But at the time, my sweet family just brought Thanksgiving to him. 

Can you tell which one of these two people is on painkillers?

Oh, happy fam. 

The best part of this whole story is my mother. Queen of the Coupons, she was already going strong on Black Thursday (as it is known in the bargain-hunting world.) I am getting this conversation verbatim from my grandmother:

Sandy: "Mom, Rick broke his leg at the Turkey Bowl. The ambulance has taken him to the hospital." 

Grandma: "Oh, dear! You better go hold his hand."

Sandy: "I can't. I have to go to Walgreens and CVS!"

Here she is with their Thankful Turkey- I told you, it is a serious tradition!!

(Also... you should know that her one-handed picture-taking abilities are something of a family legend.)