shazzamber

A REPRESENTATION OF LIFE AS I KNEW IT
I made this list a few months ago, just before Finals were starting to get under way. I thought I’d post it just for the memories. Of course some things have changed, but this is what I loved at the end of my Freshmen year.
1. Nutella

2. Mexican food
3. Carmellos

4. The Office
5. Running on the beach in the morning
6. The New Testament
7. My family
8. Uncle Spence
9. My friends
10. Good teachers
11. Dr. K
12. Great music
13. Presh movies
14. getting packages
15. sleep
16. my bed and couch at home
17. general conference
18. Christmas
19. Skiing
20. Inspiring movies
21. Netflix
22. Sundays
23. Practicing with Ben
24. Vocal Point

25. Hot tubs
26. fireplaces
27. rock canyon
28. chocolate milk
29. our blog network
30. my YW leaders
31. pay day
32. the PCC
33. Seasider sandwiches
34. My old XC team
35. Matchmaking

36. Missionary letters
37. Pandora
38. Those brown sugar bars
39. 3-4 Nephi
40. Mormonads
41. Calvin and Hobbes
42. Jerusalem sandals
43. Sunday naps
44. Our temple
45. The Visitors Center
46. Good test scores
47. Fidays
48. Finals ending
49. Sus. Tueller’s rolls
50. Tangled

51. Pres. Hinckley
52. My Patriarchal blessing
53. Cookie dough
54. Pres. Uchtdorf
55. Pres. Eyering
56. Pres. Monson
57. Chocolate pudding
58. My green blanket
59. When class is canceled
60. Coconut rice
61. Cold Stone

62. Pam and Jim
63. Sunset Beach
64. Skype
65. Snorkeling
66. Cheese
67. Cori’s bed
68. Good piano lessons
69. Getting 19 work hours
70. Sweet potato fries
71. The music department
72. Nice pianos
73. PCC dresses
74. Laying in the sun
75. Denzil’s voice
76. Cheesecake Factory
77. Sun rises

78. Our sky
79. the Luau
80. visitors
81. Surfin’ Tacos
82. Break-the-fast
83. Haleiwa Eats
84. Hukilau Café
85. Broadway music
86. Sugar cane
87. Melissa
88. Seasider muffins
89. Mormon Messages
90. Kristen and Riley
91. Cracking my back
92. M&Ms

93. Pixar

94. Opening mission calls
95. Facebook (for now…)
96. Barefoot running
97. The Lord
98. LIFE
99. Going home
100. Living in Hawaii

*a very special treat awaits the reader who makes it to the end of this post. Trust me.*

Alexander’s Amazing Adventures is a collection of stories about a young lad named Alexander, which teach a new value with each amazing adventure he goes on.

If this was a mom blog, I would write about how I used Alexander’s Amazing Adventures to teach my children about the value of honesty, and because of it, none of them have ever told a single lie. Then we kept listening, and now they’re perfect angels because of the way the stories changed our lives and taught each value so thoroughly. I feel like a very successful mother, and all the credit goes to the brilliant creators. Buy these tapes to have perfect children just like me!

Um, yeah. Can’t make that claim quite yet.

But let’s pretend like I am a mom, because I fully plan on using these fantastic tapes with my future children (who are the only thing I ever plan for). I’ll spare the synopsis and raving reviews, so you’ll just have to take my word for it, but I honestly (haha) think these stories (including the 11 I have yet to hear) would be an excellent teaching tool for children. (I am desperate to hear the others!!!) Those values include Honesty, Loyalty and Dependability, Respect, Love, Unselfishness and Sensitivity, Kindness and Friendliness, Courage, Peaceability, Self-reliance and Potential, Self-discipline and Moderation, Fidelity and Chastity, and Justice and Mercy.

These are some of the most amazing parts of the adventures:
1. Very clever storyline
2. Incredible voices (speaking voices)
3. Great message, obviously (made by LDS folks, no less)
4. Very good songs
5. Enjoyable!
6. Teach your children important life lessons and values, in a way that the whole family can enjoy and be highly inspired!

In case you aren’t sold yet, here’s my last word: Alexander’s quest begins with the value Honesty, the foundation for all other values. Through music, drama, and sound effects, young Alex time travels from his schoolroom to the ancient country of Inlandia where he is the lost prince. There, guided by “The Lightkeeper” and his tortoise companion, Theo, he learns that honesty can save the day. Back in his classroom he finds that honesty works just as well in the real world. To listen to the remaining 11 adventures, sign in and register for the Alexander’s Amazing Adventures program.

And as a special treat, I have included links to the Honesty tape!!!
Alexander side 1
Alexander side 2

If this was a mom blog or something, I would write about how I

Canceled class
Missionary letters
Running on the beach
Real grated cheese
Seasider sandwiches

Guess Who?

“We honor and remember the the nearly 3,000 men, women and children killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93, as well as the six people killed in the February 1993 World Trade Center bombing.”
-Washington DC State Legislature Leaders Foundation

You know how old people used to always say, “Back in the good ole days…” “Back when I was a kid…” “I remember when…” and they were things like the Great Depression and World War 2 and times before electricity and such? Well, turns out that for me what seems “current” is actually history. Like, I swear Sept. 11 was like 3 years ago. But it was 10 years ago! And the ’90s are no longer current either. Weird!

So now my “I remember when…” is I remember when I heard about the attack on the Twin Towers. I was in 4th grade, and my teacher Mr. Rencher gave us a very important talk about it, with personal connections due to his experiences in the Vietnam War. I will also never forget the recurring image of the Towers blowing up, shown over and over and over again. And watching live news of the families and friends of those in the buildings, as they waited anxiously to hear any news at all. Then seeing cemetery gatherings of tribute, commemoration, and extreme sorrow.

It affected the entire country, (I remember when airports were entirely different than they are now. Back in the good ole days we used to be able to meet people right outside the terminal. And we didn’t have to hand over our entire lives and beings as we went through ‘security’.) but individual lives even more. Imagine the family who lost a father, or a mother, or a brother. Maybe the newly married wife who would never see her husband again. It’s interesting to think about how all the history we learn about is actually a collection of many personal histories. And that’s what it’s all about.

I will never forget, and I’ll try to remember each year about the magnificent effect this event had on individual lives.

*This is long. So don’t bother reading it if you don’t have 3 minutes, or a listening ear for my personal triumph.

All growing up, I never watched TV for one simple reason: we didn’t have one. Then I went to college, my friend Sara showed me an episode of the Office, I thought it was super funny, I got the 1-month free Netflix trial, and I was hooked. Suddenly, I had instant access to a delightfully relaxing and humorous form of entertainment. So of course I had to get my own Netfix account after the trial ended. …
Michael Scott: World’s Best Boss?

The Office was really funny. Really funny. I’m sure I can’t appreciate it as much as someone like my dad, because I haven’t actually worked in an office, but I know that’s a big part of the humor. The whole “mockumentary” deal is what really got me. I could at least understand that they were making fun of reality TV, and doing it in a very expert sort of way.

Why is Kelly standing on a chair?

As the show went on, and the characters became more developed, and we grew to love Pam and Jim, hate Meredith and Angela, and groan at every single thing Michael and Dwight ever did or said, that became the real draw, because we knew the characters well enough to predict what they would do, and laugh at their occasional/ frequent stupidity/ absurdity. This is an example of how attached to the characters one can become. And that is why I loved the show so much: I knew the characters so well that it was just kind of enjoyable to watch whatever random and ridiculous things they did.

Pam and Jim: one of the greatest couples of all time.

Unfortunately, as may or may not be inevitable at this day in age, the dry humor wasn’t enough to keep a wide enough audience, so drastic measures had to be taken. Of course the obvious answer would be to entertain the crazy viewers of our day, who require humor of a most distasteful range.

Blast.

My inner struggle can only be imagined. Ooh, that’s pretty bad. Dwight! Agh! Don’t be the moron that you are! Ahh! Look away! YES! Pam and Jim! Finally! Whoa. Meredith. Whoa. Andy is the best! I love Kevin! Ohhhh Michael. Oh wow. Hahahahahaha!

That’s the way it went over. Cognitive dissonance in a major way.

And so I’ve come to a new resolve. And this is it:

“I love the Office and I think it’s really funny. However, much of the humor is inappropriate, and it’s gotten wrse as the show has gone on. I remain uncomfortable with that kind of humor, and to prevent further exposure, I deem it wise to entertain myself with alternate shows and/ or (preferably) entirely other forms of entertainment. I also add that the show has lost a huge amount of appeal with the absence of Michael, and also with the significantly less (if not complete loss of) interest with Pam and Jim. For all these reasons, and also for the sake of spending both my time and mental capacity in better ways, I end my consistent viewing of it with the exit of Michael Scott (aka Steve Carrell). I will allow myself to watch the future episode with none other than Josh Groban, and possibly a few of the old classics (Casino Night and Fun Run specifically) but this must happen.”

Are you proud? That feels good.

Amber!

How are you? I couldn’t wait to write a letter to you today, which is a P-day. Life in MTC is pretty good. I already could feel God’s power the second day in MTC. Well, another thing is, I have got many friends now. They were really nice and funny, especially a missionary called Elder Vea, who is from Tonga. Just now we were tackling each other and he held me upside down becuase I was too small compared to him.

My companion is called Elder Hodson. He is from BYUH too. His frist name is Alex. I don’t know if you know him. He is smart and nice. But sometimes he is kind of cool to me. He doesnt’ talk as much as he does to his other friends.

I read the scripture you gave me whcih was awesome. In case you forgot what scripture you gave me, it was Alma 26. That was a really good missionary attitude. I like the part where it said how much power the God has. God has so much power that can overcome our weaknesses. Amber, I think you are going to love your mission too, I promise.

Well, I miss you and I am waiting for your letter. 🙂 Thanks for the compliment you gave me on the last letter. 🙂 And you should know that you are awesome too, and you are really nice to people. Thanks for picking me up from the airport and the awesome tour in the Temple Square. Tell me all the fun things you did recently. And I love you! I love all you guys. (it’s hard for my culture to say I love you, but I think I have to learn to say it.) Keep in touch!