Shout Out!

Chrissy and Michelle and I at Brick Oven for a reunion.

To all of my friends who read my blog...please don't be afraid to let me know. I had the great opportunity to run into some adorable friends who informed me that they have been reading my blog....I had no idea! lol It's the "CHANCE" I take though by writing in a blog.

My friends are such a great part of my life and I hope that you will feel comfortable leaving comments and also links to your blogs as well. I'd love to follow up on your lives!

Thank you to all of you who have impacted my life in one way or another. I am grateful for the old friendships, new friendships and friendships that have yet to come about!

Women

"Women have distinct assignments given to them before the foundation of the world (March 2009 Ensign)"

I am reading a book called A Single Voice by Sister Kristin Oaks. In this book I have been reminded of the importance of women and what their role is as nurtures in this big world we live in. If you haven't read this book please pick up a copy! Females and Males will both learn so much from it! It is truly inspired!

Tonight while I was eating one of God's greatest creations....frozen yogurt, the guy I was with asked me why I was so insistent on paying and why I acted a little put out when he wouldn't let me. I told him that part of me feels like I need to constantly be giving and one way to do that is to pay for other people when I go out. He point blank laughed in my face and said: "You are such a stubborn girl." That comment intrigued me.... so of course I made him expound. He said that women always feel like they need to be helping, fixing, or doing something for someone. That really got me thinking....

To add to the thoughts during frozen yogurt, later in the night my visiting teachers came over and shared the monthly message with me. I loved that it went right along with what I had been thinking about. As I spoke with my Visiting teachers my heart grew in love for them as we bonded about circumstances that women find themselves in. My two Visiting Teachers are such great examples of wonderful women who understand their purpose in life.

Aren't women amazing? Women are passionate, fearless, goal oriented, powerful, inspirational, beautiful, graceful, intellectual.....women are absolutely amazing! I am so proud to be a woman and proud of the perks as well as the flaws that come with my gender! lol In a world created to appeal to women, I hope that all women everywhere will stand up and not be afraid to be who they are and to stand up for what they believe in! There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who has a dream to make a difference and then wakes up from that dream and gets to work so that dream comes true!

MAD

Tonight I went on a date where the conversation just made me smile. My friend was talking about how he was conversing with someone he worked with and the guy told him about how lame marriage can be over time. Interesting topic, eh? Well, he went on to tell me what his opinion is (let me just tell you I couldn't hide my smile) his comments were adorable! He said: "Kristi! I want to be mad about my wife! I want her to want me so bad that I have to beg her to keep her distance so that we can plan the wedding and get things in place! I want to think about her all day and count down the minutes til I get to see her! I just want to be completely mad about her!" I sat there with a sincere smile on my face and said: "well, that doesn't sound like you are asking for too much to me." He smiled and said "I refuse to settle for someone who doesn't want to be with me or someone who thinks that they might be able to grow to love me." To my sweet friends- male or female- PLEASE don't ever settle. My date was right to say the things he said. Find some one who is mad about you and you are mad about them and then once you have found it DON'T EVER EVER EVER let that love, passion, and respect be tamed or lessened in any way! It's worth waiting for, and its worth working at, and its worth keeping! I know it's real and we can all have it.

A Weekend With a View

Have you ever looked outside a window at a beautiful view and thought "Wow! Sometimes I forget to see the big picture!" At my parents house I often sit in the famly room and stare out through the big windows and allow my heart and my mind to converse with one another..lol Something I should proabably do more often! Well, this weekend opened my eyes in a similar manner.
On Friday a few of us went on a bike ride up to BVF. I rode my pink beach cruiser...it was a sight to see! lol It was such a great ride and we all had a lot of fun. At one point my friend Jon made a comment to me that really got me thinking.... You see I have a habbit of saying "Hello" to people and smiling at them. So, on the trial I wasn't any different. Jon pointed out that very few people responded back to me. On the way down, as I coasted and enjoyed the view, I thought about what Jon had said and why I insist on addressing people who have no desire to be addressed. I realized that although I love the mt.'s and the sky, and the warm sun, I was enjoying seeing other people just as much as I was enjoying evertyhing else. To me, people are beautiful, they make or break the view for me, and they are what keep me smiling. Friday afternoon I realized that I am not someone who seeks validation rather I am one who gives it and loves to give it and that is enough validation for me!
On Sunday we had a "Sweet Party." I had a riot! It was so fun to meet new people. There was a great turnout and a huge selection of desserts! I was very impressed. One guy from my ward came up and addressed me and asked if I was okay. He said that he knew I had recently gotten out of a relationship and was told that I was very hurt, however when he saw me I appeared to be ready to paint the town. He said he was confused. Instead of responding on impulse as I normally do, I stopped and reflected. I looked around the room and saw people I love, new friendships, great food, and felt my heart about to explode. I turned to him with tears in my eyes and said "How can I have all of this in my life and not be happy? Why does one thing HAVE TO ruin every minute of every day?" He was a little bit shocked with my boldness and my blunt honesty and he dropped the subject. Later that night I sat on our front porch couch in a blanket and asked myself what the guy in my ward had asked me. My conclusion: I believe in happiness. I am happiest when others around me are happy. I believe happiness can be attained no matter how hard of a trial you may be enduring. I believe happiness can be found any where. I believe that although I had my moments of sorrow, tears, and pain this past weekend- I also had incredible moments of happiness like when I met my new missionaries, when I coasted down the Mt. on my bike, when my roommates and I ate sushi on the floor, when my mom left a message that just said: I love you!, when my roommates and I layed out on the grass and talked about the adventures to come this summer, when I finished my run and felt energy, when we had or twilight party, when I went to church and heard talks that I needed to hear, when I went to the draper temple dedication and was comforted, and so many other amazing moments!
How can I ever complain about anything with a weekend with a view of happiness like that!

LOVE was made for ME and YOU

Today was my last day with my elders. They are headed to Canada and Ohio. This district has been such a blessing my life and I am grateful to have been able to meet each of them!

Today at the end of class the district told me that they had prepared a few things for me to let me know what they appreciate of me as their teacher. They had me sit in what we call the throne (a padded chair) and they all sat in their desks starting at me until....

Elder Staker yelled...2,3,4....and then all of the elders stood up and formed an L with their arms as they sang "L is for the way you look at me." as they sang those words they made an L shape with their arms and then quickly went to hands on their hips and a look on their face that said "oh, Elder." I laughed so hard!

They continued... "O is for the only one I see" they all then sat in their desk and put their elbows on their desks, rested their head on their hand and made a big sigh as they all looked at me...then jumped up for "V is very very extraordinary" when they jumped up they all did numerous different hand signals, body language, and shouted words that I use a lot. Then went on to "E is even more than I adore.....and love is all that I can give to you! Love is more than just a trick or two" they were doing the can can and took off their suit jackets and put them over one shoulder and did GQ poses. Then my cute shy elder sang in high C "take my heart but please don't break it!" The song ended with "Love was made for you adn me" They all ended on one knee and their arms outstretched towards me.....I was rolling in laughter!

Right then one of the reading tutors came in and said "What on earth is going on?" I was laughing so hard that I couldn't speak. She looked around the room until she spotted me and said...I thought that you might be the teacher I would find in here.... I couldn't think of any other teacher whose missionaries would want to sing a song like that to their teacher. She laughed along with us- thank goodness and the Elders explained to her that they sang that song because they love me but more than that I taught them how to love other people.

What a blessing my life to have experiences like thisQ!

Falling in Love

A dear friend of mine sent me this quote in the wee hours of the morning and I just had to share it with all of you. "Love is giving someone the power to destroy you BUT trusting them not to." I was reading this incredible message from my friend and when he said these words my head started to spin!!!!!! No wonder I have been so confused about love!!!! lol I naturally love people. In fact I think it is pretty easy for me to even fall in love with people. My heart is a lot stronger than my mind is. Actually I think that my heart and mind battle against each other a lot but my heart always wins!

I can honestly say that I have been in love....and a couple of times I thought that it destroyed me so bad that I would never recover....and yet here I am years later, heart in place, mind open ready to jump in with both feet again. Why is that? I was studying the scriptures the other day and reallized that because of the Atonement I can move on, recover, mend AND open my heart to others. Now, thats not to say that when destruction happens it doesn't hurt like a beast because it definately does! However the times of happiness, warmth, peace, and excitement with someone out weighs the destruction that comes when that person makes the decision to not handle your heart with care.

I went for a walk with my roommate tonight because the stars were so beautiful and the night was so warm! As we were walking I opened up to her and shared with her the miracles that had happened today. Sundays are always perfect days for miracles. She stopped me and said: "I love that you were in love!" I was a little caught off gaurd by that. She went on to say: "Kristi, don't you get it...you were in love! I knew that you were, in fact I never doubted it, but how you are acting right now proves even more that you were and are and maybe always will be in love. You are happy that your past relationships are happy with their lives now, you want whats best for them, and you care about where they are spiritually- that's love! But what convinces me even further Kristi is that you also arent afraid to tell me that it all sucks! You're not afraid to say that you feel like you have been robbed, ran over, or cheated! You feel vulnerable, weak, and fatigued! Thats LOVE!!!!!!!!" lol I love my roommate! About a month ago she and I had a convo about how good it feels to fall in love and let your heart go free! She is always good at convo's like these! She too has experienced loss recently and in the past and yet she and I both deal with our experiences similarly- we love to be in love!

Tonight I also spoke with my mom and my sister in-law about a couple of relationships I had been in years ago. My mom said: "I still love that you can talk about them with a smile on your face even though when all was said and done you were left in pieces!" Putting both convo's together helps me understand myself so much better. I DON'T have a problem loving and trusting people with my heart!!!!!! Interesting....

The Irish get serious about their kissing!

So, last year this time I found this article about kissing and one of my girlfriends and I were laughing about it and saying that no mormon girl would be able to kiss that many guys without marrying one of them first... joke? I think not. She just got married on Monday!!!! Watch out! lol
Here is the article:

By Laura Schaefer
Think you know a thing or two about kissing? You probably do. But the facts below are so off the beaten path, we’ll bet you don’t know them all—and they could come in handy. Not only could they provide some steamy “Did you know…?” chit chat, but they’ll help you see all the benefits a satisfying lip lock can bring into your life. Happy smooching!
1. Two out of every three couples turn their heads to the right when they kiss.
2. A simple peck uses two muscles; a passionate kiss, on the other hand, uses all 34 muscles in your face. Now that’s a rigorous workout!
3. Like fingerprints or snowflakes, no two lip impressions are alike.
4. Kissing is good for what ails you. Research shows that the act of smooching improves our skin, helps circulation, prevents tooth decay, and can even relieve headaches.
5. The average person spends 336 hours of his or her life kissing.
6. Ever wonder how an “X” came to represent a kiss? Starting in the Middle Ages, people who could not read used an X as a signature. They would kiss this mark as a sign of sincerity. Eventually, the X came to represent the kiss itself.
7. Talk about a rush! Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters in our brains as parachuting, bungee jumping, and running.
8. The average woman kisses 29 men before she gets married.
9. Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don’t.
10. The longest kiss in movie history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, You’re in the Army Now. It lasted 3 minutes and 5 seconds. So if you’ve beaten that record, it’s time to celebrate!

Hillarious article, right? We loved it! 336 hours kissing????? Come on! That doesn't seem like very much! lol