“Hold a friend's hand through times of trial, let her find love through a hug and a smile; but also know when it is time to let go-for every one of us must learn to grow.”- Author Unknown

Spring came along and I started my final few months at Big Bend.......

I debated writing about certain things that went down in April because I didn't talk to hardly anyone about it because I was embarrassed, but I think it was a major event that rocked my life this year and since we are reviewing.....well it wouldn't be complete without this. 

I had been involved with ASB my entire career at Big Bend and it was one of the best experiences of my life, being involved with that kept me sane and feeling like I was doing something worth while! I loved my fellow officers and advisor they where my friends and I cared for them a great deal, I loved being apart of the behind the scenes stuff and serving on committees and almost everything about it I enjoyed a great deal, the memories and experiences I had serving as an officer I'll cherish always, I got the opportunity to do a lot of amazing stuff, and anyway it was a huge blessing!

The beginning of Spring Quarter I ended up losing my ASB job, they operate on a 3 strikes you are out system but because I'm me, I had several slip ups all year..... I didn't submit a written absence request for 2 events in the same weekend, I was late once (yes that's right I said once), and I missed 2 meetings. I have my excuses and reasons for all of these things, but mistakes are mistakes and regardless of my excuses they cost me my job. I was absolutely sick for months about it, I still cringe a little thinking on it and I didn't even tell my family because I was ashamed that in a years time I had managed to lose two jobs. 

The next few months after that was the most depressed I think I've ever been, I was feeling pretty low, mainly because I realized that I can't just coast a long on my jokes and personality, that maybe now I actually have to be responsible and dependable. Making people laugh only gets you so far, if you don't have a good work ethic.... people can only be beguiled by your charm for so long before they start to get annoyed. I guess to sum it up I was sad because I realized no matter how hard I tried to justify my actions I was still in the wrong and if I wanted to keep a real job I was gonna need to change how I work. Old habits die hard, I still struggle, but admitting is the first step....... right?

Fortunately life wasn't all gloomy..... I had some things to keep me distracted.........

April-

 if you remember April was tulip Festival time along with a trip to the zoo and Children's Museum in Seattle

As well as my first trip to Chuck E. Cheese.......a milestone really!

May-

I got a chance to visit some of my peeps in Utah, and got a sweet tour of the BYU campus...oh and my first visit to Tocano's (delicious!)

 

I invested in a new camera, that has lots of cool tricks!

Including my most favorite......the "Color Accent" feature

Then of course maybe my favorite event of the Spring.......

The Lip Sync contest @ Springfest

This years theme, music from the 70's.......

Oh yeah that's my homemade disco ball costume!!!!!! Lady Ga Ga eat your heart out!

I was going for hippie chic........ turned out more Taylor Swifts fat sister! :)

I love this dress! I also possibly could be mistaken for Princess Fiona

This is me accessing my inner (or outer?) Dolly Parton!

This little boys name is Devon... he is a crack up, I invited him up on stage to do the hustle with me... and he dominated!

This is the end of the show and we were just about to announce the winners!

I'm a little sad I won't be here next year for Springfest, I hosted this baby 3 yrs. in a row....I like to think they can't possibly go on with out me, but meaning as they've been doing it for 25 yrs. I'm sure they'll be just fine....... so I'll have to make do I guess!

Summer gets really exciting.............bet you can't wait?

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”- Bill Vaughn

Wow 2010 flew by eh? holy moses did I have a stock pile of a year, lots of events happened that I never even blogged about...I got pictures for DAYS!!!!!! I need to clear some space on my storage devices and because this is the last week of the year, I've got a doozy of a "year in review" for you!


January-


Out with the Blonde............

In with the Brunette!

New year meant it was time to switch up the hair and try something different so Anne Baker was kind enough hook me up with a sweet dye job!  I got lots of compliments and felt like a new lady!


Also January kicked of the start of maybe my most favorite job to date!



Now I've worked ALOT of different gigs in my day, but one stands out as being the most fun/ easiest job for my money!


And that was playing Big Bend's mascot Thor.

50 bucks a game for a solid 15 minutes of actual work, I'd dance around during time outs and toss out Big Bend shirts to the crowd..... I got free gatorade and popsicles... I got to wear this sweet ice vest under the outfit to keep me cool and for the most part nobody knew who I was, so I could be as crazy as I wanted to! Well that's a lie people did know it was me, I thought I had them fooled, but I was wrong....doesn't matter still had a lot more courage with that mask on!


Not many people can say they where their school's mascot, I'm sure I could dominate many an icebreaker game with that little factoid!

February-


Ah February....love was in the air

Just not for me!


Valentine's day was uneventful.........so if you remember I threw another kick butt party!

and it was the highlight of my month!



I dressed up as Ga Ga

And here are some of my other personal favorites from "the headbanger's ball"


That's Axel Rose, Steven Tyler, and Slash

and all 6 members of KISS????

Yeah that was good times fo sho!


March-


Don't ask why I didn't blog about our stake play this year I am ashamed I never got around to it!

From December to the end of March we worked on the Production of Hello Dolly, and it was another job well done if you ask me! I had another part that I loved (Ernestina Money) and lots of sweet costumes, not to mention lots of fun times with my stake play family!


Here are some of my favorite shots from that show!


The whole cast and crew

Sis. Ceja was like my personal assistant...she's the BEST!

Let's face it... Brittany and I are SUPERSTARS!

me with my love interest Horace!

Us lovely ladies on the spirit of 14th street float!

"Sweet Rosie O'Grady...My Sweet Little Rose!"

no blue mondays in those sunday clothes!

I was the old lady in the hat shop keeping Cassie in line!

Jessica and I made front page news.......a thank you!

At the cast party I was awarded one of the Director's awards... got my name printed on it and everything! I was pretty proud!

First 3 months of the year were busy busy like always........... Stay tuned for Spring time!

"Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. " -Author Unknown

My Grandma Dorothy Schaat passed away Wednesday Oct. 13th.


 She was the last of my Grandparents, and I knew this day was coming, but it doesn't matter how prepared you are for stuff like this, it's still weird and it still makes you sad, and I just would like to take some time to put into words everything that's been running through my mind as a result.


Grandma had a stroke over a month ago which left her with a pretty skeptical recovery, the doctors weren't sure if she'd walk again, but you know you can never trust that kind of prognosis, miracles happen all the time, right? She had several complications while in the hospital. and as a result was only really coherent a few times and was able to somewhat communicate with visitors when they stopped by, The last time I saw her somewhat awake, she told me how sorry she was I had to see her like that. It kinda broke my heart a little.

So, the first week of Oct. early Sunday morning she suffered a 2nd stroke leaving her almost brain dead, at that point my Mom and her siblings didn't have much choice but to have the nurses extend to her comfort measures and just let nature take it's course. For about  a week an a half she hung in there, and we were all really surprised because at the time it just seemed like forever! And we just didn't understand how in such a weakened state, with no food, barely any water, Pneumonia, and no medicine other than morphine that
 her body could hold on as long as it did. We blamed Aunt Francis for feeding her so much garlic!

After a couple days they moved her to a nursing home and It was really difficult to walk into that place I mean it just smelled like depression and death, It made me wanna pull a Patch Adams on the residents there, because I can't imagine it being the most uplifting place to live out your final days but  anyway as dreary as the conditions and reason for being there was I'm thankful for the bounding time I got in with my Mom and my Aunts, maybe that's why she stuck around as long as she did, so we could all come together and share some laughs.



If any of you remember I blogged about my G-Ma Schaat for her 80th birthday a couple years ago and told all my favorite stories regarding her, the time she gave my Dad pear body splash for Christmas, my first lesson in harmonizing, and of course my most favorite the time she trimmed my picture down to make me look skinny. She was the relative I got the most funny material from, you just never knew what funny thing she was gonna say or do next...... I don't know what I'll do without her now!



I feel a little bad because I never realized how much my Grandma and I had in common until l heard about what she was like growing up. My Aunt Marianne said she was the one that knew all the words to the popular songs of her day, and her money was often spent on the purchasing of the latest records, She loved to dance, even up until the very end of her life she hated to miss the dances at the Senior Center every Thursday night. I was always curious where my passion for music came from, I had assumed it was from my Dad's side, but after hearing those stories I really think it came from her. Maybe the genre's of music aren't the same, Grandma really loved country western, and she even learned how to yodel, well I love Hip Hop music, and I like to get my rap on occasionally, but the love for music is the same. Also I certainly hope I live to be the ripe old age of 82 and still find a way to get myself to the dance floor.

I will miss her a great deal, I loved her very much, all her crazy moments aside, I know she loved me and wanted what was best for me! She had a great part in the building blocks of my spirituality and her example of faithfulness will be one that I remember always!

These pictures are ones I took when some of my dear relatives came to visit while G-Ma was still in the hospital, and then the ones from when we traveled down to Rexburg/St. Anthony for her service.


Aunt Marianne, Aunt Elaine, and Madison

Me and My Uncle Pete

Aunt Jenifer, Aunt Francis, and Mom

My Mom and her Siblings

The road trip down was actually kind of fun, I made sure we had tunes the whole family could agree on, and I didn't need to bust out my i pod for personal enjoyment once!



This picture is probably my most favorite from the whole trip!

Halfway through we stopped at this little Irish pub restaurant, it was super delicious!

Mom and I raided Grandma's jewelry box and brought her brooches for us all to wear in her honor. Pictured here is my Cousin Paige, My Sister Amy, Myself, and my Cousin Maddie!

Well it isn't the whole family, but it was everyone that was there!

Just the 4 of Us

My Cousin Jake and I!

True Story....I haven't seen him since I was a Freshmen in High School, so it was really great to reconnect with him! We are very close in age, and he'd often spend the summers in Moses and our Moms would attempt to put us through fat camp by making us walk everywhere and signing us up for things like tennis camp.....well maybe that was just one summer, but anyway We also took drama together in High school, so needless to say we have memories, and I realized I really missed that kid, super glad I got to see him!









This is the video Uncle Pete put together






Thanks for the memories G-Ma Schaat! Until we meet again!