Philosophically Challenged

(My First Christmas Tree in my New Home)

The Christmas season is a time for good cheer, however, in my family it means it’s a time for everything to go wrong. Ever since my family and I have moved to Utah we have made it a point to return to our roots during the Christmas Season. Due to work schedules, the family went down at two separate times. Those in the first wave made it all the way to Holden, Utah before breaking down. After being towed back up to where they started, they were able to switch cars and make the arduous journey down to Vegas. Those on the second wave made it all the way to Mona, Utah before breaking down. Did I mention that when the car broke down my dad was on the phone with AAA renewing his membership? That’s right. We literally broke down while we were on the phone with AAA. I’m still waiting to exchange some words with Mr. Irony.

(One of our Mechanics trying to Diagnose the Problem)

After being towed 50 miles to the mechanics those of us in the second wave were able to head down to Vegas only 6 hours behind schedule. The second wave soon realized that the heater in the alternative car being driven down did not work. With the air outside being at a -3° you can imagine the discomfort. Finally when we got to Scipio, Utah I was able to “fix” the heater by purchasing three hot chocolates, three beanies, and one blanket. The car trouble continued throughout the trip with a flat tire (that could only be fixed with purchasing a new tire) and a rock chipping the windshield. Those of us in wave two found the whole situation rather hysterical. It all proved one point—my family is cursed when it comes to automobiles.

(Trying not to get Hypothermia)

I hope you all were able to enjoy this holiday season even if things did not go according to plan.

 Memorable Quotes from the Holidays

“Nothing fazes me anymore.” Brooklyn (After breaking down in Mona, Utah)

“Wait I know you…. I’ve towed you before.” Tow Truck Man

“You can tell mom I fixed the heater.” Brooklyn (3 hot chocolates, 3 beanies, and 1 blanket later)

Faith (Age 8): Mom are you mad right now?
Deanne: No…
Faith: Ok, I bent my glasses.

“The box says it was made in China. Lets call them to see how it works.” Grandpa Chappell (opening Christmas presents)

“Why did I have to get stuck with Mom?” Elese (playing Cranium)

Celeste: To win this Spellbound, choose a teammate who can correctly spell the word below on the first try without writing it down. I’ll read the word to the speller and then start the timer The word is…….
Brooklyn: Celeste doesn’t even know how to say it.
(Word: Gamut)

“Too bad it wasn’t Marilyn Monroe.” Amber (After Brooklyn not being able to guess Clint Eastwood on a Cranium card)

“That’s what you’re scared of? Little kids with lice?” Cody (directed towards Celeste who said she could never be a school teacher)

“I’m not very good at Rock-Paper-Scissors. That is how I got a kid in my class I didn’t want.” Deanne (Kindergarten school teacher)

(Mother-daughter Arm Wrestle)

(Only in Vegas do they have to put Security Sensors on Gum)

I had the opportunity to fly over to the other half of the mainland to visit Kentucky to attend a Jason Aldean concert. Getting there was quite the adventure. First I was delayed in Salt Lake City, Utah for an hour because of the weather in Denver, Colorado (where my layover was). Then when I finally got to Denver I was delayed another 4 hours due to the weather conditions. I only flew on two planes but yet I boarded four planes (two in Utah and two in Colorado). In Denver I even got to go through the hour de-icing process twice. After the first de-icing experience we were informed that our plane had some maintenance issues and that we would have to de-board and start the process all over again on a new plane. But I finally made it to Murray, Kentucky.

(Jason Aldean)

Not only are the people found in Kentucky amazing but the scenery is breathtaking. The trees there are so thick and vibrant you feel like you have walked into some enchanted fairytale forest.

Above is a shoe tree on Murray State University campus. Every couple who meets on campus and gets married nails their shoes on the tree.

(Me featuring my Jason Aldean Hat)

On the trip home I got to fly in this lil’ pea shooter from Murray, Kentucky to Nashville, Tennessee.

The saying that all good things must come to an end may be true, however, it is also true that all good things must have a beginning. I recently started such a wonderful beginning in purchasing a new home. Some people told me I was doing things out of order and that I was supposed to get married prior to buying a house. My response to these people is that a house has two major advantages over a husband/spouse. First, a house is always going to be there when you get home. And second and most importantly, a house can’t talk back to you.

(Builder’s Son,Builder, and Me in Front of my New Home)

The house is rather cute and the perfect size for me. It is 3 bedrooms (one of which I made into a study), 2 full bathrooms, kitchen, common area/living room, 2 car garage, unfinished basement, and my favorite feature is the walk-in closet in the master bedroom. One of the greatest things of having my own place is being able to individualize the décor to my own personality.  Another great aspect of having my own space is not being in other people’s way. For example, the other day I did my homework in the middle of the hallway just because I could.

Trotting down this new travel of responsibility has opened up my eyes to the concept of adulthood. Responsibility is often depicted by my generation as being a form of restraint. However, in my opinion, when one grabs on to responsibility with both hands the freedom and self-fulfillment that follows is so personally satisfying that one finds refreshment rather than a feeling of subjection. It is when we shy away from our responsibilities that we find ourselves captive to personal imprisonment.

More Pictures Coming Soon….

Once a week I go trap shooting with my family and generally we will bring a couple family friends along. It’s quite fun going since I only have sisters. It throws certain people off to see so many girls and guns in the same group :). It used to just be the three oldest girls that went out of the sisters but as of late it has been the five oldest (the expansion has been very fun). The family memories being shared creates a sense of unity among us that we can take with us throughout the rest of our lives.

Some pain is physical. Some pain is mental. Some pain is spiritual. Some pain goes so deep that it shatters your heart and strips you of your sense of self. You want to cease to be but all you can do is breathe between the streams of tears and agonizing woes. They tell you “just give it time,” but time is only capable of making the pain easier to bear. Time can never make you whole again. But you don’t want time to pass. You don’t want to feel better because the pain is all you have left of him - the only thing left to hold on to.

All you want is for him to touch you again or for your phone to simply display their name telling you to answer their call. But those moments are now only memories of what was, not of what is or of what is to come. The world somehow manages to move on without you, pushing those precious memories further and further in the past.

You don’t want to do anything fearing that the smallest action or the littlest word will make it all seem like it never happened, like it wasn’t real. Did any of the time you spent together mean as much to him as it did to you? You want to know what he is doing, how he is feeling, who he is spending time with. But you are no longer entitled to the answers to these types of questions. You are left always wondering the answers to these questions and fearing that you will become a bitter, and overlooked, faded memory that is easily replaced and easily forgotten.

Weeping Willow
By: B.C.A.
Weeping willow, dry my tears.
In them you’ll find my deepest fears.
Hold me close and we will weep together.
I thought love was supposed to last forever…
My heart is now broken and my soul confused-
I wasn’t expecting my love to be refused.
Time doesn’t appear to mend my troubled heart.
Nothing seems to make sense now that we are apart.
“And they lived happily ever after” was what I thought to be true,
but our story ended with adieu, adieu, adieu.

I went bowling yesterday with two of my younger sisters… I wouldn’t be what you call a good bowler or even a decent bowler but I still have a good time. I’m happy if I’m able to break 100 (congratulations to Yeller Beller who bowled a 119 one game). I don’t know why but it’s the story of my life only to knock 9 pins down… really it’s almost comical how often it happens.

(Me and my matching bowling ball)

I went hiking up to the Timpanogos Caves for the first time with my family yesterday.  I don’t know if you can technically call it hiking since it is paved… but it’s pretty steep so I think it should still count. I learned that I’m in better shape than I thought… BUT…. I’m still out of shape It was quite the cardio workout.

 It’s about a two mile hike up to the entrance of the cave (the elevation at the entrance of the cave is  roughly 6,700 feet). The cave is actually three different caves that over the years have been connected through human-made tunnels. I got to see stalactites, stalagmites, columns, cave bacon, helictites and anthodites, and so on. That geology class I had to take for my college generals came in handy. I guess some things you learn in school actually are useful.

(Entrance(s) into the first cave. The opening in the upper right hand corner is the natural cave entrance)

(stalactites)

One of my younger sisters was apparently a little too tired  tonight to make it all the way up the stairs to go to bed (taken around 12:30am).

 If you already know the ending can you prevent it from happening? Can you change it? Or are you only able to temporarily prevent the inevitable? And is attempting to prevent the inevitable a form of foolish ignorance?

What keeps the clock ticking?

Relationships are time-bombs waiting to explode. It takes time to get close enough to another person for them to have the capability to deeply hurt and severely disappoint you, and it takes time to heal. It takes time to forgive but yet time is not forgiving. It is always the unwanted variable. It engulfs and encages every moment of our lives.

Relationships consist largely of perseverance, persuasion, and promising progression. We attempt to persevere through the problems, we persuade the other to agree with our views and wants, and we promise that in time things will be ok.

How many times do we make ourselves travel down the same weary road? We already know what we will find at the end- a dead end. Yet we make the journey down that same road time and time again expecting to find something different. When we don’t, when we find that same dreadful dead end, we have to turn around and walk the lonely and heart breaking journey back. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why? Why don’t we just choose a different road to take? I do not desire to be everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone.

“It is easy to fall in love but hard to find someone who will catch you.” Anonymous

I went to pick up some of my cousins and what should of only been a 6 hour trip ended up being 9 hours… Of course since I was driving there had to be car trouble… but surprisingly I am so used to it I didn’t even find it irritating… Thankful it wasn’t anything huge… just an issue with one of the tires.

Afterward I went to the lake and did some wakeboarding and some boat surfing. It was my first time ever doing boat surfing. A lot easier than wakeboarding and less physically demanding. Plus it doesn’t hurt as much when you face plant it. It was so much fun!