I have fallen in love.......

... No not with a boy.. BUT with these beautiful Willow Tree figurines!!!! I have seen them around a fair bit, in people's houses, and in catalogues. But never actually seen them in a shop. UNTIL TODAY!!!! I went into the jewelers with mum to get my temple necklace fixed, and when i looked in the window i saw a heap of the figurines! I was browsing inside and saw HEAPS more! And i have totally fallen in love with them!!!! They are soooo beautiful and precious. They are all so pretty and each are different and have a special thing written about what they mean. Mum agreed to lay buy one for christmas, plus a beautiful box one!!!

The one that i am getting for Christmas is this one:

It is called "Serenity" and says something beautiful about calming the soul or something on the tag. There isn't a picture of the box on the website, but it is a little square one with a girl and a kitten and says something really sweet! I have a thing for boxes =)

And now i have a thing for these Willow Tree figurines! I just LOVE them, and want to get more! They are just beautiful! I saw this one on the website and am dying to get it! They didn't have it in the shop today..

It is "Dreaming Angel" and says something beautiful about guarding your hopes and dreams.. I have many hopes and dreams and would LOVE this one!!! I also really want the prayer angel one and the miracle angel one. (I have a thing for anything angel too). So these are perfect =)

I am just in love with them and think the website will be one i visit often to dream about which ones i want!!!!
I am hoping to get some more for Christmas or my birthday... They would be the BEST present EVER!!! I just LOVE them!!! =)
Nana Jane, i hope you are reading this!!!! ;)

change...

Ok, so you know how i said once i'm on holidays i'll do some more interesting posts?? Well that's just not happening yet! Sorry =)
I have been working pretty much everyday (except Sundays of course) for at least 3 hours.. Good for money, but not good for getting stuff done.. Not good for my blog because i have nothing interesting to post about =) We had a youth Christmas fest on Friday night and it was great fun, we had a lot of laughs! I don't have many photos but if you want to know what it was all about go here to read about it, or here for the funniest video EVER! (Thanks Lisa!!! ;)

Today i was meant to be cleaning my bedroom.. Yes, the most exciting thing i have to blog about is cleaning my room =) I did that, but i also decided that i was sick of the wall above my bed. It has had the same thing on it for about a year and i am totally sick of it.. So i took the massive picture of Edward down, and put something even better up!


I have heaps of little handout thingy's from young women lessons that say cool stuff, and heaps from seminary and all sorts of places. What better spot for them than on my wall =) I also put a new painting up on the top shelf =)


And this little section below is my favourite bit of the whole wall.. It has my hanging young women's values, the photo we got sent of boot camp, the picture of the Saviour that the stake yw presidency gave us, and lots of little pictures and quotes about the temple. I am hoping you can click it to make it bigger to look at =)

I like it MUCH better! What do you all think of it!??
And don't just say you like it better because Edward is gone =P

sunday will always come

After trying to post about other things and all of them not working i realised that this is the only thing i want to blog about anyway. =)

I try to be a positive person as much as i can be, but it is hard. A not so old, but still very wise person once told me that "you can't feel positive all the time, would be nice if you could" ... I have thought about that.. And it is true. Some days suck!
Sometimes i wake up and it seems that everything that could go wrong, does. You know the days i am talking about!
Your alarm doesn't go off, the hot water runs out in the shower, the car window is frosty, you are late, the car wont start, people at work are rude, the sun hides behind a cloud, you step in a puddle, you bang your funny bone (and lets face it- it ISN'T funny!) .. and so on.. I like to call these days "Fridays" .. Not because they always happen on a Friday, but for something else. I got this really great quote in an email the other day from "youth gems" from church which are inspirational messages etc sent to youth every tuesday and thursday. I just love this one, and it fits perfectly.

“Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. “But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. “No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, in this life or the next, Sunday will come.”
Joseph B. Wirthlin

I just love it. It is so true. No matter what, Sunday comes again.. A great day that gives me the strength to get through the week. Fridays can seem dark, lonely, cold, miserable, cranky or just plain sucky! Fridays happen to the best of us..

I wish i could be positive and happy all the time, but in reality, no one can. Some days i feel like the world is spinning way too fast and i just cant keep up.

Sometimes it feels like i have had a hundred Fridays in a row.

But then i stop and think. I make myself count my blessings one by one.. I remember how lucky i am, and try to stop being cranky & irritating. I remember what i love about life and especially what i love about the life i am living- which is a LOT! I remember that no matter how many crappy, yucky, horrible Fridays i have, Sunday will always come... =)

cat ladies

I bet you all thought i was going to blog about Kenneth Cope didn't you??? He was amazing, but no, i have something else pressing on my mind.

When Bek came and stayed with me at Simone's place for a couple of nights while i was house sitting we had ample opportunity to chat. We studied, then chatted, chatted some more, studied, chatted and chatted while studying. On one particular night we were feeling very melancholy and were chatting about, what else- boys and marriage. We talked about the future and our dreams and what we really want more than anything from life. We talked about our future families and especially future husbands.

We described them to each other and then it came to our attention that we were describing someone who was a cross between Edward Cullen, Jacob Black, Prince Charming and a guy we know who shall remain annoymous and be only referred to as "chicken"...

After a lot of discussion we were almost in tears when we realised that there is no such guy!!!! And we must be looking in the wrong place for a half decent one as all we have encountered are frogs!!!!! We then realised that we are both going to end up like the crazy cat lady from The Simpsons.
After this realisation the real tears started to flow. We needed help. Who else could help us but the "oh so great and wise one" !!! So we climbed to the top of the mountain where she often resides at nighttime and poured out our hearts. She was very understanding- having dealt with many a frog in her time!

The journey was a long one and we had to remind her many a time that we had climbed to the top of a mountain to recieve the answers we so desperately needed from her! But of course, she came through for us. She always does. Thank you "oh great and wise one" we love you very much!!!
She told us of how all guys have to once be a frog before they can turn into a handsome prince, and that at the moment they are just too filled with awful flies that they sometimes never get out of their system.. and how their teeny tiny brains are filled with thoughts of staring into the pond at themselves, but will one day see the princesses on the other side waiting for them.

Sometimes it feels like we aren't princesses and that we will never fulfill our dreams of going to the castle to be married in.. Right now it feels like these two princesses are heading towards being cat ladies.

No princes have yet headed our way... I wonder why!?

I never thought about duck poo...

Ok first off today was the day of my last exam so i am done with school for the year (WOOHOO!!!!) so some interesting posts should start to appear =)
After my exam today i met mum at Elaia for lunch, it is her day off and she had some appointments, only three weeks until the baby is born! But that is a whole other post!! lol.

Well anyway, mum was going to be ages in town and since i had my car and didn't have to wait for her i just came home =) I was like "Yay i am finished exams i can do what i want!!" ... But then i got home and of course Chey and Morgan were at school and Jory was at his appointment with mum, so i was very bored! I still have to go to Jayne's house and get all the books that are waiting for me! Just as i was thinking to myself how very bored i was i got a phone call from Chey asking if i would come and pick him up because he felt sick (because it is mum's day off and she has LOTS of jobs to do in town she has the boys in after school care so she doesn't have to worry about being in home in time to pick them up- i get them at about 6-ish) .. Anyway Chey was at after school care so i went and picked him up..
He seemed like he hadn't had a very good day and seemed in a pretty down mood.. I asked him if he felt sick or just sad but he kept saying "I don't really know" .. So i said that ice cream would probably make him feel better whatever it was, he replied "hmm" so i took that as a yes and we went to get ice cream. There is a new shop in Deloraine called "A little piece of heaven" yes it is the same as the one in Campbell Town.. The sign out the front said spiders and milkshakes but when we went in we were disappointed when they told us the maker was broken! So we settled for a normal ice cream, two scoops though ;)

I then said to Chey it would be nice if we walked around the river while eating it seeing it was such a nice day, he thought it was a good plan so off we went =)
Apologies for the photo quality- it was a spontanious trip and i only had my camera on my phone (yes yes i know Lisa i should always be prepared with a camera!)

He wanted to feel the water and was asking me if he could jump in.. I said "go for it" .. He didn't end up going in, he is a bit scared to swim in a river now after that boy drowned the other day. He was telling me all about it and how he "cried wolf" we had a good chat about what to do if you are really drowning and he felt better after that.. Chey is very sensitive and often is very sensitive to the feelings of others.. He has a very beautiful soft side, and he surprised me today when he accidentally dropped his napkin from his ice cream- he realised after we had walked about 20 metres and ran back to get it, he said he didn't want someone else to have to pick it up...

He really cracks me up, he comes out with the funniest stuff!! We were talking about the weather and how hot it was (30 degrees!) and he said "yeah my armpits were sweating like pigs today" Hahaha...

After we had been walking for a while we came to a dam and he said "can i get in THERE?" again i said "go for it" but this time i added "yeah sure, it smells just GREAT-not! Plus i'm sure it is totally not slimy and gross with all the duck poo!" ... He thought about that and said "nah i'll pass" .. We were walking along and he was showing me where his school does their cross country course, when he suddenly stopped and said "I never thought about duck poo" ... I wasn't sure what to reply to something like that! I asked him what he meant and he said that he'd never actually just thought about the fact that ducks poo... He was cracking me up!!!

He felt a lot better after our walk and ice cream.. Funny that =P It was probably just the heat because he said he was feeling sick in assembly in the hot hall.. It was nice to just do something with Chey. Often there isn't the chance as i am SO busy with school, working and homework, plus i don't get home until 4:30 which makes it hard. But now i am on holidays and have more opportunities to do the things i like =) It is going to be a great long hot summer!!!!! =D

Make it Perfect

My friend Toni is insanely talented! She creates her own sewing patterns and has her own business called Make it Perfect.. She is having a mega-giveaway on her blog so take a look!!!



This is one of my favourite patterns of hers!
Tone, PLEASE make a pattern for it in my size!!!! ;)



And this is the wrap skirt i made using her pattern, it is great as it is one size fits all =) She is just too cool!!!

Bubbles and things...

I was thinking to myself "what on earth can i blog about??" nothing interesting until after my exams sorry =) Then i remembered that i took lots of photos on the last two days of grade 11 which were over two weeks ago now... We got some great pictures so i just have to share them =)
At the end of our last english lesson our teacher gave us each a little "noodle box" that had in it: chocolates, lollies, a lolly pop, party popper, and BUBBLES!!! Most people think only little kids love bubbles. But i will tell you a secret: to me, bubbles are just as awesome as hugs and spontanious water fights.. AKA- Magical!!! Bubbles are just magical! I was very pleased to receive some from my teacher =)
I sat all through lunch time and ammused myself by blowing them =) The spot where we sit has a walkway right next to it, so they would blow everywhere and especially all through the walkway. All these randoms walking past were like "awesome, bubbles!!" and would try to pop them =) Yes i am 17, almost 18, but i still love bubbles =)

So here is my favourite photo from our photo taking session =) Beth clearing just trying to eat, Jo was telling the person who was taking the photo something about Pycsam, and i am just blowing my bubbles =) Dont they just look awesome blowing across the picture!? =)

Amy, Steph, Me, Emma, and Eve in the front..

Ben and Steph were cuddling and we felt left out =)

Me, Amy, Eve and Beth


Rachel, Jasmine and I

People think i am a loner, but here is clear proof that i have friends!!! ;)

Me and Beth...

Hehehehe

Emma.L, Me, and Jo

Me, Eve and Beth

Can you tell we are best friends!? =D

And there are some photos from my last two days of grade 11.. Can you believe i am almost 18!? I am getting soo old!!!! =)

Two years ago today...

... was the 10th November 2007. I was fifteen years old, and it was the scariest day of my life! It was a Saturday. I woke up and thought to myself "OH MY GOODNESS!!!!".. It was the day of my baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I was absolutely petrified! I kept thinking to myself "why why why am i doing this?!" .. We got to the chapel early, and mum decided to have hers before anyone else got there. We watched her be baptised and it was suddenly a little less scary. Who am i kidding!!!? I was still REALLY scared..
The time was drawing closer to the moment when i would have to enter that scary looking font! We took some photos together. And then it was time! A lot of people in our ward had arrived and were ready to go. We went into the chapel for the prayers and talks, then it was time. Morgan was the brave one and decided to go first. Then i think it was me next, and then Chey. There had been a problem with the cold tap that day so the water was fairly BURNING!! =)
After the baptism we had some morning tea in the hall. I dont remember what we ate or who was there, but it was great! The sister missionaries gave us each a card that said some beautiful things, and a framed photo (they gave mum some scriptures).. It was so nice.

I don't think i can say that it was "the best day of my life" because it wasn't exactly that. It was the day that has given me 730 "best days of my life" so far!! I CAN say that choosing to get baptised was the best decision i have ever made.

Sister Doig and Sister Jorgensen

I am really glad that the day after my baptism i decided to start keeping a journal (something i had never done before)... Because now i can remember not just the day but the feelings that went with it. I want to share with you all something i wrote in my journal on 15th of November 2007. I am talking about my baptism.

"As it was my turn, i was a bit... scared.. I was bawling my eyes out, and i know that even though i didn't have the gift of the Holy Ghost yet, that he was touching my heart. Then as soon as i stepped into the water (and got over how hot it was) i instantly felt good, and i knew that it was right. I looked up at everyone smiling at me, all the people that love me, and i could see (uncle) Stuart standing there with them. And i just knew that it was what i wanted, that i could do it. As Graeme said 'I baptise you..' I let everything go, relaxed, went under, came up, and felt AMAZING!"

I am now wishing that i wrote some more!! I am kicking myself that i didn't. But i have since kept a journal and there is something else i want to share..

Dated 1st August 2009

"I guess life doesn't turn out the way we expect it to.. There are lots of surprises! Some good, and some bad, but it is all a learning experience. I am SO grateful to be a member of the Church, it changed my life so much! I just love my Heavenly Father and all that he has done for me.. I love the Savior Jesus Christ and i am grateful for the atonement. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church on the Earth and i love it. Getting baptised was the greatest decision i ever made!!"

It wasn't easy to change our lives. And it hasn't always been easy to live the gospel. But there has never been a single moment where i have regreted my decision to be baptised. Not a single day goes by where i don't remember that day and thank my Heavenly Father for the two sister missionaries who were able to soften my heart and help me to learn of the truth. I am thankful to have met the amazing people that i have, that keep me grounded and strengthen my testimony. I have made so many new friends, and so many people feel like my family even though we are not related.

I thank Heavenly Father for Toni Coward who was there the very first time that i went to church and smiled and hugged me. Her kindness is what made me go back a second, and then a third time, until i was baptised (and now they cant get rid of me! =)

I could go on forever saying how grateful i am, but i wont. I want you to all know this: Life gets tough, but i know who i am now. I know what is important in life. I have learnt what happiness really is!!!!!! And i have a testimony of the gospel. I love the church. And when i get down and disheartened i remember this quote: "I never said it would be easy, i only said it would be worth it." ... And it has been!!! =)

.Sunshine!!!!!!!!

We are so lucky to live in Tasmania! It is such a beautiful place.. I feel sooo blessed!!!
For the last few days it has been glorious weather! It has been around 28 degrees! That is quite hot here, as it is a different heat to the mainland. It is especially hot for November!! But it has been great! Saturday i was out in the sun ALL day (got sun burnt but anyway) and it was glorious!! Today is a fantastic sunny, hot, beautiful day but alas i am inside studying for my maths exam =(
I have been taking mini breaks though to run outside and get some sun! I blame the TQA for my vitamin D deficiency!!! ;) I'm also taking a break right now to watch The Ellen Degeneres show! It cracked me up at my maths tutorial the other day as about three other people said that the "ellen hour" is their break hour!! lol.

Anyway, i was out there a little while ago and decided i'd jump on the trampoline.. I only lasted for about ten jumps and had to lay down, it was WAY too hot!!!

Wouldn't you just love to be me right about now??

Ah i LOVE summer!!! Can't wait for exams to be over so i can REALLY enjoy it!!!! =)

Back to the books.. ;)

.Someone sent me flowers!!!!!!

So this morning i was lazing around in the lounge room not really doing much when i thought i heard a knock on the door. I was thinking it was just me being paranoid again! Plus i was in my Pjs and hadn't had a shower yet so i was looking pretty dreadful! Probably not good for the person on the other side of the door! ;)
So me being the nice person that i am, ignored it! I forgot all about it until i went out the front door to check the mail. Imagine my surprise when i saw these!!!!

I had a little giggle when i read the card and thought to myself "oooh Simone has a secret admirer"... Check out what it says:

I assumed they were for Simone as i don't know anyone called Richard Evans! But then i looked at the front.. It clearly says MY name.. I don't know how whoever it is knew the address of Simone's house! I didn't even know it until i looked at the card!!!

It is a mystery!! Thank you to whoever it was!!

They made my day!!! =D

.Eggs anyone???

So i have been here since Sunday night, and today i only just remembered something Simone said to me: "don't forget to collect the eggs" .. Oops! I only just remembered today, which is Wednesday!!

So i find my shoes and off i go outside.. Simone asked me "Are you scared of chooks?" my reply was "not really, why? do they chase you?" .. She said no they wont, so that was fine..
Off i wander to the chicken yard. No chickens to be seen. Good! So i open the gate and wander in.. Open up the house thing and what do i find? A LOT of eggs! 26 to be exact! So i start grabbing them out and putting them into my trusty tuppaware container that i prepared earlier. While i am doing this i don't notice a sly little chook wandering closer and closer! I turned just in time to see it enter the little chicken door and start staring at me!!! I freeze. What do i do?? Oh my goodness a chicken is staring at me! I am standing there with a bowl full of eggs frozen because a chook is staring at me. This is when i discover my fear of chickens!!!

I do NOT want that chicken to get any closer.. So i try stomping to scare it- Nada! It stayed there and watched me take the eggs out, mind you im moving VERY slowly because i don't want it to attack me!!! In the end i have got all the eggs and turn but the chook has moved!!! I panic when i realise it is under the little house right at my feet!! I then notice she has called in her friends and they are ready to attack!! I pelt out of there as fast as i can whilst carrying a bowl full of eggs and only just make it out alive!!! Here is a picture of the crime scene- i was too scared to get any closer. Don't be fooled- there ARE chickens in there, they are just hiding waiting to attack!!


What am i going to do with all these eggs??? I don't even like eggs! Occasionally i will have this insane craving for poached eggs on toast and that is usually only after i have been sick and need some protein.. Eggs anyone!!!???

.Studying sucks!!!!!

SO... I am totally over studying and really, i haven't even started properly! I'm still finishing a few last minute assignments! I think i am still at the overwhelmed stage. I am the kind of person that needs to have things organised and layed out or i get REALLY stressed out! I realised something today- my maths folder is a mess, THAT is why i dont want to go near it, that and the fact that i hate maths. Oh yeah that is also a problem. I have decided two things. The first is that i now LOVE maths until my exam is over in 2 weeks and i never have to do maths again. Second: i need to organise my folder! Once everything is all in the right section and colour coded i'll be fine =) Check it out though- what a mess!!!!


So i am house sitting for Simone and Simon while they are in Queensland.. It is actually perfect as they are gone for a couple of weeks and i have peace to study. Which is what i THOUGHT i needed!! Turns out i can't function too well with peace and quiet!!! The product of coming from a big family i guess.. I am a bit lost here by myself.
The T.V. is pretty much constantly on because i need SOME form of noise or i'll go crazy! The hum of the fish tank isn't sooo soothing! And sorry Simone but your CD collection isn't up to scratch ;) I am not even watching the TV, it's just there for some noise =)

Because i am here alone i can spread my stuff out.. It is great! The kitchen table is covered in stuff, so is the bathroom, and im pretty sure Simone would have a heart attack if she saw what i've done to her bedroom, let alone the bed!!! ;) The lounge room is good though- it has all my school books everywhere, yeah yeah i hear you saying "That doesn't sound good!" But it actually is because i know where all my stuff is and it's all ready to go. Its organised!!! =D
I just had to take a picture of it!! I know that there are also a lot of paint palletes on the floor- i AM studying but i need to take mini breaks to re-stimulate my brain to be able to focus, and i do that by painting or writing- which is why my journal is also on the floor =D

No that is not Facebook open on my laptop either! It's actually on a site for my english thingy =) I am being so good, only going on FB in the morning and then the evening when i have a little "break" =)

I thought i would love staying by myself, and i do, sort of.. Once i was over being freaked out by noises i was fine! (The cats had started World War Three outside the bathroom last night!!).. BUT i am a little bit lonely.. The policemen in the police station next door only say hi in passing- and i went to the Robbin's for tea.. But still. Lol. No one has texted me all day.. Not even an email from anyone.. Mrs Slevec hardly counts as she was telling me off about my English thing!!! Haha. I don't notice so much at home because there's always noise and my family talking.. But here i have realised a few things about myself while i have been on my own.. One: I REALLY can't cook! I had toast for dinner last night!! Two: I am actually quite a messy person- i have crap EVERYWHERE.. And Three: i am actually a loner!! Do i even have any friends?? ...

I just felt like having a little sook tonight- and that is what is going on with me today!!! =)
Well done if anyone actually got to the bottom of this =D