My Perfect Brother...

i was just watching some random videos of my brother, mckay.  he makes me so happy. he came home last weekend for thanksgiving and when we dropped him back off at the denver airport so that he could go back to utah, i missed him the second he stepped out of the car.  there is never a dull moment when he is around. ever.


 just some random things about him:


~he is a clean freak. his hands are sterile. he washes them 50 times a day. he doesn't do stinky and
dirty.
 ~ when he finally relaxes (which is only occasionally because he is an exceptional student and
musician) he LOVES to watch movies.
~he is passionate about all kinds of things....from politics, to the stupid things about byu and byu housing, to how our family is going to have a family cemetery in the "Harline Family Compound" that he is building for us someday with all the money he makes off of his many many businesses (including his future airline, cruise line, best-selling novel, etc.)
~ he, like the rest of our family, is a diet coke addict.  mom's fault.
~he really LOVES to complain about utah,  especially provo drivers...stupid
"u-TARDS!"
~ he is hysterical.
~ he is SO talented and accomplished beyond belief.  i walk comfortably in his big shadow.
~he has, on more than one occasion, left me a letter by my bedroom door when i needed it. i STILL read them and will cherish those letters forever.
~he is a great example. he has strong values and standards and has set the bar high when it comes choosing the kind of a guy i want to marry someday.


so heres my favorite brother...

i love him SO MUCH!!

      

 

Walking with Grandpa Christensen

One of the most inspiring people in my life is my grandpa.  Today we took a walk in the forest and  sat and talked for a long time at the park.  Our conversations empower me.  He makes me want to become better and do incredible things with my life.  Today one of our conversations was related to an excerpt from a photo-copied page my grandpa gave to me...


"For some, it is all too easy to become fanatical; some feel that they should be on their knees praying all the time when instead they should be out working, having prayed already and continuing to pray in their hearts.  Some people expect the Lord to do all the work and reveal things to them that they haven't bothered to study out in their minds beforehand....Others may be paralyzed into inaction, waiting for an answer from the heavens, when in actuality the Lord may be requiring them to move ahead, proceeding the best way they know how, before he will confirm their course."


This reminded me of a quote I love that I read recently by Pres. Uchtdorf: "When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer- no matter how eloquent the oration."


Thanks Grandpa for your wonderful insight and inspiration.  I love you!

The past few weeks...

I saw a delivery for the first time

I saw a C-section

I held sick babies and cried

I decided that I am going to be a labor and delivery nurse

I experienced the love parents have for their newborns 
I started my first IV!!!

I went to a Jack's mannequin concert with my beautiful cousin and my new friends

I saw old and dear friends in Utah

I spent time with people who mean a lot to me

I spent Valentine's Day in a hotel room...all alone

I fell in love all over again

I realized that I am more grown up than I thought I was

But more importantly...

I decided that I'm ready to grow up

Thank You Thanksgiving Weekend

Here’s what I did…

• Snuggled on the love sac and watched Pinocchio with the world’s cutest 3 year old boy

• Got a makeup makeover and felt like a new women haha!

• Cheered up by good friends over simple texting conversations

• Learned card tricks from “the experts”

• Snuck in to get a quick glimpse of the Air Force Academy basketball team practicing before getting kicked out

• Went bowling twice (I completely dominated the second time)

• Caught up with some good old friends :)

• Laughed so hard I cried

• Had mature conversations with a 12 year old

• Received good morning hugs from my grandparents everyday…that meant the world to me

• Made a pie run after discovering that the bananas in the Banana Cream pies we made turned black

• Felt like a teenager watching New Moon, and about fell over every time Jacob was on the screen haha!  I was as giddy as my 12-year-old cousin, McCall (possibly more)

• Witnessed the cutest moment...my cousin Luke got so frustrated while bowling and maintained the head-down position on the bowling ball return thing for 5 straight minutes.

• Stayed up till 1 o’clock every night

• Ate the most amazing ribs!

• Spent time with the best brother EVER!

• Gave my mom a backrub until she fell asleep after a long busy day

No stress, no worries, no sadness…at least for a few moments

Just what I needed.

Now...

back to reality