Michelle Ma Belle

NEW BLOG!!!

2009-09-05T13:47:00.003-06:00

Alright people...the votes are in and a decision has been made! I have started a new blog for me and Mark. And are you ready for the ALL NEW ORIGINAL url!?

Drumroll Please......dddddd.....dddddd.....ddddd.....

http://www.markandmichellemontgomery.blogspot.com

Ok...So it's not very original. But it turns out there's a lot of "montgomery" blogs so I couldn't keep it short and simple. Hence...you get this long tongue twister instead.

Well...we hope to see you on the flip side. Enjoy!

It's time to VOTE!

2009-09-02T15:00:00.002-06:00

Alright people...here is the question of the day:

I can't decide if I should create a new blog with a URL more appropriate to my married status or not. I mean...I am no longer michelleHILL.blogspot.com. But I figure since this site is already established as being mine maybe I could get away with it for a while. But who knows, maybe 5 years from now people won't even know who Michelle HILL is...I will only be identified as a Montgomery. But if I change my URL to something Montgomery related than will everyone get lost and confused and not know where to look for my updates (not that anyone really cares)?

So, I am leaving the desicision up to my PEOPLE! (Please vote to the best of your knowledge)

DO I?....

A) Change my blog to a new URL to enhance my Montgomeryism
B) Keep my current Blog URL

Love Is A Many Splendid Thing!

2009-08-31T22:26:00.006-06:00

It's funny how simple the marriage process actually is. Yet, we spend months planning and cordinating such an event! But after many long months, and a simple exclaimation of "YES"...it's done and over with! Seriously...remember how I fretted over things like what color of napkins to use. And I didn't even use one of those fine picked ivory cloth napkins all night! However, I am sure my guest appreciated my exquisite taste! JK

So since it happened so quickly I really have to sit down and think of it and picture just how perfect our wedding day actually was! When I woke to thunderstorms early in the morning I knew it was going to be a good day (superstition: It's good luck to have rain on your wedding day). By the time we got to the temple, though, the rain had stopped. And by the time we came out of the temple and MR. & MRS. MONTGOMERY...it was a perfectly cool bright sunny day! Couldn't have asked for better weather if you ask me. And we couldn't have asked for better company either! Our friends and family celebrated with us the entire day...not to mention the HUNDREDS of other people who wished us lots of luck.

I realize I am a little biased here...but I must say, our reception was absolutely C'est Magnifique! The flowers were gorgeous, the linens were perfectly pressed, the food not only looked amazing but also tasted amazing (or so I hear...we never actually got to eat anything), and the dancing was a blast (thanks to those who danced...especially you Mark!). I only have one apology for my guests...I am sorry you had to eat FONDANT cake. For those of you who know me...I HATE fondant. My cake was SUPPOSED to be shaved white chocolate. However...it seems the cake lady disregarded my utter hatred of fondant and decided to use nasty fondant instead. So, I apologize to my guests who had to take an extra few seconds to peel off the playdo crust surrounding their cake. Die you wretched fondant! And now I brush the rest under a rug, never to be heard of again. Amen.

Once again, I must thank my husband for shoving cake in my face! My theory of cake feeding is simple this: If there is no shoving, there is no fun and laughter. Seriously...how many times have you seen a bride and groom nicely feed eachother cake and the audience cheers and raves...NEVER! In such situations the crowd simply goes "Awhh" and gives a few lousy fading claps. Oh no...not on my wedding day! I told Mark he better shove that cake in my face and shove it good, because he was getting the same thing!

Then of course there was the "not so traditional" Father Daughter Dance. What started off as a ballade quickly turned out to a rump shakin' gig. Props to Dad for learning your steps so quickly flawlessly! The whole night was so much fun and Mark and I were so glad to see so many people and celebrate the night away! Thanks to everyone who helped us make so many great memories of our wedding day!

GOOD NEWS...MARK PASSED!!!

2009-08-13T22:45:00.002-06:00

I am so happy for Mark! He just called me with the most wonderful news that he passed his NCLEX test. He is officially an RN! FINALLY...we can enjoy our days and rejoice in the fact that we are getting MARRIED in 1 day and a wake up! I AM SOOO PROUD OF YOU BABE! LOVE YOU! I can't wait to start our life together...as we PLANNED. No more worrying...we can now just "live the life".

Here's a posting of my bridals video too...

Michelle Bridal from Brandon Orton on Vimeo.

6 DAYS!!!

2009-08-09T12:55:00.002-06:00

In exactly one week from now I will be a married woman heading off to the western carribean for the best vacation ever...honeymoon! Needless to say...I can't wait! I'm counting down the days.

Showered with Love

2009-08-02T12:35:00.005-06:00

It has been a weekend full of Bridal Showers! A total of 3 to be exact. I feel so spoiled and I'm not entirely sure that I deserve all the generous gifts given, but I'm pretty happy about it just the same. My family shower was a blast, it was fun to get both sides of the families together to celebrate. We were spoiled, of course, with plenty of gifts that will surely get us started in our new life! However, I must say that the best gift of the whole night was this little number....
A see through plastic nighty decked out with pink lace and frills made by none other than Mark's sister Robin. Turns out it was made out of a chicken feed bag...I could barely get it over my head. And lets just say the only thing that would fit in the leg holes were my thumbs so the panties became a hat instead!

My ward shower was quite plentiful in gifts as well. It was nice to know so many people in the nieghborhood are so supportive and excited for me! I can't thank all the ladies enough who put together the whole production. The Bridal Shower Crew...Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou

The friend shower was also very fun. It's always good to catch up with old friends you don't see very often. Thanks to those who did come...I loved all the cute gifts. And as for all those other little numbers...I'm sorry...I just don't know if they can compare to the chicken bag.

Hello My Love!

2009-07-28T15:03:00.003-06:00

Mark is home!!! And these past few days have been some of the greatest days of my life! I haven't stopped smiling since the moment I saw Mark walking down the airport stairs. Even thought we've been crazy busy running errand errand getting things ready for the wedding, it has been so fun because I actually get to do it WITH him this time. We're actually shopping for things for OUR apartment and getting things ready for OUR wedding and paying OUR rent and figuring out OUR insurance. It's so great!

Busy work aside though, we've still had a lot of fun. We went to out Tooeley for the 24th and a fun BBQ with the Montgomery's. Mark managed to make himself right at home by making sure he was the head Pyro during fireworks. All the kids loved him for it.

We also had our little engagement photo session when he got back. (I know...not the pictures from our actual invites but thats a whole different long story). So, here's a sneak peak at some of our photos.

Converted to Riding

2009-07-12T16:53:00.007-06:00

I went riding for the first time with Mark's family this past week and it was a blast! I was a little scared before hand because I had never ridin a dirtbike before. I didn't want to crash their big beautiful bikes! But after a few failed attempts of getting the bike started I didn't want to stop! Mark is going to be very surprised when he gets home and finds out I can give him a run for his money on the track! Ok...he will still definitely kick my butt. I had so much fun with his family, too. They're all so fun and generous and there is always laughing! I love 'em!

In other news...here are some photos Makenzie and I got to do for this new professional makeup business called Beautiful You. It was totally random, but fun. Kenzie's sister-in-law is the owener and she asked if she could practice on us and take some photos for her website. It was funny pretending to be models but we had a good time. (beautifulyoumakeup.com)

16 more days!

2009-07-07T12:28:00.005-06:00

I am almost half way there! Mark has been gone 13 days and they have been the most boring and lonely 13 days of my life. Ok...I guess it hasn't been that bad. They days do drag on and on, but at least I have been having fun with the family. Last week was the BIG HILL FAMILY REUNION! We spent the week up in Park City and had some crazy adventures. Did a little shopping, played lots of games, ate at the famous Baja Cantina, took Bronze in the Hill Family Olympics....life was good.

The 4th of July was also a lot of fun. I was wishing Mark was there to watch the parade and fireworks with me, but I still love the holiday either way. Makenzie invited to me to go to the Stadium Of Fire with her that night (thank you kenz!) and we screamed our heads off like little girls when the Jonas Brothers performed. We pretended like we knew every word to every song (really I think I knew about one chorus to one song) and we danced the whole time. There was actually a girl sitting in front of us who started to cry when the Jonas Brothers came out...how ridiculous. The fireworks were awesome, though!

I also had my first Bridal Shower! Wahoo! I loved getting stuff for our little apartment. I can't wait to finally start decorating and make it our own. It's kind of nice getting present just for falling in love....don't you think? I would highly recommend it! ;)

Goodbye My Love...

2009-06-26T10:37:00.003-06:00

Mark has decided to cheat on me and leave. I don't get why either. His new mistress is much more demanding, causes him too much stress and anxiety, has far to many qualifications, and yells at him all the time! I know....I don't get it either. But that's the ARMY for you.

Mark left today for his 4 week Army Officer training. I miss him terribly already, and I wish he didn't have to go. But, duty calls. I am quite proud of him, though. I am proud that he is commited to his duties, despite his utter hatred of it all. And I am proud that he is responsible enough to think of me and the future life we will have together because of it. But mainly, I just miss him and wish he was home. He gets back just three weeks before our wedding (real convenient eh?) and I am counting down the days already. Please keep him in your prayers, I need a healthy army husband when he returns!

p.s.

2009-06-15T21:22:00.001-06:00

Exactly 2 months till our wedding!

Camp Out

2009-06-15T21:03:00.004-06:00

Mark and I finally had a weekend to do something fun together, so we decided to go camping! We invited Tara and Janson, packed up our gear, and prayed it wouldn't rain. And guess what...our wish came true! We had such a fun time. We took a little hike around Silver Lake and then pitched our tents at the Spruces Campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was your pretty standard campout: make a fire, eat hot dogs, eat smores, eat more hot dogs, eat more smores, eat some roasted starbursts, fall into your sleeping bag with a stuffed stomach and fall asleep to the sound of rushing water in the river, and wake up with the sun shining in your eyes and the heat beating upon you.

So, it was great to get our and be in the wilderness. It was especially fun to get to spend the weekend with Mark. Especially since he leaves in 10 days for a month long army training. We're trying to get in as much time as possible before he leaves.

Well, here are some pictures of our campout, enjoy! Hope you all are enjoying the summer as much as we are!

Michelle Montgomery....I like the sound of that!

2009-05-24T13:17:00.003-06:00

It's official people...I'm Engaged! Mark proposed to me on Friday, May 22, and I fell to the ground...literally! Mark took me skydiving for my second jump and little did I know (ok...I actually had a pretty good idea it was going to happen) that as I landed he would be wearing a tux, kneeling on one knee, holding a ring, with a banner reading "Michelle Will You Marry Me". It was the best proposal ever! Of course I said yes and gave him a kiss...once I managed to get myself off the ground. I am so happy, and I can't wait to marry Mark and become Mrs. Michelle Montgomery. We're getting married on August 15th, so SAVE THE DATE! Planning the wedding has been so much already (and a little stressful), but I'm so excited for it to be here! Yay!

Home Sweet Home

2009-05-17T16:02:00.003-06:00

School is finally out and I am enjoying the summer! So, I've moved home with the parents for the summer. Gotta work hard and save up my money for next year. It's not so bad, though. Sure, I have to check in every hour of the day and not be home too late, but I get free food, free rent, and family time.

My latest challenge...findig the fastest route to Ogden every day during early morning traffic. I'm still working up at the dental office in Ogden for the summer, and the cummute stinks big time! I have to leave my 6:30 am so I can be to work by 7:30. I haven't been forced to be a morning person since highschool...and I was hoping I wouldn't ever had to again. But somehow I have dragged my butt out of bed at 6:00 am.

Not much else is new. Most of my time is spent working...the remainder is spent planning a wedding. (Shhh...I'm secretly engaged). Ok...not secretely. I just don't have the ring yet! (MARK! *cough cough*) JK. Of course, I will keep posting to keep you all you updated. Love ya'll!

Mark and I at the Supercross Race and Rice Eccles.

SKYDIVE!!!

2009-04-24T15:49:00.006-06:00

I DID IT! I FINALLY JUMPED OUT OF A PLANE...AND IT WAS AWESOME!

Check out the vid!

Anchoring Weber State News

2009-04-21T10:48:00.003-06:00

This is the last time I will anchor the regular news show for this semester. Only one more week of school...yahoo! So all that's left for me is one more Studio 76. I just got appointed as next years News Director, so I'll no longer be over Studio 76, but the actual news! Yay!

Studio 76!!! #4

2009-04-11T21:04:00.003-06:00

Hey all, I just finished producing a new Studio 76 show for school. This show was fun because I got to learn how to arrange flowers into a beautiful spring bouquet...and many other fun things. Honestly, though, I can't wait till the semester is over so I can have a break from Weber State News! haha. Enjoy!

Studio 76 4-10 from Mike McIntosh on Vimeo.

It's Time For an UPDATE!

2009-04-03T19:13:00.007-06:00

Geez, it has been awhile since I posted anything. But I guess that doesn't really matter...it's not like anybody any reads my posts anyway, haha. So...what's new?

1. I AM 21 YEARS OLD

As of March 13th I can legally gamble and drink. Too bad I'll only ever do one of those two...gambling is quite a fun activity. Haha. I celebrated my big night with Mark and the Family, good times. Not to mention I had the largest, most delicious carrot cake ever!

2. Mark Has a Birthday!

Mark's birthday is just one day before mine, March 12. So we got to celebrate our birthdays together, which was way cool. I got him these freakin' awesome massage boots, As Seen On TV. They're almost as good as the snuggie. Ok, I'll be honest, they were kind of a peice of crap, but they made us laugh. (Don't worry...I did get him some actual real gifts too).

3. Spring Break in San Diego = BOMB DIGGITY
(WARNING: THIS SECTION WILL CONTAIN ALOT OF PICTURES)
Watching the Sunset on San Deigo bay. There was also a whale in the ocean that everyone was freaking out about...I didn't see the problem

The Pirate Ships inspired us to release our inner "ARRRRR"s
This is the only way I will ever get a six pack...
The sunniest day on Pacific Beach. This day we accomplished exactly what we had set out to do....NOTHING!
We visited Shamu and his other sea ceature friends. "SHAMU, SHAMU"
Just one of my MANY birthday dinners at the deliciously wonderful Cheesecake Factory
Las Vegas on the eve of my 21st birthday baby! I love the Belagio fountains. Apparently I love Kenzie too.
Just me and my girls workin the strip.
Yet again....another delicious Birthday dinner in downtown San Diego.

Mark's Jump

2009-03-07T16:32:00.007-07:00

So last weekend I went up to Ogden Airport to watch Mark jump out of a plane and go skydiving. It was way cool watching him fall from the sky (and a little scary), but he's a pro so I don't worry. What was even more cool, though, is I got to go up in the plane for his second jump that day and watch him actually leap out the door! The plane ride was a blast too...just some rickety little thing diving through the air! I can't wait to actually jump out the plane myself...all in good time!

Just before the thrill begins.

Looking oh so good in my emergency chute and suit.

This was our little plane...quite the ride.

Flying at about 12,000 ft. The pilot was way cool.

The BEAUTIFUL view right out the window.

Mark psyches himself out a little right before jumps.

Milliseconds before Mark's jump.

Mark just soaring through the air.

Luckily...he survived.

Back on solid ground!

Birthday Shout Out

2009-03-04T18:38:00.005-07:00

This beautiful lady right here is my Grandma Hill. If she were still alive, today would have been her 78th birthday. I love her so much and I miss her at times. She was one of those grandmas that let you play with her fake diamond rings and try on her wigs, haha. She was a funny woman. So Happy Birthday Grandma!

Secondly, my brother Alex is going to be flippin' 13 years old tomorrow! I can't believe how grown up he is becoming! I can rememeber the day he was born when I held him in my arms like he was a baby doll. Of all my siblings we argue the most, mainly because we are soooo alike. He's such a stud, and he knows it, it's one of the many things I love about him! So again, Happy Birthday Alex!

...The Boy...

2009-02-26T12:59:00.011-07:00

Alright, so too many friends and family have been begging me to post pictures of my boyfriend, Mark. So...here are a few shots from Valentines Day. He's going to hate me for posting these...so if tomorrow my status changes to single, you will know why!

So this is the part where I have to brag. Mark is the best boyfriend ever. He brings me flowers for really no reason at all.

He leaves me a rose trail down the stairs of my apartment on Valentines Day leading too a surprise.

He decorates my car with flowers, notes, balloons, and candy.

Despite his dislike for shopping...He lets me dress him however I please, head to toe. (I made him model his new Valenetines outfit).

But mainly, I like to brag about what a good guy he is. He takes care of me when I'm sick, takes me on new adventures, opens my doors, and makes me laugh. He treats me better than a queen, yet will laugh in all my sillyness. He is pretty dang awesome.

STUDIO 76 #2

2009-02-26T08:55:00.002-07:00

Oh man...this one was a little bit of a nightmare. It seemed like nothing went right for this show, but I look back and laugh now. Once again....It's Studio 76.

Studio 76 2-20-08 from Mike McIntosh on Vimeo.

WSN #4- Anchoring

2009-02-19T21:17:00.001-07:00

Here's our latest Weber State News show. I anchored this one, it was a lot of fun!

Weber State News February 13, 2009 Edition from weber state news on Vimeo.

STUDIO 76 #1

2009-02-07T14:30:00.002-07:00

Hey Everyone...here is my first Studio 76 show of the semester. Studio 76 is Weber State University's entertainment show. Being the show's producer is a lot of hard work, but it's fun to see the show come together in the end. So this, being our first Studio 76, is not the best show ever. I realize there are a lot of things I need to work on, such as not swiveling in my chair as much and shuffling through my scripts (and it's true what they say "the camera adds ten pounds"). However, all things considered, I was somewhat proud of the work my classmates and I produced. Enjoy!

Studio 76 2-6-09 from Mike McIntosh on Vimeo.

Nostalgia

2009-02-03T16:48:00.004-07:00

Baby pictures are funny. Every time I see one of my baby pictures it's weird to think that it's actually me. I have no recollection of that time in my life...yet there I am, smiling at the camera, like I know exactly whats going on. Plus, you can never feel ugly in your baby pictures...all babies are cute. Even if my mom did do my hair in a mohawk...

Neon Dances, iFLY, and Friends

2009-01-16T13:24:00.009-07:00

So I got a new camera for Christmas....and I love it! It's a Nikon D60 and it's taken some time for me to figure it out (there are way too many cool things you can do with it). But since I know have a camera of my own I have been a little bit more picture crazy!(So excuse me if my blog becomes overwhelmed with photographs).

Last weekend at school they had a Neon Dance Party. It was so dang awesome, there were thousands of glowstick every where, laser lights, and 4 hours of straight dancing! So...since the theme was Neon, my roomies and I wore our brightest clothes and boy did we stand out! Everyone else there was just wearing their normal every day clothes...we looked like 80's freaks in comparison, haha. It was so fun though, we danced non-stop (literally...non-stop) and by the end of the night I wanted to throw up from exhaustion.

My good friend Mark has introduced me to one of the coolest hobbies ever...iFLY! It's an indoor wind tunnel where you can fly...it's pretty much indoor skydiving. It is such a blast...I can't even tell you. I highly reccommend it! Mark took Lauren and I the other night and it was way fun. I've been before but this was Lauren's first time. I'm starting to get the hang of it (kinda), while Mark on the other hand can do all these cool tricks (he's a regular). Someday I will actually do this while falling out of an airplane...but for now this will do! I snapped some pics of us in our waaay cool fly suits.

HOLY SMOKES!

2009-01-04T18:32:00.001-07:00

IT'S 2009!!!!!

Here's some random pictures:

Jessica & I

Mom & Dad

Cousins Jade & Micheal and Me

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-24T15:05:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! I can't believe it's already here. This year has come and gone so quickly (it makes me a little sad) but I'm excited to end the year off the traditional way. Christmas, to me, is all about being with my family and doing our every year traditions. Every Christmas Eve we go over to my Aunt Mars house and have a HUGE Christmas feast! I love it for the food, but I also love to celebrate Christ's birth with the ones I love most...my family. Of course, after the feast we will watch the little christmas movie of Luke 2. My parents have always made sure that we understand the real meaning of Christmas. And even though getting gifts is always a joy, we know that our greatest gift was our Savior.

Every Christmas Eve us kids always open one gift...and it's always pajamas. I can't tell you the number of pajamas I have accumulated over the years, haha. And no matter how old I get I still have a hard time falling asleep on Christmas Eve. Usually we'll wake up early Christmas morning and unwrap our presents first thing. Although I am excited to receive gifts this year I am really excited to give my gifts for others. We got surprise gifts for my mom and dad this year and I am excited to see their reactions.

Then, after all the gifts are unwrapped and we are swimming in wrapping and tissue paper, the whole family comes over to our house for yet another Christmas feast. My mom makes a traditional Christmas Caserole for breakfast and blue berry muffins. We eat alot of food (again), show off our gifts, and play fun games together. And that's my typical Christmas!

I hope all of you enjoy your Christmas as well this year, and may you all remember what the real spirit of Christmas is!

Ugly Sweater/ Eggnog/ Caroling/ Christmas Party

2008-12-13T11:47:00.004-07:00

Some friends and I got to together for a little Christmas Shin-dig before we all go our seperate ways for the holidays. Of course the party wasn't complete without ugly sweaters, eggnog, and singing Christmas songs around the fireplace. It was quite the event! I could describe in full detail...but pictures say more than a thousand words...

Oh...apparently I looked a lot like Janet Reno. What do you think?

'Tis The Season

2008-12-08T11:12:00.003-07:00

I woke up this morning to a beautiful fresh layer of snow covering the ground! And you know what that means...I can go SNOWBOARDING! I have been waiting for this day to come for weeks! Also, the snow officially sets in the Christmas season for me! I've done plenty Christmasy things already (1st Presidency Christmas Devotional, Christmas Choir Concert, Ice Skating, Shopping, Christmas Muscic) but for some reason it just never really feels like Christmas until there is snow.

So, we took some family christmas pictures around our fabulously decorated Christmas tree...isn't it cute.
Anyway, I hope the rest of you kick off your holiday season as well as I officially have! Merry Christmas!

Boredom Leads To Insanity....

2008-11-25T21:15:00.008-07:00

Do you ever have those nights where you are so utterly sick of homework and bored out of your mind because there is nothing to do?

Well...I have found a solution! (Atleast to solve the boredom part...still not sure on the homework).

My roommates and I have discovered that we can climb walls! Let's just say we had a little bit too much fun playing Spidey Men. It sure was a good work out though!

Some how this next thing came to be.....

I don't recall how I actually got in that position. All I know is that it hurt like heck to get out of it!

Just a little post-procedure post. It was our friend Josh's birthday last week so Kenz and I made this sweet brithday cake for him! He loves playing cards so we thought it would be appropriate. Kenz made then cake and then I designed it....isn't it great!

Hopeless....

2008-11-21T14:31:00.003-07:00

Shoot....Twilight destroyed me! I now hold very high and unrealistic expectations for all men. I DEMAND to find myself an Edward! And this is why I will become an old cat lady...

Fam Dun Time

2008-11-12T20:45:00.005-07:00

I had a pretty good, eventful week...I think I will share.

For starters...
I went to the One Republic concert last friday. I got 3 free tickets from work at the radio station, so I was pretty excited about that. I invited my sister and brother-in-law to come up to the concert and we had a pretty good time. We went out to dinner to Good Wood, which is SOO dang good, I think it might be a new favorite. I met up with my roomies at the concert for a minute and we snapped some pics.

Secondly...

I went to my friend Addie's bridal shower. I love all these showers/wedding recently because that means I get to see all my friends and catch up! So it was way good to see everyone (and their babies *cough cough*). It's crazy...all this marriage business. I counted and there were only 6 people at that shower who weren't married/engaged. But I am excited for Addie!

Thirdly...
FHE was pretty freakin sweet this week. We had a big huge
ROCK BAND party. They had set up about 5 differnt Rock Bands on big screens and we all just jammed out all night. Needless to say...I am a little bit addicted. Lauren even just brought Guitar Hero up from her house so now every night we're playing Guitar Hero instead of doing homework...haha! I totally love my new ward, by the way. Everyone is soo nice and it's awesome to get to know new people and make friends. Howwever...me and my roomies ALL got asked to speak in church in 3 weeks...joy.

Fourthly...
I don't think there is a fourth for this post. But I'm sure something else new and exciting will come along in no time!

BEST COSTUME WINNERS!

2008-11-01T16:50:00.005-06:00

We WON "Most Creative Costume" at the Halloween Dance this year...and to think we pulled it all off by only spending a grand total of $12.00. So...we were trying to think of something creative to be this year...something that we could do with 3 people. We thought of plenty of things: 3 blind mice, 3 witches, Dreamgirls, hotdog and buns, and so on. But we decided to go with a "Three Gals In A Tub" theme. You know the old nursery rhym:

Rub-A-Dub-Dub three men in a tub
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker
And they all sailed out to sea

I made the fabulous tub for our costume...isn't it great? We showed up at the dance in our tub and everyone thought it was hilarious. I'm not going to lie...I hated wearing the stupid thing. All three of us were smashed inside the tub and we had very little room to move. Try dancing like that....it was very difficult, and it also made it extremely hot! But, we got nominated into the costume contest, and we totally won! Woohoo! We never fail to come up with the best costumes. I love Halloween!

<<<< Mr. A-Z Concert >>>>

2008-10-29T21:30:00.004-06:00

I went to the Jason Mraz concert last night with a bunch of my friends and it was amazingly amazing! Jason Mraz was such a good performer and honestly I don't think I have ever heard anyone sound as good Live as he did. He voice is soo smooth...I lovie it! We had way good seats too...row 8, baby. We owe a big THANKS to Kenzie's dad for getting us the tickets. So, I'm not as familiar with Mraz' new stuff so I couldn't sing along as much I would have liked, but I still got my groove on. I love all of his old stuff and know it by heart so my favorite was when he played his old popular hits. I added a few of my new favorites to my playlist so check them out if you want. We got a little picture happy while waiting for the concert to start...as you can see.

Punkin'

2008-10-29T20:53:00.003-06:00

Here are the fabulous creations me and Lauren made at our FHE pumpkin carving activity. I was attempting to make mine into a spider...just incase you couldn't tell. I was having a hard time cutting the top of my pumpkin open so I acted like a damsel in destress and got the cutest guy there to help me cut it open :) Lauren carved her pumpkin into a sweet ad for us single people...I love it! Don't attempt to actually call the number though. We tried it...it doesn't work. So Happy Halloween everyone...may you Pumpkin Day be full of joy!

It's Time To JAZZERCISE!

2008-10-25T13:30:00.004-06:00

Tis the season for costumes and candy! And I love it! Last night I went to a Halloween Dance Party with some friends. My roomies and I didn't have costumes so we went on a last minute search at Savers. Of course...you can always rely on Savers to have the most rediculous 80's appearal ever. We found these bright 80's exercise peices and decided we would go as 80's Exercise Divas. After alot of cutting up clothes, lots of make-up, and really big hair we were ready to go!

The party was way fun, there were so many people crammed into this little house, it was crazy. People loved our costumes too, because not only did we look the part we played the part. We danced the night away with classic 80's dance moves and even 80's exercise moves. It was fabulous. It was a long night though and after hours of dancing we were pooped! I'll never understand why spandex was so popular in the 80's either...after about 3 hours I felt like a sausage wrapped up inside all the spandex.

...Rock On...

2008-10-15T14:56:00.006-06:00

No...it's not my Halloween costume. I was simply bored one night and decided to be creative. I locked myself in the bathroom while my roomies worked on homework (which I probably should have been doing too), and when I emerged this is what they found...rocker Michelle. I've discovered that my hair can turn into a freakin' sweet fo-hawk if I use enough hair spray. I've also discovered that that much make-up takes longer to take off than it does to actually put it on. I'm not entirely sure what got into me...but it was fun to play dress-up!

LET IT SNOW!

2008-10-12T14:31:00.004-06:00

I LOVE THE SNOW! I was pleasantly surprised this morning to wake up to a fresh layer of beautifully white fluffy snow on the ground. In fact,the snow reminded of Christms, so...I turned on Christmas music! My roomate and I sang along to Christmas music while we got ready for church (it's only appropriate)and I danced around to jingle-bell tunes while getting dressed. It' like Christmas in October!!!

I must admit, though, that I don't enjoy driving in the snow. It's yucky and cold and wet and slippery. Lauren and I had to snuggle-up after church just to keep warm! But...the benefits always seem to outweigh my complaints. I love building snow men, and going sledding, and drinking hot chocolate by a warm fire while the snow softly falls outside. Mostly...I am super stoked to hit the mountain slopes and get my snowboard back on my feet!

Unfortunately, all this beautiful snow will probably be melted within the next few days. So...I will hold on to this moment and save it until this winter truly comes. :)

Evan's Wedding

2008-10-07T21:22:00.006-06:00

That's right...one more down! My best friend Tara just got married this past weekend (October 3) to her highschool sweatheart/missionary/love of her life, Janson Evans. It was such a beautiful day, everything turned out great! As friends and family we all greeted the happy couple as they walked out of the Salt Lake Temple and took the traditional stair pictures. As you may recall, my other good friend/roommate Emily got married this past summer. After he wedding the 5-some turned into a 4-some. Now...the 4-some has turned into a 3-some. We've made sure to document the significant losses to the bunch. I title it "And Then There Was Three"

We had a luncheon after the wedding, in which Janson's mother made the most delicious cafe rio style burritos and fried icecream. It was fun to be close to everyone and help celebrate their wedding.

The reception later that night was held at the McCune Mansion. I am going to take this time to tell you how absolutely gorgeous this reception site is! The walls and ceilings are all so beautifully painted, it's amazing. And the hand carved wood in the house is truely spectacular. I have dreamed of having my wedding here for years...someday it will happen. But I am glad Tara had her's here because I spend a whole night in it's gloriousness. BEAUTIFUL.

Ok ok..back to the receptin. The food was delcious, the cake was fantastic, and the whole thing was so much fun. I got to wear my cute little bridesmaid outfit and pretend like I important. Alot of people showed up the reception and it was good to see people I haven't seen in awhile. Most significant thing about the night...I caught the brides bouquet! However...after I reliezed that meant I was getting married next my mood quickly changed. I considered burning it to rid me of all such superstitions. So, we ate cake, danced the night away, and celebrated the love of my two good friends. Yay for weddings!

Anchorwoman Michelle

2008-09-30T22:53:00.004-06:00

I am always up for public humiliation...so here it goes. This year in school I get to do Weber State News, a class that is actually a news show. Our very first show this year they throw me, the "rookie", in as an anchor for the show. I had no clue what I was doing really...I just tried not to look like a complete fool on camera and even that didn't work. But I got to report on this sweet story about round-a-bouts. No one really watches the show anyway. It plays on Davis/Weber Cabel channel 17, Comcast, and Dishnetwork. I showed my family the show this past weekend and they all bust in laughther every time my face hits the screen....I did too though because I kind of look like a deer in headlights at times. My mother has probably already showed it to the whole world by now...so if you want to watch it too you can go to www.weberstatenews.org or look it up on comcast/dish. (It's the Sept. 17th WSN show)

Like A Fat Kid Loves Cake....

2008-09-21T23:14:00.004-06:00

So I accomplished going a whole month without eating any sweets...and boy was it hard. I decided to cut out my excessive sugar intake because I'm trying to be more healthy. So here I was today...having been so good for a month of being sugar free that I decided I would treat myself to a little snack. Needless to say...I didn't exactly just dip my toes into the sugary sweet fountain...I dived...NO...I plunged! But oh man, it was SO worth it! I ate peanut butter brownies, carrot cake, baklava, poppyseed cake...you name it. (Don't worry...the food was supplied by a cousin's farewell)

So, now the after effect. I am SICK to my stomach. I feel like I have to throw up! PLEASE...someone pump my stomach. It was sooo good....but I am definitely paying for it now. I haven't had that much sugar in forever. Not to mention I am on a complete sugar high...I can't sleep! Why is it that we as humans never learn either. I feel so sick right now but tomorrow I'll forget all about it and in a months time I'll probably do the same thing over again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

So tomorrow it's back to no sugar! Please...this time let me learn! But man...it was worth it!

My Highschool Musical Debut!

2008-09-19T08:01:00.002-06:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

I knew me and Zack would end up together some day...some way or another!

Happy Birthday Sister Dear!

2008-09-11T17:51:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow marks the 23rd birthday of my dear sister Jessica. I know...she is getting old! (just kidding) I put together this little digi-book in honor of her. Jessica...I hope you know how much I love ya! You have been such a great example to me throughout my life and I know that as long as I try to follow your footsteps I will live a good life. I hope you have a Happy Birthday! Love ya!

Summer Highlights

2008-09-05T16:07:00.006-06:00

Since I didn't post anything over the summer I thought I would give a brief overview of some of my favorite events. So, here it goes...

I think one of the greatest highlights, and most monumental, was the wedding of my very good friend Emily Bokinskie. She was the first to go out of my 5 roomies...we will forever miss her. But luckily we all love Jimmy, her husband, so we let her go freely! I got to be a bridesmaid in her wedding...along with 5 others. I'm pretty sure we made up the hottest bridesmaid clan ever. The whole day was so much fun as we got to witness the happy couple come together.

I didn't get to do a whole lot of vacationing over the summer, unfortunately, but going to California with the family was more than enough fun. Dad and Alex got to go to New York for baseball, so the rest of us decided we'd head the opposite direction and hit up Disneyland. I LOVE Disneyland, it never gets old. Everything from Pirates of the Carribean to eating really big pickles! For the first time ever we ate The Blue Bayou. It was delicios! I don't think I could ever eat a churro again after that meal...that's how good it was. So ya, Disneyland was a blast!

I shot a gun for the first time this summer! Shand and Jessica are gun crazy, so they took me out to do some shootin' with them. My favorite is the shotgun, it has a nice kick to it. I wasn't very good at hitting the clay pigeons though (1:10). I got to a second time with some friends. I can't even tell you how many guns I shot that time because there was about 50 to choose between! I never understood what it was with boys and guns...but now I think I have an idea, they're fun! haha

I'm sure there are plenty of other fun and exciting things I did this summer...I just can't think of them at the moment. So, this is it for now. Really, summers just aren't what they used to be. I wish I could go back to when summers were filled with simming, lemonade stands, and night games. Sacrifices of getting old, right!?

Lake Powell 2008

2008-09-04T23:18:00.004-06:00

My roomates and I got invited, very last minute, to go to Lake Powell over the Labor Day weekend..and who can pass on Lake Powell! We were willing to sacrafice anything to be able to go...including sleep. We wanted to have as much time as possible down in Powell so we left at 2:00 IN THE MORNING and drove all night/morning. Six hours straight baby! Luckily, we got to sleep on the ride down because we weren't driving, fewf.

I'm pretty sure that the trip wasn't meant to be...everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong. And it started with being stranded at a gas station for 2 hours because we couldn't the truck to start. It was the dumbest thing! We called everyone any F-350 knowledge, but no one seemed to know what the problem was. We were seconds away from calling a tow truck when Brady made one last call to Dad, who started laughing profusely when we told him the problem. Apparently F-350's have theft detection and in order to unndo it here is what you do: Place the key inside the ignition. Then, remove the key, press the unlock button on the key ring twice. Place the key back inside the ignition and start the car. And by georgie it worked! Seriously, is that not the dumbest thing ever!
So FINALLY we got out on th lake. Saturday was a beautiful day, lots of sunshine. We took advantage of it and wakeboarded and tubed all day. The wheater didn't last into the night though. We were sleeping on top of the house boat that night when we suddenly woke up dretched from a big rain storm. We all ran downstairs and cramed ourselves inside. I ended up sleeping on the kitchen table bence...not so comfortable.

The following day was just as rainy. Half the day we were stuck inside the houseboat watching movies and playing games. We took every advantage of every clear moment moment though and went on the boat when it wasn't raining. Me and Kenz were tubbing and got some MAJOR air once. It was crazy, I am not even kidding, it was atleast 10 feet of air. Boy did it kill, though, when we landed. So overall, it was alot of fun at Powell, regardless of the poopey weather. Especially since I was there with my best buddies!

Horrible Blogger

2008-09-04T23:14:00.002-06:00

So in case anyone out there actually views my blog...I apologize for being extremely lazy and behind in keeping my life events updated. I am going to try and post the highlights of my summer...but really there is too much to share so I'm just starting from scratch. I see everyone elses super cute blogs and I became inspired to really try and stay up to date with mine too. I like seeing what everyone is up to so perhaps people might enjoy seeing what I am doing too...then again maybe not. Anywho, here it goes!

iPOD Kiss Off

2008-02-13T16:18:00.003-07:00

It all started at 12 p.m. with me and Ben smashing our faces up against an iPod with our hands behind our backs while I stood on a plateform with my neck cracked up high and he bended over as low as he could. Three and a half hours later it ended when I toppled to ground after being forced to balance on one foot (while maintaining the previously explained position) and being completely numb from head to toe. It was...the iPod kiss off. My reward...$50.00 gift card to the Bookstore.

What started out with with 14 couples slowly made it's way down to the last two, me and Ben, and one other couple. By this time Ben and I had considered giving up mulitple times. He being a whole foot taller than me, my neck was cramped up and his back was giving in. But one by one, with every couple that dropped out, our motivation grew. Not to mention that fact that I was able to miss work for this event! I was going all the way. Anways, after three and a half hours of standing there the officials decided to up the competition. Since it seemed that neither of us were goin to give up they had to make it harder. They made us each stand on one foot...which only lasted about a minute. You try standing on one foot with your hands behind your back while leaning over a table and stretching your neck a foot high while kissing an iPod! It's not easy! So I fell and failed to win the iPod. The winning constants, whom I would like to add cheated...or so i'm told, each won an 8gb mini iPod. But I did get $50.00 and front page photo coverage on the school newspaper. Works for me!

D.J. DIVA

2008-01-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

So this semester in school I'm finally starting all my classes that are in my major. It's alot to take in but it's been good. One of my classes is D.J.ing for Weber State's radio station....88.1 Weber FM. I just finished with my training and now I'm set to go on air! Being a D.J. is actually quite fun. I get to talk on the radio, announce sons, make "commmercials", and dance around to sweet music. I'm actually doing my first session today that isn't training. Although I don't have a set schedule yet as to when I'll be on air it's probably going to be Thursdays at 12:00. So if you're in the Ogden area you should totally tune into 88.1 Weber FM and listen. Actually, you might want to give me a week or two, I'm pretty bad right now. But i'm looking forward to learning more about the radio stuff and getting comfortable with it. And hey, if you're not in the Ogden area you can totally log onto the website and and listen via the web at www.weberfm.org. If you feel like being a creepy stalker you can even watch me in the studio, they have a web cam. I don't have a D.J. name yet...I can't find one that fits. If you have an suggestions I'd like to hear them. I need something fun and spicey!

Gifts They'll Love (Final story)

2007-12-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

‘Twas the shopping month of Christmas, when all through the malls
Not a cash register was empty, no spare room in the halls;
A long list of gifts sits in each shopper’s hand,
Only twenty more checks till the shopping can end;
“I’ve got Billy’s Wii, but now what about dad?
He’s the hardest to shop for, what doesn’t he have.”

This holiday season, stores are busting at the seams with holiday shoppers looking for the “perfect gift”. Finding the right gift for someone can be a difficult task. Perhaps they’re too picky or not picky at all. If you become stumped, and you most likely will, just look for the gifts that will be a big kill.

Say goodbye to the fruit cakes, knitting sweaters, and Tickle Me Elmo’s because this year electronic gifts are the new fab. Whether you’re shopping for your son or your mom, there are new innovative devices for every one of all ages.

Need something for the boys? Thirty percent of boys polled said they would like to receive a game console. Not only are video game consoles a big hit for the little ones, but now even dads are getting in on the fun. The new Madden NFL 08 will surely put a smile on any gamers face this year.

Clothes and jewelry are even being pushed farther down the list for the girls this year and the new I-pod Nanos are taking their place. The new I-pod Nano comes in an assortment of colors and now has the ability to play movies. I-pod’s come in second place this years top gifts.

Another new fun gift for this year that is sure to please everyone is the new Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition. This limited edition of the game uses an electronic scanner to calculate all your banking. Monopoly may be an oldie, but this one’s a goody.

Other top electronic gifts this year include cell phones, computers, computer games, handheld video game sets, and digital camera/video cameras. In case you are still stumped on what to give this year just give the gift that keeps on giving, gift cards. Everyone enjoys doing a little self-shopping.

Need more gift idea? Visit these sites to see more top gifts:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650213497,00.html

http://media.www.quovadisnewspaper.com/media/storage/paper1216/news/2007/11/16/Entertainment/Best-Christmas.Gifts.For.2007-3107955.shtml

Christmas Movies

2007-12-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Christmas just wouldn't be the same without the silly Christmas movies. The day December 1 hit I was ready to bust out all my Christmas shows and begin my hibernation.

Some of my favorite (and classic) Christmas movies include: The Grinch, Christmas Vacation, Elf, A Christmas Story, White Christmas, The Polar Express, Mr. Kreuger's Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, A Wonderful Life, and all of the old clay animation movies. I don't think I could go a year without watching every single one of these.

Christmas is the perfect time of year to snuggle up next to someone by the fire, sip on some hot cocoa, and watch a movie. I'm not talking about popping in one of those VHS's that shows yule logs burning in a fireplace for hours on end, but I'm talking about one of those good old classical Christmas movies.

Tonight, I plan on watching The Grinch again (yes I have watched it once already this month). Commical Christmas movies are my favorite and I get some of my favorite quotes from them. Can you guess which movie these quotes belong to?

1) "Bleeding hearts of the World Unite!"

2) "He looks like a pink nightmare!"

3) "Oh Martha, oh Chrisssmasss."

4) "Ooh, he's an angry elf!"

5) "Eat my rubber, burn my dust."

6) "I can't put my arms down!"

Oh man, I laugh just thinking of it. If any of you have favorite Christmas movies that I have been missing on please inform me! I'll run out of movies to watch before I know it. I hope you all enjoy the Christmas season and the fabulous movies that come with it.

Answers to quotes: 1)The Grinch 2)A Christmas Story 3)The Grinch 4)Elf 5)Christmas Vacation 6)A Christmas Story

Campus Food

2007-12-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile when I have a busy day and need to eat lunch on campus I'll run over to the Student Union building and grab a bit to eat. The new Hogi Yogi/ Teriyaki Stix makes for some good fast eatin and an occasional quarter pounder and deep fried potatoes will do the trick. However, the selection is quite limited when in comes to finding a variety of food to eat on campus.

Just the other day, I was browsing through all the menus of the food stores and decided absolutely nothing was nutritious and healthy. I strolled over to the other side where they sell pizza and pasta and that just had carbs written all over it. I resulted in buying an over-priced lettuce wrap. I took one bite into it and almost gagged. It was by far the nastiest lettuce wrap I have every eaton! I tossed it away and became $6 poorer and that much more hungry.

I only eat there on rare occasions, but already I get bored by the selection. I can't imagine how those students who have to eat on campus all the time feel. For instance, students who live in Promontory Tower are only given the option to eat at the cafeteria for every meal. Now you tell me, how boring would it be to eat a cheese burger for lunch everyday and then a rice bowl for every dinner.

I think that Weber State University need to do something to help out this problem. Perhaps we didn't need to bring a fancy spancy Teriyaki Stix onto comapus, but rather, go back a home-made type cooking cafeteria. I don't know.

GMA Thriller Showing

2007-12-11T19:52:00.001-07:00

If you have a facebook account you can watch the Good Morning America Triller clip by using the url below:

http://weber.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=502907973262&ref=share

Good Morning America

2007-12-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have seen my Thriller video, you should be pleasently surprised to hear that Good Morniing America showed a clip of our video on their show Friday, Nov. 30.

Nov. 30 marked the 25th aniversary of Micheal Jacksons Thriller music video. Good Morning America celebrated the day in history and held a little contest asking for viewers to submit a thriller video that they have made. There couldn't have been a better moment for us to get the opportunity to share our video with the world. We submitted our video several times to Good Morning America in hopes that the might select our video to show.

Unfortunately, I had school that Friday morning and was unable to watch for our video. However, my friend who directed the vido, Ben Taylor, was able to watch it and he even recorded it. At approximately 7:50 a.m. our Thriller video hit the screen nation wide! It was the first thriller video shown and the best!

I got to see the recorded version of the show later. They played about 30 seconds of our video. My face was shown huge on the screen, it was amazing! I deeply considered dropping out of school to move to Hollywood and persue a career in acting. Ok...not really. But it was one of the most amazing moments of my life!

The World Without Us

2007-11-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

The author of "The World Without Us" Alan Weisman visited Weber State University campus Friday and spoke on how the World's population could be better controlled and how it related to his book.

Weisman's non-fictional book is based on his thought experiment about what the world would turn into if humans were no longer in existence.

"I didn't write this book because i like the idea of no human beings," Weisman said. "It gives us a chance to see what the world would be like and see if we could find a way to put ourselves back in it."

However, it wasn't Weisman's idea of no humans that shocked the audience, which accounted for about 50 people, but it was his idea of population control that silenced the crowd. Every four days 1 million more human beings are born. Weisman said that controlling our population could help us function better in our world. Based on his research, the amount of resources left in the Earth is not enough to support our race for that much longer.

"Do we want to bring our population down ourselves or do we want nature to do it for us?" Weisman asked.

Weisman said that by limiting procreation to one child per family we could lower our current population of 6 billion down to 1.6 billion by the end of century. He compared to population control to the Earth getting into shape. Lowering the Earth's population is like trimming off the excess fat, he said.

By getting rid of its unnecessary weight we could better preserve the Earth's resources and maintain our existence. Weisman, however, does realize that the idea of population control is very difficult.

"We deserve to be here as much as any other species," Weisman said.

Weisman suggested that perhaps families should consider only having children they could properly care for. His idea of a healthy family was one that was planned out according to financial stability.

Weiman's population control suggestion was simply to get people thinking about what toll being taken of the Earth.

"I don't preach in this," Weisman said. "I just show the facts."

Weisman went on to discuss the rest of the issues the World would face without human beings. From the destruction of our homes to the disintegration of our cities, the Earth would eventually restore itself back to its original condition.

"A lot of the stuff that we have done will be absorbed by nature and made into something even more beautiful," Weisman said.

"The World Without Us" includes all of Weisman's evidence and research he found while investigated what an inhabited earth would become.

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

2007-11-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what ideas you can come up with when on a last minute basis. I would consider myself a very lucky procrastinator. For Halloween last week I had absolutely no idea what I was going to be. Two hours before the Weber State University Monster Mash I was running to the store with five of my friends to find something we could construct a costume out of.

It was while strolling down the sporting goods aisle in Walmart that we had an epiphany on what we should be. Walmart had five pair of roller blades on sale, all of which were the right size. It was destined that we had to use these roller blades in some way. And what way to better utilize them than to be a train!

Everything fell perfectly into place after that. We found over-alls on sale and train conductor hats. After a few other stops at different stores we even found five cardboard boxes we could use as box cars.

With little time to spare, we dashed home to assemble our costumes. Much to my surprise it turned out to be so dang cute! When we got to the Monster Mash we all lined up in a train and skated into the dance. Everyone loved our costume. People complimented our creativity and laughed at our sillyness.

However, after about ten minutes of roller blading around our feet started to hurt quite a bit. It was also really hard to dance with roller blades on. So we took off the blades and removed the train. Then, we danced the night away.

The following day in The Signpost I was extremely surprised when I turned the page and found a big picture of me and my friends as the train. I couldn't believe it.

See, it's amazing what ideas you can come up with when on a last minute basis.

THRILLER MUSIC VIDEO

2007-10-28T01:33:00.000-06:00

I'm a Movie Star!

2007-10-24T20:25:00.000-06:00

I've always wanted to say I'm a movie star, and now I finally can! OK, fine, I'm not really a star, but I am in a movie. Let me start from the beginning...
Last year some friends and I dressed up like zombies for Halloween. We went to a Halloween dance and walked around like zombies the entire time. We didn't dance, we didn't talk, we didn't smile, we didn't laugh. We did absolutely nothing but walk around oddly staring at people. It was quite humorous actually. Some people seriously became frightened by us, and they even ran away screaming. Our costumes were such a big hit that we even got nominated for having the scariest costume.
This year we decided we should dress up again. One of my friends, Ben Taylor, is a fabulous movie producer (making short films that are hits on Youtube) and agreed to help me and my friends make a music video the Micheal Jackson's Thriller dressed up in our zombie attire. This is where I become a star.
We started filming for the movie roughly one week ago. My friends and I had made up a dance to the music and we danced it over and over again so Ben could get different footage of it. Last night we completed the filming of the movie.
I have not seen much of the footage filmed, none really. Ben plans to keep us on our toes so we will be amazed by the final footage. I won't too much away about the movie, but I will tell you that it involves creepy cemetery scenes, blood thirsty zombies, and even death!
The premier of Thriller will be sometime next week, depending on when our producer can finish compiling the material. Look for the new Thriller music video on Youtube, coming soon.

Weber State's Special Olympics Basketball Team Takes Bronze

2007-10-23T18:46:00.000-06:00

Weber State's Special Olympics basketball team took bronze in Saturday's competition at the University of Utah with the help of one of their coaches Makenzie Frandsen.
Nineteen-year-old Frandsen is a full-time WSU student who volunteers as a coach for WSU's Special Olympics basketball team. Not only does Frandsen spend her time volunteering but she also works part-time at a local salon.
With hardly any time to spare she was still thrilled to see her team succeed. With twenty other teams in the competition, taking third place was quite an accomplishment for WSU.
"The players were all so excited to have placed third," Frandsen said. "The cool thing about it, though, is that all the teams were excited for each other. It doesn't really matter how they place in these competitions because they're all friends and support each other either way."
When players would fall, trip, or get hurt in the game, every player would run to the player in need and help him or her up.
However, coaching those with special needs is no easy task. Sometimes there are certain players who require extra attention, and it can be hard to motivate a team with special needs.
"It can be really frustrating, and it takes a lot of patience. If you give them all of your attention, though, and let them know that you care then they cooperate pretty well," Frandsen said.
Even though Frandsen does a great service to the community and to these special needs athletes, she feels that she receives a great service in return. Frandsen said she loves to volunteer because it is rewarding to teach them a hobby that she loves so much. Even though they might not be the best players, they definitely have the most spirit about it, she said.
WSU's Special Olympics team will continue to practice and will compete in more upcoming competitions. The Special Olympics is categorized into two seasons, summer and winter, and several competitions take place throughout the year.
The Special Olympics are funded by organizations, such as universities and major companies, and most organizations for a team that competes in the events. WSU's Special Olympics basketball team will next compete this upcoming February.
"It's nice to have fans in the audience," Frandsen said, "whether it's family or friends. It lets the special needs athletes know that people care and it makes them work even harder."

Haunted Houses

2007-10-16T16:37:00.000-06:00

Halloween happens to be my favorite holiday and I love the month of October. I always look forward to the fall season and anticipate going to haunted houses, costume parties, and trick-or-treating.
However, I've noticed over the years how commercialized the holiday has become, that goes for all holidays in fact. Towards the end of August stores were already setting out their Halloween decorations and festive candy was already being sold. This I don't mind so much, after all, because Halloween candy is among the best.
I don't get scared easily, but every year I like to test my nerves and go to haunted houses, haunted corn mazes, and other events. I have been to haunted houses so far this year. The first being Nightmare on 13th and the second being Ogden's Exchange Building. I was not all that impressed with either one. First off, I find the admission prices to be ridiculously high. Nightmare on 13th is a whopping $15 per person. This may not seen high to some but keep in mind that I am a poor college student. Not only that, but these haunted houses don't even scare me! If I'm going to pay money to get scared, gosh dangit, I better get scared!
Then again, maybe it's just me. Some of my friends who also attended these haunted houses were scared out of their knickers. It seems silly to me, what is so scary about a bunch of kids dressed in absurd costumes jumping out at you? I was on a date for one of the haunted house and while other girls were grabbing on their dates and screaming for help I simply walked right through it. Of course, I faked it at some times just so I could feel comforted my date as well.
The actual day of Halloween in approaching and I can't wait to dress up in my costume. Nothing is more fun to me than seeing how creative everyone can be with their costumes. Sometimes I do group costumes with friends, we always win best costume. So, don't go looking in haunted houses to get scared, just come find me and my friends in our costumes!

FREE HUGS

2007-10-09T18:46:00.000-06:00

Anti-protester Jared Diehl gave out "free hugs" to passersby near the Latter-Day-Saints Conference Center on Sunday in hopes of discouraging the many anti-Mormon protesters near by.
Many anti-Mormon protesters held signs with anti-Mormon remarks on them and shouted to the Mormons who were walking into the Conference Center for the semi-annual LDS meeting. Even though Diehl's sing read "Free Hugs",some passersby did not acknowledge Diehl and what he had to share because he blended in with the rest of the protesters.
However, his unusual sign did receive attention and he was giving out hugs left and right. Diehl's mission was simply to spread the love among the crowd.
"There are protesters that come every year and I think that it brings a negative effect," Diehl said. "People put on a defense before they come to conference and I don't think that putting up this shield, blocking your surroundings, is good for bringing spirituality into a conference like that."
Some of the anti-Mormon protesters showed their discouragement from the attention Diehl received by dropping their signs and walking away. He was afraid that people would get the wrong idea by his sign and think he was anti-Mormon himself. Quite the opposite, though, he wanted to show his Christianity through love.
Diehl said, "I want to bring a more positive tradition and that's giving out free hugs."

Check out this video of Jared Diehl's "Free Hugs"

SPELUNKING

2007-10-01T13:00:00.000-06:00

This past weekend some friends and I went on a caving adventure up in North Ogden. We woke up early in the morning to go so we wouldn't have to hike in the hot sun. A few of my friends going had been to the cave before so they led the way. The cave we went to is not mapped, nor is it well know, so we were trudging through the wilderness without any trails. The hike was long and exhausting. It took us almost an hour to hike up to the opening of the cave. The cave opening was very small so we had to crawl on our hands and knees in order to get inside. We turned on our head lamps and slid in. The first few yards of the cave was just as small as the opening. Not only was there hardly any room to move but the floor was covered in poo. It was quite disgusting to have to crawl in those conditions. Once we made our way into the cave, though, it started to open up. We were eventually able to stand up in a little opening and move around, but this was not the end. While in that opening we came across a very odd looking creature living in the cave. I would've sworn it was a chinchilla, but what an odd place for a chinchilla to live. We figured this little creature was responsible for all the poo we had to crawl through. The cave continued downward in very small and narrow passages. There were times I thought I was going to get stuck because the holes were so small. In some instances I had to repel myself downward on a rope with absolutely nothing beneath me. Eventually, we all made it to the bottom of the cave. The cavern at the bottom was enormous. We walked around for a bit and hung out. It was so dark down in the cave that when we all turned off our head lamps there was absolute darkness. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. It was such a cool place to be, knowing that I was hundreds of feet inside the mountain. On our way out, one of the girls with us slipped on a rock and split her knee open. The wound was pretty grusome and it was bleeding alot. Luckily, we had a first-aid kit so I helped her get patched up. It was really difficult for her to climb back up all the rocks and ropes, thought, since she was in so much pain. Getting out of the cave was a lot more difficult because it required more physical support than getting down. However, we did it! We all made it through the cave and it was so much fun! The whole experience made us exhausted and we all spent the rest of the day taking a nap.

One of my friends made a video of the adventure (it's posted at the bottom of my blog page, entitles "Caving Ogden Utah"). It bares record of how much fun we had!