Name Dropping

New Year, new background. 1 day early. I couldn't wait. I have also decided to drop Lady A. It reminded me too much of that heinous weirdo, Lady Ga-Ga.

I'd rather be a princess anyway.


Oh... P.S.
We decided to fix my car instead of buying a new one. 2-grand is much less than 14-grand.

Alas, a pictureless update

I'm so sorry I don't have pictures. I lost the cord needed to transfer pictures from my camera to the computer. I will soon remedy this and my posts with then become less boring.
For the moment, an update:

-Christmas was wonderful! Spent lots of time with family and had a great time! Ate too much.
-We are moving out of our sweet, little apartment and moving in with my sweet Grandpa. Grandpa lives at my aunt and uncle's house and they are now serving a mission in England wahoo! yay for Brits! so we are here to help look after Grandpa and the house.
-My hubby got another dental school interview WAHOO! at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. We are again crossing our fingers, toes, arms, legs, and eyes that all will go well.
-My faithful little piece of crap has finally died. It's a car, people, in case you were wondering. It's going to cost us $1500 to fix it and after pouring so much money into this dang thing, we're calling it quits. We need something more reliable so we're looking for something else.

Sigh. So much is going on and I can't even show you! Yet. As soon as I get a new cord thingy, I'll upload oodles and boodles of pictures and backtrack to update on this crazy month!

Saying Goodbye....

I was cleaning out some cardboard boxes that had lots of crap-o-la in them and putting all the crap-o-la into plastic storage bins. Well, these things didn't fit. I've had them for years and I will miss them dearly, but I think it's time to say goodbye....


To Luke and Leia.

Obtained during my bout of Star Wars Freak. I'm not giving them away, just handing them off to good friend Rogue for safe keeping.

... and my dance trophies.

I got them for getting 1st place at a dance competition in 2001. It was a rare competition that gave every dancer a trophy instead of just one per class or even per studio. But after being advised by both good friend Rogue and my hubby, I've decided to keep them. Someday I'll show my kids that I used to be good at something. Sorta. It really wasn't that hard getting first place, especially when one of our dance numbers was the only one in its category. Automatic 1st place. he he he. Shiny trophy.

Sorry this took so long

More New York!

After we went to Palmyra, we drove to Albany where Bret's cousins live. It was SO much fun and I had a great time getting to know these guys better!

Here's little D, the youngest of the clan. We were at his and his sister S's soccer game. His hat was hysterical. It was VERY cold.

After soccer, we went to the Lake House (built in 1860!!! VERY cool!!) Here's S and M in front of the Lake House.

Here's me and hubby in front of Lake George (about the same size as Lake Roosevelt) You can see how amazingly gorgeous it is!!! And yep, still freezing.

Here we are hiking to Lake George. Up front is Uncle R, with D and S following behind, and my hubby in the foreground.

Another shot of Lake George. Kinda looks like Scotland, doesn't it? Breathtaking scenery.

I LOVE NEW YORK!!!

WAITING LIST???

Whaddaya mean, waiting list??

We found out yesterday that my husband has been put on a waiting list at the dental school he REALLY wants to go to.

I keep hearing "this is good news!" and "at least you heard something!"

I agree.

But I'm also thinking.... my husband is many times more brilliant, wonderful, hard-working, and kind than all those other posers out there! How dare you not accept him into your school on the spot??? How dare you put him on a waiting list?? What is it about my husband that you crazy people seem to think is so inadequate?
I'm a little biased.

I'm wading in the middle of a serious emotional swamp right now. A lot is going on and we're clinging with our fingertips to the cliff's edge, trying to get to the top of all our hopes and dreams. Wanting to start a family, trying to further Bret's education, struggling to further my career... all these things we REALLY want for Christmas and all are things Santa Claus can't bring.

But we are also very blessed. Extremely blessed. Abundantly blessed. So even though at times I feel like I'm ready to blow apart at the seams, I know that somehow, someday, everything will finally come together.

Palmyra, the heart of church history

Ah, Palmyra. It's a blip on the map, a tiny town that time hasn't touched. This place is so beautiful and full of a special spirit and history.

Here I'm standing on top of the Hill Cumorah where the church has build an amazing memorial for the events that occured here. The statue is of Moroni calling the world to hear the message of the true gospel. His promise in Moroni 10:4 is set into the side of the pedistal where I'm standing.

Here is the place where Joseph Smith lived with his family when he recieved the first vision. The Sacred Grove where that miraculous event occured is behind the home.

This is a picture inside what is called the "Frame Home" because Alvin Smith started to build it. When he passed away, he had only gotten the frame of the house built. The smith family later finished it. Here is a picture of some of the original wood.

The Sacred Grove. A very good place to ponder on what occured here in the spring of 1820.



The main street of Palmyra.

Palmyra was beautiful! I wanted to live there. The homes were cute, the scenery was breath-taking, and walking the same footsteps the Prophet Joseph Smith may have walked was an inspiration.

It won't do me any good

But it sure makes me feel better.

Yesterday, November the 14th, I got yet ANOTHER rejection letter from a publishing company. If you include agencies and publishing companies, I think this is my 33rd rejection. Give or take a few.

Every time I send out a letter or email, I'm sending out all my hopes and dreams of doing what I love and getting paid for it. Yet after all the hoping, dreaming, praying (even sometimes fasting), the wicked monster called rejection rears its nasty head.

You'd think I'd get used to this by now.

Wrong.

I took this one kind of hard. So after I picked myself up, I decided there was one thing left to do.

I took the letter to the Chili Cookoff and burned it.

I know this won't help my chances for success.

But it was so nice to watch the stupid thing burn.

Some of you may gasp. Some of you may be thinking, Wait! Don't you want to keep it for posterity when your book is finally published and becomes a huge hit and you can wave the infernal letter in the misguided faces of the people who were dumb enough to tell you 'no'?

Answer: Don't worry. I've still got it.