Liebster Award

I haven’t blogged in awhile, but I have a good friend that keeps giving me reasons to be motivated to do so.  I was nominated by my good friend Foxy for a Liebster Award! This is the first time I have heard of it, so I am going to try it.

The Fun Rules:

• The nominee must link back to the blogger who nominated them.
• The nominee must state 11 facts about themselves, and then answer the 11 questions provided for them by the person who nominated them.
• The nominee must then nominate bloggers with less than 200 followers, who they think deserve the recognition, and pose 11 new questions for them to answer.

Random facts about me:

1. I broke my pinkie toe back in Junior High, and it has never healed.  I now have a double jointed toe.
2. I will be graduating from the University of Utah in spring of 2014 with my bachelors in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Disability Studies.
3. I know a good amount of Pop Culture, because of the improv team I’m on, but know the most about things that interest children.
4. When I was four I broke my arm, leg, and got four sets of stitches in the same year.  The next year I got glasses.
5.  I am a part of three "groups" that I found outside of high school. (Utah Streetpass, Rocky Mountain Muggles, Jesters Royale)
6. I hate clowns because of the movie Dumbo... Pink Elephants on parade creeped me out and gave me nightmares)
7. I LOVE cheese. No joking. Ask Scooter, whenever I'm hungry, I tend to want Macaroni and Cheese.  I'm glad that Scooter likes it as much as I do.
8. I find awesome jeans at the DI.  I'm not cheep, I'm thrifty.
9. I enjoy making things.  My favorite mediums are paper and clay.
10. I spent almost 24 hours volunteering as an extra for the movie "Last Man(s) on Earth", it just went to Sundance this year, and is going to be on Netflix real soon. It's the first movie I was in where I have my name in legit movie credits.
11. I like to people watch.  It's fun to try and figure out what people are thinking or why someone is doing what they are doing.  It also helps me create more stock characters for improv.

Answers to Foxy's questions:

1. If money/success were no hindrance to you what would you be doing for a living? Why?

Without a doubt I would be pursing something to do with theater.  It is fun, and I love the feeling of being on stage.  It is something that gets my mind moving, and creativity flowing.
2. Is there a character from a movie/book you most relate to? Who is it?

             Luna Lovegood… (Refer to this blog post for moreinformation)
3. If you turned your Ipod (or other music playing device) on right now what would be playing?

 This one is kind of funny, but it would probably be either something from a musical.  My top two that I tend to listen to the most are Beauty and the Beast (Either Home, Belle Reprise, or If I Can’t Love Her), or something from Through The Looking Glass.

4. What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Guilty Pleasure? Ha, probably watching all of those silly “reality” TV shows.  My favorites to watch are Survivor and The Bachelor.
5. What would you today tell the you of ten years ago?

Probably, “Don’t worry what others think.  Junior High is dumb anyway.  It is a time where everyone is trying to figure themselves out.  It is okay to not have a lot of friends.  If you have one good friend that accepts you for you, then you are set for life.  It is okay to sit by yourself at times.  Maybe go pick up a book if you are feeling alone at school. Be who you are, go have fun, and make sure you start off with doing theater right when you get into High School.  I promise you won’t regret that.”
6. Do you sing along to the radio? What's your favorite song to sing to?

 I catch myself singing to the radio when I am alone, driving the bus for work.  Since I work with children, we listen to Radio Disney, so you can get an idea of what I sing to.  But, altogether, I enjoy singing songs made by Disney Channel stars.  Sadly, I can sing along with almost any Justin Bieber song…
7. If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would be your first non-bill/debt paying purchase?

Since I am getting married in May, I would say buying a house.  The whole idea of renting will be fun, but I think it would even more be fun if I had a place where I could be myself.
8. Favorite vacation spot?

I’ve only been there once, but Disneyland.  I went when I was 19ish and remember the magical feeling I felt there, and the fun that I was able to have.
9. Describe your perfect day.

Doing something with Scooter, where we didn’t have to pay for a single thing.
10. What is one thing on your bucket list?

I think that doing ordinances in all of the Temples in Utah would be fun.
11. If you could be anyone else for a day who would you choose and why?

This one took me awhile to come up with an answer, but I decided that there is no one I'd rather be, than me.  I'm comfortable with who I am.  Honestly, I have my own trials and struggles to deal with and don't want to find out what other people have to deal with. 

Nominees (in no particular order):

Stress? What Stress?

Amy Which Way It Goes

LivingVi-Keri-ously

Questions for nominees:

1.      What is your favorite color and why? 

2.      Who is your greatest inspiration? 

3.      What is the strangest thing you've ever eaten? 

4.      What is one talent you wish you had?

5.      If you could take a one week trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

6.      What is the one thing you couldn't go a single day without?

7.      What is the last book your read?

8.      Do you prefer movies that make you laugh, cry, or scream in terror?

9.      What do you want to learn to do this year??

10.  Would you go skydiving?

11.  Why did you start blogging?

Grateful for where I am

Many of you already know that President Thomas S. Monson of the LDS church announced today that they are changing the age for missionaries to go.  My first thought was, “That’s great, more people will be able to go.”  I then started to get sad because I thought to myself, “If they announced that a couple of years ago, I would have served a mission.” For the next hour I stewed it over.  I then realized, if I had served a mission at age 19 I would have missed out on a couple of blessings:

Tau

Tau was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in my life.  I met great people, and it helped with networking.  It also helped me get a little more comfortable putting myself out there in new situations.

People I would not have met

I would have missed out on the opportunity of meeting and getting to know Toni Justet, Andrew Thulin, Stephen Barton, and Daniel Atamanzak.  All of them have impacted my life in a positive manor and I know they came into my life for a reason.

Ashley’s Wedding

My sister got married May 2010.  I would have been gone during her wedding.

Manti Trip

Going to Manti with the Sundown Ward was a blast! I got to know Kristy more, spent time with my good friend Aleisha, and got to brave my fears and jump off of a Waterfall.

Random Adventures

Field’s Goodbye Show (One of the teachers that I KNEW cared about me)

At an interesting church in the avenues working the kitchen for a past sister missionary’s wedding. (We are in the elevator of the church)

My cousin Taite got to be in his first show at Hale "A Christmas Carol." He was one of the Cratchet children and one of those creepy kids that got to crawl out of the Ghost of Christmas Present's robe.

Three shows

Beauty and the Beast

I got to be a Silly Girl for Hunter Central Stake’s production.  It was my first show out of High School.  I met many great people and experience the magic of what makes this show great.

 "Is he dangerous?"

Stalk Market

This was the show that got my foot into the door at the Empress. Yes, it was just a one act, but it was a magical experience to perform for my first time on this stage.  If I hadn’t of done this show, I don’t think I would still be doing shows at the Empress right now.

Damn Yankees

(I saved the best for last) I hated this show, I really did. I loved the cast though.  They are the one cast where I’ve stayed in contact with most of them.  I gained lifelong friends.  Amy, Keri, Kristen, Larissa, Dennis, Stephen… You guys are great and would not trade you for anything.  I would not have met you if I had served a mission at 19.

I think what I’m trying to say is… I’m grateful for my experiences and wouldn’t want to change the past. Here's to modern revelation. I am a Mormon, true blue, through and through. Persecutions many arise, mobs may assemble, but I will stand as a witness of God at all times, all things, and all places.