Modern at its best

In part 9 of my 10 part series of grateful lists I've tried to get down to the nitty-gritty and list ten modern inventions I love. Creativity has never been my strength and so even though I'd love to dazzle you with 10 modern inventions that will take your breath away

...cue this video...

I found that all ten of my items are really rather boring. Absolutely necessary and in some cases for me, thrilling- but boring.

Bear with me.

1) Contacts- If I were to take my contacts out and not put my glasses on, you could hold two fingers two inches from my face and I wouldn't know it. I'd probably say you were holding up five fingers. My eyes are that bad. I got contacts when I was in 5th grade because I was dancing almost full time and when I would spin on stage my glasses would go flying off my face and across the stage. You can bet that made me feel popular. So to my parents credit they decided to get me contacts. Bless them.

2) Mattresses- Sometimes I thank Heavenly Father for a soft mattress because, well, wouldn't it be miserable to sleep on a hard floor every night after a long work day? I think so. Sometimes I don't think we realize how fortunate we are to have soft things.

3) Flat Iron- You don't want to see my hair air dried. It's not pretty. I'm grateful for a flat iron that makes my beautiful locks straight and shine for all they're worth.

4) Medication- Let's just say that if it weren't for modern medicine I would have bit the dust a long time ago. And we're not talking just tylenol. We're talking good strong morphine and the like. That stuff has literally saved my life (a couple times) when I've found myself in the hospital in more pain that I can even describe. Pain that creates delirium. Modern medicine continues to save my life as I take pills that keep my Crohn's in remission for (hopefully) the rest of my life.

5) Airplanes- As I grow up and become more adult-like I seem to move farther and farther from my family and hometown. How grateful I am for jets that take me away and in just a couple of hours deliver me back to my loved ones. It's as simple as that.

6) Pillows- See number 2. I'm grateful for a soft thing to rest my head on at night and dream about all the good things.

7) Camera- I have one of those dads who, on every single family road trip, would stop every couple of feet to take a picture. Oh how it annoyed me! My brothers and I would whine and complain and whine and complain some more. "Why?" we always protested. Now I can't praise my dad enough for all those stop-to-take-a-candid-photo moments. We have six large albums chock full of every road trip and every phase of my childhood bangs. You better bet that anytime you visit my house I will sit you down on my couch and show you all my favorite photos of my Halloween costumes throughout the years. Consider yourself lucky.

8) Chap stick- Yes I used to have a chap stick addiction. Yes I used to attend chap stick addicts anonymous. Don't make fun :) But really, I had a problem. And then I discovered my secret chap stick. The one that revolutionized my world and made my addiction disappear almost overnight. I know I've said this before, but if you're really one of my friends than you've probably been privileged to learn what it is. Good for you.

9) Sunglasses- I inherited sensitive eyes from my dad. Couple that with the fact that I have blue eyes which are naturally more sensitive to light than other eyes and BAM, I always need sunglasses. I'm thinking I want to buy some Ray Bans this summer and complete my east coast summer look. What do you think?

10) Printing Press- Okay so this is probably the least modern, modern invention on this list but in reality I'm super grateful for this revolutionary machine that allowed me to learn to read the written word. Books are some of my absolute favorite things. I want to have a library full of them and the most comfy chair in which to sit and read them.

Ten modern inventions. Fairly boring right? I decided wrong. These inventions are all amazing in their own right and oh how grateful I am for every single one!

Hannahisms

Rules for life:

Do you ever find yourself creating little rules for your life? Things that you do and will always do no matter what? These are things that you live by. Things that you do subconsciously (or consciously) in order to prove something to yourself or others, or just to have a better life.

Here are some of my own rules for life:

1) Always walk up the escalator. Live an active life. Get moving.

2) Go to bed before midnight. The next day will always be happier.

3) Get dressed up on Fridays. Your weekend will start off on the right foot. Optimistic and lookin' good. You'll find you get more dates.

4) Don't wash your hair everyday. Shiny healthy hair = letting it get greasy every once in a while.

5) No social media on Sundays. Turn off Facebook and Pinterest and Google Reader at least once a week.

6) Laugh as much as possible. I'm a person that loves to laugh. I laugh at just about anything. I love people and I love laughing with people. It keeps me young.

7) Buy a new shirt for a special event. If it'll give you the confidence you need to dazzle than it's worth it.

8) Set realistic expectations. Life is all about coordinating expectations and reality. If you can get your expectations under control than your life will be easier.

9) Make eye contact and keep it. It's a powerful flirting technique and great for job interviews.

10) Always rinse your plates and silverware and put them directly into the dishwasher. The house will always looks better.

11) Go to the temple often. Life will ALWAYS be easier than if not. I promise.

12) Don't listen to music on walks. Walks are time for talking with God and working things out with Him. Go on lots of walks.

13) Spend money on a good makeup foundation. Having a clear, beautiful and smooth face will always feel good.

14) Have at least one guilty pleasure. I love the Bachelor which I probably shouldn't. It's fabulous entertainment and ridiculous at the same time.

15) Having a nice sized cushion of money in a savings account brings a sense of security not found elsewhere.

16) The most important parts of a wedding are the photography, the dress, and the food. Everything else people will forget.

17) Don't be afraid to talk.....and to love.

18) Perfume is a good thing.

19) Always keep a book in the purse. You never know when the metro is going to break down and you'll be stranded. It will not matter if you have something good to read.

20) Have mints and gum handy at all times. The last thing you want is bad breath.

21) Be where you are. Stop wishing you were reliving the past or already living in the future. Be happy with the phase of life you're in. And never complain about the weather.

22) Strive for matching dinnerware and coordinating centerpieces.

23) It's okay to jump on the bandwagon for some things and then jump off for others.

24) Call people by name. If you remember someones name the next time you see them you can bring a smile to their face quicker than almost anything else. It makes people feel important if you remember their name and then use it.

25) Write love letters to those you love. Be sincere. Tell them they're beautiful and loved. Don't be cliche. Leave love letters in unexpected places.

26) Be nice to the little people- the cashiers, the waitresses, the cleaning people. We've all had those jobs and know what it's like. So be patient and kind.

27) Try not to eat after 7pm....unless you're famished. Then eat.

28) Be the person that's easy to get along with. Don't have enemies. Don't be exclusive.

29) Creamed honey over any other honey. Frozen vegetables over canned. Always quality over quantity.

30) Always wait for your letter from Hogwarts. It'll come someday.

Maxims to live by- Hannahisms if you will.

What are your rules for life?

A personal victory

I'm not a super tech savvy person by any means but I do feel like I can understand and follow instructions exceptionally well.

I enjoy putting furniture together because it's like putting together a puzzle and challenging my mind and hands to figure the project out. 

I love word searches and strategy games. Really, I like any sort of game.

I'm the type that if I don't know something I'll probably Google it almost immediately to find the answer. 

I love learning new words and trying to use them regularly.

All these things I feel I'm pretty good at, so when it came time to set up a router in my apartment for wireless internet I wasn't too intimidated.

But it was 12:15 am last night and I found myself surrounded by cords and more cords, little boxes that all looked similar, and none of it was working, that I almost broke down in tears.

The router had come in the mail on Monday and I finally had time last night to sit down and figure everything out. I pulled out the instructions and carefully, ever so carefully, started going through them one by one. When I got about halfway through I was supposed to turn the computer on and confirm access to the internet.

The web browser window came up and..................nothing. 

I was perplexed and annoyed and eventually frustrated. I reviewed the instructions, made sure the cords were securely attached, and even started over again to make sure I had followed the instructions perfectly.

And still..............nothing.

Still almost in tears I scanned my contact list in my phone looking for any male that I could call to help, but it was almost 12:30 am and so instead I called my dad.

Good 'ol dads, always there to save the day. 

He reassured me that I could figure it out but that I might need to call technical support and talk to someone in India who could walk me through the instructions. I really wanted to get everything going then because I wanted to go to sleep knowing the job was done but finally conceded that I had to wait till the next morning.

I called Comcast this morning *cough India* and talked to a really sweet woman who definitely knew better than me what was going on even though she was thousands of miles away. We figured out that there was a single cord that had to be plugged into the wall that wasn't included in the instructions and within minutes....BAM, we got wireless in my apartment.

I may have screamed as I danced around my apartment and then called my dad out of breath to exclaim the news

Have you ever gone NINE months in an apartment without wireless? It was definitely time.

For me it was a personal victory. A life victory. I installed my first router. Like the time I bought stamps at the post office for the first time or the first time I successfully purchased a rump roast. It's the small things people.

I'm growing up kids. Who knew a little router could make me feel so smart and accomplished. Now I know why people put as their Facebook status that they have wireless in their apartment. It's because they're PROUD they actually installed something so important so successfully. I get it now.

Food loves- a top ten

Top ten favorite food items:

1) Lime- ANYTHING is better with lime. Nuff said. But I especially enjoy tacos on the street of some small Mexican pueblo with the corn tortilla, carne asada, cliantro, onion, and lime.

2)  Cilantro- I could probably eat an entire salad out of the stuff I love it so much. Reference the tacos above for a detailed explained of the perfect taco.

3) Onion- My mouth waters just thinking about onions caramelizing on the stove top, but whether it's a thick slice of onion on a grilled hamburger in the summertime, in a tin foil dinner fresh from the fire coals, or with roast and potatoes from the crock pot at the end of a Fast Sunday, I think you can see where I'm going with this. Onions are one of the best inventions of our Creator.

4) Salt- My dad's been trying to get me to read the book Salt by Mark Kurlansky for a while now because who wouldn't want to read a history of salt? Actually I really want to read it because I think the evolution of this beautiful mineral would be fascinating. Supposedly back in the olden days, I'm talking a couple hundred years ago, salt was a luxury and rare commodity. Only the royals had riches enough to buy and use it. My how things have changed eh?

5) Great Harvest bread- Any of you who've experienced Great Harvest bread know what I'm talking about. Those of you who haven't, I sincerely apologize. Your world will change. I promise. 

6) Cafe Rio tomatillo dressing- Let me get one thing straight, I don't have an obsession with Cafe Rio because of the sweet pork. No no. For me it's something completely different. It's the creamy goodness of the green tomatillo dressing. I could smother any and everything in it and die perfectly happy. Whether it's a salad I get at Cafe Rio or a burrito (non Cafe Rio style) I always get a large tomatillo dressing and enjoy every bite with a smile on my face.

7) Water- Being a rare soda drinker (on a really bad day I'll enjoy an ice cold Dr. Pepper but for the most part avoid the stuff) I have a fondness for good ol' aqua. Sometimes I can't get over how a clear liquid can satisfy me like no other thing can, but it does, and I thank you for it water.

8) Frosted mini wheats cereal- Only those who've lived with me know this but I have eaten Frosted mini wheats cereal with frozen blueberries every morning for a very long time now. I hate super sugary
cereal but I also despise Grapenuts-like blahness, so I find a perfect balance in my frosted minis. Plus, I add frozen blueberries which keep my milk super cold till the end and give me the healthy nutrients from the blueberries that I need. I'm full, I'm healthy, I'm happy.

9) Chocolate- I mean, how could I not include chocolate? From the time I was 17 years old to 23 I couldn't and didn't eat an M&Ms worth of chocolate because of my Crohn's. It was hard but I kept going because eating chocolate hurt my intestine so bad that it wasn't worth it. I'm thankful for that trial because I learned almost perfect self-discipline when it came to eating. Now that I can eat chocolate I enjoy it ever so much more and probably appreciate the melt-in-your-mouth experience better than most people. 

10) Fruit- Out of all the food groups this one has never been a problem for me....ever. I might be a little obsessed with the large containers of Driscoll's raspberries from Costco that I snack on constantly, the cut pineapple that I almost always have in my fridge, or the summer ripe strawberries that I get constantly during the summer months and feed off of daily. Fruit is a beautiful thing isn't it?

Aw, food. Doesn't it just make everyone happy? It sure does me :)

Ten places that mean so much to me

Top ten favorite places on planet earth:

1) Orem, UT: oh Orem, you precious gem. I know that most people think you’re uninteresting and dull, but to me you will always be precious. You are where I grew up, where the first 18 years of my life were lived. My childhood home sits in the south, my high school right down the road. I love what you gave me growing up. I had good friends, a safe neighborhood, and beautiful mountains whose alpenglow was my summertime delight. Going back to you always brings a rush of memories. I will always call you home.

2) Rexburg, ID: I never expected to live in Rexburg for the seven semesters and three summers that I did. At first I thought it was the ugliest place on earth but then I found a sacredness that became by strength. I love the university and the temple on the hill. You know how much I love Rexburg. More than anywhere else, I grew in that place and went through the best of times and the hardest of times.

3) Texas: I don’t think anyone opens a mission call and expects to hear Texas. It had never crossed my mind but through a serious of miracles, Texas became the place where I labored for the Lord with all that I had. Only my fellow Texans understand Blue Bell ice cream, Texas sunsets, barbeque, and for me at least, my Latin lovers.

4) Arlington Cemetery: my favorite place in the DC metropolitan area. Amidst the noise and chaos of a big city, Arlington is the place where I find solace and peace. The headstones are symbols of sacrifice, the one Christ-like quality that I’m focusing on more.

5) The entire country of Ecuador: I’ve had several conversations recently about travel and when it comes down to it, if there was one place I could travel to right now, it wouldn’t be somewhere new or exotic. I would return to my Ecuador. I would go and see my babies again. I would go and see Manuel and hold him again. I would take the same canoe ride up the Amazon and the same bus ride from Riobamba to Cuenca. I really want to go back.

6) The west: maybe a broader area then this question is asking for but I think deep down I’m a western girl through and through. I have absolutely fallen in love with the East coast and definitely haven’t had enough time out here but in the end I think I want to end up in the west. I love the wide-open spaces of the desert and the beach.  Plus, the humidity will never be my best friend, it does killer things for my hair.

7) Newport Beach: for seven glorious years my family and I have packed up our beach chairs and umbrellas, our swim suits and mini bbq, and piled into our mini van and headed to Newport. We arrive at our little shack on 31^st street and seconds after dropping everything in the little living room, we run barefooted to the sand and surf. Pretty sure I could sit on the beach and read for days on end and be perfectly fine.

8) The Holy Land: sometimes I get jealous of those who’ve done study abroad semesters in the Jerusalem Center but then I realize that I’ve had an amazing life so far and have done incredible things and since the Holy Land will always be there I know I’ll get there someday. I can’t wait to walk where my Savior walked and see the land that He traveled.

9) My aunt and uncle’s home in Palo Alto, CA: this is one of the places that held so much magic for me as a little kid. The furnishing are antiqued because they’ve laid in this magical house for so many decades and have been worked through by years of children and living. The front smells of gardenia and the trampoline is the bounciest it’s ever been.

10) The temple: have loved it since I was eight years old. I loved going on Friday mornings to do baptisms when I was in high school. I loved going on Saturday mornings when I was in college. I love going on Thursdays currently and the way my life has changed.

I hope in the future to add more favorite places to my list. The place where I get married, my first home, the place where I raise my children, the place where I live my retired years with my husband, and all the places we travel in between. So many places, so little time. 

There's just something about it

There’s something about love that makes life worth living. 

There’s something about breakups that make your next relationship even that much sweeter. 

There’s something about an exciting crush and first dates and second dates and the palpable excitement in the air when things are coming to fruition. 

There’s something about holding hands and strolling down lit up streets.

There’s something about the spark of a kiss that makes my stomach do somersaults.

There’s something about love letters written by people like THIS.

Out of all the things in life, I’m grateful for these itty bitty things that put a smile on my face and make me excited to get up in the morning. 

And there's just something about this clip......that I absolutely love. 

Who I am

All of what I am has come from my testimony of the Restored Gospel and my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

My religion is not just what I do on Sunday when I go to church. My religion is me. It’s in my heart. It’s in my being. It’s in my blood.

So much of what I’ve become is from attending Brigham Young University-Idaho. I did not expect to go there but in a moment of spiritual peace and power the Lord let me know in His own personal way that I was supposed to attend the University on the hill, the one tucked into the no-man’s land of eastern Idaho, the one which defines itself as a disciple training center.

This is why.

I went because of men like this. No, President Hinckley didn’t attend BYU-I himself, but when he came on the campus to dedicate the building named after him he wept.

And I weep along with him.

These are my people. The people I survived sub-zero winters with. The people I attended devotional with. The people that inspired me. The people I adore.