mish-mash

Today's post is going to be a mish-mash of information and thoughts and (especially) requests for feedback.

1. In regards to my post last Friday, I would like to say that I am proud of Cory and am glad that he has something he is so passionate about. My mom told me recently that I sounded kinda bratty in that post and I just wanted to make you aware that most of what I said was meant to be taken as a joke. Yes, I don't love animals and I'm not really looking forward to taking care of so many, but I like that Cory has such a strong interest and if supporting him in it means I have to clean up animal poop, so be it.

2. On a related note, Cory keeps asking me if having a bunny has changed my mind about pets in general. It doesn't really. I'm still not very comfortable around animals but I'm working on it.

3. I really like the way my blog looks now. I know I jumped around a bit with the design. Sorry about that. But, now I want to know what you think. Is it clean and inviting? Do you like the colors? Is it easy to read? I especially want to know the answer to that last question. If it's hard to read, whether it's the font or the color of the text, etc., I want to know. I don't want you to not read my blog because it gives you a headache :)

4. I've been thinking a little bit about how now that I'm posting more, most of my life is readily available to you without me having to tell you what's going on. I promise I still have other things to talk about. I was with a friend the other day, and I kinda got the impression that she doesn't read this because she kept asking me about things that I had written about. I felt kinda silly talking about things that I thought she had already read and it made me think that maybe I shouldn't be posting as much as I have been. I really enjoy blogging now especially since I've figured out how to make it work for me, but if it's going to make my real life boring maybe I should cut back. What do you think? It's nice for me to have somewhere to express myself now that I spend a lot of time at home alone but I don't want you to feel like I'm overloading you with my life and thoughts. I want this to be something you enjoy reading and I am open to suggestions.

That's about it for today. Please be honest in your feedback.

Meet Derby, the cutest rabbit ever

Remember Friday, when I said I would like a fluffy bunny?

Well we went out and bought one. Yep, we now have a cute 9 week old mini rex rabbit. We call him Derby but his full name is General Derby McBunbun-Davis, and yes, I did name him. He is super cute and we love him bunches. And he seems to be pretty happy with us so far.

We let him have his run of the house (basically) but make sure to spray him with vinegar water when he starts digging in the carpet or peeing in the corners. He's still pretty young and we haven't had too many accidents so far. We're hoping to get him trained well enough that he'll know he's only allowed to go in his cage. He is so sweet and honestly, I don't mind cleaning up after his messes.

Here's some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

He makes me happy and now I have someone to play with while Cory is away at school and work all day.

What a Zoo

If Cory ever gets around to posting his "about" page you'll learn that he loves animals, probably more than he loves me (although if you know him I'm sure you found out from him personally). I on the other hand couldn't care less about animals. They smell bad and they make a mess and they are pretty stupid. Okay that's a little harsh, but the more Cory gushes about everything to do with the animal kingdom the more I feel like I have to be the complete opposite.

I especially don't like dogs and all Cory can talk about is getting a dog and naming our dogs and what he's going to do with a dog and what kind of dog he wants. It drives me bonkers.

Here's a picture of his current favorite. It's a bull terrier.

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Get a load of that football head.

And then he talks about all the weird pets we're going to have. 

Like a capybara, the world's largest rodent. 

Cuddly, right?

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Or the guanacos we'll have to teach our kids responsibility.

 (If you ask me they're kinda creepy)

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When he's really dreaming big he thinks we're going to get pygmy hippos and miniature zebu and brahman cattle.

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Needless to say, our house will be a zoo, and not in the figurative sense where we have lots of kids and lots of things going on. I mean literally a zoo with crazy weird animals running around. And guess who's going to have to take care of the zoo while the one who wanted it is at work. That's right, me.

We already own a pair of sugar gliders (his 24th birthday present) and a betta fish (which Cory got for free from his evolutionary biology class). We're well on our way to a house full of beasts.

If you want my opinion I'd be happy with a fluffy bunny.

Happy Birthday Dad

So yesterday was my dad's birthday. And I got to talk with him about his fun day. He was able to take it off and my family spent the day in Newport on the Oregon Coast. He told me all about visiting the Oregon Coast Aquarium and even sent some cool pictures to my phone during the day. For dinner they went to Mo's with their world famous clam chowder, man I can't wait to be back in Oregon so I can visit the coast.
But about my dad, he is great at making you feel important in a conversation so it wasn't just about what they did. Mixed in were things that he knew I would think were cool, like how the sea otters at the aquarium are rescued and regionally extinct in Oregon, and family memories, like how the last time we visited the aquarium was when Keiko was there.
It is really great to talk to him and he makes a point to call as often as he can to ask me about my classes, work, and just what I'm up to. So I've learned a lot from him about keeping commitments and how to make others feel important. These make him a great father and in management at Payless Shoes. I am so grateful he is my dad and hope I am able to be a great father like him to my kids.

You're the best Dad!

Perry and Moffat Wedding

My Monday posts have started becoming a weekend update, haven't they? 

Well, this weekend Nicoley and I rented a car (which ended up being a truck) and drove to Medford all day Friday so we could be in town for our cousin's wedding then we drove back to Provo all day on Sunday. Liz and Chase were married on Saturday and I don't think I've ever seen a more happy couple. I cried like a baby at the wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and a gorgeous reception.

I got to see lots of people that I hadn't seen in a long time and I saw Maren's baby. He is probably the cutest newborn I've ever seen. We got to see our parents' new house with them all moved in and spend some time with them even if just for a little while. I wish I had taken pictures. I know I said I was going to be better at that but it's hard to get in the habit. Anyway, it was a lot of driving for a great weekend.

BYU Magazine Contest Entry

I wrote this article for a contest that the BYU Magazine was holding. It didn't win anything but I was proud of it and wanted to share it with you. Let me know what you think if you would like.

While we like to focus on the high-flyers here at BYU, I personally like to remember that with a campus of 30,000 students there are bound to be a few regular people just like me, trying to find their place in the world.

I have friends who have always known what they were going to do. Three of my friends wanted to be nurses and they did it. I know musicians who are chasing their dreams, dental hygienists who love it, and teachers who can’t wait to inspire youngsters. Even my own husband has loved animals since he was a toddler, and guess what, he’s going to vet school. I, however, have never been this way. I’ve definitely had ambitions; I wanted to be a classical pianist, a pediatrician, and various kinds of teachers. I even wanted to be a theoretical physicist, but I’ve never had one thing that I knew was my calling.

I came to BYU as a declared psychology major. I took general psychology and knew right away, that was not and never would be for me. I had had a great psychology teacher in high school but I soon discovered that the theories I would have to memorize were not nearly as interesting as the cool little tests we had taken and the movies we had watched. So, I had a quarter-life crisis seven years early and cried to a roommate about my frustrations with not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. As we discussed this, I told her how I really liked the cognitive process involved with learning and using a language. She then suggested I look into linguistics. “If you like language so much, you should spend time learning about how it works.”

So, I did. I declared the linguistics major, took the introductory class, and loved it. I had found what I had always been looking for. If I had known myself better then, I would have stuck with it but I let my logical brain recognize the flaws in this plan and talk my heart out of it. I was thinking too much about the future and what my career would end up being with a degree in linguistics. Did I really want to be a computer programmer or a translator or a CIA agent? No, not really.

So, I once again examined my options and decided to get a German teaching degree. I had taken German in high school, continued it in college, and really enjoyed the language. But after another year and a study abroad in Vienna I decided that I wouldn’t enjoy teaching German. I had gained a broader world-view, and a confidence in myself; but not in my German skills

I was at the end of my wits, and my junior year, when I ran into that same roommate again on campus. I told her about my irritation with German and how much I wished I could justify studying linguistics. She told me about her friend who was in the English language program and studying to become an editor and, once again, my eyes were opened to my true passion. I found the program that would let me study linguistics but that would also prepare me with skills I could use in a future career I would actually enjoy. My heart and my brain were finally reconciled.

I think my experience is not uncommon at BYU. We frequently hear about those that know what they want and how they are going to achieve it and, I say, good for them. But for those of us who aren’t so sure, it might just take a good roommate to help us figure out what we really want to get out of this wonderful experience called an education. While we are intended to learn as much as we can about the world around us while we are here at BYU, I had to learn the long and hard way that it’s most important to take the time to learn about yourself and what your desires are.

Enter to learn who you are so you can go forth to serve those who still need to find themselves.

My first time with Write On Wednesdays

During one of my recent blog perusals I happened upon inkpaperpen a lovely blog which holds a weekly blogfest called Write On Wednesdays. Most of the people that participate submit some creative piece, but I've never been much for creative writing. However, I do like to write and thought I would take this weekly opportunity to share a memory based on the prompt. Personally, I'm interested to see what I come up with each week.

The idea behind Write On Wednesdays is to set a timer for five minutes and just write what first comes to mind based on the prompt. I like this exercise and thought I would make it a weekly segment on this blog about our life. I'm going to try to get Cory to participate as well, I think it would be fun to see what he comes up with.

Anyway, this week's prompt is based off of this photo:

 

taken by Kristy of House of Prowse

Well, here goes.

Trees are so important to me. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and loved every inch of the greenery. Living in Utah makes me sad sometimes with how brown it is here. One day I’ll make it back to the trees.

The house I spent most of my young childhood in had the most lovely yard. At least, that’s how I remember it. When I was really young there were tall trees that lined our property. I think they might have been elms or birches (it’s hard to remember what they were exactly) and I used to play around them and in the tall grass that they stood in. I made up all sorts of games and stories and had so much fun. I don’t know why but one day my dad decided that the trees needed to be gone. He spent a whole day chopping them down and clearing out that portion of the lawn. I was heartbroken. Those trees were my friends and I had had so much fun with them. My family has moved several times since, yet I always remember that little spot where my imagination took flight and the sadness I felt at losing my trees.

Thanks for your comments on my short piece. I'm really excited to join the Write On Wednesdays movement and look forward to many more fun opportunities to chronicle my memories from these prompts.