for madi's eyes only . . . kind of

So Madi and I were trying to figure out what to be for Halloween (yes, 4 days in advance). I'm borrowing Lynette's dress and really wanted a hat to go with it, but this is the best I came up with. At first I was so excited; then I realized it looks like a turban, especially from behind!
AND, the dress is too small for me, which is clearly visible in this picture.

Okay, I am proud of how clear a picture my camera took! >:[ grr shadows

It was fun to dress up for a litle photoshoot, but I think maybe I won't for Halloween. If it was just with family or friends I would - but it would only be for work (no halloween get-togethers), and I promise I would be the only person dressed up.

Then when people would ask what I am ? A girl dressing up? I have a dress from the 70s, a washcloth made into a scarf (which kristofor said makes me looks like a poor person - he saw it sans the dress) and my own shoes. So I wouldn't be anything, really.

Hmmmm...

Conference

Kristofor and I took the Frontrunner to Salt Lake last weekend to go to Conference. I was so excited because I've never even been in the Conference Center - plus, I love Salt Lake.

Waiting...

A nice lady took our picture before we boarded. We did Sudoku the entire way down.
Ogden!! I love Ogden. It's ugly and pretty at the same time.


being serious.
Waiting to leave.



The dog food factory, home of Ogden's nasty/kinda-good-if-you-don't-know-what-it-is smell. (the yellow one, I think.)




Yar! After conference there was a guy dressed up like a Devil walking around wtih a Book of Mormon asking people if they wanted to read his favorite book. I know, I should frown upon this and I do, but . . . I couldn't help but laugh. He went through all that effort of dressing up and painting his face, when no one is going to listen to him! Plus, he just looked silly. Oh my. I just wonder why people don't have something better to do with their time?

It was so rainy and cold, but pretty because rain makes the color of everything more vivid. I was glad Kristofor has an umbrella, but it was kind of dangerous! I got poked many-a time and I'm sure I accidently stabbed my fair share of unsuspecting victims.
Coming back to Ogden. The Union Station is probably my favorite building (besides temples) in Utah. Or maybe the entire world. Who knows, I just love it!


C'est fin!

20 mile distance

I live a 20 minute drive away from my family in Brigham. I have always been bad at keeping in touch but it's pretty sad that I can let a 40 minute round trip keep me from visiting my family more often. I know I don't need an appointment or invitation to drop by, which I do try to do sometime, but still.

I'm not invited to many things. A lot of times someone will say "are you going to such-and-such event?" And I say "No one told me about it." I guess this would be miscommunication, but a lot of times I think people don't bother inviting me because they don't think I will come.

Something I have a really hard time with is if I'm only invited to something here and there, there is much more pressure for me to come to every event I'm invited to. If I was invited to tons of things, it wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't come to every thing. I feel like if I can't come to something I'm in the doghouse. Once I was invited the day before an important event and I couldn't come because I had plans. I then got a guilt-trip phone call about not making it. First, if it was so important it would have been helpful to know more than 24 hours in advance. Second, why am I even IN the doghouse?

I don't pressure anyone to come visit me in Ogden. In fact, I've lived in my apartment for over a year and have never had anyone from Brigham come hang out with me here. Joe's come a hundred times to hang out, and I've been to my sisters houses plenty of times, but they've never come to my apartment. I've never expressly invited them to, partly because it makes more sense for one car to drive to Brigham than for a couple cars to drive here. Partly because I feel

like if I don't have a reason (birthday or something) then it's not a big deal. I don't think there would be a reason that any of my family would feel unwelcome here or that they can't just stop by. I just don't think they want to.

I feel like the unpopular sister. I'll call my sisters sometimes to see how they're doing or whatnot. I don't get calls like that. I sometimes get calls to babysit. Sometimes invitations. but no one calls me to ask how things are going for me. I just really feel left out, because the people in Brigham see each other all the time. I don't expect to get invited to come if you're running to get something to eat at Wendy's. But sometimes it would be nice to get a call to hang out without it being a big family gathering. I don't like feeling like my sisters aren't my friends.

I know I'm bad at staying connected with my extended family. I still feel like a little kid who only goes over to grandmas house when my parents go. It's really something I want to get better at. I need to be the one to stay connected and not expect other people to do it for me.

It's hard for me to want to hang out with people when plans aren't solid. I'm not unflexible, but when people show up hours late, or when it takes hours to do we planned...I get frustrated. I just think it's really lame. What is the point of having a plan if you don't plan to follow it? I'm really not anal, I promise. I'm consistently late to things like school and church. I like doing spontaneous things.

Blah.

Sorry for the whiney post (if you made it this far) but sometimes things build up and up and need to get out somehow. I figure a blog about it is an easy way to get things off my chest -like writing in a journal but faster.

Introducing: Oscar!

I was bored Saturday and decided I definitely needed a fish. This is what happened! Above is his humble fishy home, nice and cozy next to the printer. Below is a picture of all he did the first day - stay at the very top of the water. He would occassionaly swin around, but I think he was used to his tiny cup/home and wasn't used to all the water!
I named him Oscar. I was thinking of Thaddeus, but it just didn't work. It took me 2 DAYS to pick his name. Partly because I was fresh out of ideas, partly because I kept forgetting.
He really is very pretty.

THE END!

I will probably post pictures of my crabs soon. They are so ugly, it will be a fun photoshoot.

fishes? maybe.

I got me a new layout! AND I FIGURED EVERYTHING OUT BY MYSELF! No having to ask anyone anything! This is a first for me - usually I can't figure blog-related things out. :)

I went to PetCo today - I love looking at all the different animals they have. Did you know there are puffer fish that look like dogs? Anyway, I've been thinking about getting a Beta. My hermit crabs are ever so boring (all they do is hide all day) and I think a fish would spice things up. Plus, it would be decorative if I got a cute bowl - right? Well anyway I was reading about them on the internet and found out their water needs to be changed once a week. "Sounds pretty easy to me!" were my thoughts at the time. Then I looked up at my windowsill where all my plants are and realized - "my plants are kind of dying, and it's probably because I haven't watered them for a long time." You see, I have an orchid which only needs to be watered once a week and because it can go a long while without water, I tend forget to water the other plants more often!
The connection was made in my brain - water a fish once a week, water plants once a week . . . Wait a second, if I can't even remember to water plants, am I really ready to take on a fish?
I know, I know - fish are supposed to be easy pets, but I'm scared I'm a bad pet owner! You see, it all started with my first pet . . . .

Amy (my step-sister) came up to me while I was watching a movie. I had just turned 8. "Aariel, do you want my guinea pig? I don't want it anymore and the parents think that since you're 8 now you could be responsible for a pet."
I was SO excited! YES! This meant I got to name it whatever I wanted! (One of th more exciting parts of getting a new pet is naming it - for my Beta, I'm thinking of Ruffio, like from Hook). I named her (him?!) Babe. Don't know why, it's really a lame name.
Anyway, Babe was kept in her little cage in the garage. Pretty much all I did was refill the water bottle and give her food. Ummm....I was 8. I Forgot about her all the time, sitting there in her little prison in the garage. Sometimes when I went to fill the water bottle up, it was completely dry and I wondered how long it had been empty for. I don't even remember cleaning her cage. I never took her out, except one time I remember I put her in my fanny pack and gave her a bicycle ride in the driveway - don't worry, I let her pole her head out for air! ;) Another time I let her go on the lawn and she inhaled all the grass she could. I noticed her hair was getting kind of thin. Hmmm...wonder why that could be?
Then one day I realized she was gone! No cage, no guinea pig . . . Oh well!

Part of me wants to blame my parents for letting me slowly kill Babe - after all they should have reminded me to take care of her or threaten me if I didn't! It's all . . . their . . . okay, not really. After all, they had 10 crazy kids to worry about. I never found out what really happened to Babe. Maybe she died and they threw her body away? Maybe a neighborhood kid snuck into our garage and stole her? Maybe my parents gave her away? I'm guessing she died.

Anyway, my whole life I've felt guilty for this because I didn't realize until years later 0h hey, I starved my first pet! An innocent little living being.

What kind of mother am I?!

That's just the way I am.

"I am disheartened and disturbed when I hear people avoiding the blessings and challenges of life by indicating to themselves, their associates, and their family, "I'm sorry, but that's just the way I am." This is an attitude that brings not only complacency but also a lack of progress. It is a prime cause of unhappiness."

- Marvin J Ashton



I'm bored of people excusing their behavior by saying "that's just the way I am." Isn't the purpose of this life to better ourselves? To learn how to grow and sacrifice and change? Using this excuse is a cop-out. I know because I do it myself. "I'm not a people person" "I'm not outgoing" "I'm a procrastinator" Honestly? Say you're trying to tone your body and you notice your legs are a lot stronger than your arms - do you say "my arms are weak, and that's just the way they are." and then only do leg exercises because they're easier? Nope! You make an effort to work the weak areas and make them stronger.

Just because something's easy doesn't mean it's better than something that requires more effort. In our society we want everything to be fast, effortless and simple. But even though the easy way can be nicer, it's not always going to help us.

copycat

I am shamelessly copying Brein's little "Husband" blog.


The Hubby Tag

What is his name? Kristofor Monson

How long have you been married? Just over 14 months

How long did you date? About a year

Who eats more sweets? We probably eat the same amount . . . but he can afford to eat more.

Who said I love you first? He did. I knew he was going to say it and I was kinda nervous!

Who is taller? He is - by about a half inch!

Who sings better? Well, in church I do because he likes to be a dork and sing the wrong verses at the wrong time. But he was in Chamber Quire in high school so he's more talented than me.

Whose temper is worse? His. I'll get heated up fast and then be over it, but when he's mad he stays mad for a while.

Who does the laundry? We both do.

Who does the dishes? We try to make it even, but he probably does more than me.

Who is smarter? Who knows? I find tests easier, but he works harder and studies longer. It's about even.

Who pays the bills? Both of us.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.

Who mows the lawn? Our landlords. =D

Who cooks dinner? We're not usually home for dinner. But if I cook a meal he does the dishes.

Who drives? He usually does. I do my makeup in the car. :)

Who is more stubborn? I like to say he is.

Who kissed who first? We both did, I guess. It would have been nice if I hadn't made it super AWKWARD!

Who asked who out? He asked me.

Who proposed? He asked me right after he treated me to the best steak of my life, so of course I said yes. ;) No, really. It was a good steak.

Who has more siblings? Me. It's actually even with the biological sibs but since I have a stepfamily, I have more. :)

Who wears the pants? Ehhhhh, who knows? He probably thinks he does, but "the woman is the neck who turns the head."

Any Special message for Hubby
He'll probably never read this, but he's the best thing for me. I love him more than anything, I'm very blessed to have him in my life. <3