Intelligence

in·tel·li·gence/inˈtelijəns/

Noun:

The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. The ability to master anything they do except for sports. The ability to learn 8 words of spanish in 10 minutes. The ability to create and invent. Chandler.

only missing hawaii a lil bit...

so strange but there is nothing i love more than taking an afternoon nap to the sound of football games/basketball games in the background and small comments coming from my brothers & dad. There is a sense of comfort coming home to your own bed. We all feel that no matter old we are.

Lately Iv been thinking wow Im 23. Still so young-yet at my age my parents had me. I have been able to complete some of my largest goals in life already-but I face the challenge of succeeding in my bucket list of things to do and be. I took the challenge to make a "To be" list a few years back--and I swear "being" someone your not is too hard. So instead I have tried to better who I am. I naturally am disorganized. No matter how many times I tell myself I am going to Not drop my clothes to the floor the second I walk in the door- I always fall back in the habit- whether Im in a rush or just too tired to find hangers to hang them up. A constant battle to be better. A battle I lose more times than often...

But I have recently recognized how service changes lives.  But "secretly" serving is My favorite.

Last week one of our neighbors house burnt down (all the presents under the christmas tree included). One of the girls came over our house a few days later and my brother couldnt stand the thought that she was wearing the only outfit she had left. So he asked if Id help him collect some money for gift cards. He sent out a mass text and of course EVERYONE was willing to help! We drove around at 11 pm the night before christmas eve and were able to collect hundreds of dollars from tons of people. My favorite part of it was NOBODY donated a lot. JUST TONS of people donated a little. It just made me so happy that my brother didn't want any credit for doing this-he just wanted them to have a good Christmas.

Tonight we got to spend Christmas with our favorite family the Murrays-who always shower our entire family with love. I honestly feel we were supposed to Move to Texas to MEET this family. My dad has even said it himself. They are the most giving loving family you could ever ever ever meet and I feel nothing less than comfort when I enter their home.

Today-A.J. got a phone. Ah I love when our brothers get excited. Now let me tell you- this kid has been wanting a phone for YEARS. But he's 14. I didn't get a phone until I turned 18. I know I know-kindergarteners have phones these days-but I didn't know if my parents would give in and make the purchase. Well we went and got the phone the other day and somehow brit gave in and got an iphone (a purchase she said she would NEVER make). And as a.j. was opening his BIG box today with a tiny phone inside... I called it :) He started to open and little faster and a HUGE smile hit his face. He was so excited! A.J. is unlike any of us in the family. He never talks. We all have our silent days or weeks but a.j. has been silent since birth but he is the sweetest sweetest boy.

I love Christmas time.

Today We all went to church together. I love our line of 7. Always nudging each other for a back scratch or tickle. fighting over who owes who.

The spirit was so strong today. Wow. the power of music.

I got some workout clothes with plans of starting to run again-

I miss soccer : (  I like running with a purpose.

Im excited for this new year coming! I don't know what the future holds at all! I always have a plan and know whats up ahead-but Iv become accustomed to change- and I LOVE CHANGE.

so bring on the change!

back to hawaii-working in the entrepeneruship dpt- The family is moving back to Ohio-I graduate COLLEGE in the fall- I have from April-September to go wherever I please- and I am so excited!

ok. maybe im a little lost.

but so excited.

Home

It's funny how when your home you can't wait to get out & away. And when your out & away you can't wait to get home. I loved last night being able to lay in my moms memory foam bed & talk and then watch Storage Wars with chandler and a.j. :) I sit here now in The back seat of my dads car because technically its 4:19 a.m. Hawaii time :) its 39 degrees but I'm loving these heated seats. Brit has 3 doctor appointments today & scans. We pray there is nothing. No cancer. Please be gone and never come back. We like to turn these PET scan & MRI days into shopping days in Dallas :) brightens the mood a little! I can't believe these are the last few weeks we have left in Texas. I absolutely loved our time here. Although I spent a lot of "in between" college & mission time here- it felt like home since day one. I met a few of my all time favorite families here: The Nightengales & The Murrays :)

I love Christmas time- I am so happy.-
Tiempo para solo la familia

Things :)

these past few months have been filled with lots of beach time naps, taco Tuesdays, road trips to a beach on the other side of the island even tho we have one 5 feet in front out our home, group activities, cravings of sushi, meeting&hanging with australian surfers who def were not as cool as ud think, Carlos Mozo photoshoots, late night talks about dating and how it "should work", late night fights about the honor code ;), late night talks about why knowone goes on dates hahaha,p pintresting, interviews for surf line, dr pepper scholarship, football games, trips in to town just for a dinner, naps naps and more naps, a visit from Lindsay Logan, singing to my fake true love in the airport who flew in from Australia, playing would u rather for 5 hrs, girls talks, bro talk, "daddy Taylor" hugs, fighting over who will change the laundry over, taco bell with Matt&grant, going to foodland errrrnight just for drinks, singing our hearts out, meeting new people, finding love (oh wait that didn't happen), playing with crabs on the beach, hiking, finding the poor mans house with amazing stuff in it, getting lost from brittany in town-her in tears thinking I was kidnapped, massages&tickles, friends&loves, working out hardly ever,authentic mexican meals, nannying for australian families :) Matt's house naps, pintrest meals, gross fast food, kahuku grill 2 Times a week & all that is to be continued....

giveaway

http://www.ohsoposhphotography.com/blog/?p=5458

this just hits so close to home

who am i supposed to be...

never expect
never assume
never ask
&
never demand
just let it be...
because if its meant to be
it will be...

so my eyes opened the other day at how i am definitely not appreciating where I am enough.
This was a week of decisions...
deciding whether I should go home and save a little more and come back and finish my last two semesters..or just have faith that the money would come. This week I worked at Turtle Bay Resort 4 days in a row for some families :) enough to pay for some gas and car repairs...
I have always been a good saver. But it's hard to save when you need the money right away for rent and bills and gas and school and projects and car parts etc...
so i'll be in hawaii once again after christmas. . .
Theres still so much to do! We have done a ton of adventurous stuff but everyday I hear about something new I would like to do.
So next semester I have all my classes on Monday, Wed, Friday...so i'll have tons of time to work and play.

The past few weeks have been a little confusing-trying to figure out some stuff...& finding out my family is moving back to Ohio definitely put a little twist on things... But I just realized that sometimes you have to make a choice and stick with it. And Heavenly Father will confirm it was the right one, with time. I hope I receive that confirmation. It's rough because a part of me hurts inside for having to let someone go for a little while... but it just has to happen. I don't know why...but it does.

I understand the purpose of life more than ever. Brit&i find ourselves having deep discussions or funny conversations about life with our friends...but in all reality I am really figuring out what I want in life. I dream of the day I'll have my very own little family. I dream of the struggling days with my future husband & the first step my future child will take. There's so many things to look forward too...right around the corner.

I am happy.

chinaman's hat...

airports-

-reuniting with my family after the best 18 months of my life in Chile.

-reuniting with jamie after 2 years.

I don't have an explanation of how or what is going to happen next... But I  am putting everything in Heavenly Father's hands..and so is he :)

"Many of us have the mote and beam problem —that is, we can easily see the faults of others, but not our own. So before we start holding others up to scrutiny to see if they are worthy of us, maybe we ought to work first on becoming a “right person” for someone else." -Thomas B. Holman

i love my family. i just love them so much.

a few pictures :)

hawaiian love - making a free slideshow

wow. what a week. I honestly look around a feel like i'm living in a dream.
I think, at times, people put their dreams at such a distance from reality that they become unattainable.  For example Iv heard people say My DREAM would be to live in Europe. Or I dream of traveling the world while I am young. I just don't understand why people don't just make a plan and do it.
I remember the night when I sat on Brittany's bed and told I her I just couldn't go to Hawaii with her. I needed to save more money so I would have enough to just finish school. I wanted to continue to pay for my education without taking out a single loan...and trying to save thousands of dollars in a month or two just did not seem possible. She begged me to come with her.
And somehow it all worked out. A few little projects helped me bring in some money and some good tips at Coalvines added up.

 WE ARE HERE- in Hawaii. Today we just looked at each other and reminded each other that we need to appreciate it a little more. This isn't just a vacation. We wake up to the sound of the ocean everyday...We have bonfires at night and don't have to wear SHOES to class. We eat pineapple a little too much & make our way across the street to beach frequently.

I don't feel like I have these HUGE impossible dreams. But I am so thankful that I have been able to accomplish some of the goals I made for myself as a teenager. Serving a mission was my main goal. I felt-if I could do that  I could do anything. And it just happened so smoothly.

I also realize that saving money is an issue for some people and finances prevent some from accomplishing what they want. BUT I PROMISE YOU IT IS POSSIBLE WITH MUCH DEDICATION. My guilty pleasure is forever 21 & fast food. If I am trying to save money I just avoid the two at all costs. And the money starts to add up it really can. Oh and paying tithing. I have seen the miracles in paying tithing.

Brit and I have an interview tomorrow for a company on the North Shore :)

I was sitting in school today thinking about how I literally have not seen or spoken to Jamie in 2 years. I remember the first time he asked me to hang out with some friends of his. He pulled up in his lifted 88' jeep. I got in and felt like I was in Jurassic park. He had some rock song blaring, stopped at every stop sign completely, and definitely took the long way home. We were inseparable from that day forward. 2 years later we decided we were both going to go on a mission. What an emotional decision that was for both of us to make...but when we decided we were going to do it...we didn't turn back; Not for a single second. We worked so hard trying to save every penny. The night before he left I prayed that my Heavenly Father would allow me to serve my mission without having sad feelings of missing him. Now...Coming home was a little harder.
But I am so happy and excited for him to be coming home Thursday! So many of the people from his mission have sent me emails or messages about how they had never come in contact with a better person than him. I am glad that some people outside of our town in Texas had the opportunity to know and be helped by such a great person. I am sad that I cannot be there when he comes off the plane But i know that things will workout however God wants.

I'll be waiting for my phone call on thursday. wow.

Did I mention I love naps. Brit and I have never seen 4 p.m. here. We always take ourself a little nap right around then...I mean its like amazing.


I really like school. Even my hard classes are kinda nice. I need a challenge right now in my life and I am okay with school being one of them. I enjoy learning. We are reading Socrates in one of my classes. Socrates teaches about the benefits of self discipline. I can't say I have been the most self disciplined person in my life. Like Sometimes I'll say, Im going to exercise everyday with my dad NO MATTER WHAT. And i'll wake up and run to the fridge and right back to my bed. Im going to try and change that this semester. Not the working out part; but the self discipline.

One can reach a magnitude unimaginable with self discipline.

i love life.

i love to be among all walks of life.










today i will go to the beach alone to think.
i will listen to my playlist of Mumford&sons & Lady A.
i will brainstorm ideas for my business in the works.
i will learn how to surf&drown...from a Hawaiian.
i will eat a philly cheese steak sandwich right now.
i will make brighten brits  day when she gets home
i will say a little prayer for guidance for my future
& i will enjoy where i am. right here. right now.

Well. . . Hawaii has been amazing so far. Been doing a lot of homework and a lot of playing. Life is a lot slower pace here. The days last sooo long. Iv had to adjust to the lifestyle. But it really has helped me kinda kick back and relax a little. My classes are cool. Especially my Entrepreneurship classes. I know exactly what I want to do in my future but It's awesome to walk out of a lecture and be steaming with new ideas... Especially when it's coming from someone very successful. I love learning things I can apply.   

love it here.

campus 

Reality.
Class from 9:20-5
Nap after.. yeah i know.
Then we wait for possibilities of plans for the night.

Then just look at each other and think..nah lets just do nothing.
Sometimes we enjoy doing nothing more than something.
but we loved tonight.

Offroading with some friends. i love friends.