Those were the days...

I had a thought the other day, and it was very random indeed. But I felt like it was blog-worthy. So here's my story:

I had the opportunity to be a mommy for three kids for five days ab0ut a week ago. The eldest son was 7 years old, then the younger daughters were 5 and 2 years of age. On one of the days, the oldest two children were at the Treehouse (which is a child drop-off and pick up place here in Yuma. You can drop your kids off for a few hours and they can just play and do crafts and then you are free to get stuff done or just relax or whatever. It's basically awesome.) from 8:00 a.m. til about 1:30 p.m., since their aunt is the co-owner and their cousins play there all the time with them. Anyway, they played with their cousins at the Treehouse for hours, came home and played games and stuff for a few more hours, and then their cousins came back that night around 8:00 and they immediately started playing with their toys and running around like maniacs outside and participating in other childish activities. I was kind of amazed. I began to analyze the situation. You see, these kids play with their cousins several times a week, usually, if not every day for even just a few minutes. They ran around at the Treehouse all morning that one day I was previously talking about, and they never stopped! And then when their cousins came over again that night they still had tons of fun just playing with toys and being outside! So much playing! So I began to think...

When did "playing" turn into "hanging out"? As a child, I remember going over to neighbors' houses every single day to play. It was always "Ariana, can you play today?" or she would come over and say "Can you come out to play today Stephie?" or something else along those lines. Every day. And I knew I was in big trouble when my mom wouldn't let me go play! But do we ever ask that question now? No. When friends get together these days, it's always to "hang out". "Let's hang out at my house" or "Can we hang out here for a little while?". And more often than not, "hanging out" consists of sitting somewhere and talking or watching a movie. When do playing children transition into teenagers and young adults that hang out? And is this transition for better or worse? Why don't we still run around all day long and never get tired of sharing new toys with a good friend? Ok that sounds weird....but that's the point!

As of right now I don't know where this is going. But I guess there never really was a specific goal. I just never thought about the difference between all those childhood days of "playing" with my friends and neighbors and all the recent days when I've done very little with my friends on any given day besides hang out. Why is that? I just don't know....

That was my thought. Or several of my thoughts.... Yeah. Oh yay I get to sing in church tomorrow! And the next week! Bahaha. Should be great. And that is all :)

Temple Trip!

Oh my goodness!! Temples are just one of the greatest things on this Earth, are they not?? I submit that they are. Especially when you've got such a great group of friends to go with :)


We left Friday night and got to our destination (Tanner and Bryan's grandparents' house) kinda late. Some of us really didn't want to go to sleep but majority ruled. It was only like 12:30! But we got reprimanded by our EFY couselor :) We eventually went to sleep after Mom and Dad initiated family prayer. Teehee :) We got up at like 5:00 or 5:30 (depending on the person) the next morning, got ready, and went to the beautiful Mesa temple! Goodness!... that was just a great experience. The temple is so wonderful! So great...

This is Wendy Smith, Joycie Butter (Ok really her name is Joyce Van Vianen. She's from Holland!), and me! We took a butter picture in front of the temple. Obviously :) Precious...

YAY!!! We slept for so many hours once we got home! After that we wanted to go to the new X-men movie but it was basically sold out. So we went to Walmart instead. Got some stuff... and then we were hungry. So we got the Dominoes 555 deal!! Such a great thing! Note bonkers butter's bonkers hairstyle (far right). Perfect for the occasion :) What a great night!

The best part is that the entire weekend was AWESOME!!! Sunday was one of the greatest Sabbath Days I've had since I came to Thatcher. Great lessons in Relief Society and Sunday School, really great testimonies in Sacrament meeting, and then our last time singing at the Nursing home :( It was really sad to say goodbye to those people, especially Tom Rose, but singing there will probably be one of my favorite memories from college.

This week has mostly consisted of Finals with the occasional studying. Just kidding. I've actually studied alot more than I usually would... Anyway, I'll be leaving Thatcher in 2 days!!! It's so weird to think of that! Even more weird to think that I'll be living at home ALL SUMMER! Wow. "Baby steps, Bob. Baby steps." :) I hope everyone else is having a super fabulous week as well!!

Yay for good times!

Yippie Yay for Friends!

I have come to realize the importance of a good friend. In the beginning of a new phase of life, it is instinct to surround yourself with as many people as possible as a means of confidence boosting and a sense of security. Then, as time goes by, you start to understand what friends you should be with and those that you shouldn't. It's a hard lesson to learn, and I never thought I'd have to do it, but it has become inescapably clear how much friends can influence you. Turns out those church leaders really knew what they were talking about ;)

And so, I would like to say "Thank You" to the good friends I have, whether at school or back home. Last night I got to hang out with Tanner, Bryan, and Wendy (something that doesn't happen all too often anymore) and it was awesome!! Just being around people that are THAT amazing puts me in a good mood and makes me really appreciate coming to EA. I learned lots of things here and met lots of people that have helped make me a better person just by their example. Yay for them!

Anyway, I really do appreciate the good friends I have. You guys are awesome!! Thank you for being alive! Uhhhkay! hahaha ok sorry I'm done.

Yippie Yay for friends!

Can I just say how absolutely wonderful it is to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? My heart is positively overflowing, and I'm sure this is the shortest blog ever, but I really just wanted to speak (or type) what's on my mind. The gospel is... I don't even know how to describe it. I am so grateful for the opportunity I've had to know the truth! Maybe it's just the Christmas season getting to me :) Either way, I just wanted to take the chance to say how much I love the gospel and how unbelievably blessed I have been to be a part of Christ's true church. I love it, I really do.

One time Me, Wendy (not my mom), and Callie went to Mt. Graham for the afternoon to play in the snow. There wasn't actually a whole lot of snow (which is really frustrating because it snowed on the mountain for 2 days straight after we went up!!) but the whole trip in general was, in a word, sublime. The scenery was gorgeous, being away from the city/college was rejuvinating, and just the overall feel of the day was so needed. It was so awesome.

This was our first stop. About half way up the mountain there's this little place where you can pull over and the most beautiful tree and stream were there! It looks like something off of a postcard doesn't it? We were astounded. But then again you kinda had to be there because everything around it contributed to it's awesome-ness as well.

There's us! Duh. You can see the stream in the background!

We love snow!!!


We played snow-baseball...

Wendy and Callie on the slide of the road! Haha get it? Like "side of the road" but it's a slide?

And a lovely sunset to finish off the day :) It was absolutely fabulous.

Thanksgiving Weekend

So...I went home again for Thanksgiving. It was a crazy weekend, from driving home through the unbelievably thick rain and thunder all the way to singing with my sister at a Farewell (which we rehearsed for on Saturday!) and then skipping out of town less than an hour afterwards! But it was totally worth it. And I made sure to document everything because I knew it would make for a spectacular blog! So here you go. Enjoy. Please. Uhkay!

First off I just wanted to show you some of the stuff I was lookin at on the way home. For some reason that day was absolutely BEAUTIFUL at every turn! Good stuff.

In case you can't tell, that's a chocolate on my pillow, greeting me at my arrival. My parents are so weird :)

Awwww! Look at my big brother with his little daughter. He was singing and playing for her. She chimed in too of course. He was trying to get her to sing the Little Mermaid (or "memetz" as Emma calls them) song but she wasn't buyin it. Later that night tho she marched right over to the piano and started playing "chords" and singing that Little Mermaid song! It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

Thanksgiving = game night! We had the Colvins over and Derek brought his woman :) Yes, Derek was actually home for more than 24 hours! Proud day at the Spencer residence.

Sorry this picture is so Myspace, but i wanted to get the dress in the picture. When Chelsea and I went to Texas Roadhouse to eat, a waitress brought her a dress for Winter Formal (she works there too). She tried it on in the bathroom. I thought it was funny.

Aaaand this is what typically happens when we eat at Roadhouse. No more than 3 minutes went by the whole time without one of the workers coming up and talking to her/us. Good times man.

Look at my niece! She's just so smiley!! At least this one likes me :)

Friday night we went over to Chelsea Crace's house to play Rockband! We failed on Livin on a Prayer. Hahaha! Um.... look at the picture again. Wilbur Robinson anyone?

Saturday night we went to watch the movie Australia with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman (hello...why else would I go?). This is a picture of us being sad because I honestly probably cried for the last hour of the movie. And several times sporadically throughout the other two hours. Oh yeah, it was 3 hours long. But VERY good.

All in all it was a very good but CRAZY weekend! Oh I forgot the picture of Ami, Kira, Aaron, and Me at Applebee's! Oh well. We went to Applebee's :) I got to spend lots of time with my friends but LOTS of time with my family too. Quite wonderfully dispersed if I do say so myself. I reeeeeeeeeeally didn't want to come back. I can't even express to you how much I didn't want to come back. But I did so there's no point crying over the past. "There's no use crying over every mistake, you just keep on trying til you run out of cake!" Uhhhkay! Hahaha it's from a song. Honestly. I'm really tired, give me a break. Anyway, like I said it was a great weekend. I can't wait to go home for Christmas break and go shopping at Target with Ericka!!!!! I'll never take a real store for granted again :)

What am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? The lessons I had to learn the hard way since moving away from home. They have made everything so much better :)

Suprise!

SO.... Thursday night Candice comes over to my dorm to talk to me. "Stephenie I'm so homesick and I just wanna spend some time with my parents and I can't wait til Wednesday! Let's go tomorrow!" ........Ok! Sounded like fun to me! So the next day we pack up her car and head home! I love spontaneous...ness...ness... ok. She told her parents she was coming. I did not. I didn't tell a soul! Aren't you proud of me?! Hahaha It was so hard! Anyway, suprised everyone when I showed up to their houses. So worth it. It was probably the best weekend I've had in a looooong time. So here are some of the happenings of my trip home... it was so awesome I just had to share :) Yippie Yay! Uhkay! Hahaha...

How can you NOT have fun with the two of us in the car, right? :) Oh man... I'm suprised I'm still alive.

Ok funny story... I'm driving Chelsea's beast of a car out to the BOONIES for Ryan's bonfire and I'm following Matt Kirkland who is following Tanner Nelson cause I have no idea how to get out there. The funny part: Those guys are going like 65 on the dirt road!! I don't speed! I can't do it! Technically....there was no speed limit. But if there was it would definitely be less than 65! So I, being scared to death, drive at the horrendous level of 55 on this completely dirt road where I can't see ANYTHING because of all the dirt flying everywhere, but I can barely makeout Matt's tail-lights. So I'm trying to go fast so I don't get lost in the desert with just Chelsea, but I can feel, literally, that I have minimal control over this car. She's sliding all over the place on the dirt! I can make her go straight or turn but there was no friction and I felt like I was racing in the Tokyo Drift movie!! It was terrifying. But then we left the bonfire to go get Kira and bring her back and now that I knew my way around I thought I was hot soup and I sped like I was training for the Indy-500!! Sorta :) Now, driving on the Ocean-to-Ocean bridge.... THAT'S terrifying! Especially with a cop at the end :(

Here's my girls! Oh man... I miss my best friends so much! I've gotten to see them the last couple times I've been home but this was the first time since I left in August that the three of us hung out together and it was awesome! I swear to you I was on the verge of tears the whole night. Partly because of how much we'd all changed and I knew it would never be like it was in high school, but mostly because I love these girls so much and I knew that high school or no high school we're still.... ok this is sounding way too much like it needs a daytime Emmy. Long story short: I love them! They're my best friends and it was so great to just sit there and talk and take a bazillion pictures :) Love 'em. Love 'em!

Ok...I know I look very strange, but I think this picture really illustrates the overall summary of the weekend. It was just way relaxing and everything turned out so great and I was so happy just to be with my friends and my family and...yeah it was awesome :)

So there you have it. A lovely insight into the world of Stephenie. It was a great weekend. I can't wait to go back in two days!!! Hahahaha oh goodness...