Homelessness

Oh Provo, why must I be homeless for a week before each fall term that I want to move to a new apartment???

On the bright side, I'm a pro at fitting most everything I own into my car.

Just to give you an exaggerated idea :)

On the downside, I'm went to Farmington with my family that wouldn't stop feeding me, and I feel like I've gained 89 pounds!

On the up side, I got a break from Provo

Well my homelessness has now ceased, and I'm moved into my new apartment at University Villa.  The apartment is definitely a downgrade from the last place I lived, but I think it will due quite nicely.  The kitchen is tiny, but apart from that I'm finding a place for all of my things.

Its exciting to be in a new ward and all...

The Cool One

I've been thinking a lot lately about how people quite often end up being what people tell them they are from a young age.  I've noticed it in my own siblings.  They each have their own label within the family.  It seems to me that the more that label is encouraged or emphasized the more the kid identifies him or herself with it.

For example, my 10 year old sister, Lena, has been told that she is beautiful since her birth.  She is tanner than the other kids and has huge brown eyes.  She is beautiful...but a lot of the reason we told her that is because she was so different from the rest of us...the other girls are beautiful too.  Lena now thinks of herself as the pretty one, though.  She is extremely confident when it comes to boys; she likes everyone and everyone likes her.

Cami is the weird one.  When she was very young she had some strange or different personality quirks.  Plus she is the 5th kid...which we always say is the odd one, ha.  Because of this, though, she can never escape the label of being the different one.  She has embraced it even.  She does things to get a reaction.  She intentionally perpetuates her "odd ball" image.

Caroline is the responsible, maternal one.

Katie is the fat one, haha, just kidding.  She's a clone of my mom's personality.

Amy is the outgoing one.

Afton is the perfectly adorable one.

And I'm the coordinated one, slash bossy oldest sister, slash the one they hardly remember, ha.

My point is that these kids have the ability to be anything they want, but they stick to their labels.  The labels are initially based on some level of reality, but I feel like they morph into something much more shaping.  People's self-identity is important to them.  We tend to label and categorize others, but sometimes we don't realize how much we do it to ourselves.  So if you have to label yourself, make it a positive label...I hope you all have a positive self image.

Keeping this all in mind I'm going to tell my kids (whenever I have them) that they are beautiful and smart.  Then they will make it true...which, of course, will be genetic anyways ;)

A Little Taste of the South

My wonderful grandma, MawMaw, had this fantasitc recipe for gumbo.  I always do the chicken gumbo because seafood is not my favorite...as in I hate it.  But if you do like seafood, this gumbo is supposed to be freaking awesome!  And the chicken gumbo is just my favorite meal on earth.  

Seafood or Chicken Gumbo

Boil Ingredients:

Boil all ingredients except crabs & shrimp with water until all the vegetables are real tender.

Make Rue:

While you are waiting for the ingredients to boil, make the rue.  To make rue, put about 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a skillet and heat.  When it is hot, add enough self rising flour (usually about 3 tablespoons) slowly stirring in.  Keep stirring until it is brown, but don’t let it burn.  After it is brown, pour it into the pot of boiling ingredients.

Final:

After other ingredients are tender, add shrimp & crabs and cook until they are done (this part doesn’t take very long).  For chicken, you can boil it with the ingredients and remove all bones and gristle before adding rue.  Chicken takes a little longer to cook than the seafood.

Cover and turn heat off and let sit for 10 or 15 minutes.



 
*When I make the chicken gumbo I boil chicken quarters (on the bone) in water until it is done.  I then take the chicken out and let it cool.  I use the chicken water to then cook the veggies, add the rue, then put the chicken back in (without the bone)*

Eat the gumbo over rice with some cornbread.  It doesn't get any more southern than this! :) 

Mountain Biking

I've been trying to go mountain biking as much as I can before the end of the summer.  My favorite trail (so far) is the Big Springs Hollow Trail.  

Big Springs Hollow...beautiful!

Ammon took this picture...we were up on a freaking steep hill!

I've done it twice in the past two weeks.  Both times were really fun, although this last time I went we did some extra stuff that made it a much harder slash longer bike ride.  I had my first real bike crash...it was sorta cool.  I feel a lot more legit now.

 

My bruised, scraped, dirty legs, ha

If you ever get the chance to go mountain biking TAKE IT!  It is so fun!  ...Like hiking, but more hardcore and exciting.  Its also a better workout...