Freedom

My 14 year old niece wrote this song. It's entitled "Freedom". Take a listen and then tell me what you think!

Dear Flonase...

I know we just met about five days ago but you are already giving me grief. We were introduced for the sole purpose of having you provide me some relief. You are helping to an extent, but it is obvious that you are not being very kind about it. Perhaps you don't fully understand the severity of my situation so allow me to explain it to you.

For the past few months I have been having some ear troubles. Sometimes I'll have pain so severe that I don't even dare blow my nose or yawn because the pressure will cause my ear to pop so badly that pain will shoot through the entire right side of my face. Sometimes there is no pain, but my ear is instead completely plugged up and I can barely hear out of it. This can go on for days at a time.

Last Friday I went to a doctor to try and have this problem resolved. It turns out that I have a retracted eardrum due to the fact that I'm not getting enough airflow through my eustachian tube due to some type of blockage (congestion) in my nasal cavity. In order to fix this problem, the doctor gave me you.

Though I do appreciate the help you are giving to relieve the nasal congestion and allow air to flow between my nasal cavity and ear more easily, you are causing havoc with my throat. It hurts. It hurts to swallow, it hurts to eat. It just hurts. You are going to have to quit making my throat hurt or our relationship will have to come to an end. I mean it.

Sincerely,

Camille

96 Days and Counting...

My flight is booked and I'm raring to go! Where am I going? I'm going to visit my good friend and old college roommate here:


I've never been and I'm extremely excited. I know, I know...I still have 96 days, but it is so nice to have a vacation to look forward too. I need it. Bad.

Has anyone been here before? What is an absolutely must see in Washington DC (and surrounding areas)?

My New Title...

See this cute little girl? Doesn't she seem so innocent and kind? That's what I thought until last night when she walked up to me and said,

"So, you are the worst aunt ever!"

I've having new business cards made up as we speak.

The Pound for Pound Challenge...

A few years ago I started watching the Biggest Loser. Then after a couple seasons I got bored with it and stopped. Last year my sister was always talking about the show and saying what an inspiration it was, so last season I decided to watch it again and it turns out, it really is quite an inspirational show. I found myself crying right along with the contestants as they realized that they can, in fact, change their lives.

As some of you may know, about 15 months ago I decided to create a healthier lifestyle for myself. I joined the Jillian Michaels online program where I was taught how to eat healthier (it even provided meals and recipes for someone such as myself who has NO IDEA how to cook healthy meals). I also started the fitness program. About five months later I had dropped 10 pounds. Ten pounds doesn't seem like a lot after five months, but to me, it was a great accomplishment. I was feeling great and, in my mind, I looked a lot better too.

Then something happened. I moved into a new place and all of a sudden I just lost all desire and motivation to keep going. I still had about 10 more pounds to go, but essentially, I gave up. I became much more social and started doing other things after work and therefore, working out became less of a priority. However, I did try to keep eating better and I think that is what ultimately helped me not gain back all ten pounds I had just lost. Instead I only gained back about five. Now I find myself once again wishing to lose a few extra pounds. I continue to watch The Biggest Loser on TV and I continue to feel inspired, but I also continue to lack the motivation to workout.

So this time around, in order to keep feeling inspired to do something, I decided I needed to set a different type of goal. But what? I've already made a goal to lose 10 pounds (now it's more like 15) but what is going to motivate me enough to keep at it? A trip to the Bahamas? Though that would be nice, I don't really care about the Bahamas. I can't think of anything I want badly enough to keep me motivated. So that got me thinking...why make this just about me? Why not make this about someone else?

As I was watching The Biggest Loser the other night, they talked about a challenge we could do that would help feed the hungry. I've heard them talk about this before but I never thought much about it. This time, however, I felt completely captivated by the TV screen and I thought to myself, "You mean that all I have to do is pledge to lose a certain amount of weight and these people will then donate that many pounds of food to a local food bank? I can do that!"

So today, I just signed up for The Biggest Loser Pound for Pound Challenge. I have pledged to lose 10 pounds and in return, the Utah Food Bank will get 10 pounds of food to help feed the hungry in my hometown. Doesn't that sound great? Of course, I have to do all the work and be the one to lose the 10 pounds but as I'm in my living room sweating to a Jillian Michael's DVD thinking I'd rather be dead, I'll know that it isn't only for myself I am doing this. I am doing this so someone else can eat.

I hope you will all join me on this journey.

Making It A Double Feature...

Remember back in the day how they used to have double features at the movie theatre where you could see two movies for the price of one? The last time I did that was when I went to see Forever Young and Lorenzo's Oil back in 1993*. Theatres don't do those anymore though so today my sister and I decided to make a double feature of our own.

First we went to a matinee and saw this:

I thought this movie was hilarious. I already want to see it again.

After the movie we did a little shopping but there was another movie my sister wanted to see. We thought about going a different day, but due to busy schedules we weren't sure when we'd be able to go see it together. So a whim we decided to just go. We went and saw this:


SO CUTE! This was also a very fun movie even though it did leave me wishing for 1) a boyfriend and 2) a trip to Ireland.

Even though it wasn't technically a "double feature" and we did have to pay for both movies, it really was a lot of fun.

*I had to look up the year those movies came out ... my memory really isn't that good.

2009 Recap...

Well another year has come and gone but I actually feel like I can say another year didn't just pass me by. This was quite a fun year for me and I did a lot of new things. Here's a picture recap of just some of my amazing 2009 adventures:

I went to 10 rodeos in one year:


I attended the St. George, Salt Lake and Mt. Timpanogos Temples for the first time. I also attended the two new temples that were built in Utah this year: Draper and Oquirrh Mtn.


I got stitches for the first time:


I went four wheeling for the first time:


I went on a zipline for the first time:


I went shooting for the first time (and did better than all those experienced boys!):


I ate sushi for the first (and last) time:


I went to Bear Lake:


And while there I went horseback riding in the mountains for the first time!


I rode the Heber Creeper for the first time:


And in the process of all this I made a bunch of amazing friends!


Oh, and I increased my number of nieces and nephews by 2 bringing the total to 20:



Here's hoping that 2010 is just as full of adventure as 2009 was!

Special Delivery!

I had no idea the US Postal Service made stops in Bethlehem!

Gone Bowling...

My brother and his family were visiting from Texas this past week so on Wednesday some of us decided to go bowling. We got to the bowling alley and my six year old nephew walked up to me and said, "I'm going to beat you".

"You are?" I replied.

"Yes" he said.

"Okay. Show me what you've got."


What he got was a 96.

I got a 72. I can't even remember the last time I bowled a 72. I blamed it on the stomach flu I had two days earlier. It was a fun game though and my nephew was so excited. That made losing to him completely worth it.

At least I beat my sister.