Wulf Pack

Very Pinteresting

2012-01-30T10:47:00.000-08:00

I usually don't jump on new website bandwagons. I have never been on Twitter or FourSquare, and I rarely check my LinkedIn account, although I probably should update and maintain that one . . . So it shocks me that I joined Pinterest so willingly and eagerly. Very pinteresting.

Warning: It's a time sponge. Watch the clock because it will jump an hour or two if you're not careful. Yes, I know from personal experience.

For those who don't know (first of all, where have you been?), Pinterest allows you to make an online collection of interesting things you can find on the internet. You "pin" (thus Pinterest) them to categorical boards to keep track of those sites. You can see what your friends from Facebook have pinned and repin what they have pinned. You can comment on their pins and they on yours. Basically it's a place to bookmark websites but more social. Pinterest provides different topics and areas of interest. When you click on those, you can see what anyone (not just your Facebook friends) has pinned. It is a very visually driven website: pictures of decorations, DIY projects, scenery, food, gift ideas, holiday activities for the kids, need I go on?

WARNING: As in all things, some people misuse this ability to share. The one thing I don't like about Pinterest: there are some pornographic photos on the photography tab. I don't want to start the whole pornography vs. art discussion (because I'm not completely opposed to nudity in tasteful art and and because I don't want to spend time defining what I consider tasteful art), but some of those photos are downright disgusting. All the tabs show pictures, but they have different topics (e.g. food, cars, decorations, health and fitness) and often don't show inappropriate content. All I'm is saying is BE CAREFUL with that tab!! There I'm done with my uncomfortable disclaimer. Now on to the fun stuff.

On the whole I really like Pinterest actually! The stereotypes about it so far seem to be completely true. Most of the people I see using it are women: moms, brides-to-be, artsy-fartsy girls, girls who wish they were artsy-fartsy, etc. Most of the pins I see are recipes, quotes, ideas for crafts and sewing projects, and examples of outfits. Yep, I'm one of them. So far I have tried three recipes (all great!) and found a million craft ideas I want to try. While writing this post, I have repinned several recipes. It makes me hungry looking at all these pictures of food and thinking about the recipes!

Tracy calls Pinterest a place for hoarding online. I don't consider myself a hoarder, but I think he would prefer that I hoard online rather than at home. I think if I don't waste too much time on Pinterest, it can be useful for me in finding and sharing ideas and keeping track of things I find Pinteresting.

My Work Videos

2011-11-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

At work, because of my great bosses, who support trying new things, I have been able to participate in a lot of really fun and creative projects. I have learned how to direct, film, and edit video. It's not Golden Globe quality, but I'm still pretty proud of my work!

Feast your eyes.
Can these videos really make you laugh? Are those Geico commercials with that question guy funny?

My friends are good sports. We filmed this during their day off from school.

This parody is my favorite. Diane did such a fabulous job, and I cracked myself up every time I worked on it.

Here is a video that isn't a parody. I filmed a visit from Texas A&M's own revered Reveille. When I watched the footage, I noticed that her mouth was moving when we had the podcast equipment around her. I thought, "Why, we could make a video podcast from Reveille about the UWC, by golly!" So we made one. I really liked how it turned out. Does her voice sound familiar or is it just me? Yes.

Reveille's Video Podcast

[Sorry that I couldn't imbed the video here, but I hope you still enjoy it.]

I'll let you know if I get nominated for any awards or what not. :)

Not Yet!!!

2011-10-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

Starting a couple of weeks ago, I have woken up to my annoying, beeping alarm clock as usual. I blinked, debating whether to fall back asleep for a few more minutes, but finally gave in and stretched before sitting up. Then my next thoughts have shocked me every time: "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose..."

No, not yet! It's way too early--it's not even Halloween!! Crap.

Let there be no doubt that I love Christmas songs and I love Christmas. I almost tear up every year hearing songs I've heard ever since I was a child. I love walking around to see twinkling Christmas lights on a cold night and then enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate. But those who know me well know that I groan when I see Christmas decorations and hear Christmas music in October or November.

What about Thanksgiving? Why is Thanksgiving overshadowed? Being grateful seems to become an afterthought more and more these days anyway. Even the day devoted to giving thanks receives poor attention. Plus, some versions of Christmas songs should never have been recorded. (Just saying.) It's not that I don't like Christmas stuff, but it's hard to see the past the commercial selfishness with early products

So why the sudden change in my behavior that obviously opposes my usual holiday philosophy? I can only think of one explanation. My subconscious knows that Tracy will graduate in December, and it associates December automatically with Christmas. So because I want him to graduate, I subconsciously also want Christmas to come faster. Someone please explain to my subconscious that singing Christmas songs in October is not going to speed up time!

I will continue to look forward to December and Christmas, but with a little more appropriate anticipation, I hope. If not, I suppose I'll just have to face the music.

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of . . .

2011-10-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have never boasted of being a good cook. I hate deciding what to eat, and I'm not very experienced in different modes of cooking. I feed myself and my husband tolerably well--I try to use some variety, but I also play it safe and use my go-to recipes and dishes. Being married to an older man has enabled me to learn from him and expand my cooking skills a bit, and he has exposed me to a couple of foods I didn't eat growing up. The kitchen is probably my least favorite room in the house--it's saving grace is that my ice cream lives in the kitchen. But I still do not enjoy cooking and don't ever see that changing.

As pessimistic as that sounds, yesterday was proof. On Saturday night, I was brave. I attempted to make monkey bread, but being not so brave, I used a recipe that involved those biscuits from a can. Bunt-less, I used a normal casserole dish and underestimated how much the bread would rise. Spillage everywhere. It being Saturday night, I decided to wait to clean the bottom of my oven until Monday.

Yesterday, I was making cookies (easy, right?) for our church choir, and smoke emerged from the stove burners. My oven had caught on fire. Although the flame was not big at all (probably the circumference of a cantaloupe), I yelled for Tracy to help me put out the fire and get rid of the smoke before the smoke alarms went off. As we rushed about to fetch fans and open windows, the timer for the cookies (which by the way sounds a lot like the smoke alarm) went off, and Tracy looked at me and said, "The cookies are done!" with his child-like happy grin on his face. I laughed, but I also secretly cursed the kitchen in my head.

Playing Shakespeare: Making Up Words

2011-09-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

I think by now that many people understand or know the tremendous effect Shakespeare has had on the English language. He created many of the common phrases and words we use now. In composition, we say that beginning writers should follow models of strong writing, so why not follow Shakespeare’s example and create new phrases and words? (Just make sure you use them in the appropriate context, e.g. not in a formal cover letter, etc.)

In speech, we can get away with a lot of sayings that aren’t necessarily acceptable in formal writing. So I take the opportunity in my informal speech to introduce words that people probably don’t hear frequently, or ever for that matter. Admittedly, these words aren’t as sophisticated as Shakespeare’s, but I have to start somewhere. For your ease, I have provided definitions, the International Phonetic Alphabet pronunciations (I think my word font changed some of them so bear with me on them), other words I commonly use in place of said made-up words, and usage examples of my most common or my recent favorite made up phrases and words. Take that Shakespeare!

Doink (/dɔink/): n. a person who demonstrates a lack of common sense, See also ding-a-ling or ding-dong; v. to do something incorrectly or mess it up; to lose control of a ball or sports object, see also shank; adj. to be out of place or contorted. "That driver crossed five lanes in one motion. What a doink!" (My mom created this word, and we use it in almost any part of speech in my family frequently, but people outside our family give me funny looks when I do use it. I can’t imagine why . . .)

-esque and -ish. Obviously these suffixes are already in common usage, but I apply it to almost any noun or adjective. For example, officialesque or officialish (I know that these don’t make sense at first glance--how can something have qualities of being official and not be--but if you have ever played church sports, they start to make perfect sense).

Loquidiot (/lokwIdiǝt/): n. a person who talks incessantly about nonsensical rubbish, a combination of loquacious and idiot. “The loquidiot’s complaining prevented his co-workers from explaining that the door opens by pushing, not pulling it.” (Tracy invented this one with a former roommate.)

Whomp (/wamp/): v. to create an unfortunate or undesirable effect or situation, see also suck. “I have five loads of laundry to do by myself. This whomps!” (I actually remember hearing this on a cartoon called Recess when I was a child. So although I did not create it, I have kept using it and therefore claim it.)

Yoink (/jɔink/): v. to grab; to steal, although not maliciously, see also commonly used pilfer or filch; to borrow. “Mind if I yoink your pen for a second?”

I know I have more, but these are the ones I can think of at the moment. If we talk soon, I’m sure you’ll hear others.

Have you made up words? I’d love for you to share them!!

Cheerleader Time! DEFENSE!!!

2011-09-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Tracy is so darn close to being done! He has one more revision of his thesis, and he plans to defend on October 7. (Sidenote: I hate that it is a called a defense. Are they attacking him? Are they shooting arrows at him? I suppose they could shoot figurative arrows of academic skepticism at him, but to my understanding, a defense entails more of a discussion between academic peers. If ever a word would evoke terror in graduate students' minds and hearts, it is defense. Sidenote over.)

Because Tracy already has a job waiting for him after graduation, he feels pretty motivated already to finish his thesis as soon as he can. But I wanted to give him some sugary energy and a fun message from me to cheer him on.

In case you can't read the sign or the labels on the candy, the message says, "Hey Tracy, It's CRUNCH time!! Pull out all your TWIX and push to PAYDAY. Our joyful SNICKERS later will make your 100 GRAND effort worth it!" The Reese's honestly doesn't fit into a sentence. I just stuck in on there at the end because it is his favorite candy. I suppose I could have done something with the "King Size" part, but oh well.

Some have asked whether he has taken advantage of my editing skills, and the answer is NO. I only looked over one grant proposal a little over a year ago. Otherwise, I have not read one page of his text. I have helped PhD candidates in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, marketing, animal science, etc. with improving journal articles and their theses or dissertations. So why have I not helped Tracy with his thesis, you ask? In geology, every other word is jargon and almost every sentence appears in the passive voice. In the past, Tracy took 10 minutes to explain one paragraph to me without using field-specific terminology so I could understand the concept. That fact alone makes that process pretty painful. So he has opted to revise it a million times on his own with his adviser. He hasn't asked me to look at it, so I'll just cheer him on and be there however I can if and when he needs me.

Cheer with me: DEFENSE!! (clap, clap) DEFENSE!! (clap, clap)

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

If you have not read Thomas S. Monson's amazing statement to the Washington Post about 9/11, you can read it here. I feel like I'm just elaborating on my specific examples of what he said.

I was thirteen, almost fourteen, on September 11, 2001. I admit my age to state that I am of the generation that was old enough to realize what happened ten years ago but not understand how truly horrific it was, much less why. Why would someone attack the United States? Why would someone use a plane as a weapon? Why would anyone want to kill so many people?

Ten years later, I still can't answer many of these why questions. The thought of justifying murder and attack boggles my mind and conscience. However, I have found some other answers to the real questions that I didn't expect.

-Life is precious and sacred. We never know when it will shift on us. Everyone realized what matters most after 9/11. We can't forget that lesson, even when times are good.

-A personal lesson I have learned is that violence for violence's sake should not be cool or entertaining. Too many people said, "It looked like a movie" on 9/11. A disconnect between reality and fantasy has clouded the horror of violence. I admit to liking some action movies, which seems like the contradiction of the century next to my previous statement. However, I think there is a difference between violence for violence's sake and violence that has an appropriate, meaningful, reasonable purpose. We have to be careful that we do not become desensitized and glorify mutilation of the human body, lest we cheapen the horror of what some people have endured.

-We should never let fear or ignorance prevent us from discovering truth or meeting good people. While we were in Pullman, Washington, we met a Muslim couple who invited us to come to their mosque for a visitor's day. We enthusiastically accepted the invitation and found that while we did not understand the rituals in Arabic, we did not feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, or pressured by the people worshiping there. Afterward, they answered our questions and shared their views on modesty (while mine are not as "radical" in appearance, the general premise is exactly the same), health and diet (again, very similar to my beliefs), and other things that amazingly seemed similar to the Judeo-Christian traditions. Most of all, they clarified common myths about their faith--sound familiar? When we moved to College Station, two men from Iraq lived across from us. They wanted to practice their English, so they invited us over for dinner. They were happy to be in the United States, despite the beyond extensive background checks, interviews, and searches they endured. They showed us pictures of their children, told jokes in broken English, and became our friends. Good people come from all walks of life and beliefs. We need to try to treat others with respect and kindness and live the best way we know how.

-Every religion has had people who misuse their faith to justify horrible things. I don't understand how someone can misinterpret religious texts and put words in God's mouth. I will do my personal best to honor my beliefs (God is merciful, yet just. He loves everyone, and so should we) in my interaction with everyone--either in or out of my faith.

The greatest homage we can pay to those who have paid the ultimate price is to rebuild, to change, to live differently--live happier, smarter, more selflessly, braver, better.

Can Life Get Any Better? I Submit That It Cannot!

2011-09-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we got to see one of our favorite comedians--Brian Regan! When we found out that he was coming to Texas A&M for their First Yell (a long-running tradition to practice their yells before the first football game--yes, this really is a tradition), we knew we had to get tickets.

I don't like too many comedians. I mean I have moments when I appreciate a certain joke, but I don't necessarily like a specific comedian because most comedians use horrible language or aren't clever or mature enough not to refer inappropriately to sex or bodily functions in their acts. I can't think of anything that Brian Regan has said that made me feel uncomfortable.

However, one of Brian's jokes this past Friday started out with his suggestion that we should all get one free kill. At first that seemed very . . . uh . . . disturbing, but just hear how he says it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSpTPYjeifI&feature=related

Love it!!

In the university's newspaper, one of the yell leaders referred to a time when Brian Regan said he would not tell a joke he wouldn't say to his kids. Awesome! He even tells jokes his son suggests for his act: "Why aren't there anymore dinosaurs? Because they're all dead." ha.

We loved it. If you ask me real nice, I can share some of his other jokes (about dancing, the College Station airport, etc.).

For those of you who do not know Brian Regan's genius, watch these and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_GbDFqimdU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP4zgb9H3Cg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONBNYTNDz-Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89frRi8GgGA&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7W3_tRV_3s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7W3_tRV_3s&feature=related

An entertained, happy couple!

English Insanity!

2011-08-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

My job puts in the same room with many people from all over the world: Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, India, Iraq, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, France, etc. One of the most enjoyable, yet challenging, things about my job is that I explain to these global scholars the difference between “write it down” and “write it up.” Idiomatic phrasal verbs (a verb+ a preposition) are among the hardest to explain. Often, I provide reasons for phrases and usages that I have never thought about before because I am a native speaker.

Think about the phrasal verb turn.

Turn on can used for lights (or a machine) or attraction. The difference? The latter includes a noun or pronoun referring to a person. Then, we can also use turn on with streets and directions (“Turn on Kensington Drive”). Most of the uses of turn off provide convenient opposite uses of turn on, which believe me is rather rare.

Unlike turn on and turn off pair, turn out and turn in are completely unrelated to each other. Turn out can refer to a crowd’s presence (“We’ll see how many people turn out [Note: turn up also works here] for the party”) or the outcome of a situation: “I hope things turn out okay.” Turn out could mean that someone or something has been evicted: “The poor family was turned out yet again.” Like turn off, turn out can refer to lighting “Who turned out the lights?” Turn in means to go to sleep or to give something. “I turned in my resume.”

Turn into and turn in to are a fun couple to talk about. One little space changes meaning here. Turn into means to change or transform (e.g. “She turned me into a newt”). Turn in to means to give something to someone or change direction (e.g. “He turned his paper in to his professor late” and “I turned in to the parking lot”). But what about the statement, “I turned (into/in to) a pole”? I assume that I did not transform into a pole, so I also assume that it should be in to. However, one little space says that by a magical spell I changed into a pole. I once enthusiastically pointed this funny and fun difference out to a native-speaking student, and he slowly said, “Okay.” Just saying!

Turn up, as stated before, can refer to attendance, but it can also refer to positive results: “Things are turning up!” Turn up can be used for measurable controls: “Turn up the AC!” Turn down means to deny a request: “He turned me down.”

I have to get pretty creative in explaining why certain prepositions go with certain usages. For example, I might come up with a pneumonic device to help them remember that turn in means to sleep inside the covers in bed. But how do I explain that we say that a house can burn up and burn down at the same time? Is it logical to say that we fill in a form by filling it out? At some point, I shrug and apologize for the insanity.

So just one verb, turn, with just some of its prepositions has many different meanings. How many verbs are there? Don’t use the wrong preposition in the wrong context or you’ll be saying something you don’t mean to say. Good luck, English learners!

More than anything in this discussion, I just wish to show how insane and how similar to Frankenstein’s monster English is. I love my language’s complexities and oddities, but I think we native English speakers could have a little more patience, understanding, and respect for those who are learning it.

Hold Your Horses!!

2011-07-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I dropped off the face of the blogging planet for a couple of months. Sorry, I'm back.

I don't know if anyone would remember when I posted my "Before I Die" list, but I stated that one of things I would like to do before I die is learn how to ride a horse comfortably.

I got a chance to practice a couple of months ago! My awesome boss has horses and invited all of us to come out to her place for a work party. She had a couple of her horses saddled up and ready to ride.

I didn't get up to a trot or gallop because the horse I rode is still being trained. They just wanted to make sure she didn't buck me off or try to run away with me on her back. I guess I can appreciate that. She said we can come back and ride whenever we want. I'm totally taking her up on that!

Doc loves doing his favorite trick. Too bad we didn't have any treats to give him.

This is Sunny, the horse I rode. She's still pretty young, but she's pretty sweet.

Tracy enjoyed being around the horses too!

This is Bug. He's the largest and the leader of the group.

I love horses!!!

Quick Friday Thought: Princesses

2011-04-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

If I had time, I'd post pictures of the Royal Wedding and comment on how much I would have loved to be there (or live there really), how beautiful Kate's dress was, how amazing it would be to live in a palace. However, I'll just post this little thought.

"I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young. They're still princesses. All of us. Didn't your father ever tell you that?" --The Little Princess.

How Is NASCAR Still Around?

2011-04-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Shhhhh . . . Don't let my hardcore Southern acquaintances know I said this. I just might get lynched for saying this.

NASCAR is definitely on my list of the top ten dumbest, most wasteful forms of entertainment in America today.

I don't see why NASCAR has fans or how it is fun or enjoyable. Honestly, after watching Olympic runners turn about four laps around the track, I start to get bored, and with runners I can see their inspiring perseverance in their faces. There is human drama and personal determination in those races. How can people sit and watch 35+ cars drive 500 laps around a track? We can't see the drivers. We just see crashes, cars getting lapped and never getting even close to the top ten spots, and wasted gas and tires. Maybe driving around the track is more fun than watching it, but even then after probably 10 laps, I would get tired of the repetitive scenery.

As in other sports, if NASCAR should even be considered a sport, the 'athletes' are overpaid. Having no power steering certainly can be challenging, but when they have crew chiefs to give them strategies, do we really need to pay the talented drivers roughly $3.5 million annually to steer a car in one direction? I'd like to see if or how uneven the drivers' arm sizes and strength are.

I can see the entertainment in racing in the old days when cars were new or started to become more classy and chic in addition to more powerful. I admit I liked watching the Love Bug when I was a kid (but even Herbie raced on roads, not a bland track). These days, we all know how to drive, and I don't know anyone who wants to have Wonderbread stickers plastered all over their car. Let's face it--racing has become trashy and is logically outdated. I don't see why people keep wasting their money to see it.

I realize that in a year NASCAR doesn't use even one-tenth of the gas consumed by the nation every day. However, aren't we encouraged to carpool, to ride our bikes, to walk, to use public transportation more often to conserve energy resources and reduce cost? Aren't we told that we each should do our part to protect our planet? Well, I wonder what NASCAR is contributing to social responsibility. They supply 500 laps around an oval in 40 races a year. And don't even get me started on the fans who travel hundreds of miles to get to these races. Brilliant.

I understand that NASCAR is a profitable industry (although I'll never understand why). I understand that as long as people are willing to pay for tickets, NASCAR will continue to provide races. But couldn't we push drivers to use more urgent strategic methods in 250 laps or, heaven forbid, 100 laps? Couldn't we save some X number of tires and gallons of gas per race if we reduce the number of laps? Couldn't we limit the number of cars in each race to ensure that those in the race will actually have a chance to possibly win the race?

I'll let you know if I find the word "Yankee" graffiti-ed on the outside of my apartment.

My Favorite Kind of Weather

2011-04-07T15:29:00.001-07:00

Most people love the summer sun. I'm a fair-skinned redhead. The sun and I have a delicate relationship.

Don't get me wrong; I like the bright, warm sun, but I like a partly or mostly cloudy day just as much as I like a sunny day. Plus, I'm more of a temperate weather girl. I can't seem to escape hellish hot summers, much to my dismay. What makes it a good day weatherwise? Wind! (Maybe I like italics because they look like they are being blown . . .)

Most people don't like wind. If you have about two minutes, watch this. It makes me so sorry for him and yet giggle shamelessly at the same time.

I love wind. I love a cool breeze on a toasty summer day. I love a crisp fall wind that spins leaves in the air.

Besides, that messy hairstyle is what people are going for these days anyway, right?

My First Repurposing Project

2011-04-02T11:09:00.001-07:00

I love websites like Etsy, Make It and Love It, and my cousin's blog, where they give ideas to repurpose old clothes into new ones.

I probably will copy their ideas eventually, and might have already with this one unknowingly, but I came up with this idea all by myself. I'm so big!

Please excuse the crudity of this project. My sewing skills are pretty elementary. I gotta start somewhere!
I started out with this shirt with really long, obnoxious sleeves. So I cut them off!
They have this fun striped pattern on them, and I thought of making a baby girl skirt.

I cut a strip out of the sleeve to make the belt loops. I have only one button at the top to allow the baby to still move around her little legs and show off the striped pattern on the inside.

A ribbon or an actual belt completes this skirt. Not bad, eh? (Note: there is a reason I haven't shown the back. But the front looks pretty cute!!) Like I said, I've got to start somewhere!

A Buffet of Laughter

2011-03-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Tracy got back from his exhausting ten-day trip in Washington state on Tuesday. For the last five days he was there, he got a total of eleven hours of sleep.

Eleven hours of sleep for five days . . .

Basically: two-hour time change+tedious thesis work=one tired Tracy

He slept for sixteen hours on Wednesday and twelve hours on Thursday. Even today, Monday, he is still adjusting to our normal schedule.

We wanted to go out to eat to celebrate another milestone in his thesis work (and to avoid cooking). Tracy sometimes likes going to buffet places like Golden Corral because he can have all the kinds of meat he wants. (Plus, the Golden Corral here has Bluebell ice cream--Yum!!) They are not our favorite places to eat, but every once in a great while it's not bad. Tracy chose Golden Corral this time.

So we're there eating and chatting when we hear what sounds like the product of a moan, a scream, and a cry. Somewhere in the restaurant, a man obviously was experiencing something very difficult, indeed. Initially, Tracy and I looked around us, wondering if he was anywhere close by or if others heard what we did. Nope and nope.

We then proceeded to have several imaginary conversations with this guy. "You all right there, buddy?" "It's a buffet, but you don't have to eat all of it, you know." "I told you to stop at that last plate." "Put the roll down, and step away." "This potato salad is so good--I can't stop eating it!!!" "I have eaten too much, woe is me!!!" "Curse you, buffet food!!"

Good times at Golden Corral.

Overall morals of this story:
1. Eating at a buffet doesn't have to mean eating so much that you let out painful, exasperated cries.
2. True, when you go to a buffet, you want to eat your money's worth, but remember, you have to drive home afterward. Friends don't let friends drive stuffed. You don't want to get a DWS (driving while stuffed).
3. Marry someone you can laugh and do silly things with. :)

Double the Fun

2011-03-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

My sister finally had her twins!!! She and the babies are doing fine. They are healthy and beautiful. Yay!!!

Meet Jace Bryan, 5 lbs 4 oz, and Allie, 5 lbs 1 oz.

So cute! Great! Now I have two more reasons to visit family!

National Grammar Day: A Day of Communication and Knowledge

2011-03-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Happy National Grammar Day!!!!

http://nationalgrammarday.com/

So what if it's an arbitrarily created holiday? Grammar is worth celebrating!

Usually, I don't promote web sites that claim to know "correct" grammar with a cartoon as their mascot, and although some of the things on this website are pretty darn silly (such as their "Grammar Song"--yikes), it seems like this website seeks to educate people about appropriate grammar.

I studied literature, language, and editing in college. I am a trained editor. I see misspellings in menus, on signs, in books, on Facebook, and in papers and manuscripts all the time. It astounds me that some people can't catch missing letters or rearranged letters before sending their work to the press and sharing it with everyone.

Marital and martial are different adjectives--although I suppose in some unfortunate cases, they could both be true.

Public and pubic shouldn't ever appear in the other's context.

Your and you're are different. So are two, to, and too. And they're, their, and there. And its and it's. By the way, Word most often won't catch the wrong usages of these words.

People just don't seem to realize that their computers can't catch all the complexities and nuances of the English language. People, you still need to know English grammar in order to communicate clearly and effectively.

HOWEVER . . .

I sometimes wince when people jump to criticize or "correct" others' grammar, mostly because they are typically what everyone calls the scary "Grammar Nazis." Ironically, the grammar these Grammar Nazis so passionately enforce comes from another language and has been outdated for about fifty years. For some reason people keep clinging to old grammar. Catch up, people! The language train moves fast!!

The word e-mail has undergone changes within the last ten years from electronic mail to E-mail to e-mail, and some dictionaries have switched to email. Small change? Yes, but it's still represents a language change.

One thing I like about this Grammar Girl web site is that they have a Grammar Myths Exposed section. Here are just a few. (Bold denotes the myths from the web site.The italics are for my comments on the myths.)

You shouldn't start a sentence with the word "however." BULL!! And you can start a sentence with "and." Go and tell your seventh grade English teacher that for me, will you?
"Irregardless" is not a word. I am still learning to accept that grating sound, but it's true. Merriam-Webster has added "irregardless" to the dictionary. If you don't like it, don't use it. To be on the safe side, you might want to avoid using it in writing and formal conversations, but otherwise, you can feel guiltless in using this word.
There is only one way to write the possessive form of a word that ends in "s." Consistency is a huge concept in deciding this. Just make sure that whether you choose 's (Gus's pineapple) or s' (Gus' pineapple) that you are being consistent throughout the piece of writing.
Passive voice is always wrong. For those who don't know what passive voice is, go here. If you want to emphasize the actor (thing/person doing the action) then use active voice. If the direct object (thing/person receiving the action) needs to be emphasized, then use passive voice.
"I.e." and "e.g." mean the same thing. i.e.= that is (meaning a renaming or clarifying statement will follow); e.g.= for example (used for . . . well . . . examples of a concept)
You shouldn't split infinitives. This is an old, old, old rule from . . . wait for it . . . Latin. Yep, a completely different language with different rules and constraints. An infinitive is the basic form of a verb (in English with "to" in front of it: to abscond, to flounce, to canoodle). Latin is the origin of romance languages (not languages of love, although they can be romantic, I guess). In Latin, verbs are one word. It is impossible to split an infinitive in Latin. But this is English. They are two separate words. My personal policy for my own writing is that I write what sounds good. If it sounds better to split it, then I split it. Does it sound better to say, "to boldly go where no man has gone before" or "to go boldly where no man has gone before"? You decide.
You shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition. Again, a odd borrowing from Latin. I personally don't like hearing, "Where are you at?" Where already implies location, so "at" is superfluous. But people will use it anyway. Most of the time though, I'm fine with prepositions at the end of sentences. Winston Churchill (it's questionable if it was actually him or not) is often attributed as saying this about prepositions at the end of a sentence: "This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put." Again, go by clarity of communication.

There are at least a thousand more where these came from.

Guess what, people? Language evolves. Get used to it!!! There are some changes I don't like, but as long as a language is living (or used by native speakers), it changes whether we like it or not. Therefore, grammar rules change too.

Give it a rest, Grammar Nazis. You're making grammar intimidating and dry when we should be celebrating our grammar's idiosyncrasies and abilities!

Yay for grammar!!!

A Child's Wish Ten Years Too Late

2011-02-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

When Tracy and I saw this bag of off-brand Marshmallow Mateys, which ironically is an off-brand itself, our inner children jumped at the chance to eat a bowl with tons of marshmallows. When Tracy poured the first bowl, we started to regret it.

Okay. This will be fun . . .

Superbowl: A Family Event

2011-02-07T08:39:00.001-08:00

Tracy and I will probably always struggle just a little with sports in our home. I like sports, but having SportsCenter and several games on every day is boring for me but relaxing and fun for him. But one thing we have agreed on is no sports on Sunday. We agree that Sunday should be a day of relaxation, peace, meditation, and family unity. But he really loves sports. So we have compromised that he cannot watch sports on Sunday except the Superbowl, but we will watch the Superbowl as a family--and the Wulfs will either go big or go home with it (even though we will be home when we watch it--sorry, bad joke).

In our second year of Superbowl Super Sunday, Tracy made his first round of jerky with his new dehydrator. His carnivorous eyes glowed with excitement all weekend.

In my family, we have an inside joke. Whenever my mom made roast on Sundays, her friends could always tell because the smell lingered in her hair and on her clothes for the rest of the day. I felt the same was going to happen to me. I wish the internet could communicate and transfer smells and their intensities. Usually after I've been in a room for awhile, I become accustomed to that smell. The jerky smell never went away! It was a good smell but a strong one. Interestingly, I went to a baby shower later that day with 6 or 7 pregnant women. I didn't know whether they would crave the smell and sniff my hair, try to lick me in hopes that the flavor also transferred, or just barf on me. Luckily, my "smell-pretties" (as Tracy calls perfumes and colognes in his child-like way) seemed to cover up the smell enough. No awkward moments or barfing.

Now to the main event.

Look at all this food. No we didn't eat all of it--we didn't even put a dent in it. There were only two of us! But we wanted options, and we had many!

Thank goodness the Packers won; otherwise there wouldn't be peace in the Wulf household for a long time. During the football game, however, I found that convenient times to go to the bathroom or do other things were mostly during the game itself, so I wouldn't miss commercials. :)

I'm excited that we are creating our family traditions. The Superbowl is a common one, but it still shows that we are consciously choosing and creating our own.

Blogging

2011-02-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

I read this fascinating article the other day about blogs--Mormon women's blogs to be more specific. I'll give you a few minutes to read it.

http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/01/15/feminist_obsessed_with_mormon_blogs

At first I felt an interesting mix of emotions.

I like this new-found respect for the thriftiness, happiness, and creativity of stay-at-home Mormon mommy bloggers, even if only for a momentary fantasy from a hectic work schedule. Even if some non-Mormon women only envy the happy family life portrayed in Mormon mommy blogs during what they consider stressful, "the grass is always greener" moments, at least others can recognize that family life can be happy. I believe that family is not the only way to feeling fulfillment, but I feel that it can be the most fulfilling endeavor in life through effort, love, communication, and compromise.

I also felt awkward that strangers would read the blogs of people they don't know and look at photos of kids they don't know. That's kinda . . . weird and creepy! I don't read strangers' blogs unless they have a legit business of some sort.

I'm sure that some of the Mormon mommies read this author's article and momentarily wished they had a career, a quiet and clean house, and no obligations once they got home, but then they, too, would realize that they just like daydreaming about it, that they love their lives, that they wouldn't trade what they have for anything.

To each her own.

New Year, New Me?

2010-12-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

I see I have followed the same pattern as I did with my journal in high school. I remember it every four weeks or so and try to come up with a concise way to sum up my life's events. Who wants to spend hours writing about a month of school, work, and (back then) boy concerns? Likewise, who would want to read all summary on a blog? No one.

But there are just a few things I should share. NEWS UPDATE: Tracy and I have had so much fun visiting family and friends in Arizona. I have definitely been blessed with amazing people in my life. Unfortunately, my sister, Karen, who is expecting twins, celebrated Christmas in the hospital and might celebrate Valentine's Day there as well. She and her babies are still healthy and the babies are growing in her, but her body is advancing toward delivery a little too fast. And then my sister-in-law had surgery this past week. She seems to be recovering well, but taking care of four kids will be a challenge when my brother has to go back to work. We'll do the best we can to help, but we all have to return to work soon too. Sheesh!

So, I say let's wipe Lacey's blog slate clean. Let's start over for 2011. I'll try my best to update and be clever as often as I can on my blog this coming year.

I haven't come up with my new, official resolutions yet, but I can report on my resolutions from last year.

1. Become more service oriented. This one is difficult to measure, and when is someone really done serving? Never, so this one must carry on through next year. But I feel that I have done more than I have in the past, so I feel that I can say I have improved in this goal. Yay!

2. Become more crafty. I have worked a lot on this one. Unfortunately, I give away all the things I work on before I take any pictures so I can't show them on here. Perhaps that can be my resolution for this year. Take more pictures!

3. Take better care of my body. (The typical goal.)Tracy and I have faithfully gone to the gym, and I have consciously added more vegetables to our meals. Otherwise, we still eat ice cream, cookies, and brownies basically at will. So, did we meet this goal? Mostly yes. At least we did quit in January like a lot of people.

I'll let you know what my new goals will be for 2011, but for now I am pretty pleased with my progress in 2010.

I have a feeling that 2011 is going to be an interesting and challenging year, but I'm excited for the ride!

Good Morning, Baltimore!

2010-11-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, I attended and presented at the International Writing Center Association/National Conference for Peer Tutoring in Writing Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. All of the Texas A&M University Writing Center's presentations (all 6 or 7 of them) went really well, and personally I was extremely pleased with ours.

Here are some pictures of some of my presentation with mostly me talking. (Sorry that two of the pictures are so huge!) We talked about using different writing processes and different strengths within our writing processes to help writers improve their strengths.

Left to right: Marissa Doshi, Hannah Hardin, Jackie Johnson, and me.

I learned a lot from all the sessions I attended, and I had a ton of fun with the amazing people I work with. Now, I'll show you what I did in my free time!

Yes, I sang "Good Morning, Baltimore!" and other Hairspray songs while I was there. At first my plan was to get pictures that coincided with songs from the musical, but I quickly abandoned that idea. I don't want pictures of rats on the streets or bums at bar-room stools. Here is the only picture that I think I can link to the musical. Try to guess which song...
If you answered, "Miss Baltimore Crabs," congratulations! You are "SMRT."

So although Plan A fell through, I have plenty of pictures of the harbor and fun people!

There were a lot of really cool ships at the harbor.

This one is from Norway that just made port in Baltimore. What a pretty ship!
Front view of the Norwegian ship.
The platform leading onto the Norwegian ship. They had a Norwegian office guarding the entrance and answering questions about the ship.
This is my attempt at being photographically artistic. Still the Norwegian ship.
While we were walking around the harbor, one ship seemed to come out of nowhere and started squirting water towards the docks. They played Pirates of the Caribbean music, but once there was a break in the music, they all yelled, "Everybody say 'ARGH!'" We all yelled back, "ARGH!"

Another ship in the harbor.
We went to the harbor several times.

Yet another attempt at being artistic.
Megan Dorth, Hannah, and me.

There was a street performer right next to the harbor. He is balancing on two skateboards with the wheels facing each other, four plastic cups, a wood board, a pipe, and his trunk. AND, he is juggling a bowling ball, a machete, and a lit torch.

This is my attempt with artistic water photography. Meh.
Fall does exist somewhere!

Overall, I really, really enjoyed the conference and spending time with such awesome people. I bet you never thought writing center work could offer these kinds of perks!

Disney Desperate Housewives

2010-10-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted regularly. Life carries me away sometimes--I don't weigh very much. Plus, our camera and our computer must be having a fight because they aren't talking to each other. Pictures of us are on hold right now. But I can share this.

Ever since high school, this has been my favorite comic--ever!!

I thought of it today, Halloween. I don't know why. I didn't dress up as a Disney princess, although that would be awesome!! If anything else, it is on my blog for a record, in case my yellowed cut-out copy ever disappears.

By the way, I have to give a huge shout out to my older sister, who is going to have fraternal twins!!! We're very excited for her. She will be a wonderful, but tired, mother. :) Love you, Karen!

Fall!!!

2010-09-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to post something. Life has been crazy this summer. Tracy was gone five out of seven days of the week for three months, and then he was gone for almost a month working on his and another graduate student's research. I worked A LOT and took on several projects at home and work. Whew!!

By the way, I was released from working with the young women in our ward. Yeah, I totally cried. (I can admit it. I know why they don't ask if we are willing to be released, because I would have said no. haha! JK) But I was called to be the Relief Society pianist, which will be a challenge for me. I have to practice and practice and practice to be good enough to have people sing to my playing. I feel that I've improved since this calling, and I know with practice, time, and confidence I'll only get better. So this new calling was really an answer to prayer.

Anyway, luckily school has started again, which means several things. Tracy will be home consistently again. Yay!! School supplies are super cheap. Yay!! College football dominates our TV on Saturdays. Semi-yay!

In the north, school starting would mean that fall is here or will soon be here. I love fall!! In College Station, Texas, there is no fall. No beautiful colors, no brisk, chilly weather, no hot chocolate. Just sweat and rain that tease me with temporary tolerable temperatures (alliteration was unintentional here, I promise) before they climb back up again with more horrible humidity (okay this alliteration was intentional). Eventually temperatures plummet to almost freezing, which slightly brings fall-like sensations. At least I get to have hot chocolate! Oh, I can't wait for that!

And this fall, I get a special treat. Kellee, my little sister, is coming to visit me!! I'm so excited! I've never had a visitor from the family stay with us before! She's coming in three weeks, but I've already got it all planned!

Isn't fall amazing?

Let's Hear It for the Boy!

2010-07-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

This is my little brother at one our church buildings in Austria, when he went on his choir tour a year ago.

My little brother, Todd (or Elder Kupfer now), left for his mission to Orlando, Florida, on July 21. We are so excited for him. But how crazy is that?!? It definitely makes me feel old. My little brother is growing up!

Sometimes people want to go on exotic missions, which honestly would be really cool, but I think state-side missions are sometimes even harder than foreign missions. The people here aren't as humble as they are in other countries. Americans are spoiled and too proud sometimes. I think there will be a lot more distractions in the United States as well. Although he won't be trudging through jungles or learning a difficult foreign language, I know that he will have to work hard in order to bring people closer to Christ.

I know he will be a great missionary. He is friendly, compassionate, and strong in his convictions. We'll be praying for his safety and success. We love you and miss you already, Elder Kupfer!!

At the Beginning with You

2010-07-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, I married my best friend. Being apart for five out of seven days of the week has made me realize how lucky I am to have him in my life.

We've learned a lot, but we still got a long way to go!

Girls Camp 2010

2010-07-03T08:53:00.001-07:00

Unless you have been to girls camp, it is hard to describe what it's like. Unless you experience it, it is hard to understand why girls and leaders get excited about going.

But I'll try to illustrate what happened at our camp this year: Mission Possible 2010. (Sorry I don't have more pictures.)

I led the fourth years (15-year-olds), and we had a blast!!

These are some of my girls. They are amazing and gorgeous!!!

When we helped the kitchen staff prepare for breakfast, we grouped the boxes and then color coordinated them to make a rainbow. Only girls would take the time to do that. Love it!

Three of the four amazing Chicks in Charge on the fourth day at camp. But the four also refers to fourth years. Yeah! hehe.

Here they had to stand on a tarp and flip it over without stepping off.

Notice how two girls are holding on to each other. They became best friends during camp. I hope they never let go of each other.

During their "Rough Out" earlier this year, they came up with a phrase that we continued at camp--"There's a badge for that." We made sashes and badges for them to "earn." They earned badges when they completed their certification, which were the serious ones and the ones we made before camp, but they could also make badges for any of the silly things they did as well. I made a ton of the "Bug killer" badges. They made badges for braiding hair, using water guns, completing a couple of epic "Gotcha Good" moments on the Chicks in Charge, squeezing all the fourth years in the four wheeler we occasionally used, spilling something on one of my badges (I was the only one that earned that badge), putting one of the funniest skits in the stake, passing on the camp's chain curse of the chicken hound (a freaky green, warped figure of a chicken-dog hybrid), and so much much more!! There was even a badge for our saying: TABFT= There's a badge for that.

Here is my sash. I don't have all the badges that all the girls had, but at least you can see some examples.

The star badge is for identifying constellations, the fire one is for gathering firewood and starting a fire, and the red cross one is for First Aid. I earned the "I'm a Clutz" badge because I spilled something on it. The blue one with the arrows is for recycling, and the star one with the book was for reading their scriptures every day.
I baked cookies before I went to camp, so I got the cookies badge. The one with lightning and a tornado is for severe weather training.

TABFT= There's a badge for that. We surrounded the Chicks and their room with Caution tape, so we all earned that badge. The one at the right is all of us piled into the four wheeler, called a Gator. It's the Gater Done badge. :)

Hailey and Maycie definitely earned their First Aid badge.

Making badges!!

We made a lot of fun memories, too many for anyone to read with patience, but one of my memories is when we did a workshop with a real mousetrap. One girl was blindfolded, and her coach would vocally guide her hand over the mousetrap. When her hand was over the mousetrap in a safe position her coach instructed, "Clamp," and the blindfolded girl would slam her hand over the mousetrap and hold it there so she wouldn't get snapped. For some girls, this was a scary activity. The blindfolded girl had to trust her coach, and she had to ignore all the other people who were told to give the blindfolded girl false instructions. Recognizing the right voice was essential to making this activity work. We had a very special experience with that mousetrap, and I think those girls really learned. I know I did.

No, Lynita isn't holding Ciara's hand. She's holding down the mousetrap, so it won't snap.

Gina's turn. Emily is worried. haha!!

Gina says, "No sweat. I wasn't worried."
Elizabeth guides Sara. They completely trusted each other. So sweet!

This time, everyone helped guide Elizabeth.

I love girls camp. It provides an environment where girls can be free from the distractions, expectations, and judgments of the world. It's a place where girls can be silly with each other, where they sing goofy songs, where they make friends and memories they will cherish for a lifetime. It's a place where they can feel that they are truly loved not only by each other or their leaders but by the Lord for who they are. I can see a lot of amazing potential in these young girls. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to spend the week with them.

I can confidently say that our goal to make girls camp special was achieved. Mission accomplished.

Looking Back . . . I'm Glad

2010-06-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

I called my little sister yesterday, and she reminded me that this week marks one year since I stayed in the hospital for two weeks. When I look back on that experience, I'm surprised at clearly the details of that experience have stayed in my mind, which is a good thing since it has only been a year since it happened. This picture is from one of my better days, just after they took me off the IV fluids that made me gain 10 pounds.

I can actually laugh about the experience now. I laugh when I think about the time that I burst out in tears after swallowing my gum. I laugh when I think about the time that I was almost unnecessarily operated on (key word: ALMOST). I laugh when I think about the time that I apologized to the anesthesiologist who would be "breathing for me" for not having brushed my teeth for a few days. I laugh about how I had to breathe and attempt to laugh so it wouldn't hurt me after someone told a joke or I watched a funny movie.

I always think of that experience when I think of a trial that truly humbled me. I'll admit I could, and should, have endured it better. I cried, wished, hoped, prayed to be delivered from that pain, frustration, and suffering, but I wasn't. I was required to experience more physical pain than I have ever felt before. I took weeks to recover fully from my surgery and all complications at the hospital.

But I know that I received strength enough to get through it. I had my family to help me. I know that people prayed for me. I know that God was there for me even though I might not have seen immediate results. I hope I have learned more patience and faith. I have learned to trust in God and His plan and learned that we are never truly alone.

My Bicycle

2010-05-31T13:56:00.001-07:00

Tracy and I have one car. One. But there are two of us. And during the week, we live in two different places. See the problem?

This makes my life a little . . . uncomfortable, so we bought a bike!!! I'll still be suffering in the humid heinous weather here, but it won't take as long as walking! I'm stoked!

Isn't our new bike beautiful? (Please ignore the clutter in the background. . . . I probably made you look at it and notice it more . . . Oh well.)

I don't know how much I'll like it in July and August, but I'm about 98% sure it'll be better than walking. The 2% of my doubt comes from my crappy helmet hair.

A Memorable Memorial Day

2010-05-31T13:28:00.001-07:00

On this Memorial Day, I'm so grateful that we live in a country where we are free to choose how we live our lives. I wish everyone knew how to use these rights for sensible, responsible, and moral living, but I guess that's part of what freedom means. Unfortunately "freedom for all" includes those who choose to misuse it in many ways.

May we honor those who have sacrificed so much to protect those rights by doing what is right in respecting the environment, giving respect to everyone, becoming involved in our communities, and working honestly and diligently to pursue our dreams and help those around us pursue theirs.

May we use our rights and privileges for good. May we live to give America a good name. God bless us in our efforts.

Lacey's Mom Has Got It Goin' On!!

2010-05-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Fun, creative, caring. She's my mom.

Some of my favorite memories with my mom are singing duets at church, dancing as if we knew what we were doing, creating inside jokes ("we could always eat!"), making fun of opera singers together, eating her delicious stir fry (and homemade pizza, shakes, cookies, bread...), and well you get the picture.

My mommy has always been there for me. She is such a great example of a strong and faithful woman, and I am so impressed that she has been able to do so much in her life. Plus, when I'm older, I hope I have a fabulous body like hers!

I know I'm late, but I still want to wish her a happy Mother's Day!! I'll always need you, Mommy! I love you!

Manualautophobia: Confessions of a Troubled Mind

2010-04-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

I think it is crazy how many phobias there are these days. People can really be afraid of anything: otters (lutraphobia), vegetables (lachanophobia), the sun (heliophobia), thinking (phronemophobia), computers (logizomechanophobia), numbers (numerophobia), and even books (bibliophobia)!!! Even though I loved watching Monk and I miss that show a lot, I find it hard to believe that someone actually could be afraid of milk!

These are some things I am irrationally afraid of or greatly dislike to some degree.

Enetophobia and Aichmophobia: the fear of needles or pins
This one is common. I don't like needles at all, but I don't pass out when I see them or feel them, especially after 12 days in the hospital being stabbed at least once a day.

Altophobia: fear of heights
Again, a common one. I don't like standing next to the edge of a drastic height, but sometimes the view is amazing, making the scary height worth it.

Apiphobia: fear of bees
This probably isn't as common, but I don't think I'm alone with this. I really don't like bees. For some reason, they seem like they fly out of their way to buzz around me threateningly just to mess with my head. Bees, just make your honey, and leave me alone!

But the thing that frightens me the most is truly terrifying. I'm afraid to drive a stick-shift car!!--which happens to be the kind of car we have. (I looked everywhere on the internet, and there is no assigned name to the fear of driving a stick-shift car. Sad. So I created manualautophobia.)

That's right. I am completely afraid to drive our only car. My heart races, I sweat, my breathing quickens, and my mind jumps to all the worst-case scenarios: I stall in the middle of the busiest intersection and can't start again before the light changes, or I stall on a steep hill and roll backwards (apparently, my brakes go out too).

I technically know how to drive our car, and I have driven it before, but I feel 100% uncomfortable with it. I would rather walk for miles than drive somewhere if I'm the one that has to drive that car. And most things I need to get to are within walking distance. I know it's irrational, and I know that time and practice will help me get rid of this fear, but for me it is more painful than all the hangnails and papercuts I've ever experienced put together. OUCH!

Part of the problem is that because of Tracy's internship in Houston this summer, I will not even have access to the car during the week, so I have little to no (more no than little) motivation to practice. But with my calling with the Young Womens program, I need to be able to give them rides home or offer transportation for our activities or meetings. So I guess I have a little motivation.

Again, I know it's stupid, and I know when I tell other people about this fear, they think "Suck it up!" "Get over it!" "Grow up!" To them I say, please be patient with me. I'm trying to try and care. I fear this more than a lot of things--except things like not being able to have kids, becoming a widow at a young age, or having children who choose to do horrible things (you know, the things that actually matter). And don't worry, I intend to beg for Heaven's help too. Silly, I know, but it definitely can't hurt.

Wish me luck! I'm going to need it!

Me Time?

2010-04-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, there aren't too many pictures on here for the past couple of posts, and the reason behind that is that Tracy has the camera in west Texas for a class field trip. So I have depend on the pictures I already have . . . and they don't help me portray my "me time" at all.

Tracy's field trip lasts nine days, leaving me with a ton of alone time. Or does it? NOT!! I like how I won't even have a chance to miss him really. I'm spending that time doing so many awesome things!!

Last Friday and Saturday, I helped out with our stake youth conference and taught one of the workshops on Saturday. (P.S. A big thanks goes out to a certain all-powerful, all-knowing Being, you know who you are, who held off the rain until my outdoor workshop was done.) The theme was from Joshua 1:9--Be Stong! We had so much fun!! I love working with the youth, and I learn and grow from those activities probably as much as they do. Even though I spent a lot of time on youth conference with a hundred other people, I felt so good afterward.

Now, it's back to work and normal life (i.e. catching up on cleaning the house--you know, the pig sty I live in--oh yeah), until Thursday when I leave for a regional writing center conference in Louisiana. I'm presenting on the tutoring environment and how to make it more conducive to learning and collaboration. Hoighty-toighty, right?

Tracy and I will get back to College Station on Saturday to start it over again.

But I'll have basically all summer for "me time." Tracy will be working in Houston and coming home on the weekend. Needless to say, my house will be covered in projects, and I might want to have girls' night sleepovers in the middle of the week. Any takers?

I've found that having "me time" alone is really nice and I am looking forward to it for the summer (only a little though), but doing something for other people is a much better use of my time. I feel that I have accomplished something, and I know I won't get bored or lonely.

So Nice to Be Where I Belong

2010-04-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Imagine Louis Armstrong: Hello, Lacey! Well, hello, Lacey! It's so nice to have you back where you belong!

That's right. I am in Young Womens!! I will be working with the 12- and 13-year-old girls in my ward. I am so excited! I'm also going to camp with most of my Beehive girls at camp as the second year certification leader for the stake, so we'll be pretty darn tight soon.

Already I can feel that this calling will be a lot of work, from what I have witnessed the years and years my mom has been in Young Womens, but I can tell that I will love it. I know that my leaders' efforts made Young Womens significant for me. I grew so much(physically, mentally, and spiritually), made so many friends, and felt strong and close to God in part because of Young Womens, and now it is my turn to give back and pay it forward to them.

Plus, Young Womens will let me feel and be young again! You know, since I am so old at twenty-two.

For our first activity this week, we sewed pillow cases. I got to bust out my wicked awesome sewing machine (thanks again, Tracy). Those pillow cases were adorable!! We were tempted to have a sleepover with our new pillowcases.

I might belong in another calling later in life, but for now, I am where I belong. And I can't wait to get to work!

Reeve Family VI March Madness

2010-04-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Elbow, elbow. Wrist, wrist . . . I won! I feel like a celebrity!

I won my extended family's March Madness challenge. My bracket was the least destroyed after all those crazy upsets. In addition to a pretty sweet gift card (thanks Uncle Gerry!), I get bragging rights over all (76 total people) my cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, parents, and especially my husband for a whole year! Don't worry. I'll go easy on 'em.

You might be wondering "what is her key to success? how did she know?" Well, after I publish a book about it, you can find out. (Uh, right.) Until then, I guess I could just talk about it here. I have no real strategy. Nope. None.

I chose Duke to win because I really like Coach K. (Don't be too impressed; he's the only coach I know by name, or by initial really.) I said that Georgetown (3rd seed) would lose to Ohio (14th seed) mostly because Georgetown had a player that was rude and too dramatic for my liking. Unreliable? Silly? Impractical? Perhaps, but apparently I did something right!

I love upsets, except with Duke. I like watching Duke win. I like watching teams rise to the challenge and play with everything they have, even though no one gave them even a snowball's chance in Arizona. That's what makes watching sports fun--close battles, with sometimes the underdog coming out on top.

My words of wisdom for March Madness: never underestimate the underdogs.

We'll Follow the Old Man: Lt. Col. Kelvin Kupfer

2010-04-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Twenty-three years ago, my dad joined the air force with two young kids and one on the way (me!!). Almost half of my life was spent on a rural military base. Up until I was twelve, the air force was all I knew. I didn't know people went grocery shopping anywhere else than the commissary. I thought everyone had miles of land to run around in their backyard. (In New York, we even had our own mini-forest and creek.) I thought everyone knew what the BX was. I thought F18s and other aircraft flew everywhere. (I know that's an old model now. They were new back then.) I thought every film in movie theaters started with the national anthem. (I actually got mad at everyone for not standing up in my first civilian movie experience.) Since we moved to Arizona, my dad has used his vacation time from his civilian job to work for the air force and NASA tracking satellites and doing a lot of other awesome things. (He is so awesome that he has to get special clearance to leave the country to make sure he won't give away confidential secrets!)

On April 2, today, my dad retired from the air force as a lieutenant colonel. I have always been my dad's military baby, and although it has been years since I set foot an air force base, I have to admit that while I am so happy that he will be able to use his vacation time for just that, his retirement is rather bittersweet for me. But my joy for him far exceeds any nostalgia.

My dad is a great example of quiet service, sacrifice, love, and patriotism. I am so grateful to him, and I am thrilled that he gets to have his own moment in the spotlight. I'm proud of you, Daddy!

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things I liked about BYU while we were there. NOT having a spring break definitely was NOT one of them!

1 whole week+0 school or work+2 Texas-sized cities+2 people=endless adventures! Well, not endless exactly . . . we did have to come back to normal life. But we had a lot of fun!

Homemade fries take a lot of work and time, but they are pretty yummy!
We went to the Blue Bell creamery. This brand of ice cream is the best selling ice cream in Texas. I am an ice cream lover, and it is delicious! We got a free sample at the end of our tour. Sweet!

Inside the Alamo walls in the San Antonio.

Uh, this looks a little sketchy, don't you think? I don't sniff my chips.

I forget. What is this place called? I'm trying to remember. (Cheesy, I know, but obligatory with the famous phrase.)

The San Antonio River has a beautiful walkway that runs alongside it.
Does that mean we can park here? Apparently, the driver of that car thought so.
Uh, what?
We also visited Hess, the company that Tracy will be working for this summer! We got to see some of his future co-workers. He is so excited! It's going to be awesome!!
The Houston Texas Temple.

We know many more Texas adventures are still to come, because--let's face it--Texas is a huge state!

Some Favorite Quotes of the Day

2010-02-25T18:11:00.001-08:00

If you asked me to tell you my all-time favorite quotes, I would take weeks or months to finish the personally daunting task. Too many people have said too many cool and meaningful things! But some of these are quotes that have stuck out to me lately. New or other quotes will probably appeal to me soon, but for now, these are on my mind.

"Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Thought we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely." --Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live." --Henry David Thoreau

"Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at the blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forearm." --Gene Fowler

"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourse of my book-friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness." --Helen Keller

"Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen." --Epictetus

14 Reasons Why I Love Tracy

2010-02-10T10:21:00.001-08:00

Tracy and I don't get much of a Valentine's Day this year--we will be in an airport most of the day. His grandmother died, so we are going up to Washington for the funeral and to spend some much needed time with his family.

But just because we'll be stuck in an airport with long delays, short tempers, and abundant free peanuts, we can still find and feel love (especially if you've seen Love Actually, but I have to admit that I've only seen the edited version). So, I am going to list 14 (get it? Feb. 14) reasons why I love Tracy. I hope I can keep it to only 14 reasons.

1. Tracy works so hard. He often worries about providing for me and our future family, but he is doing a fantastic job!

2. Tracy always gives me an equal share of everything. Our bowls of ice cream look identical. He is happy to share the covers (but apparently I am not). He will save the last brownie for me if I haven't had as many as he has. And he always brings home leftovers for me if he gets free food or free gifts at work or school.

3. Tracy calls me his pretty lady when I am sad. Tracy is not a man of many words when it comes to romance, or consolation, but this one phrase melts me every time. As well as "I love you," of course.

4. Tracy is frugal. I hate spending money. And Tracy hates spending money even more than I do. Although this can be annoying when I go shopping with friends or family (my mom, sisters, and/or sister-in-law, basically not the boys), I really appreciate his concern for our budget. We have saved so much money because we talk about our purchases.

5. Tracy is manly enough to blow kisses at me--occasionally even in public.

6. Tracy has promised to take me to England and wants to take me many other places. That alone makes him so amazing! Of course all this other stuff helps too!

7. Tracy is my best friend. We talk about everything. He respects me. We are equals and partners in all we do together.

8. Tracy is a great driver, unless you cut him off, have your brights on, don't use your blinker, go to fast or too slow, or aren't paying attention. Then he's a very angry, but still safe, driver.

9. Tracy loves music. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life and eternity with anyone who didn't love music as much as I do. He underestimates his talents, and he is a great musician.

10. Tracy thanks me for dinner. I think he realizes that cooking is not the easiest or most enjoyable thing for me, so he thanks me for the food I make. I'm appreciated!

11. Tracy loves to surprise me. I was a naggy spoil sport when we were engaged, and I forced him to tell me where we were going on our honeymoon. Since then he has tried his best to pay me back and prove to me that he can keep surprises a secret. When we moved from Utah to Washington, he and my mom plotted to have her come up and help us get ready, unbeknownst to me. Then this Christmas, Tracy got me a sewing machine!! Everyone was in on it but me.

12. Tracy is very eloquent. He chooses his words very carefully and often uses words that are not exactly usual in casual conversation. He rarely stutters and is confident with speaking in public. So we both love words!

13. Tracy isn't perfect. Who is? He has his flaws, and I have mine. I really don't like some of his flaws, and I am sure vice versa is true too. What I love is that fact that he is imperfect, but he is trying to do the best he can. So am I!! We can be imperfect together and help each other become the best we can be.

14. Tracy is my prince in our love story. Tracy and I have very different memories of how our love story got started. Tracy says that we met when he was telling people about a ward activity coming up. He says that when I came to the door he stuttered and fumbled over his words (See #12). He says that he knew then that he had to get to know me better. The first time I remember him was when we were playing ultimate frisbee and he tackled me! I like to say he swept me off my feet--literally. Little did I know that that playful guy at the game would be my companion, my best friend, my husband.

Happy Valentine's Day, Tracy!! I love you!!

Strengths Finder Test

2010-02-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, I had a training meeting at the writing center where I work. We took a test that diagnosed our personalities and gave us what our strengths are. The purpose of the workshop was to understand, appreciate, and improve our strengths to work better with others.

I have to admit that during the test, I occasionally talked with my co-workers and I went too slow on some of the questions (it was a timed test). But I think some of the results are pretty accurate.

My top five themes:
Connectedness
Input
Learner
Responsibility
Developer

What do these mean? Well . . .

Connectedness

"Things happen for a reason. You are sure of it. You are sure of it because in your soul you know that we are all connected. Yes, we are individuals, responsible for our own judgments and in possession of our own free will, but nonetheless we are part of something larger. Some may call it the collective unconscious. Others may label it spirit or life force. But whatever your word of choice, you gain confidence from knowing that we are not isolated from one another or from the earth and the life on it. This feeling of Connectedness implies certain responsibilities. If we are all part of a larger picture, then we must not harm others because we will be harming ourselves. We must not exploit because we will be exploiting ourselves. Your awareness of these responsibilities creates your value system. You are considerate, caring, and accepting. Certain of the unity of humankind, you are a bridge builder for people of different cultures. Sensitive to the invisible hand, you can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond our humdrum lives. The exact articles of your faith will depend on your upbringing and your culture, but your faith is strong. It sustains you and your close friends in the face of life’s mysteries. "

Very true. I do feel strongly that no matter where we come from or who we are, we can always find some common ground. Parents love their children everywhere. Love feels the same anywhere, although it doesn't necessarily manifest itself in the same way. I like how it said, "sensitive to the invisible hand," I'll just call it the Spirit. I'm trying to be sensitive to it. If anything, this theme tells me that my faith is a part of me, not just something I do once a week on Sunday or say to others. I believe that we are all brothers and sisters and we should treat each other that way.

Input

"You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books, and quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable. "

I do not collect butterflies, baseball cards, or stamps, but I do like to collect certain kinds of information--mostly travel-related, artistic, musical, and literary or written information. I want to know all I can. I want to read all I can (even though I haven't read as much as some of my peers). I want to learn more artistic and homemaking skills. I want to sing way more than I do. I want to gather as much music and I can. So much to do, so little time.

Learner

"You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the 'getting there.'"

I do love to learn. I want to learn about so many things that I don't think I could become an expert in any of them. I do enjoy the journey, but I also enjoy the feeling of competence in an area. I have to think of that goal before I start a difficult process of learning something; otherwise, I'll burn out.

Responsibility

"Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help—and they soon will—you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should. "

This is one that I'm not sure completely fits me. Aspects of it fit me for sure, and this one has been on my mind lately. While I do take ownership of my tasks and often take on more than I can handle (because I love when people think to ask me for help--see the previous post), I think I feel more emotionally and professionally bound to the person rather than the task or maintaining my good name (although keeping my good name is definitely a concern). When I read that part about taking on too much, I laughed out loud. That's me. I can't say no. Sometimes I don't know my limitations. I'm not complaining. I love doing all the things I do, but sometimes I don't know what I was thinking.

Developer

"You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth—a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments—invisible to some—are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you."

I do enjoy seeing improvement in the students that come in to the writing center. Even if they just realize that they're missing a comma or something small like that, I usually make a big deal about it, so they know that they are improving.

In general, the themes covered me pretty well. I think there were twenty or thirty characteristics, and the presenter said that each of us has some combination of all of them. She also said that the purpose of the program is to be aware of who you are, learn to appreciate your own strengths, and use them to your and others' benefit. I will try to use my powers for good!!

I Live for Little Moments

2010-01-22T17:01:00.000-08:00

I need to appreciate these, and many other little moments, more often. They are silly, they happen all the time, but they provide true joy in life.

I love when...
-all the traffic lights ahead turn green.
-Tracy lets me hold the remote and decide what to watch (meaning not sports).
-I find a diamond in the rough at a garage sale for super cheap.
-the last adorable shirt is my size and is on sale.
-Tracy makes dinner, so I don't have to after a long day (even if he's had a long day too).
-I get a text from my sister or a really good friend telling me a funny story.
-I organize a small corner of our landfill-like apartment.
-people think to ask me for help with something.
-I can cross off the last item on a long to-do list.
-the total of a purchase comes to an exact dollar amount.
-I catch the clock at 12:34 p.m.
-I call home and hear my little sister call my name excitedly in the background.
-my niece says she wants to be like me.
-Tracy calls me his pretty lady.

Little moments or God's tender mercies are everywhere. I don't think I can write all of the down, and even if I did, I don't think anyone would want to read all of them, except me. I'm so happy for them, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Let's Go to the Movies!!

2010-01-08T18:10:00.001-08:00

When we lived in Washington, Tracy and I avoided movie theaters like the plague. We were on a tight budget, and movie theaters suck out at least $7 per person--for the matinee price!!

Here in College Station, Texas, while we are still on a budget, one matinee ticket costs $3.50. It cost just $7 for both of us to see a movie today. Not bad, not bad at all. We thought about buying popcorn with our savings--yes, we just thought about it. We could use what we saved for another movie another time. haha!

We still probably won't see every movie in the theaters. After all, we're official fans of Redbox now. But if we do want to go the movies, we don't have to feel like we're completely wasting our money.

English 777: Christmas as Literature---Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry if I get a little too deep, loquacious, English major-y, or preachy in this post. I write about things I care and think about, and I count the content this post as one of those things.

Other than reading books, poems, and short stories I love for assignments, one of my favorite things about having been an English major is interpreting symbols and meaning in texts. Symbols allow us to understand abstract concepts more clearly. Likewise, one of my favorite things about Christmas is that it is completely filled with fun symbols and interpretation.

Some meanings of symbols are easy to see.

Candles and twinkle lights represent the light that Christ brings to the world. Even during dark nights, their, and His, light can be seen.

Wreaths symbolize the endless nature of God's love and the eternal life we can have with Him.

Just as the evergreen (especially the now popular fake tree) never dies, the love of Christ never fails or fades.

The star guided the shepherds and kings to the Savior just as He guides us through life back to Him.

Gifts symbolize the gifts brought by the kings and, obviously and more importantly, the gift God provides for us--His Son (John 3:17).

Candy canes resemble shepherd crooks. (Shepherds are one of my favorite symbols in Christianity. I'll talk about shepherds more later.)

The humble setting in which the Savior was born foreshadowed His living conditions through life--humble and lowly.

It seems that almost everything about Christmas points to the Savior. But lately, a few symbols or representations have stuck out to me.

As I thought about how "cold" it is getting, I started wondering what winter had to do with Christmas, other than that's when we have this holiday. Why is the celebration of the Savior's birth in the season when much in nature dies?

Again, I might be stretching here, but these are the thoughts I had. The birth of the Savior, as miraculous and beautiful as it was, only served to bring Him to the earth for His real purpose: to atone for the world, to save the natural man, to help us return to Him. Before He came, fallen mankind had spiritually died or was spiritually separated from God. Before He came, people could only hope that He would come to save them. "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in [Bethlehem] tonight" ("O Little Town of Bethlehem"). His birth interrupts this state, and when He performed the Atonement, was crucified, and was resurrected, He overcame man's fallen state, a spiritual death or separation from God. We can now experience a rebirth and live again with God because of Jesus Christ. Similarly, Easter, the celebration of His death (and obviously His Atonement and Resurrection as well), comes at a time when life in nature is restored. In this way, nature serves as a symbol for man's relationship with God.

There are so many meanings, messages, and responsibilities associated with shepherds. When we refer to the Savior as our shepherd, we usually think of the one lost sheep He saves (Luke 15:4-7) and how that applies to all of us. We also think of our roles as stewards to help those around us by feeding His sheep (John 21:15-17). I love these interpretations; they add so much depth to my understanding of the Savior and my relationship with Him.

But I've come to see shepherds in a different light as well. Jesus repeatedly says, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine" (John 10:14). At BYU my New Testament professor, Dr. Parker, told a story about a shepherd he met in Israel. When Dr. Parker approached this shepherd, he noticed that the shepherd was wearing a bulging sling closely tied across his chest. Drawing closer, Dr. Parker realized the shepherd had an injured lamb in the sling. When asked how the lamb was injured, the shepherd admitted to breaking the lamb's leg--on purpose. He said that the lamb would not come when he called its name, so he broke the lamb's leg, so that it would need to be held close to him and learn to recognize his voice and come to him when beckoned. This story has meant a lot to me as I have gone through difficult times. Sometimes we need to endure trials to know Him more, to recognize His voice, to follow when we are beckoned.

In ancient and modern Israel, shepherds cared for the sheep that would be used for sacrifices. But in Exodus, the Lord says that only a firstborn lamb can be used for specific sacrifices (Exo. 13:2-3). So shepherds must witness the birth of the firstborn lamb and present that firstborn lamb for a sacrifice. In the Christmas story, after they witness the birth of the baby Jesus, the shepherds "made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child," this Messiah, this Savior, this Firstborn Lamb of God (Luke 2:17). They are witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this way, we need to be shepherds just to bear witness of the divinity of the Savior. At this time of year, I feel it is appropriate to share my feelings about the reason we have this holiday. I testify that I know Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that He lives and loves each of us. He was born that He might live to save us from our sins, to die, and to live again.

Merry Christmas, everyone!! Enjoy the wonderful spirit of the season!!!!

OH, FUDGE!!!!

2009-12-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

I have decided to carry on a family tradition--making fudge kisses!! I called Mom and asked for all her secrets and tips, had everything set out, and documented every second of this monumental occasion.

I wore the apron this high because I didn't want my sweater to get dirty. I didn't care about my pajama pants. It looks dorky, but it works.
This is me showing my apprehension... here we go!!
All the fudge is gone already!!! Just kidding. This is after I loaded up the kisses.
Even though this looks like crap, it's leftover fudge. Big difference.
Cooling fudge kisses. Sorry this one is oriented wrong. Just turn your head to the side.
In the end, I am pleased with the results. I think I did everything right, even though I made a mess when I poured fudge into the kiss molds. Not bad for my first time. Thus, the tradition is passed on to the next generation, and the circle of life continues.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2009-12-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

Here in Texas, Tracy and I have the chance to postpone turning on the heater as long as possible. Through days of 50-degree weather, we have enjoyed a cool apartment. I think I could get used to this kind of weather.

We just barely turned the heater on last night because it is 40 degrees today. It even "snowed." brrrrr.... This is probably the coldest it will be all winter. Assuming today will be the coldest, Tracy and I are pretty determined to leave our winter coats in the boxes, but we aren't above bundling up.

I like these little bits of cold in December. It's just enough to want and need hot chocolate and, for mom, start a fire in the fireplace. It's just enough to cuddle up in a blanket and feel perfectly content. It's just enough to make it feel like Christmas.

What a wonderful time of the year!!!

Giving Thanks

2009-11-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

I would kick myself if I didn't write a blog expressing my thanks. Obviously, I can't include everything I am grateful for, so I'll just mention the ones that have been on my mind lately.

I am grateful for ice cream. It makes my work week melt away as it melts in my mouth. Just talking about ice cream makes me want some.

Tracy is grateful for his alarm clock, because he would be late for work and class every day without it. It is his drill sergeant, and it gets him going. Thanks, alarm clock!

But seriously...

I am so grateful for family. This may seem too generic or boring, but in saying that I am grateful for family, I communicate much more. I am grateful for my husband, my best friend, who has done so much for me to make me feel loved and happy. I am grateful for parents, who love and support me and who have taught me how to be a good human being. I am grateful for siblings, who have been brilliant examples of love and true friendship. I am grateful that I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which declares that families can be together forever. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father, who gave his Son so that I may return to Him.

I am so thankful for the written word. I can't describe the feelings and thoughts that race through me when I read beautifully crafted writing. So much of who I am comes from what I have read. Some reading has forced me to evaluate my life, ponder aspects of humanity, search my soul, stretch my faith, and dig deeper into myself and into truth. The written word can communicate almost any emotion or idea. Even though most of the words I see at work and on a daily basis are for school assignments and for putting me asleep, I treasure my literacy.

I am so grateful for music. Sometimes even more powerful than the written word, music communicates emotions audibly. I'm in awe of those who can arrange notes in a manner that is compelling and moving.

I thank God for beautiful moments. I suppose all the things I have already expressed thanks for fit under this category. I live for those tiny moments when my breath catches in my chest and I have an "ah ha!" moment. They come at different times: sometimes when Tracy holds my hand, when a book or poem makes me laugh or cry or contemplate, when I see my family all around me as we talk in the living room, when I see a beautiful painting, when a beautiful song makes my heart pound. And the message of the "ah ha!" moment varies: I am loved, family rocks!, this is what heaven must be like, this is exactly what I've always wanted in life, I need to change, and others like these.

But beyond just giving thanks through words, I think it is also important to give thanks to those around me by serving them. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am grateful for all of you!

You put what on it??

2009-11-17T16:16:00.001-08:00

One of the many adjustments involved in marriage is getting used to each other's tastes--in decorating, in clothing, in food. For the past two years, I have been amazed at how much pepper Tracy puts on his food. With the exception of sugary foods, he puts a ton of pepper on everything. His plate is usually covered in black.

But excessive pepper isn't the only thing he does that shocked me at first.

Can you guess what this is? (Karen, you aren't allowed to give it away, because you ate this meal with us once! jk.) No, it's not taco salad. No, it's not nachos. It's baked potatoes. Can't see the potatoes? That's because on top of two large potatoes there are several layers of sour cream, cheese, (both pretty standard) ham, olives, and salsa. Yep, salsa.

By the time he's done designing this masterpiece, it weighs about a pound or a pound and a half--no joke. I admit that I have implemented olives and ham into my normal sour cream and cheese baked potato routine, but my potatoes weigh probably half or three-quarters (at most) as much as his do.

He swears that salsa is what makes baked potatoes delicious, so the brave-hearted and hearty-stomached can try this combination if you wish. I'm perfectly content with my baked potatoes how they are.

By now I'm used to it, and I set the salsa out for him. The pepper is sometimes still shocking though. I feel that it will take many years of marriage to adjust to that.

No, I am not a student . . .

2009-11-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

This December I'll be a college graduate for one year. It doesn't seem that it has been that long. Don't get me wrong, we've done a ton since last December, but I feel that I have never left school.

At work, all three jobs of work, students ask me about my homework load, my classes, my major, my graduation date, and all the other normal college small talk starters. Instead of explaining everything (I'm actually done, my husband is a student, and I'm just working) and dealing with all the funny looks people give me, often I just say, "My major is English. My class load isn't too bad. And yours?" Is it lying? I suppose technically, but do people really want to know my whole life's story? No, not really.

I am taking a non-credit class, and I attend a political science class as part of being a professor's writing assistant. I carry a backpack around with all my notebooks, novels, and planners. That makes me a student, right?

I do miss the lectures and class discussions, I'll admit, but it's nice coming home with little to do. Lately, though, I've a lot of papers to comment on, presentations to plan, and other outside-work planning. I feel like a strange student-teacher combination.

When Tracy is finally done with his master's degree in a year and a half, I'll feel like I have truly graduated, because we will probably not live in a college town.

So, I have another year and a half to my graduation, too. haha.

This Girl's Girly Weekend

2009-11-07T07:13:00.001-08:00

While Tracy is out in the wilderness, hiking the Oklahoman terrain, looking at rocks, taking vigorous notes for a thorough Dr. Pope, and laboring geologically from 6 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m., I have the house to myself. Whoa! What should I do? Perhaps the question should be what can't I do?

So far I have watched You've Got Mail, one of my all-time favorite chick flicks, and eaten pizza. (Don't worry. I didn't eat it all. I had to save room for candy and Oreos. Only somewhat JK.) While I watched, I painted a first coat on two shelves and a small sign. Yay!!!

What should I do today? I'll apply a second coat of paint to the shelves. I'm going to a baby shower this afternoon. I'll probably finish off the pizza and try to avoid all the other junk food we have somehow accrued these past couple of weeks. (Dang it!) I'll probably watch a few more chick flicks or musicals, because Tracy gets most of the airtime with football when he's here. I have to take advantage of this opportunity. Hello Dolly, Phantom of the Opera, or Sense and Sensibility?

I have missed him though. I hate going to bed alone and being the only one in the house. It's scary. But it has been nice having the house to myself and doing those girly things that I occasionally want to do, although the only girly thing I've done really is watch girly movies. haha Tracy gets back tomorrow night, and I can't wait to see him!!

Halloween

2009-11-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am wearing socks with my flip-flops. It looks more Japanese, don't you think?

He hates pictures of himself.

I have to say that I'm rather disappointed in myself this Halloween. My costume wasn't that impressive and we didn't really do anything with friends. I was Michaelangelo, the orange ninja turtle, and Tracy was a Brazilian cowboy, a gaucho.

I hate scary things. I refuse to watch scary movies, because even the most innocent of movies have given me nightmares. For example, I had several nightmares about the spiders from Jumanji and the carnivores from the Jurassic Park series. So you'd think that I'd hate Halloween. I will never go to a haunted house, go to a cemetery, or, as I said earlier, watch scary movies. But Halloween isn't all that bad. I like dressing up, being silly, and eating disgusting amounts of candy (I like it, but my stomach does not). When I am coming up with my costume ideas, I try to keep two things in mind: humor and ease.

I like to make people laugh at my costumes, even if it's just for a few seconds. I don't want something I have to explain. These two often are at odds with each other. For example, last year I was a "DEAD manuscript." In the editing field, when the editing changes have been input, the marked up manuscript is no longer new or useful, so we put "DEAD" on it to indicate that it is an old copy. For my costume, I wrote black text and marked over it with red permanent marker and stamped "DEAD" on it. My co-workers laughed, my bosses took pictures, my editing professor proudly showed me off to his colleagues, but I had to explain the joke to everyone else, which killed the joke.

I like to use what I have or spend very little in putting a costume together. While store-bought costumes look more authentic, more time and effort obviously goes into making a costume from scratch or from random pieces. One of my co-workers at the bookstore dressed up as a ghostbuster. Other than the flight suit, he made everything himself: the patches and the pack (made out of an egg carton, vacuum hose, and an old lunch box with a light inside and some green sludge). I think Halloween should be more about creativity and fun than scariness.

On to the next holiday!! Thanksgiving doesn't get neglected in our household!

Hobby

2009-10-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a pretty well-rounded person. I play volleyball and some other sports, sing, write and edit, play the piano (a little), make scrapbook-y cards, and cook (albeit grudgingly).

Lately, I've had the urge to branch out in all directions. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt. I want to make ridiculously incredible home decorations and furniture myself. I want to paint on canvas. I want to photograph artistically. I want to be involved in theatre productions. I want to try to write a book. I want to make beautiful flower arrangements. I want to read more books. I want to learn a few other languages. I want to join a city league for volleyball. I want to do anything and everything artistic and fun that I possibly can think of. See my problem?

I've tried to narrow down my list of desired hobbies, but I can't bring myself to get rid of any of them. Tracy recommended keeping all of them on the list but just working on a few at a time. But then I have to decide which ones to do first. I'm being silly and childish, but I really want all of them, and I want them now!! :)

Any suggestions? I'll let you know what I decide to focus on, but it will definitely be a difficult decision.

Planning Ahead for Next Summer

2009-10-14T20:55:00.001-07:00

We Wulfs like to be prepared. We like to have things planned out. I keep my planner updated religiously. But both of us were unprepared for geology grad students applying for internships for next summer just a week or two after the semester started. For next summer! Already?! Seriously?!?

Even though Tracy got a slower start on applications, he interviewed with fifteen companies and come home with tons of free stuff--five water bottles, a flashlight, a toy truck, a coffee thermos, flash drives, a deck of playing cards, office supplies, and a hand lense (for looking closely at rocks). But perhaps the most common free item was food. Tracy got at least free ten dinners for going to information sessions and special dinners. We went to the grocery store and realized that we didn't need too much, because we hadn't really eaten any of our own food for dinners. SWEET!! I love free stuff!!!!

But the biggest piece of news we have to share is that Tracy has accepted an internship with Hess, an oil company that is pretty popular on the East Coast. It has many international locations and, while it is relatively small compared to Exxon or Chevron, it has done well in the recent economic crisis. Tracy will be working for Hess in Houston next summer. We are so excited!!

Before I Die

2009-10-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

I really like lists!! I fill notebooks with them. This list was particularly fun to write.

It might seem strange that I’ve compiled a list of things to do before I die. I’m only twenty-two years old for crying out loud! But I’ve learned in the past couple of years that time flies by, and lately I’ve realized that unless I keep these goals of what I want to accomplish in mind, I might never complete them.

Some of these things are things I would like to do, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to. Others I must do before I die (for example, going to Britain). Although I realize that some of these goals are far fetched, I’d like to think none are completely out of my reach. I guess if anything else, this list tells you how imaginative and hopeful I am.

Go to Britain—I must do this!! Did I already say that? I’d like to go for at least two weeks, but I’ll go there for as long as I can. Tracy promised me he’d take me there when we got engaged. I would rather go to Britain than anywhere else on this planet!!

Go to Hawaii or on a cruise (I’ve never experienced this and would like to someday.)

Go to New York City and see a show (or perhaps several) on Broadway (That is, if I can convince Tracy to come and if I bring a pillow for him to sleep on while I watch it.)

Be in another musical (perhaps even be the lead!)

Record my singing on a CD (Obviously it won’t be professionally done and my voice won’t be heard on the radio, but I would like to record my voice on better technology than a twenty-year-old tape recorder.)

Take my kids to Disneyland (or Disneyworld)

Have a garden (both with food and flowers)

Learn French, Latin, Italian and/or Portuguese (I doubt I could learn all of these languages, but I would love to. This list is in order of priority. Since Tracy already knows Portuguese, I figure he can just translate for me. J)

Complete a somewhat impressive visual piece of art (whether a painting or something else) This one might be a little too far out there for my abilities.

Edit for a magazine or book publishing company (even if it’s just for less than a year)

Write a book—not sure whether fiction or nonfiction. I haven’t decided if I actually want to do this. Ironically, I prefer novels written before 1900, mostly from Britain, so it’ll be interesting if I decide to write fiction in America now. A bit hypocritical, huh?

Go to Australia and New Zealand with my brother Todd. (Haha! Right! This is one of those more imaginative ones.) We agreed on this trip years ago—other siblings and family are welcome to come too. This probably won’t really happen, but it would be awesome if it did!

Learn to fence (Not required but again this would be awesome!)

Ride a horse up to a gallop and feel comfortable doing so

Get a master’s degree in English literature and teach (Maybe even a PhD and teach at the college level. This again probably won’t happen, but I’ve thought a little bit about it. Who knows? If this does happen, it will come after my kids are older and I have completed most of the other things I want to do before I die.)

As you can see, I’ve got a lot of work and saving to do to accomplish all this before I die.

Working/The Plague of Texas

2009-09-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have finally reconciled three work schedules and am finally working at all of them. I don't do much else, but I am working. Yay!!

Last Saturday, I worked at the home football game on the third deck in a trailer full of shirts, hats, stuffed animals, and other memorabilia. By the middle of the third quarter, I wished the game would end soon. It wasn't too busy or too slow. It was warm but not unbearable outside. What was the problem? Moses sent the plague of locusts to Texas, and they were all at Kyle Field. Every shirt and hat was covered with inch-long crickets, moths, gnats, and other creepy crawlers.

By the fourth quarter, I was swatting in every direction like a madwoman. When the alumni left their seats at the end of the game, I heard tons of horror stories about crickets landing on people's faces and shirts and crawling down people's shirts and about people's needing to basically brush and groom the backs of those in front of them because of all the bugs. Yuck!!!

Above is a picture from Texas A&M's student newspaper depicting the conditions at the game. Yes, all those black things are crickets. The headline above this picture read, "Bugging Brazos County." I'm glad I'm not the only one. Tracy tells me that in late October the bugs will go away. Needless to say, I'm counting down the days and praying for seagulls to come and eat all those nasty crickets. What did I do to upset you, Moses?

Widowed

2009-09-12T16:23:00.001-07:00

Friends, family, and loved ones.

I want to announce that I am unofficially a widow for the next nine to ten months. College football season starts in September and the NBA Finals end in June. I say again, I am a widow.

Although I admit that I enjoy a few games with him (BYU wins, Notre Dame losses, USC wins, and Texas Longhorn wins), after two games a day, I'm done with football for at least a week. When he watches sports, Tracy becomes a machine. He can't get enough football and basketball.

So, here's to all those good times I had with him. I'll remember him, and I look forward to seeing him again in nine months. Until then, I live with this guy. I guess he'll do until I get Tracy back.

A coerced sports spectator/commentator shows his enthusiasm.
The enthused spectator/commentator caught in action.

Laboring on Labor Day

2009-09-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

Today I went to work and Tracy went to school just like any other Monday, but it isn't another Monday. It's Labor Day.

I'm confused. Aren't we supposed to have Labor Day off? Isn't it a national holiday? I found out that Labor Day was created to celebrate "the social and economic achievements of American workers" (United States Department of Labor) and give the working man (or woman) one day's rest he (or she) rightfully has earned. Even though I've worked at my new job for only one week, I worked well over forty hours (actually closer to fifty hours) doing rather frustrating tasks with people not too eager to help out. Why does Texas hate the common worker?

I'm happy I have a job--don't get me wrong--but getting a day off is always nice.

I got another job at the Texas A&M Writing Center, and coordinating two schedules is way more difficult than I thought it would be. But again, I'm grateful for my jobs, and I will work hard. Too bad I don't have a holiday to celebrate my labor!

New Job, New Possibilities

2009-08-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a long time. I've been waiting until I had something to post. Although I have been working on our apartment pretty much every day, there's only so much you can do without spending money, which we are avoiding right now until I get a job.

I've searched high and low, applied for any and all kinds of jobs, had to take the SAT to be considered for a job (but that job didn't work out), and almost given up hope that I would one. But, thank goodness, I got one. I'm working for the Texas A&M Bookstore. I'm excited. It should be fun. And a few other probably possibilities have shown up as well, so I could have two jobs. Plus, I'm pretty sure that even if I find one or two other jobs that have me work forty hours a week I can still work at games and special events for the bookstore. (My co-workers, 99.9 percent of them students, don't want to work during the football games, so I get to.) So this is great!! Yay!!

Because I have had relatively no work for the past six months (should I consider tutoring at the WSU Writing Center for four hours a week work?), I'm ready to work, work, work!!

I'll update the job situation when I know more myself.

Warm Texas Welcome

2009-08-12T09:09:00.001-07:00

Whew! Moves are hard, but we've had a lot of wonderful help. We're moved in, unpacking, actually putting stuff on the walls, and starting to feel a little more at home. But even before we set foot in our apartment, I noticed: We're definitely not in the West anymore, Toto!!

If any of you doubted or wondered, Texas really is different from anywhere else in the country.

1. The stop lights are not vertical like the rest of the country--you know, red on top, yellow in the middle, and green on the bottom. They're horizontal--red on the left, yellow in the middle, and green on the right. WEIRD!!! Well, I was weirded out. They are horizontal because they are more stable on the poles against hurricane-force winds.

2. Although the scenery on the highway was pretty boring (mostly bushes and dead grass), there were a few interesting roadside gems. Tracy saw armadillo roadkill, which I wish he had pointed out to me! There were several stretches where oil rigs were just by the highway. You'd think in this land of oil plenty, gas would be cheaper than $2.50 per gallon!! But oh well.

3. Native Texans are really friendly, want to know your whole life's story, and will tell you theirs. On our first day in College Station, Tracy and I went to Denny's, and our waitress called me "hun" and "dear" probably about ten times. She told us stories about other customers she's had and about table manners (no one should start eating without everyone's food present--which we already do anyway).
Tracy's professor bought a used truck down here for his son, and after the car was checked out by an old mechanic, we went with his wife to pick up the truck. Just during the phone call, the mechanic covered topics ranging from restaurants in town to movies to the house he grew up in to what church they would attend.
One of the guys who helped us move in offered his old (being not exactly new but not yucky or ugly) couch to us. Yay for having a couch!!

4. Even the traffic signs are friendly. On the highways we'd see signs that would say, "Please help prevent forest fires," "Drive friendly," and "Maintain your vehicle." Such polite reminders! But my favorite sign was this one.

5. And this sign leads us perfectly to the next thing that makes Texas different--state pride. We stayed at Fort Stockton our first day of driving, and they had waffles on the breakfast table. I like waffles, but these are a little silly.

And state pride is huge here!! The guy who installed our internet talked about Texas football with Tracy for fifteen minutes and probably would have stayed longer if he didn't have other appointments.

While I hope I don't adopt all the Texas quarks, some aren't that bad. The last new fact about Texas is that we live in Brazos County. Brazos is Spanish for "arms"--for those who struggle remembering high school Spanish. So, Texas has received us with open arms, and we are grateful for our safety and for all those who have helped us move at all stages.

Yee-ha!!! Texas, Here We Come!!!

2009-08-05T21:47:00.001-07:00

After months of "moving," we are finally getting to Texas on Friday! I don't know about Tracy, but I am having so many emotions right now: excitement, relief, anxiety, a little apprehension, a little homesickness (for my family--already), and hope.

Excitement--Tracy will be going to a school that focuses on sedimentary geology--Tracy's focus--and prepares most students for jobs with oil companies. We know the Lord has had a hand in our lives to provide this opportunity. It will be interesting to see how school goes for Tracy and, when he's done with school, whether he'll be able to get a job in Texas.

Relief--For the past two months, I haven't known what my next apartment will look like. Although I have had fun planning for several new decorations and home projects (thanks Mom and Karen), I will be so happy to get into my new home and actually carry out those plans.

Anxiety and apprehension--While College Station is a much bigger city than Pullman and surely will be a little easier to adapt to, I am still nervous about finding an editing job. And I had such high hopes for Pullman, which were pretty crushed when we got there, that I can't let myself get too carried away in hoping and imagining what our life will be like in CS.

Homesickness--I have always been attached to my family. I never looked forward to getting away from my family in high school, and I cried when I went to college. I cried when I didn't spend my first Christmas with them, and I call home at least every week, if not way more often. So after spending two months with my family, I find it hard to say good-bye to them, even though we are coming back for Christmas. This move is a good, needed part of our lives, but getting what we want is sometimes complicated.

Hope--We have hope that things will work out for us. The Lord has provided so much for us in our lives, and we know that as we try our best and do what we are supposed to do, He will help us. We have many hopes about our future that we will work hard to accomplish.

We are ready for the ride!! Bring it on, Texas! Yee-ha!!!

Two Years of Marriage: The Beginning of a Masterpiece

2009-07-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Today is our second wedding anniversary. Looking back at our marriage so far, Tracy and I seem to sigh, look at each other with exhausted expressions as if to say "whew," and then smile and laugh.

We've been through and done a lot these two years. We've moved twice, lived in three states (four including Arizona for two months), finished school (me), started grad school (Tracy), started new jobs, finished old jobs, dealt with physical problems (my surgery), dealt with financial problems, had a death in the family (Tracy's aunt), and had two new nieces born (one on both sides). I won't lie--we've had hard trials, frustrating arguments, tough decisions, and physically and emotionally painful moments. But we've also had meaningful discussions, sweet reconciliation, sincere expressions of love and kindness, increased closeness, and priceless laughter.

I had an professor at BYU who told me that marriage isn't work; it's art. At first, I just thought that was her marriage. Her husband taught psychology. He knew how women worked more than most men. But I realize what she meant by that now. When an artist creates a piece, he or she spends hours and hours on it, using carefully calculated techniques, paints, and strokes. It is, in a way, work, but the artist doesn't see it as work. The artist keeps in mind the beauty of the end result. He or she uses the goal to guide what strokes, colors, and brushes to use during the process. So while the artist is working to create his or her piece, it isn't work in that the beauty of the piece compensates for the work put into it. I think marriage is beautiful only when we have put time and effort into making it as such. So it technically is work. But we need not see it as tedious or annoying.

Having been married only two years, I can see that our artwork's canvas still has a lot of space and potential left. (The above painting isn't ours, even though it is pretty darn cute.) We're trying to keep the goal in mind, but we're enjoying the little moments along the journey. We love each other and are grateful to everyone who has helped us long our way so far. We are also grateful to the Lord who has blessed our marriage and has helped us through those hard times, so we can get back to those precious happy moments.

Well, Tracy, two years down . . . and eternity to go!!

The Silver Lining to a Very Dark Cloud

2009-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Just in case my handful of devoted readers, who mostly were around me when everything was happening, are concerned about my neglected blog, the biggest reason I have not posted anything in so long is that I have been in the hospital.

On June 25 in the year of our Lord 2009, I, Lacey Kupfer Wulf, experienced the worst pain of my life from a ruptured appendix and underwent immediate surgery. Because of extra harmful fluids in my abdomen, fevers, and other complications, I stayed in the hospital for the longest twelve days of my life. For at least six of those days, I was on a strict clear liquid diet of jello, broth, and juice. I was poked with needles daily, woken up at all hours of the night, almost accidentally operated on unnecessarily, and blown up like a balloon with IV fluids. To drain these harmful fluids, the doctor put a tube through my bum, which was soar and uncomfortable, not to mention embarrassing. Perhaps the hardest to bear, because we are in the process of moving, we have no insurance--no guarantee that we will be able to pay the hospital for almost two weeks worth of care.

Although the last two weeks have been horrible, frightening, and discouraging, in reality I have gained so much. This dark rain cloud does have a bright silver lining.
1. I have a year supply of free juice boxes, free bandages, and new thermometers from my hospital room. Yay for $FREE.99!!
2. After I gained ten pounds from IV fluids and after they took me off the IV, I lost fifteen pounds. I'm pretty sure my total weight loss will be more than five pounds though.
3. For almost two weeks, my family got to enjoy cable television, a luxury they do not have at home. TLC's new show Cake Boss is pretty good when you have nothing to do--for all of you with cable and a lot of time.
4. Because of all the poking, I am almost over my fear of needles. (Keyword: ALMOST) I probably could start donating blood now because of it.
5. I have always been a modest person. I would change in the bathroom for PE in school, and I hated bra shopping because my mom would see me without a shirt on. But now after having nurses and doctors ask me about my bowel movements and see me practically naked almost daily and needing my mom to help me shower, I think I'm basically over any embarrassment of exposure.
6. I appreciate my health so much more. I can walk, bend over, get up out of bed, eat normal foods, shower myself (sponge baths aren't that bad, but it's better to do it myself and thanks again, mom!), stand up to brush my teeth, brush my own hair, and do so many other little tasks that were so hard while I was sick. I appreciate my body and its intricacies, even though that's what got me in this mess in the first place.
7. I got to spend more time with my family. Tracy left to find housing in Texas, and although I have missed him a lot, I have my parents and siblings around to visit me. I thank God that this happened to me in Arizona with my family instead of Texas or Washington or Utah or wherever. I truly believe the Lord knew I wouldn't have been able to make it emotionally, especially with Tracy gone, if I didn't have them.
8. I've learned to have patience with myself and the Lord. There were days when I thought I would never get out of the hospital and I would never stop hurting. I was so frustrated that something always hurt, whether it was my stomach or my side. I wanted to go home. I wanted to stop hurting. I wanted to go back to being me. My body is still healing, and I still feel a little frustration with myself, but I know I will get there steadily.

As ashamed as I am to admit this, I remember wondering why I even had my dad and Tracy give me several priesthood blessings--they weren't working in my eyes. I wanted the instant healing. I wanted the pain to stop. I wanted to be home. But I know now that I needed to be there to learn and gain these things (obviously the last few more than the first). I know the Lord puts us in hard situations for our benefit to learn and grow. I hate being in a situation and trying to ask myself, "What can I learn from this? What does the Lord want me to take from this experience?" But it has made the whole mess more bearable. I know the priesthood is a real power, and even though I wasn't instantly healed, I believe in its power and those who carry it. I know He hears our prayers even though He might not grant the blessings we ask for. He loves us individually. He has a plan for each of us that will make us happier and better than our own plans would make us. I know the Savior lives and has born our sins, but even more than that, I know that He has born my sorrows, my pains, my trials, my frustrations, and all the unfair things that happen to me. Even though I'm crying as I write this post, these are tears of joy and love and appreciation to my husband, my family, the doctors, the hospital, modern medicine, and the Lord. I am doing well, and I am happy.

Washington Adventures

2009-05-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

We really want to get as much done here before we leave for Texas. And believe me, we've done a lot!! Sorry, this one is long with lots of pictures.

We are excited to see the Wulfs.
This is mostly what our drive looked like. While it's somewhat boring, it's also pretty, huh?
Happy! And I'm trying out a new part in my hair. Like it?
We visited Palouse Falls again to hike around in better weather.

Tracy is dangerously (according to me) close to the edge. I hope he doesn't kill himself on geology field trips in the future.

Tracy on Pride Rock. (Because it sticks out--yes, I named it Pride Rock.) Too bad we don't have a kid so he could hold it up. But then again, I wouldn't want my baby hanging over a cliff. Nevermind.

Enjoying the sun and wind.
Tracy is in the background.
The shortest telephone pole ever.
The Wulfs' dog, Suzie, loves car rides.
Crates of apples. Lots of crates of apples. Well, it's Washington.
We tried to go to Mount St. Helens, but the road to it was closed, so we drove around on nauseating, twisty roads to hike somewhere else.
Want old news? We've got it here!
Shania and Dominic.
Jill and Idil.
Hahahaha!! My father-in-law is the only person I have met who can fall asleep faster than Tracy. And no, I didn't put that hat there. It fell off his head when he fell asleep.
We passed a little town that was hosting a big festival. You can find pretty much anything at those things.
The navigators come up with plan B--Multnoma Falls in western Washington.
The boys.
Happy to be out of the car.
The smaller waterfall was about seventy feet high. The larger waterfall was over five hundred feet high. HUGE!!!

A view of the Columbia River from the hike to the top of the falls.
After Tracy took this picture, about twelve other people had to do it. Yep, we're trendsetters.
I didn't realize my neck was so strained. Whoops! But that was a cute little bridge, and the water was really cold and refreshing.

The top of the five-hundred-foot waterfall. Don't look down!

Hahahahaha!! I laughed so hard when I heard Tracy's parents talking about this bridge. I thought it was joke. But no! I made Tracy pull over to get this picture.
Tracy is testing out his parents' bed. It is so comfortable. I slept all day and night on it when I got sick this past week. It can raise the head and feet. He had both maxed out, so he was sitting at a right angle. What a goof!!!
At the Kennewick Mall, they have art exhibit made out of canned goods.
Want fries with your burger and drink?
Happy nuclear plants. I know. It seems wrong.
Happy Memorial Day!!!

Although I am really looking forward to moving, I realize that Washington has some pretty cool things going for it.

An Argument for Editing

2009-05-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed when I see ads or signs in newspapers, on craigslist, on bilboards or elsewhere. Don't people know how dumb they sound sometimes?!? If only these people would take some time and reread what they submit to print or post . . . If only. These people are why I do what I do. I know I've brought up stupid mistakes before, but I think little reminders every now and then help us remember not to get sloppy or we might stoop to their level.

Braille dictionary for sale. Must see to appreciate.

FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000.00 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last weekend. Wife knows everything.

Help wanted, singer for rock band. Must be female or male.

Lost: small brown poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family.

For sale: a quilted high chair that can be made into a table, potty chair, rocking horse, refrigerator, spring coat, size 8 and fur collar.

Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.

Christmas sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to- find person.

Wanted, man to take care of cows that does not smoke or drink.

Three-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.

Wanted. Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.

Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 -- $9 per hour.

Joining nudist colony! Must sell washer and dryer $300.

Free Yorkshire Terrier: 8 years old. Hateful little dog.

Free puppies: ½ cocker spaniel, ½ sneaky neighbor’s dog.

German Shepherd, 85 lbs. Neutered. Speaks German. Free.

Snow Blower for sale…only used on snowy days.

Dancing Through Life

2009-05-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Tracy and I saw this on a bumper sticker in a Wal-mart parking lot. It made us both laugh so hard we had to pull over. We both immediately thought of Alfalfa’s “farfignugen” in Little Rascals. (It turns out, Funkengruven is the name of a band. Who knew? I sure didn’t!) Regardless of the band, who’s music I haven’t heard, we want to use it for other expressions.

How are the Wulfs? We’re funkengruven through life!

Skin

2009-04-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

It’s spring!! We reached a scorching 75 degrees today, and I have noticed something new this week. People seem to have more skin here in Pullman, Washington—or at least more people seem to show it off here. I know I don’t live in Florida, Arizona, or California where this problem would be much, much worse, but considering the fact that I’ve lived in Provo, Utah, for the past four years, my eyes have seen more skin than all those four years combined.

As Tracy and I were walking home from WSU campus yesterday, we saw a group of girls lying out on a lawn in the middle of campus in bikinis tanning. Tracy and I looked at each other and whispered, “We not in Provo anymore! That’s for sure.”

It definitely made me conscious and actually proud of my modesty. I admit some thick tank tops or cute summer dresses are cute and a little tempting, but I know I don’t have to show off my body to feel beautiful or attractive.

What I am used to seeing in Utah. (Just kidding. It's not this bad!) I don't think it would be appropriate to post pictures of what I see on campus now. I might attract the wrong crowd. haha

Five Things Thing

2009-04-08T12:37:00.001-07:00

My sister Karen "tagged" me five times to do this five things thing. But I'm actually happy to do it. It's fun to think about my responses as well as read the responses of others.
So here we go!

5 things I was doing 5 years ago:
1. finding myself as a junior in high school (this process is ongoing)
2. singing with every available moment
3. playing volleyball
4. applying to BYU (the only university I applied to)
5. dreaming about the future (particularly my future love story--Tracy was already at BYU waiting for me to get there. haha)

5 Things on my to do list today: (Today is busier than some other days.)
1. teach my English 202 class and tutor in the WSU Writing Center
2. work on my music collection
3. make fajitas for dinner
4. make cookies (and of course eat half the dough myself)
5. worry about Tracy (This week, he has three more labs to teach, geophysics homework, a geophysics test, lab papers to grade, and some other assignments that I can't remember)

5 Things I would do with a million dollars: (the Bare Naked Ladies's song is in my head when I answer this one: "If I had a million dollars, I'd be rich.")
1. go to Britain for as long as I can
2. save for a house (who knows where we'll end up!)
3. pay off all our debts (for school and our car mostly, but also all the unofficial donations)
4. travel to Europe
5. go to Britain again and again :)

5 Places I have lived: (other than Pullman, WA, and College Station, TX, this summer)
1. Provo, Utah
2. Rapid City, South Dakota
3. Ithaca, New York
4. Great Falls, Montana
5. Mesa, Arizona

5 Jobs I have held:
1. magazine writer (so what if the articles were only 500 words long and the total pay of the articles will be $200!!!)
2. store clerk at Pioneer Book
3. BYU Writing Center tutor
4. WSU Writing Center tutor/teacher (they prefer I say that I "facilitate" not teach, but I really do)
5. Religious Studies Center editor (one of the best experiences I've had. I hope I get to use those skills elsewhere)

5 things I want to be doing in 5 Years:
1. starting a family
2. editing for a magazine or book publishing company
3. learning French or Latin
4. living in a somewhat permanent location
5. living my life to the fullest!!

Geology 101 Field Trip

2009-04-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Tracy drove and helped supervise a field trip for his Geology 101 students. I decided to go so I could spend more time with him, learn more about the geology of the area, and do something fun outside (I don’t get out much).

I was surprised because of the locations where we stopped. They weren’t spectacular in terms of magnificent rest stops where you have a mini Grand Canyon. We stopped by what at first looked like a dirt pile, road side rocks, sandy hills, and a waterfall. Little did I know what cool things we would find.

Obviously, there are highly technical and complicated explanations for all these things. I'll just comment on a few that I remember and that I find especially interesting.

Tracy was the first one to race up the hill to take a closer look.

Note the rippled sediment.

Tracy with Dr. Wilke.

This is pillow basalt. But don't be fooled by its name. It is not soft. Do not sleep on the rocks.
This is Brian, one of Tracy's fellow TAs, pointing at pillow basalt.
The white streak is ash from Mount St. Helen's. This ash traveled about 350 miles. I wanted to take some home but didn't.
Untouched sand.

From the moment Dr. Wilke finished his little discussion about sand dunes, students and TAs began jumping and flipping off the steepest parts. Some of them were really steep—much steeper than the pictures make them look. Among these dune jumpers, Tracy decided to jump so he’d roll down (we’ll call it a double axle). He momentarily regained footing but kept running and ran right into the neighboring dune—landing with a beautiful biff. Everyone cheered for the bravest jumper. I laughed and cheered, feeling silently proud of my sandy husband. Luckily a student caught his graceful jump on her camera. Here is a link to the video on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSVrSNgOsvQ

Walk it off.

During Tracy's flight down the hill, he lost the van key. We went back and luckily found it on the surface of the sand dune. Whew!

Tracy is sandy but relieved that we found the keys.
The elusive keys.
Us at Palouse Falls.

Once we got to Palouse Falls, it was raining fairly hard. The falls are huge!!

The bowl shape (called a plunge bowl) was formed by the ancient lake the size of all the Great Lakes combined when it was drained in a few weeks. That is not a long time to get that much water drained.

Note the bowl shape.

You probably can't see it, but the crack on the other side of the river matches up perfectly with the crack on this side. They are called joints--not doobies. This geological feature cannot be smoked, even though it shares drug-related terms. :)
As we were taking this picture, a student said we should use it for our engagement pictures. A little late for that, honey!
We had fun and learned a lot.