Consider the Blessings

This year has SUCKED! I mean, legitimately, royally blew BIG TIME! 2012 was not kind to Los Schoenys. Pretty much everything bad that can happen or possibly go wrong, did. 

The events of this year have left me saddened, bitter, and empty. Trying to find some solace, I've recently made it a habit of reading the inspirational Daily Messages on the church website every night before bed. 

Just last night, I was reading through these messages and came across a talk given by the president of our church during the most recent session of general conference. President Monson testifies,

"...rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness."

Soooooo, what you're saying is that I shouldn't crawl into a hole and throw myself a pity party, asking everyone to feel sorry for all the bad things that have happened to us this year?? Instead, you want me to not only move on but give thanks for the blessings that did seep through the cracks of this tumultuous year? Focusing on the good rather than the bad will lead to greater happiness, you say???? It doesn't hurt to try...

Amid all the unfortunate, devastating, and down-right bad things that happened this year, there are still many many things for which I am grateful:

volleyball friends

extended family

Goldman Sachs

our new SLC house

the Take Shape for Life program

Little Readers

In the Heights

curvy girl blogs

a new sister-in-law

a new nephew

prayer

the atonement

Of course there are many more things I am grateful for and have been blessed with this year. And it's important to be mindful of those blessings instead of drowning in the sadness of our calamities and trials. While it's not always so easy to see the silver linning when faced with adversity, it is comforting to know that there is a purpose for it all, and that our Savior has already suffered for us and, therefore, understands our pain and can help us through our trials. 

Know thou...that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all..." (Doctrine and Covenants 122: 7-8)

Bad things happen, even when we make good choices. It's part of the plan!

Still, the blessings are there. Help is there. We have to remember to look and be grateful for even the smallest of blessings in our lives. And when we're struggling to see the good or are maybe too overwhelmed by the bad, we can ask our Father for relief and comfort. If we do these things, we can and we will find greater happiness. 

I hope this Thanksgiving finds everyone comforted, fulfilled, and content. 

National Bullying Prevention Month

As many of you know, I have the most beautiful, most clever, and most talented little girl in the world. So maybe I am a bit bias but she really, truly is the best daughter any mother could ask for.

If you've never read or seen The Help, there is a tender scene between the house maid, Aibileen, and the child she cares for, Mae Mobley. Mae Mobley's mother is neglectful, inattentive, and uncaring. Seeing how badly Mae Mobley needs the love and attention of her mother, Aibileen makes it a point to fill the void and positively affirm Mae Mobley's self-worth.

Rocking Mae Mobley in her nursery, Aibilene says,

"You is a smart girl. You a kind girl, Mae Mobley. You hear me? You is kind, you is smart, you is important!"

 And as soon as Mae Mobley is able to talk, Aibilene instructs her to repeat the self-affirmation,

"You is kind, you is smart, you is important!"

Taking a cue from Aibilene and Mae Mobley, I have made it a point to tell Lolli every day how much I love her, how wonderful she is, and how perfect she will always be. We've even adopted an affirmation of our own,

I am beautiful, smart, and special!

Every time Lolli draws a picture, makes up a dance, or sings a song, Ryan and I shower her with compliments and tell her how amazing she is. We go overboard with love and praise. The way I see it, if she's not getting it at home, where else is she going to find the love and appreciation she not only deserves but needs??

There are mean, mean people in this world.

Being a curvier and bigger girl all my life, I've found myself on the receiving end of some very hurtful comments, remarks, and jabs from very close-minded, judgmental, and misinformed people. Luckily, I have a family who loves me and, more importantly, continues to express their love for me each day. I've grown to know my self-worth. I've gained the confidence to assert that regardless of what the world thinks or says about me,

 I am beautiful! I am smart! I am special!!

Still, there are those who try to break us down, take that knowledge away from us. Recently,  CBS WKBT news anchor Jennifer Livingston was attacked by one of these insensitive individuals. Here is a video of the hurtful email Jennifer received and her response:

 

"Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies...The cruel words of one are nothing compared to the shouts of many."

Let us fill our homes with shouts of praise and acceptance, drowning out the weak voices of cruelty and ignorance. No matter the world's opinion, know your self-worth. 

 You are beautiful! You are smart! You are special!!

USA! USA!

You guys,

I.

LOVE.

THE SUMMER OLYMPICS!!!

I mean, I freakin' LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE the summer Olympics. Like, I would marry it if I could.

Right now on my DVR, I have nearly 50 hours recorded of Olympic coverage...and that's after I've already watched and erased about another 40 hours of it. If they gave medals for Olympics spectating, I'd have the gold.

It doesn't even matter what sports are being broadcasted. I love watching it all. Volleyball? Of course. Track and field? Duh. Swimming and water polo?? Umm, guys in speedos, hello!! But Badminton, handball, and shooting? I WATCH IT ALL.

No matter what event I'm watching, during the broadcast I become a professional commentator and an expert on the sport. I've never cared about archery and fencing so much in my life!!!

But of course, my all time favorite Olympic event to follow is gymnastics. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Wayne Young is my uncle.

Who's Wayne Young????



Oh, only the captain of the 1976  U.S. Olympic gymnastic team in Montreal and inductee to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Still don't know who he is? Well, how about his son Guard Young?



Yup. He helped the U.S. men's team win the silver medal at the 2004 Athens games. No big deal.

So you see? My love for the Olympics was predestined. One of these years, I WILL attend the games. Perhaps not as a competing athlete as being incredibly good-looking and incredibly obnoxious have yet to be events included in the games. But dang it! As soon as they are, you'd better believe I'll be standing on that podium, saluting our flag and singing along with our national anthem!!!

USA! USA!

Tyler Durden VS Derek Vinyard

!!!!!!!!!WARNING!!!!!!!!!

The following videos contain explicit language. So either buck up or get out!!!

A few weekends ago, we were staying up at our friend's condo in SLC. We love watching stupid viral videos with each other and it was during one of these sessions that our friend showed us this masterpiece.

Oh. Em. GEE!! 

Please tell me you're laughing as hysterically as I was when I first watched this video. If you're not, I don't think we can be friends any longer. (BTW if you don't understand the Tyler Durden/Derek Vinyard reference in the title of this post, you don't even DESERVE to be my friend.) 

If you are, you're in for a treat! There are a whole series of these bad boy. Some of our favorites include Albert Einstein VS Stephen Hawking, Abraham Lincoln VS Chuck Norris, and of course Bill Gates VS Steve Jobs. 

One of our other favorites is Master Chief VS Leonidus

HILARIOUS, right?!?!? 

If you could match up a dueling pair, who'd you choose? 

YOU DECIDE!!

Dia de Los Padres

In keeping with tradition...

So proud of this guy!!! A master, a GQ model, and the best daddy in the whole wide world!!

Happy Father's Day! We love and stuff!!

Get on your bikes and ride!!!

A couple weeks ago, I attended a spin class for the first time. Though I've done a fair share of cycling, I had never actually been to a spin class, so I didn't really know what to expect.

It was SO HARD!!! Seriously! You think, "Oh, I'm just riding a bike." No, no, no. You're doing all kinds of tricks and shiz, working every single muscle from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. There were a few sets that I honestly thought were gonna make me puke.

Needless to say, I absolutely LOVED it!!!! I just wish that the Gold's Gym up here wasn't so sucky and offered classes. How am I supposed to train for the next World Indoor Cycle Gymnastic championships? Or be on the next season of Korea's Got Talent?!?

I sing you to me

The other night I'm at the gym and Australia is playing in the cardio cinema. I've seen this movie dozens of times, as it is one of my ALL TIME favorites. I can NEVER watch that movie without bawling my cryballs out. So when the following scene appeared on the screen, I quickly grabbed a wad of tissues and cranked my treadmill up to a sprint. Commence water works.

Even now as I rewatch this I'm teary-eyed and covered in goosebumps!! Following this scene, Lady Ashley (Nicole Kidman) and little Nullah share this exchange:

Lady Ashley: I will come and find you; whatever it takes, we'll be together again

Nullah: I believe you, Mrs. Boss (whispers) Mrs. Boss, I sing you to me

...

Lady Ashley: And I will hear you, my darling

Are you dying???? Cuz I am!!!

Perusing the interweb for more commentary about this movie, scene, and musical influence, I came across a blog entitled Behind the Voice. Author Ken Mademe writes about Australia:

Oh, that the songs we sing could bring people to a good place. Oh, that we could sing each other to health and caring. Oh, that we could sing each other to healing and comfort.

Yes, yes, YES!!! Music is such a significant and powerful tool. The effect music has on individuals is amazing.

Some of my fondest memories from my childhood were centered around the piano in our home. My mother would often play a church hymn and my siblings and I would each choose different voice parts to sing. The game would be to guess what Dad would sing as he was famous for switching parts and harmonies at random. Most of our evenings at home were spent in this manner. As a family, we were brought together by our shared love of music.

The same holds true today. While my brothers enjoy listening to rap and my sister sings along with show tunes, we still find common ground around a hymn book and piano.

Music offers us the unique ability to unify ourselves and express our feelings for one another.

Each night before I put Lolli to bed, we cuddle in her room and sing songs together, including Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Not only is it my way of calming her down for the night, but it's also my way of instilling in her my love of music.

I hope she grows to find joy, comfort, and delight in music. And when she hears or sings the sweet melody of one of our bedtime lullabies, she will know of my love for her.

My sweet Lolli, I sing you to me.

Spawn of Satan

This week Lolli has been super sick. She's had a horrible cough and runny nose accompanied by an outrageous fever. I know how much it sucks being sick. And when you're child is sick, it's heartbreaking because they're so miserable and there's not much you can do to help them.

Now, I'm not a very patient person, but with Lolli being sick this week I really, truly tried. The first 3 days she was completely out of commission. Couldn't really get up and play. She would just lie there on my bed like a limp noodle. So caring for her then was pretty easy. Just pump her with fluids, turn on some toonies, and administer meds as needed.

Well, the past few days things have gotten worse. She didn't get more sick. She actually got lots better. It's just her whininess and crying that's escalated. Every two seconds she breaks down into tears because she can't find the book she wants to read, her stuffed elephant won't stand up on his own, the rolled cuff on her jeans is crooked, the jammies she wants to wear are dirty, I won't pay $7 for a 3 minute train ride at the mall, or I won't let her eat 2lbs of M&Ms for breakfast. The list goes on and on.

The other day, I told her she needed to pick up her room because it was a disaster. She straight up yelled at me, no exaggeration, "I'm not doing anything you say!!" I about lost my sh*! with that one.

And the coughing. Oh the coughing!! The hacking is non stop! I tell her to cover her mouth and she just coughs straight into my face even harder.

Same goes for the nose picking. I swear our entire house is covered in boogers cuz that girl can't seem to keep her finger out of her nostril. And when I tell her to knock it off, she screams at me. No lie! She SCREAMS.

But the thing that irks me the most and makes me just want to throw myself in front of a bus is the constant whining for Daddy. Any time I tell Lolli "No" or I make her do something she doesn't want to do, she automatically starts crying for Daddy.

Nothing will console her once she starts crying for him. I tell her that he's at school or at work or wherever and that he can't be there right now, she cries harder. As impatient as I am and as horrible as I probably sound, I've done nothing but shower her with toys, activities, tasty treats, and trips to fun places all this week. And the second I do something she doesn't like, she only wants Daddy?!?!?!? AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of this than I really should be, but I'm seriously about to lose my mind. And of course she's a demon the week that Ryan is gone. And when I tell Ryan how terrible of a day I'm having and how poorly Lolli is behaving, he just kind of scoffs and doesn't really understand how difficult it is sometimes. When he leaves work or school, he's done for the day. My job never ends, even when he's home.

Am I alone in my plight? What about all you other stay-at-home moms? How do you deal with rotten children? How do you keep your cool instead of hurling yourself off a cliff?!

And dads, what do you do to help out your wife after she's had an exasperating day with the kids?

Daddy's Homecoming

Lolli sang this song to Ry last year for Father's Day, so why not make it a tradition?

Also, just wanted to post my most favorite picture of my father.

I miss him dearly and am comforted to know that families are forever.

Happy Father's Day to all the great Dads out there!!

Cutest Audition!

I just wanna SQUEEZE this boy!!!!!! So cute!!!



He just made it through group week, I just hope he can make it through the next round. I'm afraid his voice, though beautiful, is a little too weak for this competition. I'd still vote for him, though. He's so adorable!!!!!

Hood to Coast

One of my besties, Stephanie, bought me tickets to this movie.



The showing was last night, so to prepare for the motivational event, we began our evening by shopping at Runner's Corner. I finally got a much needed new pair of running shoes; good ol' Asics Fortitude, 4E width! (Yes, I have HUGE flat, wide feet to go along with my monstorous calves.)

Then with a quick stop at Five Guys for a real runner's meal, we headed to the theater where Wasatch Running Co. was hosting the live event. I got a free water bottle and a glowie!

The film was great and brought back a lot of memories of Redrock.

I can't WAIT to do another relay...but this time, not as the team captain. Who's in??? Anyone?!?!?

Auld Lang Syne

As another year comes to an end, it's time to revisit the bests and worsts of 2010.

Favorite Moments
Becoming a marathoner
Meeting Bart Yasso
Running the RRR with my Ryan
Attending the UFC Fan Expo
Stalking Kody Brown
House boating on Lake Powell
Becoming a SAHM

Not-So-Hot Moments
Potty training
Ryan getting the shaft from Sunroc
Moving out of the Camelot community
Deciding to be the RRR captain
The earthquake in Haiti
Wikileaks

Disappointments
BP
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Kim Kardashian's DWTS debut
Jesse James
California voting no on Prop 19

Favorite Songs
Airplanes - B.O.B feat. Hayley Williams and Eminem
F!*# You - Cee Lo Green
My Chick Bad - Ludacris feat. Nicki Minaj
Tight Rope - Janelle Monae feat. Big Boi



Best Movies - I didn't really go to very many movies this year. I'm not too keen on paying $74 for a ticket at the theaters. Plus, my life is now consumed with all things toddler so it's no surprise my favorite movies this year are kids/family movies. My life is so glamorous.
Inception
Hot Tub Time Machine (That crap is funny. Don't judge me.)
Toy Story 3
Despicable Me

Best Reads - I always have to clarify that these book picks aren't books that were necessarily published in 2010. Rather, they're simply books that I read this year.
My Life on the Run - Bart Yasso
Heft on Wheels - Mike Magnuson
Escape - Carolyn Jessop
In the Forest - Edna O'Brien
The Rookie - Scott Sigler

Enjoy your final hours of 2010. I must admit, it was a good year. Let's see what 2011 has to offer.

Things That Warm My Heart

You know that I am now obsessed with makeup and beauty tutorials on YouTube. The other night, I was watching the following hair tutorial, trying to figure out what to do with this nasty greasy hair I haven't washed in about 3 days.



The hairstyle was really cute and looked super easy. So, I decided to attempt it not expecting much.

I'm not too good at doing my own hair. I can twist, braid, and part Lolli's hair like a freakin' black girl, but when it comes to doing my own I'm no bueno. I blow dry and flat iron my hair then let it hang down limply with no shape or movement. If I'm feeling kinda saucy, I'll maybe throw on a head band or bobby pin a section of it back off my face , but that's about as fancy as I get.

So after pinning, curling, spraying, and teasing for about 30 minutes, I finally got my hair looking similar to the hairstyle shown in the tutorial. I topped of the style with a big ass flower and went on my merry way, very pleased with myself. I felt fierce!

That night when I got home, I changed into jammies but decided to leave my hair up just so I could admire it for a little while longer.

Ry gets home and I go up to hug him. He looks at my makeup and tells me I'm getting all kinds of crazy with my eyeshadow and stuff. (He's not really a big fan of lots of make up.) I kinda get disheartened because I actually spent a long time perfecting my makeup that evening. But then, without any prompting, Ry twirls a loose strand of my hair and says, "You're hair looks really good, though. I like it."

And just like that, I was giddy.

But wait. Does that mean Ry now expects me to always do my hair? Did I just inadvertently raise the bar?

Damn. I hate being so insanely hot sometimes.

Best Audition EVER

K, found my new obsession for the month: Danyl Johnson.

This has to be one of the best first auditions EVER!!! I'm not even exaggerating. Simon agrees with me!

While he may not have the best voice I've ever heard, he's definitely an amazing performer. Regardless, I'm super excited to start stalking this kid on YouTube. How did I not know about him before???

Meant to Be

You know how I get obsessed with a new song every couple of months or so? Well, it's happened again. And to no surprise, it's another Melissa Polinar song. This girl is amazing! You should all subscribe to her YouTube channel. You won't regret it, I promise!!!

Meant to Be - Melissa Polinar

You're in love with it, right? Then you should also check out Melissa singing this song with Alyssa Bernal. I absolutely LOVE the harmony.

Man, I really wish I knew how to play the guitar. I'd be like 30% cooler. I just know it.

A Great, Big Kiss!!

My Crusty Crusts

How exactly do you dye your hurr wif kool-aid?

Betta be street if he lookin' at me

Those that know me can attest to the fact that often I SOOOO wish I were black. I practice my booty poppin just about every day. I stand in the mirror for hours, working on my hip roll. And, I dip it, pop it, twerk it, stop it every chance I get!

And aside from just wanting to be black, I wanna be 'hood. Actually, I feel that because of my 2 year stint living in the South, I've already earned myself some street cred! I wanna be gangsta.

Of course, I'm not suggesting that just because you're black that means you're a ghetto gang banger. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying, that I wanna be ghetto fab but I just can't pull it off since in reality, I'm still half white. But the brown side of me yearns to get out there and C-walk with the best of them.

Oh Destiny's Child. You know exactly what I'm talkin' bout.



I need a soldier.

If I were...

If I were a month, I'd be September

(Oh September I'm falling for you~Kalai)

If I were a day of the week, I'd be a lazy Sunday

If I were a time of day, I'd be 9:00am

If I were a planet, I'd be Neptune

If I were a sea animal, I'd be an dolphin

(Cuz they live in the tropics, duh!)

If I were a direction, I'd be West

If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be a coffee table

If I were a liquid, I'd be coconut oil

If I were a gemstone, I'd be jade

If I were a tree, I'd be a palm

If I were a tool, I'd be a vise

If I were a flower, I'd be plumeria

If I were an element, I'd be water

If I were a kind of weather, I'd be a thunder storm

If I were a musical instrument, I'd be a ukulele

If I were a color, I'd be deep plum

If I were an emotion, I'd be excited

If I were a fruit, I'd be a mango

If I were a sound, I'd be a melody

If I were a car, I'd be a Range Rover

If I were a food, I'd be a smoothie

If I were a material, I'd be fleece

If I were a taste, I'd be ambrosial

If I were a scent, I'd be Island Nectar

If I were an object, I'd be an iPod

If I were a song, I'd be Sing to Me by Melissa Polinar

If I were a body part, I'd be a pair of calves

If I were a place, I'd be Santa Barbara

If I were a facial expression, I'd be a cheesy smile

If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be Vans original Eras

**********Thank you to Katy for this fun post idea!**********

TNT

If you may recall, one of my 2009 New Year's resolutions was to run a 5k. Well, though I have yet to run any official races, I have managed to run 5k numerous amounts of time as part of my daily workouts. Better yet, I've even been able to cut my time down by 13 minutes from the time I first completed 5k to now. So, I consider this goal completed. (Not to mention I've lost 12 pounds in the process. Woohoo!!!)

Well, I've decided to get serious about running. I know I've said that in the past, but this time I have super motivation.

This brave little boy is Toby Wilson, one of my primary students and son of my close friend Tara. After some tough and tiring months of testing, chemo, and various treatments, Toby has made a wonderful recovery.

I know there are thousands of others out there, suffering just as Toby and his family did. By joining the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training, I aspire to help these families find hope, support, and recovery.

My goal is to run the Ogden marathon/half marathon in May 2010. Between now and then, I'll be training, gearing up mentally, and hopefully collecting donations from generous supporters.

Join the cause.

Do something good for yourself and for others.