tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-337404922024-03-07T19:11:35.051-08:00The way things areLife is a really hard game. The pieces keep falling out of those teeny little cars!Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-43045191005056188702010-02-05T20:26:00.000-08:002010-02-05T20:32:10.238-08:00Sorry friendsI just checked my blogs for the first time in a long time. Realization: I really haven't been very accessible lately. With school, church, work, and being a wife I've been incredibly busy. And when I'm not busy I just want to sit at home and relax. So I rarely see my old friends. <br /><br />And for that, I apologize. I haven't forgotten you. I still think about you. And I'm sorry I'm lame.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-75703431059247550562010-01-06T20:11:00.000-08:002010-01-06T20:12:52.029-08:00I'm so cool you guysThis is my handbell choir. Yeah. We're awesome. You can see me in this video a few times. Every time it shows the big aluminum bells I'm cut out though. All you can see is my arms and sometimes my boobs since the rest of my body got cut off. <br /><br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://provout.swagit.com/e/01042010-8/8/"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://provout.swagit.com/e/01042010-8/8/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object>Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-34166367803952220572009-08-26T19:06:00.000-07:002009-08-26T19:14:50.832-07:00WhatI'm sitting on my couch watching That 70's Show and doing pretty much nothing. There are dishes in the sink and crumbs on the floor. Our bed is un-made and Jacob's new school books have taken over the coffee table. I had plans to go through all of my clothes or to sort through our storage closet. Not anymore. I'm even too lazy to get up and get my camera memory card so I can put up pictures on Facebook.<br /><br />Lame.<br /><br />So I'm just sitting here being lazy. *Sigh*<br /><br />I can't even remember why I decided to write a blog...<br /><br />Um...<br /><br />Bye.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-27796453877253118442009-08-02T20:24:00.000-07:002009-08-02T20:41:18.686-07:00sitting aroundHaven't blogged in a while and I'm not really doing anything right now so I thought I'd ramble for a bit.<br /><br />Our snail had a baby. It's less than a centimeter long though so we've only seen it twice. I hope our frogs don't eat it.<br /><br />Also I have a twitter account now, which is sort of cool except I only know like four people on it.<br /><br />I'm chatting with a random friend on Facebook right now. I haven't talked to her in years, but we were never super close so I'm sort of apathetic to the conversation. Is that mean? She's nice, but I think I'm just too lazy right now to really care about much.<br /><br />We're going to California this weekend for my little brother's mission farewell. He's going to Uruguay, which is crazy. My Aunt Migraine, who is a nurse practitioner, thinks he won't last a year because he's so skinny. Her bet is that he'll get sick and be malnourished or something. Who knows. He's excited though. He heard they eat a lot of steak down there, which sounds pretty good to me. I'm sure he'll love it.<br /><br />The weekend after we go to CA we're leaving for Texas to visit Jacob's family for a week. I'm pretty excited to go to the Dallas Zoo and Six Flags, but I'm not too excited for the 25 hour drive there and back. Hopefully our friends ZombieLover and GirlWhoHatesPeopleWhoSayTheMovieWasDifferentFromTheBook (GWHPWSTMWDFTB), who are going with us, don't get too sick of us during the long car rides. We're driving straight through.<br /><br />Anyway, I think I'm going to go read my book now. If anyone actually reads this blog, I cherish your devotion and hope you are well. :)Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-68127625910425637412009-05-26T11:52:00.000-07:002009-05-26T11:59:30.593-07:00Random1. On the right side of my Facebook page the same ad always appears: Utah Breast Augmentation.<br /><br />2. I had a dream the other night that a fish in a spider web turned into a large lizard which continually scratched at our door. When it got angry it turned into a pink monkey. I think at one point I punted it across the street but it just came back.<br /><br />3. I played Nazi Zombies (on Call of Duty) for my first time last night, and I got to round 6. Jacob's friends were impressed. I'm not sure why I was good at that when I suck so bad at Halo...<br /><br />4. Dan Brown has great stories, but he's a terrible writer.<br /><br />5. Jacob's eyelashes are singed from barbeque-ing yesterday. They're all discolored on the edges.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-37637109095842421562009-04-19T18:50:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:12:36.355-07:00Birthday List...sort ofThis is a brainstorm of possible items I would like for my birthday, mostly because I have nothing to do and Jacob asked what I want. Oh and I'm on Jacob's laptop and the enter key doesn't work. My apologies.<br /><blockquote><ol><li>A new cell phone (probably going to be too expensive)<blockquote></blockquote>2. Guitar Hero World Tour<blockquote></blockquote>3. A Harry Potter T-shirt (a cool one, not one with Daniel Radcliff's face plastered across the front)<blockquote></blockquote>4. Money to shop for new clothes<blockquote></blockquote>5. Guitar lessons<blockquote></blockquote>6. Books--Maybe some of the Harry Potter books, or some Roald Dahl books, or the new Perseus Jackson books, or the Kite Runner or something that's supposed to be really good<blockquote></blockquote>7. Movies--Another Seinfeld season, The Emperor's New Groove, Surf's Up, The Sword and the Stone, pretty much any Disney movie (ooo I love Beauty and the Beast)...<blockquote>Meh I don't know what else. If I think of anything else maybe I'll redo this post on a different computer.<br /></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><blockquote></blockquote> </li></ol></blockquote>Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-33553170225270867062009-04-17T07:57:00.000-07:002009-04-17T08:08:23.603-07:00Magical AquariumI don't know if anyone will even bother to read this--it's been so long since I last posted--but I finally had a spare moment and felt like blogging.<br /><br />Jacob and I got a 36 gallon aquarium a few months ago (he begged and I caved). We have a tree, some plants, and a little skull that has bubbles coming out of the mouth. Oh yeah and we have some cute freshwater fish.<br /><br />Our five rasboras are named Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna. We have two frogs named George and Paul (coming soon: Ringo and John). We have a snail which I think is named MoleButt but I'm not sure. We used to have a guppy named Little Jerry Seinfeld (has anybody seen the cockfight episode?) but he died a few days ago, rest his soul. And we have some other random fish that are nameless. They just look cool.<br /><br />But that's not why our fish tank is magical. About a week ago, Jacob bought a blue snail to replace Vanilla Bear (our white snail that got sucked up the filter). The snail seemed all right the first day, but after that we never saw him again. He just disappeared. On Sunday, Jacob cleaned the entire tank and even took out all of the plants and looked under the hood but the snail was nowhere to be found.<br /><br />That evening, while staring at the fish tank like he so often does, Jacob exclaimed that there was a tiny black fish swimming next to the tree. I took a look and sure enough there was some mystery fish in our tank.<br /><br />Possible explanations?<br />1. Some of our fish bred but only produced one egg that we apparently didn't notice.<br />2. Our blue snail turned into the tiny black fish.<br /><br />Personally I'm inclined to go with the more magical theory. It just seems more likely.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-51959152697026542562008-12-06T17:47:00.000-08:002008-12-22T19:46:45.479-08:00A Savior is BornThis year I had the opportunity to sing with the BYU choirs at the Celebration of Christmas concert, and we sang a piece that really moved me. It really captured what Christmas is about and what Christ's birth actually means for us today. I've posted a <a href="http://www.box.net/shared/djguz0m1hn">recording</a> of last year's performance of the piece to this blog, but it's a little hard to understand the words in some places. Open the link in a new tab or window so you can follow along with the words:<br /><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">Carol Of Joy</span></span> <p><span style="" lang="EN-US">"Green leaves all fallen, withered and dry;<br />Brief sunset fading, dim winter sky.<br />Lengthening shadows,<br />Dark closing in... </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Then, through the stillness, <em>carols begin!</em> </span></p> <p><span style="" lang="EN-US">Oh fallen world, to you is the song--<br />Death holds you fast and night tarries long. </span></p> <p><span style="" lang="EN-US">Jesus is born, your curse to destroy!<br />Sweet to your ears, a <em>carol of Joy</em>!</span></p> <p><span style="" lang="EN-US">Pale moon ascending, solemn and slow;<br />Cold barren hillside, shrouded in snow;<br />Deep, empty valley veiled by the night;<br />Hear angel music--hopeful and bright! </span></p> <p><span style="" lang="EN-US">Oh fearful world, to you<em> </em>is the song--<br />Peace with your God, and pardon for wrong!<br />Tidings for sinners, burdened and bound-- </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">A carol of joy!</span></p> <p><em><span style="" lang="EN-US">A Saviour is found</span></em><span style="" lang="EN-US">!</span></p> <p><span style="" lang="EN-US">Earth wrapped in sorrow, lift up your eyes!<br />Thrill to the chorus filling the skies!<br /><em>Look up</em> sad hearted--witness God's love!<br />Join in the carol swelling above! </span></p> <p><span style="" lang="EN-US">Oh friendless world, to <em>you </em>is the song!<br />All Heaven's joy to you may belong!<br />You who are <em>lonely</em>, <em>laden</em>, <em>forlorn</em>--<br />Oh fallen world!<br />Oh friendless world! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">To you,</span></p> <em><b><span style="" lang="EN-US">A Saviour is born!"<br /></span></b><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><b><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></em><span style="" lang="EN-US"></span><span style="" lang="EN-US"></span>I hope that amidst the sorrow and pain of the world we can remember our Savior and the peace he brings, and I wish you all a very merry Christmas. :)Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-2531153514447527922008-11-22T19:57:00.000-08:002008-11-22T20:15:54.647-08:00Random ThoughtsI'm supposed to be working on our lesson for church tomorrow (Jacob and I teach the Sunbeams in our ward), but I thought I'd post a quick blog first. You know, just random things I'm thinking about.<br /><br />I think there are people out there who read blogs and make comments just because they want to criticize. I just deleted a comment from my "Friends" post because Anonymous (another hilarity--I mean if you're going to criticize me, at least tell me who you are) was upset that I was being hurtful and that I shouldn't judge my friends. If you knew or understood me, you would know I was just venting frustration.<br /><br />Other thoughts. My neck has a crick in it. Probably my least favorite type of injury. I've actually posted on the topic before.<br /><br />I just figured out how to put hyperlinks into my blog text (something I've always wondered how to do but never wanted to ask anyone because I would feel stupid). Unfortunately I can't find the post on neck-injuries that I wanted to link.<br /><br />Jacob's coming to pick me up right now. And I didn't do any of the lesson. Blast.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-90476082072757511912008-11-17T16:03:00.001-08:002008-11-17T16:26:07.927-08:00LogicThere are two main reasons I hate debating politics:<br /><br />1) Contention. Arguing, even respectfully debating, always leaves me in a bad mood. No one is going to change his/her mind, no one is going to prove anything, and everyone is going to end up with higher blood pressure in the end. And when both sides are very passionate, feelings can be hurt and friends can be lost. Basically, debates are an effective way to get real flustered real quick.<br /><br />2) Logic. When it comes to the big, belief-testing political issues, logic is rarely on my side. Obviously that makes me look like a self-righteous bigot or whatever they're calling us these days. I know it does. I know that most people don't understand personal revelation, or a firm believe in supporting Church leaders. I know most people think it's "blind faith" when I believe without knowing all of the reasons why.<br /><br />Personal conviction and faith are very real to me, and I believe the combination of the two to be a lot firmer an argument than human logic. To me, logic has little to do with faith, except to add to an already present validity. All I know is I have a testimony of the Gospel. I have a testimony that marriage is an eternal principle not to be taken lightly. I have a testimony that the leaders of the Church receive and act upon revelation. And I know that the Gospel has always brought me peace and has never brought me sorrow.<br /><br />Sometimes I don't have a plethora of logical reasons for my beliefs. That's because it's not about logic for me. I think human logic is too limited to trust in. I put my faith and trust in the Lord.<br /><br />That's why I hate politics.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-62781135812578886842008-11-06T11:57:00.001-08:002008-11-06T12:15:31.015-08:00FriendsI've been thinking about my friends lately and how much flakiness bothers me when it comes to friendship. I mean, if I know you have nothing planned on a Friday night and I ask you to hang out, how am I supposed to feel when you choose not to? Or how about if I ask you weeks in advance to hang out and continually remind you about it, and then at the last moment you choose to do something else? Especially when "you" is someone I consider a close friend?<br /><br />So we have the flakes--those friends you can't count on to be there, whether or not you ask them in advance. And of course they don't plan in advance so they won't be calling you to hang out either.<br /><br />Where does a friendship like that go? I don't like it when friendships peter out due to neglect, but am I responsible to carry a friendship on my own? Is that really friendship? And should I just let it slide when a friend bales on me?<br /><br />I know everyone flakes on someone at some point, but I'm talking repeated offenses here. I don't need someone to hang out with every day or every week, I just need someone who will make an effort when I want to get together with them. I want friends who will pick up the ball right where we left off, whether it's been days or months or years. And yes, I have many friends like this, and I love and appreciate them. If you're reading this, you're definitely not a flake.<br /><br />Sigh. I guess I'll just have to see what happens with these friends in the long run.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-57750693471901434772008-10-15T19:23:00.000-07:002008-10-15T19:47:54.946-07:00At WorkI've been wanting to blog for a while, but I never seem to have the time. Anywho, I have about 6 minutes left of my break, so maybe I can crank one out real quick.<br /><br />I've just been thinking about Prop 8 lately (I wonder why) and I thought I'd join the ranks of those who have posted about it. Jacob and I were talking about the various posts lately (he's been reading more of your blogs than I have!) and about how the Church has been so outspoken about it. It's pretty crazy--even though we don't live in California, I feel like we're still in the thick of everything.<br /><br />Because I got married and changed my name in Utah, I now am no longer registered to vote in California. So no votes for me. But I would have voted yes. I changed my Facebook status to reflect that, and I fear I may have offended or at least hurt some of my friends. That was not my intention at all. Normally I am not outspoken about my political views, but I feel this is a really important issue. The Church has made a big deal of it, and I feel it is our duty to stand with our leaders and make our stance clear.<br /><br />Jacob pointed out that the Church will probably lose a lot of current and prospective members as it stands against gay marriage, and I agree with him. This will be a decisive issue for many members who are currently riding the fence. And--now, I mean no offense to anyone when I say this--but I don't think that is such a bad thing. Of course I want all of my friends to embrace the Gospel and stick with the Church, but realistically that is not going to happen. And with the current state of the world and the impending Second Coming of the Savior, people need to take a stance one way or another. Maybe all of this hoopla is encouraging just that. Who's on the Lord's side, who?<br /><br />Regardless of your opinions and choices, I will still be your friend of course. And honestly, I really do have sympathy for those who feel they are being deprived of the right to marry the love of their life. I do not wish pain upon anyone, nor do I think we should spurn those who have other opinions than we do. I just couldn't help thinking that these issues are really testing us. Someday we will all have to make a choice, and it's going to matter which side we choose.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-53219926919979385502008-10-04T20:22:00.000-07:002008-10-04T20:33:23.067-07:00Hello!Every time I go to write a blog I don't know what to say, or I remember something else I have to do, or I get bored, or class ends...<br /><br />Anyway, sorry I disappeared for a while.<br /><br />Life is good. Really good actually. It feels like I'm crazy busy, but most of it is fun stuff. Even some of my classes are fun. My harp arrived from California with my grandparents today. We haven't had a chance to move it downstairs yet, but hopefully tomorrow we can. Then I can tune it and play!<br /><br />Being married is like living in a fairy tale. Well, most of the time. I still have to go to school and work and rehearsal and we have more bills to pay and all of that jazz, but being married to Jacob is fantastic. Sometimes I just wonder how I ever made it this far in life, how I found someone so amazing to marry, how he loves me more than anything. I'm happy.<br /><br />Sometimes life is frustrating. You know, not having a permanent home, not having a real job, all the stuff that comes with being a college kid. But we're doing well and we're on our way into the real world. Plus Jacob is so fun and he makes me laugh so I never stay frustrated for long.<br /><br />Oh yeah and I got into the El Ed program at BYU. Yay! I'm not a "pre" major person anymore. One step closer.<br /><br />Yay for life. Call me sometime.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-75638464653915500972008-06-25T10:16:00.000-07:002008-06-25T10:39:30.770-07:00My current lifeYay I'm married!<br /><br />It was awesome. I'm going to post an extensive description of the wedding and everything on Facebook, so I won't do that here.<br /><br />Being married is fun. It's just like dating, but with fewer boundaries, and you don't have to say goodbye every night. I love having my very own personal priesthood holder and masseuse in my home. And even though there are new financial worries and plenty of legal forms we have yet to sort out and fill out, it's still wonderful.<br /><br />I started summer classes this week. They don't seem to hard thus far, but there will be lots of reading. I love spring and summer terms though because they go by so quickly. I wish fall and winter could go by that fast. So sad.<br /><br />And I live in American Fork. It's actually pretty fun, being with my grandparents and my extended family. Gas prices are not happy, but other than that it's not too bad living twenty minutes from BYU.<br /><br />Obviously I haven't been blogging much. There are a lot of reasons for that. Even now, this post lacks flow because I'm distractedly writing in class. But I still enjoy the occasional post and I will continue to keep up this blog, however slowly. Also I apologize for not reading anyone's blog lately. I will try to read them more often but no guarantees. I'm lame I know. But I still love you guys and gals. :)Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-11798196166608867312008-05-30T20:30:00.000-07:002008-05-30T20:54:52.123-07:00Two weeksTwo weeks from today I will be a married lady. I can't believe it's so close. We've been waiting since January. Actually, to be honest, we've been waiting for a lot longer than that even. And it's finally coming.<br /><br />I'm not nervous. Jacob is my best friend. I have never gotten sick of being around him, and he rarely irritates me. We've talked about the wedding night and I'm not really nervous for that either. I'm looking forward to it actually.<br /><br />I went through the temple a few weeks ago and got to go to my brother's sealing. Both were wonderful. In fact, I went to the temple again last week, and I look forward to going many more times.<br /><br />It's been stressful though, as I've mentioned before. But things have been working themselves out, and there really is only one last big thing to take care of before we tie the knot--setting up our car insurance. Everything else is taken care of. Heavenly Father has really been blessing us. Even the other day when we realized we bought a mattress that is too big for the bed frame, things worked out and we now have a wonderful bed (don't worry, he's not sleeping there yet--just me).<br /><br />Our friends have been great too. We've already gotten a ton of presents, some from people we barely know. It's way nice. It's like graduation, times a hundred.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>I will be grateful when it's all over though. For the past five months there has always been some little thing that needs to be taken care of, some little worry in the back of my mind. Even now it's just the little things that get so annoying. And I hope everything goes smoothly the day of the wedding and the few days preceding it.<br /><br />Also I've been getting really annoyed with my parents. It's gotten to the point where I don't look forward to calling them, and when they call, I usually have to convince myself to answer. I know they just want to make sure everything gets done and that we're prepared to be married, but sometimes I feel like they treat me like a little kid, and it drives me nuts. I am excited to be independent of them. Also sometimes I wish they were a little more open-minded. I won't complain too much though. They are paying for a lot of this wedding and they've done a lot to help us get off to a good start. I really do appreciate it and I'm grateful that they were able and willing to help. I just think the wedding is straining our relationship a little, so it will be nice when it's all done with.<br /><br />Jacob has been amazing though. He's offered his help and opinions when I've needed them, and on stressful days he has pampered and spoiled me. He's understanding when I tell him I'm too tired to stay very long at night, or when I want to go to lunch with a friend. And on our days off he has spent every moment with me and we've had a lot of fun. He is the best and I'm so excited to be married to him. I know he's going to be a wonderful husband.<br /><br />And then after the honeymoon I have to start classes. Yuck. Oh well, life has to go on I suppose. :)Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-23302581938090546102008-05-11T19:13:00.000-07:002008-05-11T19:19:31.380-07:00I'm not dead yetHey everyone I know I never post anymore and I apologize. I've never been so stressed for such a long period of time. A month or so ago a friend of mine sarcastically said my life must be so hard planning to get married for eternity. I wanted to smack her. Planning a wedding is a happy thing, but it is very stressful, and when you have finals, and then a death in the family, and you're working full time, and two of your best friends are getting married a month before you, and your brother is getting married a month before you, it gets pretty stressful.<br /><br />So I'm sorry I haven't posted. I'm in California right now and I miss Jacob like crazy. I'll be back on Wednesday though, an I get to take out my endowments. Yay!<br /><br />After this week (my brother's wedding), life will be a lot calmer until we get married. I'll be a lot more available to hang out.<br /><br />Hope everyone is well! :)Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-18982263046318394342008-04-22T16:56:00.000-07:002008-04-22T17:00:05.104-07:00For funHaving been tagged by Potentate, I post this blog.<br /><br />1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages).<br />2. Turn to page 123.<br />3. Find the 5th sentence<br />4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog.<br />5. Tag 5 people.<br /><br />"In genetic-environmental correlation and niche-picking, children's genes affect the environments to which they are exposed."<br /><br />Unfortunately the book that was nearest to me was my MFHD 210 Child Development book that the BYU Bookstore would not let me sell back.<br /><br />And now I tag Jacob, Brady, Peas, Smurf, and Samantha. Apologies if you have already been tagged.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-72849563396838932252008-04-01T10:14:00.000-07:002008-04-01T10:52:20.793-07:00HappinessA lot of people have lost faith lately. Several people I know, moho and straight people alike, have left the Church.<br /><br />I don't condemn them, nor am I happy for them.<br /><br />I don't understand how you could leave a Gospel that brings such joy to the world and the people in it. I don't understand how you could leave if you know it's true.<br /><br />If you don't know it's true, find out. Don't just leave. If you do know it's true, keep going. Use the Atonement and stay close to the Lord. Be happy. :)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-39916829350123610112008-03-05T09:41:00.000-08:002008-03-05T09:45:11.187-08:00Quick UpdateHey all I haven't disappeared. Life has just been so good! Wedding plans are going fairly smoothly, my mom came out here this weekend and we bought my dress, she finally met Jacob (who is ever amazing, of course), I'm doing pretty well in classes, and I finally landed a job (a crappy one, but a job nonetheless). I'm doing really well and I'm loving life. I've never been happier with my major. My only complaints are that I would like a better-paying non-food job and that my wisdom tooth is coming in. Darn teeth. Good thing my pops is a dentist.<br /><br />Anywho I thought I'd just check in and say I'm fabulous!Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-51573900763585830052008-02-14T08:39:00.001-08:002008-02-14T08:40:21.010-08:00February 14thHappy Valentine's Day everyone!!! Thank you all for being such incredible friends. I love you all!Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-56595084612602945172008-01-27T18:35:00.000-08:002008-01-27T18:36:13.459-08:00Big news!!!Jacob proposed today. So I'm engaged! There is a gorgeous ring on my finger. And I'm so excited!!!Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-36997982771788734822008-01-22T15:56:00.001-08:002008-01-22T15:57:39.796-08:00New petsJacob and I bought some new pets!!! We have a little aquarium with our snail Eduardo, our frog Julie, and our guppies Little Jerry Seinfeld and Adam West.<br /><br />They're pretty much amazing. You should come visit.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-18068721642238991842008-01-14T17:02:00.000-08:002008-01-14T17:31:08.448-08:00AmazingSaturday was definitely the best day of the year so far. It's going to be tough to beat.<br /><br />Jacob and I were celebrating our fourth monthiversary of dating. We got up early, had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, then went shopping (although we didn't buy anything). After shopping, we got some lunch at Subway. Then we headed over to Rock Canyon Park in our snow clothes and went sledding. It was awesome!!! I was sort of scared at first, but I got better. I even went down on my stomach!!!<br /><br />By the time we got home I was sufficiently wet and my hair was no longer straight. We changed clothes and got started on making Oreo balls (1 pack oreos crushed, 8 oz cream cheese, stir together evenly, roll into balls, cover in melted chocolate, chill) which turned out great.<br /><br />We were really hungry after sledding, so we went to this great Mexican place on Center Street called Joe Vera's. Jacob's friend "Means Hot" was working there so she was our server. It was a lot of really tasty food, and it wasn't that expensive either.<br /><br />As if we hadn't had enough fun, we headed up to Seven Peaks to go ice skating. I'm not very good at staying balanced, so I was clinging to Jacob the whole time. He is actually quite good at ice skating; lucky for me he didn't mind going slow. I got my sea legs eventually though and it wasn't too bad. I even went around a couple of times by myself.<br /><br />Finally we decided to rest our bodies so we went to the dollar theater to watch "Dan in Real Life." It was a really good movie even though it was really sad most of the time. There were some funny parts though.<br /><br />After the movie we said goodnight and went our separate ways. It was a really really great day.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-28855865687726386522007-12-29T22:48:00.001-08:002007-12-29T23:10:05.348-08:00Feeling nostalgic--pardon me if it sounds cheesySometimes I wonder why life just clicks. It's like everything is laid out--I can see how past events have caused my life to go a certain direction, how present events will effect the future. It's not always good, and it's not always fun, but it just is. And sometimes I imagine I can just see it all.<br /><br />I also wonder why I'm thinking this now, as I just got home from a party. The party was a group of old Sylvan Singers, most of them before my time. I'm not quite sure how I came to know some of those people... Most of them I just met at some concert they happened to be at and we just clicked.<br /><br />Anywho, with me being the youngest and having graduated two to three years later than these people, I was sort of the odd one out. It wasn't a big deal; in fact, I had anticipated it. For the most part I fit in, but every now and then there was a song I didn't know, or an awkward transitional moment where I suddenly found myself alone. I had fun though.<br /><br />It was good to see old faces, old friends. I rode with the ever-delightful ParallelStephalumpagus and good ol' CheeseFace. They are fun to talk to and PS is a very good source of information/juicy gossip. The party was at Matt's house out in the country (with no reception), and he's a very sweet fun guy. Andrea remembered me and was very friendly, and Emily and Molly came too. My old crush, Pound, was there. At first we didn't really talk much and we sort of avoided eye contact. I don't know why...I think it was just one of those things about not talking for a while... Later I asked him how school was and after that conversation flowed just grandly. I had forgotten how easy he is to talk to--we never ran out of conversation.<br /><br />Around ten I was pretty ready to go. We had eaten, done a gift exchange, and played two rounds of Apples to Apples. I didn't want to make PS leave, but she could tell that CheeseFace and I were ready. It was a good thing too because other people started to leave too. So we said our goodbyes and our promises to Facebook, yada yada yada, we finally left. And luckily Jacob called me right as my phone got reception to say goodnight.<br /><br />And now I'm home, feeling kind of nostalgic, kind of sad. It was really good to see everyone but I think it just made me see that my life is in Provo now. Vacaville is more of a place to visit than an actual home. I love it to death, and I hate to say this but...I kind of miss being in Provo. I miss my normal life--Jacob, Peas, school, friends, grandparents. It was a nice break, but I'm ready to sleep in my own bed, in my apartment, with no parents, and resume life as it is.<br /><br />When I was in third grade, I remember thinking about sixth grade and being really sad because I didn't want to leave elementary school and all of my teachers behind. I didn't want things to change because I liked them the way they were. When I graduated high school I was excited for school but I missed my high school friends.<br /><br />But change really isn't so bad. It's just the way things are, right? Things change, and sometimes we're afraid to change something that's already the way we like it, but we have to just know that things get better. There's always more to life. More to look forward to.<br /><br />And then we can come back to places like Vacaville and visit and remember the way things used to be, remember good times, and be grateful that there are more to come.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740492.post-3091401650923242112007-12-22T12:44:00.000-08:002007-12-22T12:55:29.346-08:00I'm so lameI don't know why I waited to post when I was in a crappy mood instead of posting good things like my amazing finals week. I just went and read some of Jacob's posts and he's always so happy. I'm so lame.<br /><br />So here's the good stuff.<br /><br />Last week I took three finals on Monday and two on Tuesday, then I was done. It was amazing, even though I got a C in one of my classes. I don't even care and it's not worth beating myself up about.<br /><br />Tuesday was probably one of the best days ever. I went over to Jacob's house and we exchanged Christmas presents. He is the BEST. He got me a really great new backpack (which I totally needed), two of my favorite children's books, plus another one by the same author, these really cool Nightmare Before Christmas gloves that I've had my eye on for a while, and some Nightmare Before Christmas socks. On top of all that, he wrote me a really heartfelt letter that actually made me cry. It was amazing.<br /><br />We spent the day studying and watching family guy, and after I finished my finals he took me out to eat. Then we watched Big Fish, which is such a good movie.<br /><br />Wednesday I made two kinds of cookies while Jacob studied, and later I went shopping with some girls from the ward. I wasn't really in the mood to go shopping, but it was okay. Afterwards I went to Jacob's house and spent some time with him. He's so sweet.<br /><br />Thursday was the day I left. Jacob and I went to Zupas, then to Wells Fargo to try and open a checking account for me. After that we went back to my place and I finished my packing and my cleaning check. I was really sad to say goodbye to him when he left for work.<br /><br />After a crazy storm and a bit of a delayed flight, I finally made it to California (thanks again Guillermo for driving me! I hope the move went well for you and Natasha). Charlene was waiting for me an we had a fun drive home.<br /><br />Yesterday wasn't super fun, but I did pick out some new glasses and I got my hair done.<br /><br />And now I'm sitting here. I think I'm going to go eat some lunch and then wrap presents.Stephalumpagushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586076007803308768noreply@blogger.com1