Summer Lovin'

One week. ONE WEEK, until I have my summer! What better time to make a summer bucketlist and to get some input and volunteers to cross these off!

- Shop  on Robson!

-Make a crown of Daisies

- Go to the beach, collect seashells and jump off the pier

- Hike to the waterfalls

- Go camping (Cecilly, Kayleigh and Kaitlyn this means YOU)

- Have a picnic

 - Watch a sunrise

- Read the Anne of Green Gables series sitting on top of my roof

- Buy Ice cream and walk through the park

 -Write lots of letters

- Pick a bouquet of wild flowers

 - Go to the waterslides

 - Road trip to anywhere!

- Get up early to make a big breakfast for my family

-Sleep under the stars

-Sew Pajama pants

- Bake up a storm

- Catch a fish

- try a million new recipes

 - Walk the Vancouver Temple grounds

- Can salsa with my momma

 -Have a TON of photo shoots. Takers?

- make a new friend

- go dancing in the rain and watch a thunderstorm 

(Special thanks to Chantelle for inspiring this post!)

I Have a Dream

        
         I'm not one to have big dreams. I mean I have goals like having a family and finishing my education. but I've never been the type to fantasize about touring foreign countries, living an extravagant life-style or altering the world in some large way. I just want to be happy. But for once I had a dream. It started 2 years ago when I job shadowed a sonographer technician and I knew what career path I wanted to follow. It was a rough beginning because I had to catch up on classes I hadn't needed before. having to take physics courses online and in nightschool while still taking on a full academic course load, working part-time and all the responsibility of 3 church callings almost broke and cracked me in places for sure. Sometimes I didn't have the support I wanted from everyone. Some of my friends told me I was better than an ultrasound tech and I felt looked down on for setting my sights supposedly below my potential. Not getting in the first year didn't encourage any positive sentiments of my abilities. Still, because I am so stubborn when it comes to my personal achievements, I made every possible effort to attain my dream. I moved away from my family, I re-applied, I cried and I waited. I studied, I was interviewed, I stressed and I waited. The odds were stacked with 66% failure rate AFTER being shortlisted. 

         One rainy tuesday morning my phone vibrated. of course not having caller ID I picked up expecting it to be my mom (who else do I talk to, really?). The unfamiliar voice asked for Naomi. And then proceeded to offer me my dream. All I heard was "we would like to give you a seat in the Diagnostic Medical Imaging program 

for Sonography." She didn't tell me to sit down like they do in the movies when they give you big news! 

What I found most intriguing about this was I didn't feel that great relief or excitement or overwhelming joy that I was expecting for 2 years. I think I felt more relief when I finished my Physics night course, and more excitement when I got a B in Calculus and the most overwhelming joy when I got an interview for the program. I had my triumphs all along the way and the acceptance letter was just the ribbon that tied the package together. The victory wasn't a phone call. It was the late nights I finished my homework and went to bed without a congratulatory pat on the back. 

The "big" things in life were all accomplished by day to day small tasks. The little things are the big things.

Good Morning, Classic...

I don't think people usually look on 12 hour shifts as something exciting or fun. But I honestly had THE best day at work today. within half an hour of being at work I was shooed outside to move and tag shrubs. I'm pretty sure that wasn't in my job description when I signed up to be a cashier.  But like the spineless pawn that I am I bought my first pair of rawhide gloves and laced up my steel toes. It started out not so bad when I had to tag, untag and then retag plants. But it got even better when more help, and awesome company, arrived. Isn't it amazing how much your attitude can change with the company you keep? It was absolutely lovely to be outside all day (minus the burn) and to not have any manager breathing down my neck. Don't get me wrong I worked my butt off, but was independent. Like button on that one. Not sure if anyone has realized from my photos but I am an absolute sucker for flowers! so when a huge truckload of hanging baskets came in I was in HEAVEN! They were absolutely gorgeous!
 They were pre-packaged and when you took off the plastic they cascaded out. Seriously all of us were in awe. Before I knew it 12 hours had zoomed by and I left a beautified greenhouse not only with hours of overtime but a smile on my face.

I walk out to these in the morning everyday. It makes life a little more worth living.

This Ice cream bar that all of us bought on break was a pretty nice touch to my day. Highly recommend Moose Tracks, or Camel toes as some people like to call it....

all the baskets were lovely..except this one. we all agreed  it was atrocious.

Even the mess they leave is beautiful.

New thing I learned today: Irises are STUNNING!

Stop to Smell the Daffodils

  I just started work again at a job that makes me cry. I've been trying to be really positive and remember I'm only working for a short time and getting the money I need for school. But the memories of working this job have swept over me again. All the weeks I came home just to sleep, no time for friends, doing a week's worth of cleaning in a night, exhausted and homesick. Plus I have an interview for a program I've been trying to get into for 2 years and am stressed out of my mind about it.

  This morning, as I left my sleeping roommates enjoying their weekend, I walked into a cold, windy, overcast morning.  My heart was heavy knowing I had a long day ahead of me and weather that looked how I felt. Rushing to catch the train my eyes were drawn downward. Newly unfolding daffodils were smiling up at me. They were the first flowers I'd seen this spring and what a vision in yellow they were! I smiled back at them as I wished them good morning and went a little happier on my way. It was a reminder that even though there are storm clouds and wind, life always has beauty and hope of new beginnings to offer us. Tonight I'm thanking God for daffodils.

I simply remember my favorite things

Friday, I was introduced to The Book of Awesome. Essentially it is a book filled with small things that sometimes we don't even realize make us happy. When my roommates and I started talking about it they came up with a few more things to add to the list. Finding happiness in small things is so important to have continued joy in everyday life. Here are few of my small joys I had on my list:

Frost on windows

The sound the leaves make in the wind

The way everything looks when the sun is going down

 

Old buildings with lots of detail

Getting mail

- Sneezing     - Falling asleep with wet hair   - Jumping out to scare someone at just the right moment

 Finally getting that part in a piece of music you've been working on

- Communicating a joke without using words   - Waking up from a bad dream  -Walking over small bridges

Fall

- Spilling something everywhere, but not getting any of it on you - When the 'walk' sign comes on just when you come to the intersection

The smell of fresh baked bread

 A reason to dress up

- When a good looking stranger smiles at you - Listening to the rain as you go to sleep in a warm bed

 playing the perfect April fool's day joke

- Remembering the response to a question you couldn't answer just before you hand in your test       - Clothes that still have the price tag attached, hanging in your closet       -Your favorite song starts to play when you just get into the car

When someone leaves a note for you

 

Pictures that make you laugh every time you look at them

Flowers after rain

Finding the perfect shade of lipstick

Having something happen you didn't even know was possible

Family