34 Days 1 Hour 46 Minutes Away

Real Salt Lake 4 Life

Call me a nerd or a fanatic but I'm getting really antsy for this upcoming season! These games are usually the highlight of my week! Just watching this video (over and over and over again!!) makes me get excited and start to feel the energy of Rio Tinto Stadium! Plus it's so fun to spend this time with my family, especially Jared and my Dad who love this team as much as I do. I think I only missed 2 games last year and could name just about every player. I will DEFINITELY be going to the season ticket holder's "Meet & Greet" with the players this year and I WILL get a picture with Kyle Beckerman (love him!) and share it with you all! I mean seriously, how could you not love this hot soccer man:

March 1st can't come soon enough!!

I just got asked out on a date!

Yesterday I saw my great friend, Monica, at work. She used to be the D.O.N. at the nursing home I work at but had another baby so she only works a day or two a week. She brought her two adorable little girls to staff meeting with her, Ally (4 years going on 18), and Graycie (5ish months!). I was heading to the post office so Ally came with me. I just love this girl! As we were driving to the post office, Ally asked me in all seriousness: "Courtney, can we go on a date just you and I sometime?!" Oh how I love her! Of course I said yes and asked her what she wanted to do on our date. She said she didn't care but she wanted it to be just me and her! She is so smart and adorable I can't get enough of her! I can really tell Chris & Monica are great parents and really love their adorable daughters. I'm so glad they're a part of my life

*Ally, Lets have our date soon and we can go get sushi since its your favorite food! You can even come sleep over at my apartment if you want! My roommates will love you!

A Mother's Love Can Heal All Wounds...

Thanks for chatting with me tonight Mom. I don't know what I would do without your wisdom, advice, unconditional love, and everything you do for me. I hope I'm half the mom you are someday. I love you!

I'm the Luckiest Big Sister in the World!

Saw this picture tonight and I couldn't help but smile! So I decided to share it with the rest of you! My parents should be super proud of this bunch of fools! I love these two boys so much! They can always make me smile (unless they're being annoying younger brothers of course, but even then they tend to make me smile!). I'm so glad I have a close relationship with them. I miss Cam while he's on his mission but I couldn't be prouder of him! Jared is my best friend I can count on him for anything! Funny story about this pic: We were at a mutual friend's 21st "Vegas" themed birthday party and of course we like to ham it up in front of the camera! Well not long after it was posted on facebook, a concerned family friend that lives in England messaged my dad to make sure we were all doing ok (a.k.a What are your kids doing drinking?!?). After a confused father, and the boys and I showing my dad the picture, we all got a chuckle out of it! Thanks Jared and Cameron for making me the proudest/luckiest/happiest/most loved Big Sister in the World! I love you boys!

Trying to Clear My Mind

"No matter who we are, no matter what our circumstances,

our feelings and emotions are Universal."

-Unknown

I've had a few thoughts pounding in my mind the last couple days. You know, when you're laying in bed trying to sleep, or driving in a silent car and these are the only things you can think of... Yeah I wish my brain had an off switch at times.

1. I feel like I need a spontaneous adventure. I keep looking at flights to go somewhere... anywhere really just to pick up and go for a bit. I never go through with it though, I guess that's the "planner" in me.
2. I keep wondering why I can't just come out and tell certain people how I much I really care about them and want them in my life. I guess we shield our heart so much so it won't get hurt but aren't we really hurting ourselves more by not letting our heart be free and honest with ourselves and the people we love the most? I think uncertainty is harder than heartbreak/rejection sometimes because you are constantly wondering, when you could be moving on or developing something wonderful.
3. I miss Garrett. Its amazing how these feelings pop up sometimes. I miss his voice... Maybe its because I'm starting to get scared that I'm going to forget how it sounds...

The DDB's...

First off, I have a fabulous ward!! Granted I have been in it for 4 years now and I'm the oldest girl in the ward (I'm the self-proclaimed Grandma of the ward), but this year has been the best of them all. Most of our ward is new this year and it has been really great to make a lot of new friends. There is a group of us that like to play Mexican Train on Sunday nights and we usually end up planning a movie night for Tuesday night as well. This particular Sunday night, we got into the conversation of KFC's Double Down (if you don't know what a Double Down is, see exhibit A!) and my roommate Mallory was the only one that had ever eaten it. So of course the boys come up with the brilliant idea that before our movie on Tuesday, we were going to go eat the Double Down (and when I saw "We" I mean "Them" cause I was only going to observe!!).

EXHIBIT A

Tuesday comes along and I find myself with 4 funny/fabulous guys, 2 of which buckled under pressure and decided to join in our quest, who are telling me that I WILL be participating in the adventure. I finally convinced them that I would have a bite of one of theirs. Jared received the first DD (along with a tray full of fliers/trash/expired coupons) and the adventure began. He was pleasantly surprised and even said he would actually eat it again!

Jared preparing for the first bite!

We had to wait 7 minutes for Skyler, Ethan, and John's DD to be cooked and everytime Skyler heard a microwave beep, he was convinced that it was his DD being cooked! Once we got their "sandwiches" we realized they were NOT cooked in a microwave but rather an extremely hot fryer because they were piping hot and the oil would burn you when you took a bite (how do I know this, you ask yourself? I caved and had a couple of bites!). But Ethan had the best comment of the night concerning the hot oil in the chicken: "Yeah it hurts, but it adds to the experience!" Oh I love these great friends of mine! Skyler decided that he cared about his health too much to ever eat this again and John and Ethan decided it was a one time wonder as well! I had extremely low expectations for this "heart-attack sandwich" so it was better than I thought it would be, but I won't be eating it again or ever eating more than a couple of bites like I did that night! These great guys named themselves the DDBs (Double-Down Brothers) and definitely made my night! Thanks guys for the great memory!

Skyler diving right in!

Ethan not too sure about this!

John REALLY not sure about this!

Definitely an Experience!

Not surprised if this KFC is shut down in a week by the Health Dept.

A Little Shout Out...

Just wanted to give a shout out to my awesome brother Jared! That's all that needs to be said because his awesomeness just gushes out of him!! Love you Bro!

BFF4L

Saw this great guy today for the first time in several weeks (in best friend land that's a long time!!). He turned my grumpy day right side up! I've only known him for about a year and I can honestly say he's my best friend in the entire world (besides my family of course)! He's always there for me when I need someone to lean on. Whether its school stuff, boy stuff, lonely stuff, or just plain life stuff (and guess what ladies, he single!!)!! I couldn't ask for a better friend. What started as a swimming lap buddy for me became an eternal friendship. Thanks Joshy for letting me cry to you in restaurants, chatter about my current crush, counseling me and giving me fabulous advice, and for making me laugh until I cry!! I don't know what I would do in my life with out you! P.S. Just plan on being my Maid of Honor at my unknown future wedding!! Loves from the bottom of my heart!

Welcome to 2011

As 2010 ends and 2011 begins, I have made some goals for myself for this year. In years past I’ve made goals but I haven’t been too serious about them and really make them a part of my life. I’m hoping to change that this year! One of my goals was to create a blog… So here it is! I need something to get my creative juices flowing and to be able to just write down things that I’m thinking besides in my journal. So, if you read this blog, I hope you enjoy it!

My roommate/wonderful friend, Emma, was painting the word “Reach” on a board the other day and I asked her what it was. She told me that it was her word for the year and that she was focusing her goals and life for 2011 around this word. So I decided to do the same thing and find my own word! My word this year is “Create”. This word has a lot of different meanings for me this year.

1. Create my life around what makes me most happy.

2. Create a better understanding and testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Develop skills and knowledge to help create a career as a Physician’s Assistant.

4. Create lasting and meaningful memories.

5. Create meaningful friendships and relationships.

6. Create a physical body to which I feel better living in! (ex: Exercising & eating better).

7. Create trust within myself and in others.

8. Develop and create a stronger self-esteem and self confidence.

9. Create a blog where I can express myself.

10. Create Courtney!

President Uchtdorf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gives an amazing talk about creating your life and who you really want and need to be in life:

I hope to live by the word "Create" and this message this year and throughout my life.

May this New Year bring happiness and success to you all and might you find your own special word to live by and to improve your life by. I hope you enjoy my blog and enjoy this journey of "Capturing Courtney."