I have been slacking off on my blog for a while, but when I saw this cute new Valentine's background, I knew that I needed to get my priorities straight and start blogging once again so I could use that background :)
Today I feel like describing myself so here it goes...
I am...
currently full of optimism for various reasons.
uncertain what will happen to my life in a few months after I graduate.
excited that this week I get to go to Portland to my BFF Ceci's wedding.
anxious for all of my family to be together in a few weeks since I hardly haven't seen my sister Jen in 6 years!
trying to figure out why I have so much homework.
loving my new ward and my awesome roomies. I always get lucky with roommates.
thinking of what great new recipe I can try to cook to please my taste buds.
excited for Spring even though I typically love winter tremendously.
so grateful that I went to Ecuador!
passionate about my beliefs.
hoping to be able to play the guitar really well....as good as my lil sis who's practically Taylor Swift.
a clean freak.
a little silly and I love to laugh.
going to learn to Country Dance or Square Dance - or any other random dance.
Alright - those are a few things about me - now I pose the question, who are you?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Alright, this blog can no longer be the Ecuadorian Adventures, since the Ecuadorian Adventure ended. So, for all of you who were living vicariously through my experience, I apologize, but don't worry, there's still loads of adventure and life ahead.
I had bittersweet feelings at the airport as I said goodbye to my bosses and my dear taxi driver, Hno Gomez. Change is often bittersweet. You have to say goodbye to something and normally someone. Ecuador was no different. I had an incredible experience. It definitely had its ups and downs, but I would never give that experience back. It opened up my eyes to so many things, was a phenomenal growing and learning experience, and I imagine it will continue to influence me.
Despite the bittersweet, once I got on the plane, I was just pure excited! I missed my dear family so much and my friends and my home. No matter how great Ecuador was at times, it could never replace my home. I loved breathing in the fresh crisp air as I got home. I loved walking down and seeing my mom jump up and down and see my lil sis come running holding a sign welcoming me home. Even my dad came to the airport. It was awesome! It's been fun chilling with the family again, even though that means it's back to less sleep, as we Peacocks tend to stay up really late and not sleep enough.
So, welcome home! It's great to be back. Keep in touch for all the adventures that lie ahead!
I had bittersweet feelings at the airport as I said goodbye to my bosses and my dear taxi driver, Hno Gomez. Change is often bittersweet. You have to say goodbye to something and normally someone. Ecuador was no different. I had an incredible experience. It definitely had its ups and downs, but I would never give that experience back. It opened up my eyes to so many things, was a phenomenal growing and learning experience, and I imagine it will continue to influence me.
Despite the bittersweet, once I got on the plane, I was just pure excited! I missed my dear family so much and my friends and my home. No matter how great Ecuador was at times, it could never replace my home. I loved breathing in the fresh crisp air as I got home. I loved walking down and seeing my mom jump up and down and see my lil sis come running holding a sign welcoming me home. Even my dad came to the airport. It was awesome! It's been fun chilling with the family again, even though that means it's back to less sleep, as we Peacocks tend to stay up really late and not sleep enough.
So, welcome home! It's great to be back. Keep in touch for all the adventures that lie ahead!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thanksgiving in Ecuador!
Yes...these are my stylish Thanksgiving Decorations. I made little decorations according to what Natausha liked so that she wouldn't feel sad missing Thanksgiving at home. 
Our Turkey Bowl. 
This is a turkey, although it looks the same as the peacocks that I draw....and we ate a chicken.
A picture before we started chowing down!
Here's the final product - Gravy, Stuffings, Squash, Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Jello with Mandarine Oranges and Bananas, and Apple Pie...oh, and my fresh lemonade :)
Here are the stuffings, squash, and gravy. All turned out great! We have no measuring utensils here and very few options for cooking, but everything turned out perfectly.
The finished product. I did a garlic celery roast for the chicken. Turkeys are WAY too expensive to buy, so luckily, Ethan was a doll and bought us a whole chicken to cook for the dinner. I was so pleased at how beautifully and tasty it turned out.
I loved the chicken!! Seriously, it was so much fun playing with it...I mean preparing it.We were worried that Thanksgiving here would be lame and sad since everyone at home was all joined together for the festivities. But, Natausha and I came up with a wonderful Thanksgiving menu and decided that we'd go to town and enjoy the holiday as well. Ecuador would not stop us from enjoying it! We invited our one american friend so that he could enjoy it as well. We had a blast cooking all morning, being very creative with our measurements, and in the end, eating a great beautiful meal. We were tuckered out at the end so we enjoyed a short nap on the couch before heading off to work. It truly was a Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Courtesy of the Josh Groban Christmas CD
Actually, I guess this post could be dedicated to Thanksgiving, but luckily, my Christmas CD has a song about being grateful. (I <3 Josh Groban.)
The song says, "There's so much to be thankful for." So here's a list of things I'm thankful for this this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
- A large snow covered pine tree it in the middle of a snow storm that muffles all the sounds and makes every thing tranquil.
- The sunset after a long hot day at the beach. This includes the reflection of the sun on the water, the lapsing of the waves on the shore...
- Sitting around the table with my family playing games and just having fun together.
- Warm Rain on a summer day
- Girl nights with Jenni and Lizzie
- Long conversations with Zach that I don't understand :).
- I am thankful that I am finally going to live in a pretty nice place in Provo - no more cinder block walls!
- I'm thankful that we are infested with little ants and not with spiders.
- Cell phones so that I can keep in touch with people as I walk home from school.
- My internship that helped me understand business a little bit more.
- Ecuadorians that teach me how to give because they are so giving.
- Picking out and decorating the perfect Christmas tree and then just sitting in the dark admiring it.
- The long summer days Cheri and I spent laying in the pool talking.
- all the wonderful domestic skills my momma taught me
- Looking up new recipes on the Internet and cooking up a masterpiece in Ecuador. A pasttime which keeps me sane!
Alright, I'm sure that enough for today. We should probably all think more about what we are grateful for and what we have instead of what we don't have. There are so many little things that I am so thankful for. Let's take the time to think about them.
What are you thankful for this holiday season???
The song says, "There's so much to be thankful for." So here's a list of things I'm thankful for this this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
- A large snow covered pine tree it in the middle of a snow storm that muffles all the sounds and makes every thing tranquil.
- The sunset after a long hot day at the beach. This includes the reflection of the sun on the water, the lapsing of the waves on the shore...
- Sitting around the table with my family playing games and just having fun together.
- Warm Rain on a summer day
- Girl nights with Jenni and Lizzie
- Long conversations with Zach that I don't understand :).
- I am thankful that I am finally going to live in a pretty nice place in Provo - no more cinder block walls!
- I'm thankful that we are infested with little ants and not with spiders.
- Cell phones so that I can keep in touch with people as I walk home from school.
- My internship that helped me understand business a little bit more.
- Ecuadorians that teach me how to give because they are so giving.
- Picking out and decorating the perfect Christmas tree and then just sitting in the dark admiring it.
- The long summer days Cheri and I spent laying in the pool talking.
- all the wonderful domestic skills my momma taught me
- Looking up new recipes on the Internet and cooking up a masterpiece in Ecuador. A pasttime which keeps me sane!
Alright, I'm sure that enough for today. We should probably all think more about what we are grateful for and what we have instead of what we don't have. There are so many little things that I am so thankful for. Let's take the time to think about them.
What are you thankful for this holiday season???
Saturday, November 22, 2008
I was tagged!!
10 years ago I . . .
1. thought high school was the most important part of life.
2. had a crush on Marshall Conover and Daniel Sloop...to name a few.
3. was horrified of getting killed by a tornado in the middle of the night.
4. missed my older sister who was away at her first year of Ricks.
5. was dreaming of adulthood and all that I´d do in life.
5 things on my "to do list" today . . .
1. Go to the beach - which didn´t work out because we didn´t have any minutes on the cell phone.
2. Finish up my Spanish Paper
3. Make a delicious black bean soup - experimenting with a new recipe.
4. Go running in the afternoon when it´s cool outside.
5. Have a movie night with Natausha
5 snacks I like . . .
1. Popcorn with marshmallows
2. Chips and Salsa or homemade guacamole
3. Cereal
4. Cookies!!!
5. Fruit Salad.
6. Yep - I like 6 better than 5. Dehydrated fruits and fruit leather.
5 things I would do if I were a millionaire . . .
1. Invest (although I´m not sure if that´d be the best idea right now)
2. I´d probably buy the perfect pair of jeans.
3. We would take a family vote and decide between snowmobiles, 4-wheelers, and horses. I would buy according to the family vote.
4. I would arrange a family reunion and subsidize the airfare.
5. Be much less stingy - buy more little presents for people, just because; invite more people to dinner; help more people; make gift baskets for the sad people I see on the streets; donate money to all the people who stand outside the stores for the Salvation Army asking for money.
6. Do the BYU Study Abroad in Jerusalem.
5 places I have lived . . .
1. Layton Utah
2. Gastonia North Carolina
3. Buena Vista Virginia
4. Santiago Chile
5. Guayaquil Ecuador
8 things I did yesterday...
1. Finished teaching a Self-Employment Workshop - the best one yet!
2. Tried a new Spanish Rice and an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe
3. Uploaded pics to the family webpage.
4. Got irritated with the monotony of life.
5. Wrote a paper on Ecuadorian politics
6. Fell asleep as I was trying to do my homework.
7. Ate an omelet.
8. Read a really good chapter in the Book of Mormon.
8 favorite places to eat . . .
1. Zupas
2. Olive Garden
3. Cafe Rio
4. Papa Johns
5. PF Changs
6. Chic-Fil-A (I really like it...)
7. Kneaders
8. This little restaurant in Cuenca Ecuador that sells the best Seco de Pollo in the world!
8 things I am looking forward to . . .
1. Be done with my classes from this semester.
2. Going to Manta (a beautiful Ecuadorian beach)
3. Going HOME :) I love home!!
4. Christmas trees.
5. A cold snowy day with a warm glass of hot chocolate and the laughter of my family.
6. Graduating and seeing where live takes me.
7. Ceci´s wedding.
8. Life.
8 things on my wish list . . .
1. Mr. Perfect
2. A pair of jeans that I actually like.
3. That I can enjoy every adventure in life without being too impatient for the next part.
4. Intelligence - and the ability to remember every thing I learn.
5. Charity - being able to love people more readily rather than judging them.
6. That all of my family lives close together.
7. The best last semester of college ever.
8. I wish that I always have the courage to make the right choices.
3 people I tag . . .
1. Ceci
2. Natausha
3. Kate
1. thought high school was the most important part of life.
2. had a crush on Marshall Conover and Daniel Sloop...to name a few.
3. was horrified of getting killed by a tornado in the middle of the night.
4. missed my older sister who was away at her first year of Ricks.
5. was dreaming of adulthood and all that I´d do in life.
5 things on my "to do list" today . . .
1. Go to the beach - which didn´t work out because we didn´t have any minutes on the cell phone.
2. Finish up my Spanish Paper
3. Make a delicious black bean soup - experimenting with a new recipe.
4. Go running in the afternoon when it´s cool outside.
5. Have a movie night with Natausha
5 snacks I like . . .
1. Popcorn with marshmallows
2. Chips and Salsa or homemade guacamole
3. Cereal
4. Cookies!!!
5. Fruit Salad.
6. Yep - I like 6 better than 5. Dehydrated fruits and fruit leather.
5 things I would do if I were a millionaire . . .
1. Invest (although I´m not sure if that´d be the best idea right now)
2. I´d probably buy the perfect pair of jeans.
3. We would take a family vote and decide between snowmobiles, 4-wheelers, and horses. I would buy according to the family vote.
4. I would arrange a family reunion and subsidize the airfare.
5. Be much less stingy - buy more little presents for people, just because; invite more people to dinner; help more people; make gift baskets for the sad people I see on the streets; donate money to all the people who stand outside the stores for the Salvation Army asking for money.
6. Do the BYU Study Abroad in Jerusalem.
5 places I have lived . . .
1. Layton Utah
2. Gastonia North Carolina
3. Buena Vista Virginia
4. Santiago Chile
5. Guayaquil Ecuador
8 things I did yesterday...
1. Finished teaching a Self-Employment Workshop - the best one yet!
2. Tried a new Spanish Rice and an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe
3. Uploaded pics to the family webpage.
4. Got irritated with the monotony of life.
5. Wrote a paper on Ecuadorian politics
6. Fell asleep as I was trying to do my homework.
7. Ate an omelet.
8. Read a really good chapter in the Book of Mormon.
8 favorite places to eat . . .
1. Zupas
2. Olive Garden
3. Cafe Rio
4. Papa Johns
5. PF Changs
6. Chic-Fil-A (I really like it...)
7. Kneaders
8. This little restaurant in Cuenca Ecuador that sells the best Seco de Pollo in the world!
8 things I am looking forward to . . .
1. Be done with my classes from this semester.
2. Going to Manta (a beautiful Ecuadorian beach)
3. Going HOME :) I love home!!
4. Christmas trees.
5. A cold snowy day with a warm glass of hot chocolate and the laughter of my family.
6. Graduating and seeing where live takes me.
7. Ceci´s wedding.
8. Life.
8 things on my wish list . . .
1. Mr. Perfect
2. A pair of jeans that I actually like.
3. That I can enjoy every adventure in life without being too impatient for the next part.
4. Intelligence - and the ability to remember every thing I learn.
5. Charity - being able to love people more readily rather than judging them.
6. That all of my family lives close together.
7. The best last semester of college ever.
8. I wish that I always have the courage to make the right choices.
3 people I tag . . .
1. Ceci
2. Natausha
3. Kate
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