The Missionary Bucket List

The other day I was talking to some friends and they asked me.. "What is your list of things to do before you leave on you mission?" I looked at them.. and said, (feeling kinda silly) "Well I don't really have anything planned.." Then as you can probably imagine, that conversation was pretty much over. haha So not wanting to look like a complete loser I decided to make a list! For me, but also so that I don't seem quite so lame. haha

Feel free to suggest more things that I should do!!

List of things I absolutely must do before I leave for Brasil!
-Learn how to play racquetball just enough so that I can hold my own in a match
-Go to a hockey game
-Go hot tubbing and/or swimming at least one or two times
-Read 3 or 4 really good books
-Finish the Lord of the Rings series (only seen #1)
-Watch the new James Bond movie
-Eat ice cream at least once a week :D
-Eat all of my favorite home-cooked meals
-Play every board game we have as a family
-Have an old fashioned super smash brothers competition with the family
-Have a dance party/dance revolution extravaganza
-Successfully create the "sock bun"
-Attend Moses Lake Drill Team State Competition!!
-Listen to every song on my itunes (plus some pandora radio) and sing along with each and every one
-Have Cassidy or Jordan teach me a song on the guitar
-Go eat enchiladas and tater tots at the Taco Shop
-Eat an entire Chicos Pizza! (ok maybe not the whole thing)
-Watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at least 2 times
-Skype all my good friends in Provo and elsewhere that I won't be able to see before I leave

And that's all I can think of as of now! Let me know if you have any other ideas!! :D

Like looking in a mirror

4 year old(looking up at me innocently): McKayla, when is your birthday?
Me: When do you think my birthday is? Can ya guess?
4 year old: Uh... ummmm It is either March... February. Or Christmas! (big smile on Christmas)
Me: haha Well my birthday is actually in September!
4 year old: No, no it isn't (flashes me a winning smile and walks away)
hahahah

This perfectly describes one of the little kiddos I have the privilege of babysitting on Monday and Tuesdays every week. Her name is Kallee and she is one of the spunkiest, most opinionated little girls I have ever met. Even though she can sorta wear me out sometimes I absolutely adore her personality. I think the main reason I relate to her so well is that I see myself in her big brown eyes. I was that girl just a couple years ago. That bossy older sister with my own agenda and big plans. She has a little brother named Noah. Little Noah is 1 year old and is probably the most adorable little boy I have ever met. The way Kallee totes him around and takes care of him (even though he doesn't really need it) is like watching those old home videos from back in the day with me and my little Jordy. He just goes along with it happy to have someone to play with him.

I can't help but remember my childhood when I watch these little cuties every week. The fact is even though Jordan is now over 6ft he will always be my little brother. He will always be the kid that was forced in to tea parties and dancing.(yes, always in costume) haha.. He will be that kid who always suckered me into playing Nintendo 64 with him even though we both knew he was going to beat me every time. He will always be that kid who loved Pokemon and sang the theme song with me every time. Yes, he will always hold a special little pocket in my heart and I can only hope that my bossy, annoying, older sister tendencies at times are brushed aside. That throughout all of our car arguments and silly quarrels he found something that means something to him.

He doesn't admit it very often, but I know he cares about me a little. At least a little. :) I honestly can't imagine growing up without him by my side. Even though I am older in years I have learned so much from him and his way of doing things. He is brilliant, a living guitar hero, he has a wonderful singing voice, and makes me laugh everyday.

Jordy, you are an awesome brother! :) Never forget that I am here for you and that I love ya. People come and go, but you are stuck with me for a veeerrrry long time. :) Better get use to it.

The battle

"It seems as though the other things I do in the day are merely attempts of distracting myself until it is time to eat again." Funny? Yes. Why? It is probably the most truthful statement about food of all time. 

Now that all I really do anymore is work and eat it quickly has come to my attention that working out is quite important especially when (like me) you realize you love food more than any guy within a 4000000 ft radius. Yes it is a little pathetic to admit it, but being honest here the best dates always involve some sort of food. Yes, the guy does have an impact on the date, but even the worst dates can be made better with some good food. Correct? Of course!

The saying "you can't buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream." comes to mind. It really is happiness don't you think?

The only downside to eating is that in order to balance life, working out is essential. So after coming to this conclusion I decided to weigh my options. After ruling out practically everything (running) haha I decided to entertain myself by doing one of those old workout videos. The ones were everyone is wearing sweat bands and leotards. Haha. I thought it would at least be entertaining even if it didn't do anything. 

I picked up the video titled "Bun Battle," giggled to myself and knew this was going to be good. What I didn't know was how right I was... 

The video consisted of squats and silly little movements that really didn't put any strain on my body. I was feeling great! Thinking, " I am not that out of shape after all  This is awesome!" When it was over I felt a little tired and sweaty, but not even nearly as tired or sweaty as I expected so what did I do? I did the workout again!! BAD IDEA

The next day 

My

Bum

Was

So

Sore

It 

Was 

Ridiculous!!

I couldn't sit, I couldn't stand. haha Any movement at all felt like daggers in my rump. Gee whiz! For days I hobbled around trying not to wince so I wouldn't have to explain to everyone that the reason I was in pain was a result of some old workout video called the "Bun Battle" hah 

Long story short.. My love for food will always be there so the battle to stay fit has begun. The bum battle got the best of me, but soon I will get the best of it! Literally, I will be lookin' my best. :) 

So don't disregard those old videos. They work! and they are muuuch better than running. :) They have everything from Cardio to Flexibility and back. You don't have to do everything, just do something. Being active not only allows you to eat it makes you feel better! It affects every aspect of your life! So join the battle because its the best thing you can do for you. :)

opposite day

 

Day 1 everything is smooth sailing.. Day 2 I seem to trip over air and leave things on the top of the car that fly off when I drive off (not that I have experienced this)

 

Day 3 it seems like I have so much to do Ill never get it done, and Day 4 I find myself willingly doing dishes. (I know, I know =the first sign of crazy)

Day 5 I have so many parties that I have to respectfully decline a bunch, then Day 6-15 pass and my parents are questioning if I have any friends... 

or how about this one...

A couple months ago I had so much to post but no time.. and now I have all the time I ever wanted, but nothing to post..... haha

But hey, tomorrow will be better. Right?

Today is my fourth Sunday at the Y.  Gee whiz... Time flies.

So many exciting things are happening everyday. Since I can not possibly spill out everything right now I will just pick one thing to expound upon.

 Roomies
My roommates are so much fun! We have McKenzie, Mo, Emily, Shanna, and Kaylee. Each beautiful girl is unique and so funny in their own ways. Luckily we have not really gotten on each others nerves at all. In fact we are already acting like a little family. We don't feel awkward telling someone to do their dishes or take a shower. haha
We have had many adventures together.

• Zumba (Tons of fun until you have to hike up the dreaded RB stairs)
• Nerf Gun (Whenever someone gets asked on a date we shoot the boy multiple times and then have a sit down chat to make sure he is in line... haha )
• Meals (We love to make food for each other and try new things)
• BYU creamery ice cream :)
• The duck pond (cute little pond with a little waterfall)
• Singing songs at the top of our lungs
• Quoting Nacho Libre at every opportune moment (It's Fan-tah-stic) 
• Drinking our milk out of our gallon containers NEVER out of a cup. Why dirty another dish right?
• Dancing in the rain (We had a downpour the other day and decided the best thing to do was go out and enjoy it. We danced, we laughed, and we jumped in numerous puddles. )

McKenzie is my direct roommate.If I had to describe Kenz it would be "spunky." McKenzie is one of those girls that you get along with immediately. From day one we have been able to talk and really get to know each other. I absolutely adore her personality and excitement for life. A moment with McKenzie is never dull because within seconds you are laughing and enjoying yourself. 

Mo is actually short for Mogene. If I had to describe Mo it would be "hardworking goofball." Mo gets up at 5:30 every Mon-Fri to be at work by 6 am! That is so amazing to me! Not only that, but then she still goes to class and has time to party with us! Mo is so much fun and absolutely hilarious. When she is not at work or class she loves to sing opera and dance around the apartment with me and it is very entertaining. 

Emily is a really cute blondie that has the cutest clothes. I honestly think I tell her I like her outfit everyday. If I had to describe Emily it would be "Multitasker." Emily has the capacity to do so many things at the same time! She goes to school during the week and spends the weekend at home. She has time for homework, just hanging out with the girls, and she makes delicious lookin' food all the time. 

Shanna is the most adorable girl you will ever meet. If I had to describe Shanna it would be "silly." Shanna is absolutely obsessed with the movie Anastasia. More specifically she is obsessed with Rasputin. She will walk around singing "In the dark of the night" everywhere she goes. It has gotten to the point where I have learned almost all of the words to that song just from hearing her sing. haha Shanna loves to mess around with everyone and is always saying something funny. Everyone just thinks she is the most adorable Rasputin enthusiast you will ever meet. 

Kaylee is wonder woman. If I had to describe Kaylee it would be just that "wonder woman." Kaylee plays the piano like a genius, she sings, she cooks, she is motivated in school work, and she is constantly being asked on dates. She is like the cute little lady out of a pride and prejudiced novel. At first she was sort of quiet, but now she is just as crazy as the rest of us.   

Basically, we are all unique, awesome, beautiful daughters of God. We love being together and attending BYU. I am so happy that I have gotten the chance to meet each of them and I know we have many more adventures to discover together. 

 

Momma

Mothers Day
Everyone has a special spot in their heart for their mother.There is no doubt in my mind that I have my mom for a reason. I was placed in this family and one of the big reasons for that was so I could have my mom. 

There are several reasons why my mom is the best and I am going to share a couple.

1. My momma is very honest with me. Growing up I have always known that if I want a sincere opinion I can ask my mom. She will tell me what she really thinks. I always really enjoy talking to my mom for this reason. Occasionally I will just go into her room and we will talk about my day, my future, and my goals. I know she really cares about how I feel and I know that if I ever need someone to talk to I have my momma.

2. My momma is the biggest goof ball ever. No matter what is going on my mom never fails to make me smile. Every year we go camping as a family trip. Last year my mom decided we needed to come up with a campfire song to sing as a family. From there she proceeded to come up with songs and random camping memories to sing about. I'll be honest and say that I do not remember the song now, but we were having sooo much fun coming up with the words! We were laughing and thinking of all kinds of good memories from previous years. This is just one example, but my mom is always doing things to make her family laugh. We all really love it.

3. My momma is creative. Growing up my birthday parties were the coolest things ever. I had an awesome homemade cake with pink swirls of delicious frosting. I had all kinds of games and activities. There was always a craft to do that was easy but really fun. My mom always took the time to make to feel like a little princess on my birthday and everyone (including me) loved it. She has carried this creativity into her preschool classes and even her church callings. One of my favorite things are all the scrapbooks she has made for each of her children. It is really fun to go and see all the pictures she took when everyone was little. You would think that one day she would run out of creative juices but she just keeps on going. :)

4. My momma has taught me to always do your best. My mom will never do something half-way. She has taught me the value of finishing projects and doing your absolute best. The best example of this would probably be in learning to correctly clean the bathroom. If the bathroom is not cleaned correctly she will not hesitate to tell me to do it again. I cannot even say how many times I have had to re-do chores because they were not done very well. It was terrible at the time, but now I can do most things the first time. haha I am so grateful for her example she has shown to me. Right now she is the Relief Society President and she always makes sure that she is doing all she needs to be doing. It is not an easy calling, but she knows how to figure out what needs to be done and then she does it to the very best of her ability.

5. My momma is one of the most thoughtful people you will ever meet. She is always looking for ways to uplift and bless others. I cannot even imagine all the time she puts in thinking about each of her children's birthdays, my dads birthday, family vacations, and Christmas. Then there is all of our extra curricular activities, school, and church. With all of the things my mom has to do she still finds time to just say "I love you." She has time to make fresh bread just because we love it. She writes us notes of encouragement and is never too busy to talk.


If I had to pick only one thing to say about my mom it would be that I know she loves me. I hope she knows just how much I love her too.

Happy MOTHERS DAY! :)

Molahiette

Just went to Nationals this last weekend. If you have a Facebook then you know alllll about it. In short... it was one big awesome weekend filled with highs and lows. Definitely some moments that will never be forgotten. I can't explain the feeling of hearing MOSES LAKE over the microphone. Or even the feeling when the curtain opened revealing the finals floor as the crowd goes absolutely crazy. I'll never forget performing on the brightly lit national finals floor; my last drill performance. I remember at the end of that kick number I just looked around at all the people and my team. I was so happy. I felt so accomplished and proud of everything we had done together.. I was so filled up with joy that I started laughing. Right there on the nationals floor. I couldn't help it! I laughed out loud and just took in the feeling. (If you look at the video and watch me you can see it) Walking off that floor felt good. I did my absolute best and I loved every second of that crazy kick number. (So did the judges)

Throughout my time being a MOLAHIETTE I have learned a lot about myself.

It all started freshman year. I'll admit I was shy.. and I really didn't think I was a good enough dancer to make the team. However, I knew I had to put myself out there if I wanted any chance. So tryouts came along.. I worked pretty hard all week. I went over the routine.. I had my mom watch me. I did it in the mirror. I was ready.
The big day arrived! I performed.. and completely messed up the end.. It was the part I had practiced the most!!! I knew that stinkin part just a couple minutes before, but I froze. It was so completely sad. I was lucky and got put on the team as an alternate.
That first year is tough. Your muscles are sore. You are tired. You are trying to get use to high school. Any first year member will tell you the same thing. I do not regret being an alternate at all. It was a great year, but I was a freshman. haha enough said.
Sophomore year was infinitely better and it was all because of one very important lesson.

CONFIDENCE.


That first year I learned that confidence can come in two different ways. The first way (and the more commonly thought of ) comes when you know absolutely everything you need to know. It is like going into a test and barely having to read the questions. It is being prepared and excited for what is coming up.
The second one is the notion of "fake it till you make it."
Basically I learned that year that being nervous is just a part of performing. Each performance I got that feeling of butterflies all over my stomach. The important part of being nervous is being able to embrace it and allow it to propel me forward. I had to learn to paste that smile on my face and not let anyone know how terrified I was of making a mistake. Fake it until it becomes a reality. :) It is amazing how I could trick myself into having confidence.

So sophomore year I put this idea into motion. That idea has carried me all the way to my senior year. :) So many times people will say "Don't be nervous!" but sometimes I think saying that only makes you more nervous! Instead think "Embrace you fear!" Take in on! Being nervous and being in front of all those people produces adrenaline. If I was completely calm I wouldn't have nearly as much power to my performance!!  Before every performance I still get that butterfly feeling. I can't stop it from happening and I don't want it to go away. So instead of fighting it I think "Yes, I am nervous, but that is not gonna get in the way of this amazing performance. Smile. And go kill it." It works.. try it. :)

There were moments when I thought I could never perform a kick number and actually smile. I thought I would never be able to do a triple turn. I thought I would never be able to nail my headstands. Each time I would think of Lori saying "HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?" How far was I gonna push myself? Again. Fake it til you make it. Don't give up on yourself. Your mind is absolutely magnificent. If you tell yourself you can do it sooner or later you will start to believe it.

Earlier this year I thought I would be devastated when Drill ended. I couldn't imagine not having practice, or my family of drill teamers, or my wonderful coaches...(I always knew I would never miss morning practice.. :P) but I realized I have nothing but wonderful memories and lessons to take with me.


Drill Team is over, but my life is just getting started. I am gonna keep doing what I do best.... Smile and show myself and the world I got this.

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
~Norman Vincent Peale