19/30: Dream Locale and Welcome to the Club little brother!

First before I get to the 30 things post for today.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE BROTHER, Josh!  I love you so much and I am so proud of everything you have accomplished in your life!  Welcome to the Quarter Century Club!  I miss you!

Now on to today's 30 thing post: Where is your dream place to live?

I have two places.  One is very specific, the other is more of an area.

Here is the first:

I miss this place desperately.  I have an entire life there which is evident when I go back for a few days and can't seem to fit in everyone I want to see.  The last time I was there Utah told me how much it missed me.  I ran into two people I haven't seen in years randomly in grocery stores in Park City.  Then when I got in the car to drive to the Castellanos, "Who says you can't go home" {thank you Bon Jovi} came on the radio and I sat there for a minute and said really life?  I already want to move back everyday, you have to throw this series of events at me to make it even harder? Thanks.

The other more general location is The South.  My whole family is from Mississippi, I was born there and lived there for about 10 years.  My parents raised us with this state of mind.  We say yes ma'am and no sir, and we have manners.  We know the right way to welcome people into our homes and we are devoted to our families.

This one has more to do with being around my family more than anything.  Since I was 18 I haven't lived in the same state as my parents for more than a week or two.  It hasn't been that big of a deal thus far in my life, but when I think of my children {yet to be had} not being close to their grandparents it makes me sad.  I grew up with my great parents and grandparents, even great great-grandparents being fairly close to me.  Until I was seven, we lived in the same town as my grandparents on both sides, I spent many a day with my Nanny and Gran Gran out in their huge backyard.  I want that for my children.  I also want them to have the manners and love and devotion to their families that you get from growing up in that area.  I think that it is possible to be Southern without growing up directly in the South.  It's in what your parents teach you and how you decide to live your life.  So maybe I can have both?

18/30: Forgiveness

This has been the hardest of the 30 posts for me to write {so far}.

The hardest person/thing that I have ever had to forgive, has been myself.  Let's start at the beginning shall we?  I have always felt the need for spirituality and religion in my life.  My life has always been better when I have been studying and learning about God.  Late in 2007, I became curious about the LDS church.  My roommate and surrogate sister, Cassie, was a member as was her family.  They took me in after my parents moved across the country and treated me {as Mrs. Revelli does with all her kid's friends} as one of their own.  To make the background of this story short, I ended up taking the discussions from the Missionaries, and was baptized a member of the Church June 7, 2008 {06-07-08; makes it easy to remember}.

About 9 months later, circumstances in my life seriously changed.  Without going into all the gory details, my life was basically turned upside down and everything that I thought I knew or thought that I believed in was tested and let's just say I didn't pass.  I couldn't find my balance and subsequently fell off the line I was walking.  That was 3 years ago.  Since then I have thought about trying to find my way back but every time I thought about trying the hill seemed insurmountable.  It felt like I had gone so far the wrong way that there was no way I could find my way back.  I also realized that when I first started this journey, I left behind all of my friends that had been there for me for years prior, and I didn't want to do that again. I had a hard time trying to find a balance between my spiritual life and my social life, both were equally important to me but I couldn't seem to find a way to make it jive.  I also felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and unworthiness.  Heavenly Father couldn't possibly forgive me for all that he had given me, I just went and ignored everything that I knew was right and proceeded to do everything I knew was wrong.  I thought that I was too far away to ever come back

Jump to three years later, I decided that I need to attempt a balance and ask for forgiveness, because if you never ask you'll never know.  So I started with Conference, I wasn't fully sure if I was ready but after I heard this:

"I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don't have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love.  It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines.

Whether you are not yet of our faith or were with us once and have not remained, there is nothing in either case that you have done that cannot be undone.  There is no problem which you cannot overcome.  There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot be realized.  Even if you feel you are the lost and last laborer if the eleventh hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning.  "Come boldly [to] the throne of grace," and fall at the feet of the Holy One of Israel.  Come and feast "without money and without price" at the table of the Lord.

...

His concern is for the faith at which you finally arrive, not the hour of the day in which you got there.

So if you have made covenants, keep them.  If you haven't made them, make them.  If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them.  It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time.  Please listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of His labor.  Don't delay."

That is from Elder Jeffery R. Holland's talk, The Laborers in the Vineyard, during the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference, April 2012.

After that talk, which I felt like was given especially for me, how could I do anything other that go back to church and at least give it a try?  The hardest person I have ever had to forgive was myself.  Heavenly Father had already forgiven me, he has forgiven all that sin through the atonement.  My problem was that I couldn't forgive myself and try to do better.  I am in no way a perfect person {no one is, by the way, its a function of being human}, but I can try to be a little better every day.  I can make choices that are right for me, regardless of what other people will think of me.  I can find strength and joy through the atonement, and I can be forgiven.

17/30: What do you wish you were great at?

I have written about this a couple of times, I wish that I was great at being truly and unselfishly happy for people.

Don't get me wrong I am genuinely happy for my friends and all that they do and achieve.  However, deep down there is a twinge of jealousy that seems to taint the happiness just a little.  I try not to let that part show, because it's not nice to ruin someones moment by not being happy for them.  I know that there is no reason to be jealous great things happen to everyone in its own time, and there are certain people who I know have been through a lot that I can be genuinely happy for.  For some reason my ultra competitive nature, doesn't let me be completely and unselfishly feel joy for someone else.  Something that I am actively working on, but still need help with and wish I was great at.

16/30: 5 GREATEST Accomplishments and Birthday Wishes!

Before we get to the 30 Things post for today, I have to wish my Aunt Amy a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

5 of my Greatest Accomplishments of my short 27 years, in chronological order:

1. Graduated from the University of Michigan. {2007}

2. I followed my heart {2008}

3. Graduated from the SJ Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah {2011}

4. Got my first "real" job working with these guys {2011}

5. Set some serious heath and fitness goals for myself and made them happen for the first time {2012}

15/30: Animal

I mean we all know that I am part of a pretty serious Wolfpack.  Really excited to see one of my pack mates this weekend!

But what I really would be if I could chose an animal for myself is a swan.

They start out like these guys, a little fuzzy and awkward, but with time and growth they turn into theses awesomely beautiful and strong birds.

One day at skating practice our coach told us that we needed to look like a duck on the water.  Smooth and strong on the surface but paddling like mad under the water.  Ever since then that is what I have tried to be, someone who is calm and collected on the surface but always thinking two to three steps ahead underneath.

14/30: 5 Strengths

{If you're wondering what these lists are for check out my first post here}

1. I care. I care about people, sometimes to a fault. I care when they don't care about me, I care when I barely know you. I also like to take care of people, make sure they are ok emotionally and that their needs are met.  This is what I know will make me a good mom, if ever the time comes.

2. Sweet Treats. Baking is one of my talents. This also goes along with #1, one of the ways I try to make people feel better or show them my appreciation is baking for them.  Chocolate Chip cookies are my speciality.  In another life, I would open a bakery.

3. I'm really organized. This is a manifestation of my OCD.  I love color coding, schedules, and to do lists.

4. I'm a great listener. This goes along with #1, I really like to hear people's experiences and learn from them.  It's a great tool for your own life.  If you notice that you do not like something that someone does in your life, reflect that back on yourself and see what you might be projecting onto that person or their actions.

5. I enjoy options. One of the things I got out of law school, other than a large fancy piece of paper and some student loan payments, was that I have a keen ability to find multiple answers to one question.  Now that I think about it, this is probably why I hate math.  Creativity and the ability to look at things on multiple levels, has enabled me to succeed in many a project.  I like to have plans a-z, with parts 1-20.

13/30: 5 weaknesses

{If you're wondering what these lists are for check out my first post here}

1.  Budgeting.  I am not great with money.  Something that I am definitely working on but its something that's really hard for me!

2. Lack of Patience.  I am one of the most impatient people in the world.  I never have been a patient person, waiting for things probably lead to the issues with money in #1.  Also working on that!

3. I am argumentative. I have a problem with (1) jumping to conclusions and (2) mouthing off with all the reasons the person is either right or wrong.  This one has improved seriously in the last few weeks, instead of firing off a response right away, I take some time and think get my wits about me and respond with a more calm, thoughtful and less reactive way.

4. I care about what people think of me way too much.  If I think about my life, the things that I have done, the things that I am doing, I am happy.  The weird sadness comes when I think about what outer people think when they look at me.  I know I shouldn't care, but I do. 2012 is the year that I am working on things that make me happy and worrying less about what other people think.

5. I am competitive.  This has always been a good thing because it drives me to do better and push harder.  However I have discovered the bad side of competitiveness.  When I miss a goal I get this terrible feeling like "why did I even try"...  If I don't have a new thing to focus on, I obsess over it.

12/30: Day in the Life

My days are pretty similar so here goes:

6am: wake up call, the dogs are ready to go outside and Harriet is ready to eat.

6:15ish: shower

6:30: the coffee pot automatically turns on so when I'm done in the shower, the coffee is ready

6:45-7:30am: watch recorded TV from the night before.  I am not a night owl so I can't stay up late watching shows that don't even start until 10am, I know that makes me super lame, its fine.  This also gives my hair time to air dry because it takes forever otherwise!

7:30-8:30: get ready for work while watching the news.

8:45ish: try to leave for the office, depends on how long it takes for Sam and Ruby to do their business outside...   Make sure they have treats in their kennels.

9-noon: work, depending on the time of the year this includes lots of emails or lots of time downstairs chatting.

noon-1pm: home to let the dogs out and to eat lunch. I usually talk to my mom either on the way to work or on the way home for lunch because of the time difference, but I do talk to her nearly everyday.

1-5: more work

5:15-6:30: workout, usually a run at the gym, a walk for the dogs, and an interval circuit training session.

7:00: make dinner

7:30- watch tv, blog, get ready for the next day.

10pm-in bed, 6am comes really early...

11/30: 10 Pet Peeves

1. People who change their personalities based on the people they are around.  It's hard to be genuinely yourself when that goes against the grain, but its SO annoying when people act differently based on their company.

2. Entitlement. I could go on and on forever about this one, but people lets keep it simple, you work for what you want so that you deserve the benefits.

3. Micromanagers. You hire someone to do a job, let them do it!

4. The opposite of a micromanager: uber-delegator.  When you farm out parts of your job to everyone else besides yourself.  Same concept as #3, you hire someone to do their job, they should do it.

5. Telemarketers.  They call my office everyday!  Along with these calls we also get junk mail in fax form!  Seriously?!  Who sends a spam fax?

6. Overly attentive sales people.  If I told you I was just looking or that I was fine, I am still fine 5 minutes later.

7. Bad parkers.  I hate when people park so close to the lines that you can't get out of your care when parked properly.  It also leads to a chain reaction going all the way down the parking row.  Is it that hard to reverse and realign yourself? No its not.

8. Social media over-sharers.  We all know them, the people that put every emotion out there for the world to see.  Don't get my wrong I am just as addicted to the social media as the next girl, but you don't know every aspect of my relationship {or lack there of} via my Twitter account.

9. Airport Security Line holder uppers.  Seriously people it has been 10 plus years since these new security precautions were enacted...  You are still going to have to take off your shoes, have all your liquids out and stand like you are being frisked while radiation zaps you.  Be prepared. I once had a lady in a sing song voice say to me "she's done this before" because I had my laptop and liquids out and ready to be scanned, my shoes and jacket off and said thank you.  It's not hard there's a long line, get ready while you are waiting, I promise the people will thank you even though they give you strange looks.

10. People who walk away and keep talking...  I can't hear you!

10/30: Most Embarrassing Moment

I have had a hard time with this one, probably because I have so many embarrassing moments that it's hard to pick the most embarrassing.  As I was thinking about all these moments, there was definitely a theme, clumsiness/lack of coordination.

For someone that spent the majority of her life gliding around on ice on quarter inch sharp blades, most times with at least 15 other girls, I have some serious issues with coordination sometimes.  Here are a couple of examples from the recent past:

Falling down the stairs at work with an armful of stuff.  Headed towards the team meeting/draw for Team Trials with an armful of papers and a big silver bowl, I fell down nearly ALL the stairs coming down from my office.  I was left with HUGE bruises on my knees and a shattered ego.  Luckily no one was around to see my gracefulness.

Layups.  I was shooting some hoops with the boys one slow day at work and I was seriously embarrassed at my lack of bodily coordination when it comes to layups.  For some reason the ability to dribble, run and lay the ball into the basket just left my body and I was SO awkward.  I promised them I would practice while they were gone and that I would be better when they got back to start training.  I haven't practiced once...

9/30: 10 Influencers

These are in no particular order...

1. My parents.  Do I really need to explain this one?

2. My brothers.  I learned so much about perseverance from Josh and how to be quiet from Rob.  Josh has dealt with so much in the 25 years that he has been alive.  He has made it through the rough parts and now is reaping the benefits of all the dedication.  Rob could go days without speaking and I have no idea how that could even be possible, but sometimes it's just better to not say anything.

3. The Castellanos. These two are like my second parents, for more info on them you can see this post where I gush about them and everything that they have done for me {and still do for me}.  Along with my skating friends that I have known for 10 years {how is that possible} and Jenny, I miss these two the most being so far away.

4. The WP. I know I have said this 100 times but I love these girls.  I couldn't have made it through this crazy year without them.  It's super strange for me when I go a day without talking to at least one of them.  I miss being close in proximity {aka living with} Jenny because it's so great to be around your closest friends all the time.  I am beyond excited that next week I get to see Chels for the first time in over a year.  The scene at the Nashville airport will probably be akin to what happened when we met Jenny to go to Breck for the ski trip {running down the sidewalk toward each other}.  I am so grateful that these great people were brought into my life at a time when I really needed each of them for different reasons!  Love you girls.

5. Katie Clifford. My life mentor! She once said to me that I am like her when she was my age and she wanted me to follow in her footsteps without making some of the same mistakes.  I go to her with every single life problem I have and she always knows how to say the right thing.  One of her more poetic emails is actually printed out on my fridge to remind me that I will get over a stupid boy that doesn't deserve me.  If you know her, you know what I mean.  If you don't know her, you should.

6. Kate Charipar. I mean she introduced me to Lululemon so I don't really need to say more but I will.  Kate taught me how to make it in a completely male dominated office and field, and that it's still ok to be a princess.  When I am in Warrior 2 in yoga and I want to quit, somehow I always think of the time she told me the story behind the Warrior poses that her yoga teacher told her.  I don't remember the whole story but I remember sitting in her office and her telling the story.  I will forever be grateful to Kate for teaching me how to be a badass and a girly girl at the same time.

7. Tia Masters Nelson. My original life mentor. I wish I had listened to her more, she told me that someone was screwing with me YEARS before I finally understood it.  She is such a strong person and one day I hope to be half the wife and mom that she is!

8. My skating girls: Alyssa, Angie, Meghan, Amy.  I think I might start calling us the Fab Five, because why not, we're awesome.  I cannot believe that I have been friends with these girls for 10 years!  I mean I love them, but I still feel to young to have 10 year old friendships.  I've had some of my best times with these gals, including but not limited to freezing our butts of in a Travellodge because we didn't turn on the heater.  That was character building {right Amy?}.

9. The Revelli Family. They took me in when I didn't have my own family close.  I know that to this day if I ever need anything and they are able to help, they will.  I miss Sunday dinners, scrapbooking with Steph, and hanging out with the babies!  I need to move back to Utah!

10. Jon Green and Tom George. Two of the most influential teachers I've had.  Mr. Green was my high school English teacher that dealt with my endless complaining about having to read To Kill a Mockingbird, twice {I read it in the 9th grade}, when it was his favorite book.  He later became my boss at the Utah Olympic Park and let me do my job, he didn't micromanage me and allowed me to be creative with solutions to problems.  I learned a lot about how to be a leader and how to manage employees from him.  It did take me quite a while to call  him Jon instead of Mr. Green...  Tom George was SUCH a great professor of Sport Management that I would like to be his favorite former student.  I think of him when kick butt on a project and one of my career goals is to be is best former student.  I think it says something about a professor that YEARS after I was in one of his classrooms his passion for the field still fuels my own desire to excel.

8/30: What are 5 passions you have

Some of my students in their Ice Show costumes

1. Teaching.  When I lived in Salt Lake, I taught Learn to Skate.  My favorite groups were the tiny tots because they learned so much in such a short time frame it was amazing.  Teaching someone something that you love to do and to have them fall in love with it too, is one of the most amazing feelings you can have!

2. Skating.  This sorta goes with #1. Skating has taught me SO many lessons and I have made some of my best friends through this sport.

3. Helping others.  Volunteering has always been something that I am very passionate about.  I have been tremendously blessed in my life and if I can pass at least a few of my blessings on to someone who needs it more than I do that makes it even better.

Great Wall of China Summer 2006 {after climbing to the top of that section behind us}

Summer Palace Gardens: China, Summer 2006

Nottingham, England {After spending the whole 24 hrs prior throwing up/sick}

4. Travel.  I am obsessed with seeing the world.  It has so much to offer and I hope that I get the chance to see and take advantage of everything.

5. Running.  My newest and most frail passion.  I have this negative attitude towards it occasionally but the feeling I get after a run is over and I have successfully run farther than I ever have before is tremendous.  We'll see if this is a real passion after the Half Marathon next weekend!

7/30: Dream Job

I got a taste of my dream job in the summer of 2010.  I worked in International Games at the US Olympic Committee.  If you've met me for any span of time, you know that I am obsessed with the Olympic Games.   I didn't have much of an idea of what they did in IG until I was there.  Let me say its one of the best departments at the USOC.  They essentially plan every single element that goes into sending an American team to the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Youth Olympic Games.  Not a small task.

This is the dream job for me because not only are you busy 100% of the time, but {as with most jobs at the USOC} you get to help people achieve something they've been working towards sometimes their entire lives.  That is what I especially love about the Olympic Movement, seeing people get to something that has been their life's work is so inspiring.  The work that I do is minuscule compared to the lifetime of work that the athletes put in to reach their Olympic dreams.

6/30: What is the hardest thing you've ever experienced

This one is not tough for me...

The hardest thing I have ever experienced was moving to Lake Placid.  When I first moved to LP I was so focused on learning my new job and doing it well that anything outside of my job and taking care of my two new charges {my parent's dogs} took a back seat.  Once I got a handle on everything {or most things} and the team left on tour, I was alone, physically and emotionally.  I don't have any co-workers in my office, so the majority of my days are spent alone.  Now, don't get me wrong I go down to the training center quite a bit and chit chat, but on days that I am really busy that's not an option.  I didn't realize how hard this would actually be.

From an earlier post, you know that I've moved a lot in my life and I've always made new friends, but what I've come to realize is that I always had an activity that brought people to me.  Skating and school were always where my friends came from, shared activities.  I discovered that I am actually not that great at going out and meeting new people, and that it's hard!  Being along gives you SO much time to think, which is a terrible thing for me.  I think, then think again, and then over think it one more time.  I've had to learn to turn off my brain sometimes and just let things happen, that has been the hardest part of the hardest thing I've ever experienced.

I can't even tell you the number of times I broke down during this past year.  One week was especially hard, that week if anyone asked me how Lake Placid was, I would burst into tears.  That was definitely the worst of the time here and it has gotten better since then.  I do have a hard time balancing all the things that I want to do.  When I didn't have any friends, I got into a routine that helped me to lose 30lbs and I didn't want to drop that.  I have learned to be flexible and move things around in my schedule to accommodate a small social life.  I still have a long way to go in my journey so right now a small social life is all I can afford in order to reach the goals that I have set for myself.

5/30: 5 things that make you most happy right now

1. Running. There's a great sense of freedom that comes when it's just me, my music and either the road or a treadmill.  I have this great ability to tune everyone else in the gym out and just run.

2. My puppies. They welcome me everyday from work with so much love.  It is like having two 4-year old children in the house sometimes but I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's going to be bittersweet when my parents want them back.

3. My family. We don't see each other often, but we do always have each others backs.

4. The WP. My second family.  I love these girls and I wouldn't be able to make it through some days without them.

5. The athletes I work with.  They're funny, smart, and have lots to talk about.  Right now not many of them are around, but that doesn't stop them from calling to fill me in on what's going on at home.  I am grateful to have a job where I get to help this great group achieve something they've been working towards for quite a while.

4/30: Letter to me circa 2001

Hey Hales-

You don't really go by that name right now but after college it will be your nickname and you'll love it.  Here's a little list of things that you should know now when you have YEARS of growing and amazing experiences ahead of you.

1. Don't make your life about what other people think about you. Do the things that you want to do and try your best.

2. You're going to fail a couple of times, get over it. Failure is a part of life and the only way to get better is to fail trying your hardest and learn what you did wrong so next time you'll be even better.

3. Boys suck.  They suck at 16 and they suck at 27.  One day {we both hope} you'll find someone who loves the fact that your extremely passionate about certain issues, sometimes to a fault.  They'll love the fact that you are very independent, but wear your heart on your sleeve and love so deeply {don't stop doing that even though it will get your heartbroken more than once}.

4. Take in every single moment of the Olympic games in Salt Lake in 2002...  You will not understand at the time but performing in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be a turning point in your life and will shape your future even now...

5. Keep skating.  In a year or two you're going to take a break from skating after you don't pass a skating test for the 5th time.  You decide to play softball instead which was a good decision and helped you make more friends at school.  You need to go back because skating in college at the University of Michigan is one of the best experiences of your life.

6. Be open to people. Sometimes you close yourself off to new people because you are afraid of being hurt.  You'll never know how great people can be until you let them know you.  You'll have this internship and you'll prepare yourself to not have any friends, to just do your job and make it through the summer.  You'll meet some of your best friends so far in your life and they will be the people that you need to talk to when things are bad and when things are great.

7. Learn to be ok with what you have.  It's important to not stop pushing for the things you want but at the same time be ok with what you do have in this life, because there are far more people who are worse off than you are.  Do all that you can to help those who have less than you do, it's quite rewarding.

8. When you know something is right, do it, even if you struggle with the way others perceive you.  Fight for those things that are important to you, and don't back down.

9. Make sure you tell your parents and brothers that you love them, every single day.

10. Always say what you actually think, but don't say it immediately, take sometime to make sure speaking is actually necessary.  You're quite quick to be argumentative and it often makes situations worse.  Keep a cool head and you will come out of whatever situation on the high ground.

PS- Don't forget to have fun.  Life goes by in a blink of an eye and you don't want to miss anything!

3/30: Describe your relationship with your parents

First, I have to say that I got some very sweet notes from people about my last post. One on Facebook from a dear friend that I used to skate with and haven't talked to in a long time. She gave me some very great advise and action items for a girl who loves to plan from a girl who did as much planning as you can in the love/relationship area and is seeing the fruits of her labor. Thanks to all my readers for your nice comments!

Moving on, my relationship with these two:

On their wedding day: August 15, 1981

Celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary with a tour of Italy {2011}

Living it up at a fancy dinner in Scotland {2011}

My parents are awesome! Right now they are living the life of luxury in Scotland while my dad spends 2 years there for work.

When I was younger we moved around quite a bit and my parents may thing this was detrimental to us kids but I think that it was helpful in several ways. It taught be to be independent and be able to live on my own and mostly be ok with it. They taught me to go for the things I want, to work hard and EARN the things in life that are most important to you. They also taught me that the best things in life are worth waiting for, and if you work hard enough and take advantage of all the opportunities around you, you can get to exactly where you want to be.  Together they taught me what a marriage is really about.  You're not always going to get along perfectly, but you do always support the other as they strive to reach their dreams and goals.  A marriage is not something that you throw away because times are hard and working through it is even harder.

My dad taught me that you have to have a sense of humor when it relates to your faults and things you aren't perfect at, because let's face it, no one is perfect. He taught me that hard work is the only way to get what you want and to not expect other people to do things for you/take care of you. He taught me to be strong in my convictions and beliefs no matter what they might be, if you believe it stand up for it, and if you can't stand up and fight for it, ask yourself why. He also taught me that you have to ask what you deserve and if you are not being appreciated in your current role, its time to look for something else.

My mom taught me that if you want something you have to go for it and to not be afraid to push the boundaries. She taught me patience in the way that she and my dad have helped me through a rough transition from school to the "real world". She recognizes that I have a passion for something, and although it is not the exact path she would have written for me, she respects that I need to do something that I love. She taught me that love endures and can in fact win out, that somethings are worth fighting for and somethings you should just let go. Patience is not one of my virtues, she recognizes that and helps me to find ways to be patient. She taught me that family is the most important thing and sacrificing for your brothers {or sisters} is how we can all be successful.

I wouldn't be where I am now in any aspect of my life without the love and support of these two fantastic people.

2/30 Legit Fears {with a bonus Baked Oatmeal recipe}

Describe three legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears {here we go}

1. Natural Disasters.  This has always been one of my biggest fears.  I am not sure how legitimate this fear is since I live in an area where flooding is probably the biggest threat.  I have always been terrified by tornadoes and earthquakes.  Those two specifically because they are so random and unpredictable.  They are also so devastating and fast, one second everything could be normal and the next your entire life could be gone.

2. Being alone forever. I have this fear that I am going to be alone and family-less for the rest of my life.  It is one of the things I want to accomplish most in my life, and the thing that I am most uncertain about actually happening.  This fear was made worse by a certain male in my life telling me that he was sure there was a girl for every guy but not a guy for every girl.  That gem ratcheted up this fear.  I guess this came from seeing everyone in my life getting married and having babies, I've contemplated quitting Facebook so I don't have to see any more "I'm engaged" or "I'm married" or "We're having a baby".  Don't get me wrong I am extremely happy for all of my friends who are having these life milestones but when you are alone in the middle of nowhere with no real prospects for the future, you get a little aggravated.

3. Not being happy with my body, even when I've reached my goals.  I have been working extremely hard to have the life and body that I want for the remainder of my days.  Running miles and miles every week, eating healthfully and sometimes I feel like it's not going to change anything.  I have moments when I feel really discouraged and I want to quit but just keeping the big picture in mind and stay focused.  This fear comes from trying to lose weight repeatedly and never having much luck, even now I have been stuck at a plateau for weeks and weeks and I fear that I won't be able to break through.  I have to remind myself daily to keep putting one foot in front of the other.



Baked Oatmeal {Adapted from Skinny Taste}

I posted this picture above this morning for my April Photo a Day and I got a couple of requests for the recipe so here it is...

3 small bananas
1 pint blueberries
1/4 c. honey
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c. almond milk
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350

Slice the bananas and place in the bottom of a 9x9 pyrex.  Put half the blueberries on top of the bananas drizzle with honey and cinnamon.  Bake 15 minutes until the bananas are soft.


While the bananas are in the oven mix in separate bows the oats, baking powder, and cinnamon in one bowl and milk, egg, vanilla, and remaining honey in a second.

Remove the bananas from the oven and pour the oat mixture over the bananas and blueberries.  Pour the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to disburse it evenly.  Add the remaining blueberries to the top of the pan and replace the baking dish in the oven for 45 minutes.

I cut it into 9 servings.  Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving:

Calories: 124
Carbs: 26g
Fat: 2g
Protein: 3g

I made this last night and then just threw it in the microwave for 30 seconds and it was perfect!

20 Random Facts About You {30 Things Part 1}

1. If it belongs to me and I can put a monogram on it, I will

2. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints {want to know more, check it out here}

3. I am slightly obsessed with organization, color-coding is part of the secret to my success

4. My one talent in life is baking

5. Chocolate chip cookies are my specialty

6. My favorite colors are pink and Tiffany blue

7. The Winter Olympic games are the best, in my opinion summer is boring

8. I went to college with Michael Phelps, he is a terrible public speaker

9. Saturday's in the fall, I am watching college football probably all day

10. I really like lists, they are the way I get through the day and I do make check boxes to check completed things off

11. I'm a lover, not a fighter

12. I miss my Utah mountains, daily

13. Distance races run: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon in two weeks

14. I have some of the best friends the world has to offer, and I met them while I was working in my dream job in Colorado Springs with the USOC.  This one I can honestly say came out of the blue.  I never expected to make such great friends that summer.  We spent the summer laying on floats (including inside our rooms), drinking slurps and watching trashy reality TV {think Housewives of NJ}

15. I have been an athlete member or staff person at 3 of 8 Winter National Governing Bodies {see number 7}

16. I have lived in 6 US States: Mississippi, Utah, Colorado, Michigan, South Carolina, New York, and moved 10 times.

17. When I really like a song I listen to it on repeat, for a ridiculously long time

18. I abbrev most words.  Which stems from the friends made in #14, it's our fave pastime

19.  I went to college at the University of Michigan, where I was a synchronized figure skater {think drill team on ice}

20. I do not believe in shorts.  If it's summer time, I am wearing a dress or Lululemon capris, never shorts

30 Things

One of my friends pinned this list on Pinterest, and since I am trying to focus on myself and learning about what I actually want out of my life, I am going to answer these things about myself {not my nonexistent spouse}, one a day for the next 30 days.

The original post can be found here, which is a great blog, btw.

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

Balance

As I have been making some serious changes in my life, I have been thinking about balance. I think about the times in my life where I have attempted to change or to go in a new direction and one thing that I have never been accused of is doing things half way. I like to jump in with both feet, sometimes without looking to see what lies below.

I can say that this approach has helped me quite a but in the past, it has made me able to go after things that I want and not quit until I achieve my goal, which works very will in school and in the professional world. I can honestly say I have few complaints about those two areas of my life. I graduated from HS, college, and law school with an above average GPA. I have a job that I love {98% of the time} in an industry that I have a serious passion for. Are there things in these areas of my life that could get better? Sure, if there weren't I would be concerned with my perspective and drive.

A couple areas where this all or nothing attitude has been less than successful: relationships and health. As one of my best friends told me last week, "You're a lover, not a fighter. There's nothing wrong with that". One of the qualities that I love/hate about myself is that I care WAY too much for and about the people in my life and I can't help it. For example, during World Championships I was a nervous wreck. I didn't watch the last two runs of 2-man or 4-man because I was so nervous, Bird and I were in tears as the guys won 2-man for the first time EVER. I was equally emotional when one of the guys failed to get into the sled in 4-man disqualifying the guys from the rest of the competition. I care about the people I work with/for to the extreme. That being said, that means I wear my heart on my sleeve and that means I get hurt really easily. I have decided that I am going to work on balance in this area of my life. Not letting in people who don't deserve a piece of my heart and being more open to those that do. I'll keep you posted on how that goes...

The second area of my life that could use a little balance is my diet/exercise. I tend to get REALLY motivated and then kick my own butt for a while and then burn out quickly. Same thing goes with the food I eat, for a while I am hardcore, low carb or low fat or vegetarian or whatever. Then a few weeks go by and I find myself going through the drive through which is not really acceptable. I am really hard on myself when it comes to this part of my life. I have educated myself to the point that I know what my body needs to function well and what makes me crash {sugar and white bread}, so when I go off course it feels like a failure because I know better.

I have grown in this area though, because a few years ago I would fall of the wagon, but it would be more comparable to falling off a monster truck. I would do one thing that didn't fit with my goals and then I would just breakdown and lose it going completely off course and ruining everything that I worked for up to that point. Now, when I go off track I do give myself quite the mental beating but I let that one misstep be the only one and move on. All of this applies to working out too, I used to skip a workout or two and then just quit for like a week or two. I haven't skipped much lately, but I have turned down my runs leading up to the half marathon. I am also double training-for the half and to get stronger and leaner with Jillian Michaels Body Revolution. That means that there are some days that I do double workouts and when that doesn't happen I tend to beat myself up, even though I already ran 4+ miles. I am going to work on not mentally abusing myself when I skip a workout.

It's all about balance and finding the right place where everything works in harmony. Sometimes you need to look to make sure you are on the deep end of the pool before you do a cannon ball, that's all I am going for.

Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy...

I have been struggling for the past few weeks with low energy.  As I was thinking through what the cause could be {icky weather, different food, not enough sleep} I couldn't figure it out.  When I finally got home on Sunday, around 6pm, I played with the dogs for a little bit and laid down on the couch to watch some TV.  Next thing I knew it was 9:30pm...  I slept for 10 interrupted hours that night, in addition to that 2 hour nap.  When my alarm went off that morning it took me an extra hour to get out of bed.

Monday was not off to a good start.  I knew that I needed to have a refocus of the week because if I let my terrible Monday morning mood continue I would be in a deep funk by now.  I decided the only way to get out of this mood was to get some endorphins going, because as we all know exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy and happy people just don't kill their husbands {or co-workers or random strangers}.  I started out the week with an easy 5K which totally did the job of flipping the mood switch.  I decided to double up the workouts for at least this week to try to reach my goal of completing the half marathon in under 2:45.

Today, I was going to do a 10K but decided that I should do half of the half and see what my time would be.  That way I have a guidepost or at least a realistic idea of what my finish time could be around.  I also decided to slow down a little bit and run the whole time.  I have been running at abut a 10:30 pace but I can only sustain that for 12 minutes at a time, so i slowed it down to a 12:00 pace and ran for 1.5 hours.  This was a break through for me.  I hit 7 miles in an hour and a half which is what I ran in the 10K a couple of weeks ago.  Doing the 7 miles and not wanting to cut off both my legs was a real turning point today.  Ever since April started, 4 whole days ago, I have been getting some anxiety about how far 13 miles really is and the fact that I have never run more than 7 miles at the same time in my entire life.  Today, was the first time that I felt like I could actually run 13.1 miles and not die and actually finish it in the time that I want to.

You always hear that working out gives you more energy, which always sounded pretty insane to me but right now I am on that bandwagon!   Let's hope I can keep this up for the next three weeks!

Gems of Pinterest

I am a little obsessed with quotes right now, and rather than post them all to Facebook and annoy the crap out of people.  I am just going to post them all here {perfect :)}