2009.

2009 is coming to an end quick. At the beginning of this year I made some goals. And I have been thinking a lot about those goals that I made and following through with myself and reflecting on my life and the things that I have done this past year and if I feel like this was a successful year for me. Life is not always easy, life does not always go as planned. Every morning we wake up and we can decide that today is going to be a good day. No matter the circumstances that we have, no matter the things we have to face. One thing I have realized is that things are going to happen in our lives that we do not choose. But the one thing we do choose is how we see it. The one thing we do get to choose is how we act in situations and ourattitude. There are things that happened to me this year that I could not help. And this is life. Sometimes life is unexpected. Last year I would never have told you that in a year from now I will be living in San Diego, California. I would never have told you that Mark was going on a mission. I would never have told you that I wouldn't care if my sister broke myfavorite pair of glasses. I would never have thought that my testimony would have grown this much. I would never have told you that I would try a piece of salmon. I would never have told you that I would have a group of new amazing friends. These are all things that I did not expect. But I would have told you that I was going to try my best this year to be a good example to those around me. That I was going to try to say my morning and night prayers everyday. That I was going to read my scriptures and further my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would have told you that I was going to try to be a better daughter, friend, sister, neighbor, cousin, a better me. I would have told you that I was going to try not to be hard on myself or hard on those I love. That I was going to be quick to forgive. That I was going to try to see myself as God sees me. I would have told you that I want to grow this year as a person, that I wanted to have experiences that would bring me closer to my Heavenly Father, I wanted to have experiences that would help me to better understand who I am. I wanted to have missionary experiences where I would be able to share a little of myself and what I believe with someone who was lost or wondering. I would have told you that 2009 was going to be a great year, because I was going to make it one.

And today I am happy. I am happy looking back on this year and realizing that I did my best and that it was in fact, a great year.

I can't wait for the year 2010. It is going to be the best one yet.

let me burn the rook.

family I love you and all... but after the 367th game of this (this week)... it's getting old... can't we play monopoly or something? i'm just sayin.

but until then.. I'll just be sitting over here in the family room dreaming ....

there it goes again.... "one more game guys.. one more game!!!" 

Dear Santa,

My wish tonight is for you to eat all of the cookies off of the counter.  ALL of them. please. I beg. Take the carmel, gingerbread houses filled with candy, chocolate covered everything, sixteen boxes of chocolate, and the egg nog too. please. take it all.

xoxo,

faddie.

besides the constant feeling of being full. 

I love christmas.

I am grateful for my Savior and for this time of year to reflect on my relationship with him and to remember the sacrifice he made for me and the reason and purpose for this life and for him. I am grateful.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

5 days of paradise.

All four of these pictures make me laugh out loud.  

• The first picture represents all of the laughing we did.  I'm not kidding.  There were more than enough times I had to think about running to the bathroom or else I was going to go in my pants.  This kid that we are holding up was a complete stranger that we invited to come play with us.  We all made up this plan that we were all going to run and pick him up and chant, "DUSTIN DUSTIN DUSTIN DUSTIN." so the rest of the trip, that was a family joke.  he came back every night for games and wanted to change his last name to Larsen.  
• The second one represents all of the eating that we did on this cruise.  We ate and ate and ate as you do on cruises.  Every night we would order all the food we wanted at dinner and we would RUN to the ice cream machine before 9pm to make sure we got that last soft serve.
  
• And this third picture. really? I hope you are laughing.  and I hope that Dallin was cracking a smile as I said, "take this picture of me now." haha. first of all, I wasn't sleeping so I don't know why i'm pretending.  and second, if I walked by and saw someone taking this picture, I would laugh.  But this picture also represents all of the relaxing we got to do.  mannn did I enjoy that.  
  
• This last picture is just hilarious to me.  It's just a bunch of heads.  and then there is me in the front, I don't even care that I am the only one out of the bunch that you can see.  I'm just smiling away. hahaha.  and then after we all just decide to start singing Christmas carols to everyone as they are eating dinner.  It just makes me laugh. but it was so good spending time with all of the family.  So good to see everyone .

This vacation = a blast.

shame on me.

1st date.

blind date.

friday night.

3 pm friday rolls around and I am feeling sick and not up to it at all. 

Dad calls and is coming into town and I am not sure if I am going to meet up with him or not.

because I have a date with a 29 year old I am stressing out.

I am in class so I decide to hurry and let this guy know that next weekend will be better.

So.... I do an immature thing.... but something that is very convenient when you really don't have time to talk on the phone.... 

I text him...(shame on me)

Dear date, Something came up and next weekend will be so much better. I am so sorry to bail last minute but I really look forward to meeting you soon!

Dear Maddie, "i figure, if you honestly wanted to see me you would make the effort, its how it works, i am not trying to make you feel bad, so dont think that. everyone has there priorities, i make time for those whom i am sincerely interested in.      at first i thought you sounded like a really sweet mature woman, however when you cancled via a phone text, i just thought, that was a lack of class. it was also indicative of what you were thinking also. I just dont want you to think its rude of me to say, its just what i think of you thus far based on your actions

hmm.. really?? I hope you are laughing right now.  I have never met this guy and he honestly had the guts to say that to me? maybe a... 'no worries! we will re-schedule' would have been good .

come on guys.

looks like I MAY be living with my mom forever.

because if this is what growing up will do to you. I would rather not.

oh yeah.

I went home last weekend for thanksgiving. It was P-E-R-F-E-C-T.

Spent thanksgiving up in the mountains which was magical, ate, spent time with family, went shopping on black friday (never again), went four wheeling in the snow, went to blindside, may or may not have cried, played pool and ping pong, beat my brother Dallin at pool thank you, ate some more, watched UP, went to the BYU VS. UTAH game, (all blue), went to the Jazz game, spent more time with my family (mark included), played rook, took pictures, and laughed. and I LOVED every minute of it.

annnnnd. tomorrow I am going here.

(thanks ali for the picture)

can't wait to see EVERYONE!!

PEACE OUT REALITY