Nicholas Sparks, colds, and Mexican food

Just finished my first book: The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. If you didn't know, I'm an extremely slow reader compared to others at my reading level, so this book took me about a week to read (it probably would take a moderately fast reader just a couple of days). Not gonna lie, wasn't my favorite of Nich's collection. I don't want to ruin anything, but let's just say I was disappointed with the ending: it ends happy, but I don't think it should have. Anyways, I was really glad when I finished the last page--the story drug on and on ... and on. I'm excited to start a new story. Today.

Last weekend, I got a dear present from my mother. I have the joy of living with her currently, and even that does not stop her endless selflessness she shows toward me. It truly is remarkable to me how much our parents share with us - and so willingly too. They just want us to experience all the joys in life that they have experienced. I should've been more grateful for my gift she gave, but instead I was curled up in bed with aches and the most congested nose I think I have ever had. Yes, my mother gave me the cold. So sweet.
It's interesting how we forget how much colds really stink until--BAM!--you're sitting there with a massive headache and water randomly dripping out your nose, after you think you've gotten the running nose under control. Now, truth be told, it was a horrible head cold. However, I really do feel blessed to have been able to sleep for 2 days straight and then be fine, while my mother had to endure for about a week. So while I may not feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for the actual gift of the cold, I do give thanks to her for letting me sleep until noon to get over it!

So I traveled to my good friend's house out in the farmland of Idaho :) I had never actually spent any time there, but it was surprisingly fun to see it. It was a legitimate small farm town, and I love that. She told me stories about growing up and I think I saw every major landmark (the school, the grocery store, and the creek) in a matter of 2 minutes. Love it. The reason I went was to visit her before she went off to school for the rest of the summer, and also to try this Mexican resteraunt she had been raving about. We pulled up to a hole-in-the-wall resteraunt and was seated in the "new" portion, which made the entire place about as big as a classroom. I like Mexican food, but I wasn't convinced that El Gallo Giro was going to be "that amazing." But let me tell you--wow. I literally almost threw up because I couldn't stop eating the deliciousness on my plate (sorry for the graphic image now in your head). To top off the amazing enchalada, I ate half of a dulche de leche cheesecake. If you don't know what dulche de leche is, or have never tried it: you are a sinner. Find some and try it. Now.
To top off the great food, the service there was incredible. The business is completely family owned and run, so the whole feeling in the place was fun and relaxed. If I had the money, I would have tipped the waiter the same amount as my check. Oh and had I actually learned something in my 8th grade Spanish class, I probably would have flirted with the waiter too :) Anyways, great experience in farmland and great visit with a friend.

I think I'll read.

When I first started my blog, I wrote three days in a row. Not knowing if that was a little obsessive, I decided to wait a day or two. Well, of course that turned into a week and a day. Wow time really goes fast. I'm slowly learning that consistency is a really great thing for me.

So I'm nannying now for the sweetest little girls this summer and having a blast so far! To be completely honest, they are the easiest girls to watch and have a great time just playing together and not needing your constant attention. Therefore, I am finding that I have more down time than I had anticipated. Therefore, I am reading just for fun more than I think I ever have. So, I am going to write what I think about each book on my blog as a little added treat :) Hopefully I don't embarrass myself with my book choice. Just to give a heads up: I like fast reads and good stories. At this point I am not looking for a book that will really make me think, instead I would love easy reads and I'm hoping to get into biographies/historical kind of books. I guess we'll just have to see where this whole thing leads me. Wish me luck, and if you have any suggestions (any genre) just let me know!!

not graduated, not traveling, and not married...now what?

So since I'm new to this whole blogging thing, I decided to stalk some friends and family and check out their blogs to see what they look like and what people even write about (and they were all cute if anyone wanted to know). As I was searching the blog universe, most blogs consisted of big updates on life: marriage, traveling the globe, pregnancy announcements/updates, and just moving from one stage of life to the next. However, I am right smack in the middle of my stage. In fact, you could probably say that my life is on pause in a way while I stay home this summer to work. So when I'm not graduating, not traveling, and not married, what do I write about??

I've been sitting here for about 15 minutes trying to decide what the heck in my life is interesting enough to put on the internet. And so far, I've come up with nothing. I mean there are a lot of great things going on currently: I've had amazing dinners as my mother experiments with the grill, I slothfully sleep in each day because I don't have to be at work until mid-morning, I can watch America's Got Talent and TLC without distraction of school or work, and I bought my first Panda Express meal all by myself. My life is not boring, but eating SweetFire Chicken from an oriental fast food joint is not quite as monumental as having a boy!

Maybe once warm weather actually starts to settle in, I'll be able to have grand adventures to post about. But until then, you're stuck with my pathetic attempts at making my daily routines sound grand and entertaining :)

Home of the BRAVE

It's the end of a wonderful holiday, and I could not go to bed without expressing the feelings and memories I've experienced today.

Every Memorial Day my family goes to the local cemetery to lay flowers on friends' graves as well as see the Idaho State Veteran Cemetery. Before we left, my parents showed us kids a great video about some Marines. I'll try to post a link later (it's late now and so I shouldn't take the time now to figure it out). Anyways, afterward my youngest sister and I were talking and she expressed how sad she was that people picketed and protested our government and country. I saw where her young mind was coming from, but it really made me think -- that is why our servicemen are fighting. So that we can protest. So we can have the choice to express our frustrations with government and not get thrown into prison, or worse. It was at that moment when I think I realize what "fighting for freedom" really meant. It's not just fighting against bad, it's fighting for good. It's sad that it has taken me this long, but I finally know exactly what we mean when we talk of that broad term "freedom". And I could not be more grateful for our armed forces for sacrificing so much so that I can have that. I could NOT be more grateful.

Once we were at the cemetery, we visited friends that we visit every year and just remembered their love and friendship. That in itself is a wonderful experience each year. Once we got to the Veterans' Cemetery, I remembered my experience at the tomb of the unknown soldier. I hadn't thought about that in, literally, years. My freshman year of high school, a group of students went to Washington DC for part of a trip back east. One of our stops was at Arlington National Cemetery, which was probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Seeing headstone after headstone is such a somber experience. I also had the most amazing opportunity to be one of four students to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I was trying to explain to my siblings how the formality of the ceremony showed honor and respect, and how it showed gratitude to all those who have served, even the unknown. I do not remember every detail that happened as I laid the wreath down. I don't remember what the guard did or how long we were there, but I remember so vividly the feelings of respect, infinite gratitude, and love that I felt for every serviceman who has made my country a land of the free and a home of the brave.

Memorial Day is a great day to have a bbq, visit local cemeteries, and remember those we love. But what I love most is the hard reminder to remember our armed forces and all the sacrifices they make for you and me. THANK YOU TO ALL VETERANS. I love you, and hope that we as a country and as individuals will never take your service for granted.