Im a Believer

I know I have mentioned this before but I love music, especially country and musicals (and on ocasion other songs with good messages.) I love when I find a song that tells it how it is or has a great message.

Lately I have ran across two songs that do just this. One is "I Have a Dream" from Mama Mia. I love that song because of how true it is. Dreams give us something to hold onto and hope for when things get tough and they can and really do see us through. All we have to do is hold and know they will come true.

The second song I ran into the other day when I bought Jimmy Wayne's new CD. Its called a "True Believer" When I heard this song I had to play it time and time again because it fit so perfectly in my life.

To tie the two together so it makes some sense. The biggest dream in my life, with out going into to much detail. Is simply this: I dream each day of finding someone who loves and appreciates me. Some one who when they hold me close I know the world stops, or that at least our love will see us through. Someone who when they look at me I can see how much they treasure me. I dream of oneday finding a man who when ever he thinks of me he stops and thinks to himself wow I am the luckiest. I dream of finding the one who simply treats me right. Where love trully is the center of our relationship and existence. Where nothing else matters but the other one. I also dream of being and giving the same thing in return. (I could go on and on but I think you get the point)

Well sadly this is not what I seem to find all that often. When I was dating Jonny I had parts of it but not the whole thing. I remember at first I thought this will work, but eventually in my heart I knew I was selling out on my dream and I just could not do it. As I prayed to know what was right I just know that my dream would be realized I just had to hold on. I had to keep believing in the dreaming, holding on and hoping. I know I had to let the dream carry me through until I found the one, as hard as it may get. (Allowing dreams to see you through would be the Mama Mia part)

But the song "True Believer" just fit so perfectly. Read the lyrics and you will know why.

Nobody but me to blameFor losing all this love
Hope is the greatest expectation
And I never knew how to give up

Hand full of promises I can’t hold
Old love letters that just lie
You might have tried to break me down
You might have seen me cryI,
I’m not foolish and I’m not blindI
did what I could, I stood in the rain
And I waited for love to be kind
With a heart that didn’t die
It just feels a little deeper
So don’t worry about me
Cause more than anything I am a true believer

I get up every day
I think of you more than I should
I won’t let you disgrace the whole human race
I believe people are goodI,
I just say it was all for the best
I won’t compromise and I won’t close my eyes
And pretend I can live with less
I’ll just say goodbye to the way I thought that we were
I won’t give up on the world

Cause more than anything
I believe in a love bigger than us
I believe it’s so strong that I just gotta trust
I’d give all that I have I believe it so much
I, I believe in something heavenly
With all the mistakes and the pain that love takes
I still believe in what it could be
There’s a Godly sound
Talking to all us sinners

So don’t worry about me ‘cause that’s all that I need
Don’t worry about me ‘cause that’s all that I need
I am a true believer
Nobody but me to blame
For losin’ all this love
Hope is the greatest expectation
And I’ll never learn how to give up

Ill admit the past year I have been alittle afraid of love, more of getting hurt again. But when ever I would/do start to feel down I think about the exact message of this song. True love is out there. What I believe in and seek for is. I just can not settle for less. As a message I learned from What I Like About You (yes I learn from strange places) Its a brave and strong thing to be able to turn from setteling for part of your dream to hope that the whole dream will be fullfiled. Dont settle.

Yes I may have been afraid of getting hurt, and still am and probably always will be. But my dream is out there and its calling me on. Now I have to strive for it.

Where Have I Been Hiding?

Ok I realize I have not updated much lately. The reason why…work. September is our annual conference and it causes life to get a little busy. I decided to give a few highlights of what I have been up to, at least the ones I remember…so I figure that’s what counts.

1) Girls nights. I have been having a ton of fun getting out there and really spending time with my friends, out side of organized activities. I know it sounds silly. But I love my Kendra time so I always have to remember to balance in other activities. Totally flip flopped from others. I think it comes from my natural born talent to keep my self entertained.

2) WORK!!! Ok it doesn’t stick out as a positive but it did consume all my time this month. Last week was our annual conference and it was great. If you can say that. I learned a lot about our role, as a community member to end domestic violence. What stuck out the most was a role to help end all violence against women by helping our brothers, friends, son, husbands, etc. to understand how their actions effect women. To help them see the world women live in. As the presenter asked when was the last time a guy had to think about their safety as they walk through the parking lot to their car at night. We need to help men know the right way to treat women. Help theme see violence is not the answer. Help them to understand provocative comments and actions are not the solution and are not acceptable. (Ok enough with that soap box)

3) My comp day of off work. I took yesterday off of work, do to way to many work hours last week. It was so nice. I spent some well needed time at home and with my little brother. I cant believe Matt picks up his mission papers on Sunday. He is already working on talking me into taking “sick” days to go skiing before he leaves. I so think I will.

4) Stain Glass. I cant go into to many details here but I have finish or nearly finished a few great projects!!!

5) A 3 year olds perspective. I have spent the last couple of Saturdays tending my cousins. Can I tell you life from the eyes of a three year old is hilarious.

5) FALL!!!! Ok I get it, this is not something I have been up to but I love fall. Its my favorite time of year. And its finally here. Sunday I saw my first swirling of leaves in the wind. Oh my heart skipped a beat. Not that I have to much control over this but I am going to do my best to get married in the FALL.

Hunstville Half Marathon

So I completed my fourth Half marathon ever, fourth in a year and the second time of running the Hunstville Half, many different ways to look at it. I finished in 1hr53min48sec!

Running halfs is so much fun. And after running four and running for them for a year I have learned a few things.

Lesson 1: Where shorts that are easier to take off. You will always warm up no matter how cold it is at the start. Well almost ever, if the race is in the summer you will.

Lesson 2: Finish Strong. No matter how hard those 13.1 miles are you can always pull it together!

Lesson 3: GPS watches are a must for training for halfs. No guessing on pace and distance.

Lesson 4: They are a little nerve racking!

Lesson 5: No matter how unperpared you may feel. The adrenalin of the start makes up the difference. Fear not!

Lesson 6: Remember its about the fun! 13.1 miles covers a lot of territory and pretty scenery at that!

Lesson 7: (OK this has to do with this race only) Hold on to your ipod. Its no fun to back track to find it. 13.1 miles is long enough as it is!

Lesson 8: All the pain, blisters, miles logged, strange diets, the time put in, sacrifices made, etc. are all worth it. When you look at what you accomplished!

My Labor Day Weekend

Well summer is now over. Or so they claim after labor day weekend. This weekend it sure was at least. But in my mind summer is over when it stays cool and the leaves begin to change. I love love fall.

This weekend I sent summer out in style, girl style that is.

On Friday night my mom and I had a girls night. The guys were supposed to be camping but canceled so we kicked them out. After work we headed up to Mcgraths Fish house; where I got the yummiest Macadamia Nut Encrusted Mahi Mahi over a pineapple sauce. It was heavenly there are really no words to describe it. After we went shopping at Thai Pan Trading, got Ben and Jerry's Half Bake Twisted, yummm, and watched Meet the Browns. Well I watched it she slept.

On Saturday my mom and I went for our annual trip up to Swiss Days in Midway and bought great jewelry. After we had a yummy artichoke and chicken pizza, yummy corn on the cob and watched the BYU game. I did leave the game early and headed to Brittney's house were we watched chic-flics and cut out her home work project. I have not done home work in years. We did take a short break and caught our friend performing at the Coffee Break on 4th, Roger did a great job.

Sunday we had a family birthday party with yummy home made ice cream. a traditional send off to summer. Thats the one thing I will miss about summer. But bring on fall.

Monday was spent working on stain glass.

Did I mention we had huge thunderstorms and a cold front. Stay away heat I want fall!!!

RUSH Week LDS Style

Have you ever step backed and looked at how peculiar LDS Saints are. Well if you have or havent it is never more clear then if you look at a group all together. We really are kind of strange. This summer I have had several great examples of this.

My favorite though would have to be RUSH week for LDS sororities and fraternities.

As I am sure with all RUSH weeks they are crazy and out of control. Well here is our big difference we are minus beer. Now dont your guard down here you dont need beer to do strange things. We are just as creative.

Our biggest RUSH event is carnival. All of the frats put together an event/activity for all the sororities and those rushing to come and enjoy a laid back night. Each RUSH week on of the frats does a fish pong game. What is is fish pong? Its beer pong minus thebeer. Instead of filling the glasses full of beer they put in a few inches of water and a gold fish. What ever cup your ball lands in you get to drink that gold fish. And nope not the cracker real live gold fish. My friend Adam does it every rush week. I believe this was his 10th time. So to top it off he drank four fish at a time.

Like I said we are particular. Rather then down shots we down fish. Right now I am not sure what is worse. But no fear I didnt do either.