Jilli said what?

Things I have learned today:

2011-12-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

1. I shouldn't start labor-intensive crochet/knitting projects in the middle of the night.

I'll Google free crochet or knitting patterns for about an hour and find all sorts of wonderful things to make. The current result of such endeavors is, from left to right: The beginning of a lap blanket, about one third of a left slipper (which I didn't make big enough to even reach my toe and is thus useless,) one half-finished pot holder, about two-thirds of a beanie, and four four strips for a blanket (32 are required,) and a big ball of yarn mess (not pictured but very real.)

I did get to finish a baby blanket for baby Ross (Bryant's sister's new baby boy-- although he is a couple months old now.) It's sitting underneath all of those other projects.

2. The platypus is venomous.

Apparently the male platypus has a spur on the back of one of its legs that disperses venom that is harmful to humans.

I mean, come on. The platypus lays eggs, has a bill like a duck, and has a body that looks like a blob. It needed one thing that was kinda cool.

3. Scrap booking stores are like ADHD playgrounds.

I went with Mom today to pick up something she needed for PTSA. I'd never been in a scrap book store before. Let. Me. Tell. You. Any kind of paper you ever wanted: it's there. Along with everything you would ever need to make the cutest Christmas cards in the world. Want some jingle bells to attach to your Christmas cards this year? They have them... in every color of the rainbow. It was like a free-for-all glitter wonderland. I could lose a lot of money in that store.

Whirlwind.

2011-10-13T21:16:00.001-07:00

Throughout the past few months I have accomplished quite a few things that I was not always sure were possible. It is good to think about the good things in my life. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Trident Technical College with an Associate's Degree in Applied Science: Human Services with concentrations in Gerontology, Family Intervention Studies, and Addictions. (See ya, Trident! Hello, Limestone.)

I have worked with a person with Alzheimer's disease; sharing and enjoying the wonderful moments that are given to us in life as well as remaining with him as things became difficult. I have come to lean on the gospel of Jesus Christ-- learned of the creation of the world, the plan of salvation, and of our eternal nature. It is my faith that allows me to view the hardships of this mortal world as a part of a greater plan. I know with all of my soul that these trials are only for a short time; that we are all children of our Heavenly Father who loves us very much.

I have become an aunt! A real-life aunt to my beautiful niece, Jessie. I adore her and cannot wait for her to visit us in South Carolina again.

I have a sister who is getting married next month. I don't know if it's quite gotten into my head yet, but I am truly happy for her and excited to have a new brother-in-law! (The only picture I have with them is one from my graduation so y'all get another gander at the getup.)

I have a supportive family who has helped me. I also have a special someone (whose name is Bryant) who listens to me and loves me. I may not get to see all of them as much as I would like but I am so grateful for them every day of my life. I tend to get caught up on all the hoopla that is life, but with all these good people around me, nothing is too bad. :)

My life the past week or so.

2011-05-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

Audrey and I have spent a lot of time together lately. I'll guide you through what happens just about every day.

Mornings:

Early Afternoons:

Late Afternoons when Colton comes home:

Early Evenings:

Bedtime:

"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue."

2011-04-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

"What if beyond this... you really can see and hope for all the best and right things that God has to offer? Oh, it may be blurred a bit by the perspiration that keeps running riverlike into your eyes, and in a really difficult fight one of the eyes might even be closing a bit; but faintly, dimly, and ever so far away you can see the object of it all. And you say it is worth it, you do want it, you will fight on. Like Coriantumr, you will lean upon your sword to rest a while, then rise to fight again." -- Jeffrey R. Holland

Sometimes I can see what I have been working so hard for. Some days I can see myself in the future; a successful and happy person who works diligently and makes a difference. Other days it feels as though the whole world has turned against me in a relentless effort to pull me down, or keep me from moving forward. Which is a ridiculous notion, but a real feeling nonetheless.

I hardly think, though, that many things could keep me from fighting. I have learned to go forward and make my own way. If all else fails, I am extremely stubborn. I think it is an Anderson trait ingrained long-ago; a trait I am grateful for. I can say for certain that at the end of my trials I will be able to say that I fought hard... that I tried and that I learned from my experiences things that could not otherwise have been learned.

There is a poem written by Dylan Thomas titled "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." To me it is a beautiful piece of work.

"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

I have a lot to do. So I guess it's survey time.

2011-02-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

1. If I looked on the bed next to you, what would I find?
Blankets, pillows, sheets, and an elephant.

2. Do you go to the bathroom with the door open or closed?
Closed.

3. Are your underwear and socks folded in your drawer or just thrown in?
Folded. Or in a laundry pile. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

4. Sleep on your back or stomach?
Neither.

5. Are you a cuddler?
Yes.

6. What would I find if I looked UNDER your bed?
Shoes, yarn, important papers. Probably a couple books.

7. Something that happened today that made you angry?
Traffic, I'm sure.

8. What were you doing before this survey?
Hm, nothing too important. Probably Facebooking.

9. What will you do after the survey?
Find something else to distract myself from working.

10. Marriage or living together?
Marriage.

11. What shirt are you wearing now?
Oh, it's fancy. That's all I can say.

12. Do you sing?
Everyone sings.

13. Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?
I like to think I hide them, but I don't think I really do.

14. Is there something you regret and wish you could take back?
I think everyone has something like that, too.

15. First thing you do when you wake up?
Hm. I'm sure it involves trying to make my phone hush.

16. Ever had surgery?
Yes.

17. Last argument you got into with?
What?

18. How long does it take for you to fall asleep at night?
I don't know. It's a long process.

19. What are you looking forward to in the next few months?
Graduating!

20. It's midnight. Who are you texting?
Bryant, probably. The text probably won't make sense either.

21. It's Wednesday afternoon, where are you usually?
Trident.

22. Honestly, if you could have ANYONE in the world, who would it be?
I'm pretty sure I don't want to own anyone. That would be boring and creepy.

23. Your Christmas lists consist of?
Christmas goodies!

24. How do you feel about your hair?
I call it "jungle hair." I like it; it does whatever it wants.

25. If you could move away, no questions asked, where would you move?
You know, secretly, I've always wanted to move into a teeny town with lots of snow. I read a book once where this man had a farm where he collected sap. It seemed really awesome. Stressful, but awesome.

26. What's the greatest thing that happened to you today?
Not even gonna lie: Seeing my sister on "Let's Make a Deal!"

27. What would you change about your life right now?
Bring on a new ankle! Other than that, I'd be a trillionaire if I could. Or I would choose to have the ability to memorize everything. Well, maybe I would wish for hair like those ponies we had as kids where all you had to do was pull the hair and it grew.

28. What’s the best feeling in the world?
Laughing 'til you can't breathe.

It snowed! Just a teeny bit!

2010-12-27T15:27:00.001-08:00

My siblings and I playing in the snow that wouldn't stick:

I had a very Merry Christmas this year. All of my brothers and sisters came into town. It's been good to see everyone. Of course I missed my boo, but I'm very happy to see all my brothers and sisters.

At this very moment, I am impatiently waiting for Tori's enchiladas to be finished. YUM!

Christmas Joy

2010-12-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

Picture it: North Charleston. 2010. An old Honda Accord gives up the ghost in the busiest intersection at approximately 4:30 P.M. I was tired and reasonably sure I had just done horribly on my Probability and Statistics final exam. It was freezing and (as usual) traffic was ridiculous. Seriously, it more frustrating than I can even explain. Thankfully, my mom came to the rescue. We managed to get it home, but I was definitely done for the day.

I finally get home after hours of stress and frustration from finals and the wasp. There was a package waiting for me. Guess what was inside.

A real, live, teeny Christmas tree from Bryant! I couldn't believe it. At first I thought it was flowers. I was all surprised and happy for flowers, but it was a Christmas tree! I love Christmas. I loved it immediately. It came with a teeny set of lights and a teeny set of ornaments. I look at it and it just makes me smile.

I decorated it with the lights and ornaments it came with and put it right by my window in my room. It is perfect.

I'm very lucky and grateful to have Bryant in my life. It made a terrible day eight billion times better. What a wonderful boyfriend. I think the best part about it was that he sent it to me just because he knew I'd love it. It was very thoughtful and just what I needed. :)

For my family.

2010-11-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving gives me a chance to step back and appreciate the blessings and good things about life. I wrote just a couple things to each of the members in my family.

Dear Daddy,

Thank you for being who you are. Even as a little girl I came to you with seemingly endless questions. I am humbled that Heavenly Father let me be your daughter. He must have known I needed a father who would listen to me ask questions like, "What color were a dinosaur's toenails?" I am thankful for what you do for our family. I don't know where I would be without you. I love you, Daddy.

Dear Little Mom,

I can't put into words how grateful I am for you. You have loved me my entire life without question. You spoke up for me and watched out for me when I needed you most, but somehow at the same time gave me the chance to grow and learn for myself. You have taught me the gospel, but beyond that, you have lived it. I am proud to call you my Little Mom. I love you, Mama Llama.

Dear Tori,

I am jealous of how you put that braid in your hair! But seriously. I do. But for real seriously now. Thank you for picking me up for church that whole year when I lived Downtown. I don't know if I ever told you how much that meant to me. I see now how much time that took and how much you must have loved me to make that drive every week. You are the coolest, fo sho. Your sense of humor always makes things better. I see how much you care about people. It reminds me to give in to my softer side when I start turning into a bitter old lady. I love you, Tori.

Dear Caitlin,

Thanks for letting me be born on your birthday. Hahaha! Really, I am grateful for the chance we had to get to know each other after you came back from Utah. I think about how we were both super wary of the Single's Ward and everything that is Charleston. It makes me laugh now. I feel like I can talk to you about almost anything (with the exception of bathroom stuff, because I just can't get past that kinda thing). I admire your willingness to serve in your calling. You always include me in things. It makes me feel like a million bucks. I love you, Caitlin.

Dear Courtney,

When we were younger, we were partners in crime. I always get so excited when I hear you are coming back for Christmas or for a little summer vacation. I wait for you to come out of the terminal, and we walk away arm in arm like no time has passed. It sounds weird, but I am grateful that you were married in the temple. It has shown me how dedicated you are to the Church. I can't wait to be an aunt in the next couple of months. I know you're going to be an amazing mother. I love you, Courtney.

Dear Brynn,

You are very special to me. I don't know if it is because you are my little sister or if it's because you're just so darn awesome. I relate to you in a lot of ways that I can't with other people...from being able to read an entire series of books within a couple days to surgeries to having the weirdest sleeping patterns ever. There are not many people who could stand to hear my night time rants or understand me the way you do. Remember when you used to color pictures for my wall? It always made me feel so special. Thank you. I love you, Brynn.

Dear Colton,

What it IS? I know I don't say it very often, but I'm proud of you. I felt like a fussy old sister when you got your Eagle Scout. I am grateful for you having the Priesthood and for going to Seminary even when you're ridiculously tired in the mornings. I have watched you grow into a young man (fussy old sister again) and I am excited for all of the good things you will do with your life. If you ever have a dumb day, just think about that time you threw the basketball to me and it hit me in the face. :)I love you, Colton.

Unwritten rules.

2010-10-04T13:45:00.001-07:00

When I'm on campus, I feel like there are certain things that should be understood. Why we (Trident vs. me) are at this point, I have no earthly idea.

1. I don't want to have a conversation in a public restroom. I don't care if we have the same purse. I don't care if we just had class together. I don't care if it's raining outside and you'd like to tell me how many umbrellas you have in your car. Nothing that happens in a public restroom is enjoyable to me. For my own sanity, save whatever you want to talk about for post-restroom interaction (it should be noted that any interaction between myself and previously unknown persons in a public restroom were deemed unavoidable and more than likely annoying on site)if you feel like you just need to tell me about those umbrellas.

2. There is no need to get directly behind me when there was ample opportunity to pass me before approaching a set of stairs. I promise I'm not going to get faster because you are behind me.

3. I do not need to hear the most personal OR the most trivial details of your entire life story while I am waiting for class to start. Not only does your monotone voice destroy any will power I had to pay attention in class... it literally makes me want to bodily remove you from the building. I do not care even the slightest bit about the white wolf tattoo that you have dreamed about your whole life. In fact, it makes me hope that one day your dream will be fulfilled because you deserve it.

4. But seriously...how is being rude in a check-out line going to get you out the cafeteria any faster?

5. No, I'm not changing my mind. You can't have my quizzes or borrow my notes for a week. Just...no.

6. My mind is (for real) blown on why there are group projects at all. No, I won't do your work for you. No, I'm not making your stupid PowerPoint. No, I do not care if you fail. Not even a little bit. Not even the teeniest little smidgen. So if you want a grade, you to figure that mess out.

Fast forward.

2010-09-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

I am terrible about updating my blog. Every time I sign on (after a couple of weeks of slacking) I look at my last post and am surprised about how much has gone on since then.

I have started my first of two internships. I work on the Memory Care Unit at Somerby of Mount Pleasant. The unit is designed to meet the needs of Alzheimer's and dementia residents within the residential retirement community. I have done more in the past two weeks than I anticipated, expected, or felt ready for. I have been facilitating group discussions, preparing for activities, helping people participate in activities, reading life stories, helping cue memories, and of course, I have smiled and laughed and been surprised quite a few times. I have seen some of the sweetest things and experienced a wonderful sense of gratitude for the blessings I have been given. One of my instructors at school always told me that you learn a lot about yourself when you do an internship. I thought that was the dumbest thing ever when he told me that. I see now that he was right. Life is a beautiful gift. Treasure it with all of your heart.

I'm trying to learn some Johnny Cash songs. One of my residents loves him. I make a fool out of myself sometimes to make people smile. The other day I attempted to do the cha-cha for about 2 minutes. I'm sure it was pretty entertaining. P.S. I learned how to do the cha-cha from a VHS library tape. Bahaha.

Sometime soon we are going to have a knitting activity. Woot! Going to put those knitting needles of mine to use.

Thingsies.

2010-08-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I just wrote "Thingsies" as the title of this blog. I think that means I need more sleep!

I used coupons for the first time the other day. One of my friends is super talented with coupons. I don't quite have that gift, but I am trying! I have a notebook for them. On my last venture I saved $8.94. That's a start!

Also, I walked out of the house yesterday and came upon this lovely sight:

Oh, the joy of owning Waspy. I am lucky Daddy knows how to work on cars...otherwise I'd be out of luck. He was putting a blower in. I took the tinting off of the windows on Saturday with lots of glass cleaner and about five now useless razor blades. Colton did the first one and then started doing something else. I'm having a little trouble with the tint on the very back window because I don't want to mess up the defrosting...line things. Baha, whatever those are actually called.

Good news, everyone! I got an internship for the Fall semester. I'm actually really excited to start. I'll be working on the Memory Care Unit at Somerby of Mount Pleasant. It's a retirement community. I'll be working with Alzheimer's clients and clients with dementia. Bryant also got a new job at a law firm. We're both excited to be starting new things.

Also, our friend Rob McDaniel took this picture a couple months back. I don't think I posted any of them, but I think this one's my favorite. It makes me laugh.

The Wasp.

2010-07-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

So I bought a car! It's a 1992 Honda Accord. Bryant named it "The Wasp." "Waspy" for short. It has quite a few issues (more than I thought when I first bought it)...but it works, and I have paid for it. Introducing Waspy!

It's a work in progress. When I first got it, the key was broken off into the ignition. It worked if you put the broken piece in to crank it, but I couldn't lock it. LM asked a Honda dealer for me and now the broken key is out and I have three new keys.

I went outside to go test out the new key. Look who was driving it.

Thoughts.

2010-05-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Four things I am thinking right now:

1. Tie-dye is from the hippie era, correct? I don't understand how it came about. Did hippies have a huge boiling pot they threw their t-shirts in and one day someone happened to tie rubber bands/dyes into it? Maybe I'm missing something. I bet tie-dye history is on Wikipedia.

2. Pink should be a normal color for sports teams. I would like tv sports better (if at all) if we could make that happen.

3. Why does this picture even exist? Fail!

4. Audrey podrey is paying attention to Daddy so hard in this picture:

"Say the right words," the goblins said.

2010-05-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

I think that everyone has something they want.

http://www.mdmercy.com/footandankle/conditions/ankle_arthritis/total_replacement.html

It's difficult, sometimes, to really to come to terms with things. I don't know if I would have done things differently. I would like to be able to say I would have been more careful, but I'm awfully hard-headed and I loved dancing. I don't talk about dancing anymore. I try not to think about it, but it's awfully hard when you hear a song and automatically notice counts of eight in the beat. I get jealous of people who can go on a camping trip without worrying about whether everyone else will be hiking. Which is stupid, because I don't even like camping, but it's the kind of thing you think about when you can't. I know there are worse things, and I've been there too, but today is just hard.

I've kept my tap shoes. Which is dumb. I haven't worn them since I was fourteen, but I keep them around. They are still cool.

The scars used to bother me a lot. It probably has something to do with being a female; appearance, sadly, is worth a lot. It doesn't bother me so much these days. Which is a good thing.

But I don't know. Wondering doesn't get me anywhere. Hopefully some genius somewhere will make the perfect ankle replacement and then I'll be the perfect candidate for it. That would be dope. Even if it doesn't happen, I have faith in the Resurrection. Someday I'll be able to do any kind of tapdance I want.

Crafty crafting.

2010-05-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

So I finished the baby blanket for my friend that I started probably...a month or two ago. Took me forever, but I took a picture of the border. I still have to put it in the mail...ah, so much to do.

Also, I wanted to make a pair of baby booties for Bryant's sister-in-law, who is having a baby girl in a few weeks. Here are my first try. They are Mary Jane baby booties! So freakin' cute.
I am going to make some for my cousin Dani as well, who is going to have a little one later this year.

Update from a (blogging) slacker.

2010-04-13T13:10:00.001-07:00

I never blog consistently; I should keep up with it. Anyway, classes take up most of my time. I'm doing okay though, and I am crossing my fingers that my finals go well.

I made a blanket for Bryant for his birthday. Well, I gave it to him really late; I got all caught up with school and also frustrated with the sewing machine. I can never figure out patterns, so I made it into squares and sewed it backwards, if that makes sense. It's a quilt. I have a picture of it, but it's before I put it in the dryer so it looks wrinkly but there it is.

I also recently made a baby blanket for a friend. I finished it, except for the border...which I need to do. Preferably before that kid = born.

I'll take a picture of it when I finish the border. Hopefully by then I will be a more consistent blogger.

Also, I went up to Hartsville this past weekend. It was good times. There is also a picture of my initials carved into the tree, but my phone is waaay over there and I am waaay over here. So that is definitely not happening.

Another "also:" My birthday is next week!

Quite serious.

2010-03-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

Reasons why Summerville is horrible:

- Both McDonald's were closed before 12 A.M.
- The stupid arrows that make you get into different lanes for no reason whatsoever suck.
- The traffic is ridiculous.
- Their high school mascot is the Greenwave.
- The whole Oakbrook/Summerville mess doesn't make any sense.
- I owe like $10 to the Dorchester County Library; I can't check out any more books until I pay it. Is that my fault? Maybe. Do I care that that is actually my fault? No.
- It's 8 billion away from everything.
- They took the sewing section out of the Summerville Walmart.
- Everyone's shorts are jacked. Seriously? I don't know how that happens.

...I could, and would, go on and on, but I have class in the morning. Thus concludes my seven-minute rant on why Summerville is the stupidest city on the planet.

I should be studying or sleeping.

2010-02-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

1. What time did you get up this morning?
Maybe 9ish?

2. How do you like your steak?
Medium.

3. What was the last movie you saw at the theater?
I think it was Avatar. Bleck.

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Forensic Files.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Beaufort.
I thought about it. It's legit because:
A: No me gusta Summerville.
B: Beaufort's beautiful; I miss it.
C: I don't know any langauage other than English. If I knew Italian, I'd pick Rome.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
Oxygen.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Dessert isn't a cuisine. At least I don't think it is. Regardless, my pick is dessert.

8. What foods do you dislike?
Seafood, onions, pickles, salsa-y type things.

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
Alvin Ord's.

11.What color eyes do you have?
Greyishbluishgreenish.

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Pajama pants.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Greece.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
I thought about this, too. It depends on how thirsty I am.

15. Where would you want to retire?
Ha, Beaufort again.

16. Favorite time of day?
Night time.

17. Where were you born?
Beaufort, South Carolina.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Baseball.

19. Who do you think will NOT tag you back?
I don't think you can do that on Blogger. Maybe you can; I don't actually care.

20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
-

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
This is not an actual question, fyi.

22. Bird watcher?
Only in church.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night person.

24. Do you have any pets?
A peepot.

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
Simple answer, yes.

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
I wanted to be a dancer.

27. What is your best childhood memory?
Singing random songs in the car with my siblings.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dog.

29. Are you married?
Negative.

30. Always wear your seat belt?
I try to.

31. Been in a car accident?
Yes. My fault.

32. Any pet peeve?
These questions are bothering me. Do I have any pet peeves? Yes. One of them: leaving the door open.

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Pineapple.

34. Favorite Flower?
I like all flowers. Except for peach-colored ones. No specific reason, really.

35. Favorite ice cream?
Strawberry.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
McDonald's.

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Zero.

38. From whom did you get your last email?
Bryant. (:

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
I don't want to max out any credit card, thanks. The thought alone makes my poor heart dry heave.

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
I'm more impulsive than spontaneous if that makes sense. Simple answer to the question: No.

41. Happy with your job?
I'd like to be done with school.

42. Broccoli?
Yummo.

43. What was your favorite vacation?
Any time when I don't have to be doing something is a good vacay for me.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Hm, good question. Oh, wait. That's right. "Last person you went out to dinner with" is not a question. It's not even a sentence.

45. What are you listening to right now?
A fan.

46. What is your favorite color?
Pink.

47. How many tattoos do you have?
Zero.

48. What were you doing two years ago today?
Oddly enough, I remember. Hard time.

49. What time did you finish this quiz?
1:14 AM. Dang it...

50. Coffee Drinker?
Am I one? Is that what this is asking? If so, the answer is no.

You don't fool me.

2010-01-22T23:12:00.000-08:00

1. When people rinse their hands in the sink instead of washing them after using a public restroom. ...What are you doing? What could your reasoning be? Why are you pretending? We both know you didn't use soap when you put your hands under the water for .0001 seconds and then turned the faucet back off.

2. Camoflauge clothing. If you're hunting...then whatever. That's fine. If you're in the military...then that's actually cool. Proud of you. But wearing it for absolutely no reason, any and everywhere you go makes you look like a plant. A big, ugly, moving, walking, breathing, photosynthesis-loving, earthy-colored, tie-dyed plant. Maybe I just don't like camo. Or maybe someone out there just loves plants that much. If that's what makes you happy, then...neat. Just know you don't look very intimidating when you walk around Walmart wearing a jacket indtended for shooting animals you don't need to eat. Just saying.

3. I heard your entire conversation on the phone. Don't look at me like I'm rude when I make some kind of reaction to your completely inappropriate conversation in public. You're the one talking about all your personal problems in the line at the grocery store. Not my fault you can't keep your man.

The sugar cookie adventure

2009-12-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

I was in charge of the sugar cookies this year. I also made some rice krispy squares which were way bomb. Regardless of my incredible talent for stirring marshmallows, the following will chronicle the adventure from beginning to end.

Picture 1:

Okay, so there is a reason why I am wearing a bandana. I had a cold, and I wanted to make those cookies pretty badly. The bandana was my solution. Then Mama Llama just so happened to have a camera. Haha, I asked her to take a pictuure of it. I forgot I was wearing it after a while.

Picture 2:

This is the dough rolled out, ready for cookie cutters.

Picture 3

Oh, look at the cookie cutters (: Yay Christmas spirit

Picture 4:

This is me with the cookie cutter. He's my favorite, fyi.

Picture 5:

This is me scooping the cookies off the counter before they go into the oven.

Picture 6:

These were the final product. And you can see my red fingernail polish (sort of) in this picture, too.

Well I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and that they will enjoy HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Headdress of WAR!

2009-11-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, I was an Indian warrior! I made my headdress of war. I made ALL of it. It took me hours and hours to finish. I worked way too hard on it.

I tried to get all of it in the same picture. The sides trail down almost all the way to the ground.

This is the front of it. Man. I probably kept the hot glue sticks company in business for the next five years. It took forever to braid all of that.

This is my war paint on my leg, and my tomahawk. Tied to my leg in case I needed it. You never know when you might need your tomahawk.

Caitlin was a robber! Yes, that is a crowbar. This is the full costume. As usual, I am making a weird face...but yeah.

Some more war paint. I understand why they loved war paint so much. It gets me pumped. I should start putting on war paint when I need to do something serious. Hahaha.

All in all, a great Halloween.

All kinds of things.

2009-10-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

Um...okay, okay. I have been slack. I admit it!

Honestly, I am fabulous. I took some random pictures to share. They're probably better at explaining what I've been up to anyway.

These are my new glasses. They are pretty fly. (;

These are my Halloween socks. I didn't realize they had cats on them 'til I put them on today. All I saw was the candy corn. It's all right though, because the cat looks dumb all stretched out like that.

I started classes again this fall semester. I was actually really nervous about it. My grades are really good. Kind of hard to believe it's real sometimes. My fast forward class is finished. I made a 94 in the class. I took a picture of me with my midterm from my Case Management class. Haha, as you can tell from my facial expression, I'm really excited about it. I don't know if you can see it in this picture, but I got a 100 (on a curve)!

These last few months have been I've been working really hard on putting myself back together. It's taken me a long time, but I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I am going to the temple next month with the single's ward. I am so excited it isn't even funny. I circled the date on my calendar. I never really thought I'd be proud of who I was again. I won't go into details because it's personal, but it's not my place to not share, especially if it might help someone else. Through the gift and very real power of the Atonement, I have been able to forgive myself and let things from my past go. It's crazy how putting your whole heart into living the gospel can heal you in a way nothing else can. I've been working on reading my scriptures. It's funny because when I read books, I sort of start thinking the way characters in the story talk. I catch myself thinking about how Nephi would word something, or maybe how he would react to a situation. Then I start laughing; people are probably thinking, "What the heck is she doing?" Hahaha. Anyway, my point is that if there is anything you feel like you need to change to get yourself back on track, do it. Don't wait. Do it now...and please don't let anything stop you. I promise it's not worth the weight you carry around. I am not a perfect person, but I am proof you can change. Heavenly Father loves you, and wants you to be happy. (:

All right. It's almost 2:30 in the morning. I should probably go to bed. Here's a Halloween picture for everyone to enjoy!

crawling deer.

2009-08-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

i went in to give blood today. i'd made an appointment beforehand, so in my head i was like, "ALL RIGHT!" when i got to skip the people in front of me. i got dirty looks, but hey. i made an appointment, and they didn't.

anyway, i went into the first booth and waited for about fifteen minutes. you know, the one where they ask you all those questions, check your blood pressure, and test your iron...or whatever it is they're testing. the older lady in one of those white coats comes around the corner. she sits down. she seems normal, a little old-lady like, but you know, whatev. i love old people. she starts talking to me, and i can't understand anything she's saying. her words are sort of slurring, and she keeps winking at me. there's this 70's music blaring from beneath my chair, where a boombox from 1992 just so happens to be placed. granted i knew what i was getting myself into. i do live in south carolina, afterall. people are nuts, and that's okay. we're all a little nuts.

but then i thought i heard her say something about deer. at first i thought she was telling me she hunted deer, so i just kept smiling and nodding whenever i guessed she wanted a response. i scooted forward a little so i could understand what she was saying. turns out, she saw a deer crawling in her front yard.

now i can go with the flow on just about anything. but i stopped her and asked, "excuse me, did you say a deer was crawling in your front yard?" she said she thought so, but on closer inspection it turned out to be one of her huge black twin dogs she hadn't seen in a couple of months. she told me it had killed the deer and was carrying its head around to mark his territory. antlers and all. at this point, i was still stuck on how she thought she knew her dogs were twins. brothers, certainly, but why did she think they were twins? and then the last half of her story clicked into place.

...WHAT?! what was she talking about? i looked around and nobody else heard anything she was saying. i kind of sat there stunned for a few seconds. then i asked her if she took any pictures. she said, "no, i didn't. i will next time. this sort of thing happens to me all the time."

seriously? that "sort of thing?" how could anything like that happen all the time?

...i love charleston.

school time.

2009-08-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

summer is close to being over. crazy! classes start on the 24th of august, which is next week. i am mostly excited, but also a little nervous. i haven't been in classes for the past two semesters. i just want to do well. my schedule is as follows, in case anyone's curious:

HUS 209: case management
M 6-8:51

CPT 101: introduction to computers (boring)
TTH 4:30-5:51

HUS 217: addictions counseling 1
TTH 6-8:51

HUS 218: addictions counseling 2
TTH 6-8:51

side note: addictions counseling 1 and addictions counseling 2 are fast foward classes, so the first one starts next week and ends sometime in october. then the second one goes til december. so it's like jumbo-packed classes for 6 credit hours instead of 3. which makes a total of 12 credit hours for the semester.

i took a picture of my new backpack (: it reminds me of a pattern from animal crossing, which is pretty lame of me to admit, but there you have it. haha. i also put an elvis presley pin on it. makes it pretty much perfect.

i also took a picture of my books because...well, just because. it's always fun for me to see new notebooks and school supplies. i know that within a week i will be like, "WHY did i get myself into this?" but for now, i am excited.

speedy summer.

2009-07-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

it's already july. oh man.

this past few weeks have been very full. it sounds strange to word it that way, but that's the best word i can pick. i am hardly going to be able to mention everything. we have been on the road for the past two days, so i am a pretty tired jilli. anything i miss, i will try to add to a future blog. this is the condensed version.

a couple weeks ago, mom, cheryl, caitlin, colton, and i went to disney world. we stayed at a hotel and spent the whole day at the theme park. it was so hot, but i really loved it. i'm glad there was enough time to heal a little after that surgery.

my uncle, john allen, passed away two weeks ago. mom, tori, and i went up to maine for the funeral. the service really was wonderful. i only remember seeing john last summer when we all travelled to gram's funeral. although i didn't know him very well, i am deeply at a loss. he gave everyone around him a sense of peace, and at the same time always had a joke handy. he loved his family, was a devoted friend, and was an all around good person. i know we will see him again someday.

it was a great opportunity to spend time with mom's side of the family. we stayed at cheryl's house and took little trips to sue's for cookies occassionally. barbara stayed for a few days with us, too. we had a cookout at jim and rhonda's house, and then another one at ryan and rachel's house. we shopped around with alice, which is always fun. i got to see all of the little kids and the new babies. i really wish maine wasn't so far away, but every moment is precious. i am grateful for the happy memories we made.

ten things that are happening right NOW:

2009-06-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

1. daddy has the car that we're supposed to be taking to disney world.

2. audrey doesn't like aunt cheryl. she freaks out everytime she stands up.

3. brynn and colton are sleeping like babies.

4. mom is wearing her lovely safari pants.

5. tori is on her new blackberry pearl.

6. caitlin is on colton's "cell phone." he's going to be upset about that.

7. i have a horrible sunburn because i'm an idiot.

8. there is a bunch of chinese food is in the kitchen...but it's ten in the morning.

9. murdock is prowling and being overly creepy.

10. despite having a sunburn, i am very excited about my almost-there foot tan.

funny.

2009-05-14T14:20:00.001-07:00

okay, so i found an old "diary" from 1999-2000. i was in 5th/6th grade. these entries are pretty entertaining; i'm going to type them verbatim:

March 15, 1999

"Dear Journal,

Hi, how are you? I'm fine. Today I went to Washington D.C. I couldn't wait to get to the swimming pool. We had spaghetti for dinner. Well, I'll keep you updated.

Love,
Jillian Rochelle Anderson."

okay. this one might be my favorite because i was like, "here i am in washington d.c. with tons of monuments and historical significance, but mostly i wanted to go swimming in the hotel's pool." good thing i'm so cool. also, i talked to the diary. what was that all about?

here's another one:

May 26 1999

"Dear Journal,

I still have to admit, I kinda, not really, like you know who. I'm not gonna write his name 'cause if people read it, then they would know who i'm talking about. I also like 2 other guys. Sort of. Especially _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _. Maybe not _ _ _ _ _ _ as much as _ _ _ _. but he's O.K. for a friend.

Love,
Jillian Rochelle Anderson"

man. i'm so glad i wrote out little spaces. apparently i was very worried someone would figure out who i had a crush on. now i'll never know.

hahaha...this one's good, too:

September 12, 2000

"Dear Journal,

Hey! Today was pretty boring. This morning was such a pain. I like my name. It's kinda original, yet, it is familiar. I have been looking bad lately. I mean, I'm not really, really, really ugly, but I'm definitely not Ms. America. But lately I have just looked so drab compared to everyone else. Okay, seeya later!

Love,
Jillian Rochelle Anderson"

aaahaha. "it's kinda original, yet it is familiar?" oh geez. and i "looked so drab?" what had i been reading?

i don't know why i'm doing this...hahaha. but this is caitlin's favorite:

October 2, 2000

"Dear Journal,

You know what? Pre-teen or teenage years isn't what it's cracked up to be. I mean, it's harder than you think! I expected everything to be as smooth as a baby's butt. It's NOT."

Love,
Jillian Rochelle Anderson

P.S. I think Courtney hates me."

what was wrong with me? hahaha. smooth as a baby's butt? and then i said, "i think courtney hates me" but didn't give any reason as to why. no details or explanations. don't worry courtney, i don't think you hate me now (:

anyway, i hope anyone who read this was amused. i know i was.

little things.

2009-04-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

some little things that annoy me:

- open doors.

-old/creepy men (old/creepy being between 35 or older thinking they actually have a shot at a 21-year old) sending you messages like, "heysexxiiii howe it iSSS?" and then getting offended when you don't reply.

-really boring books.

-how subway makes you smell weird.
-when peoples' shoes don't fit them.

some little things that make me smile:

-when audrey decides to sit by me.

-subway sandwiches.

-church in beaufort.

-having straight hair.

-getting snail mail.

-jewelry and perfume. oh, and makeup.

-baseball games.

-kool-aid.

-word searches.

-SHOWS.

facebook is annoying.

2009-04-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

i am so irritated right now. apparently the college of charleston decided to give my email to a new student. i mean, it's fair because i don't attend that school anymore, but it was linked to my facebook account. i got an email from some random girl that was like, " oh, the school gave me your old email account. just wanted to let you know i changed the passwords and reset everything." she sent that to me yesterday and then proceeded to delete my entire facebook account. i had a lot of pictures on there that i didn't have saved anywhere else. also, it was recently my birthday and all my "happy birthday" wall posts are gone. i am very sad about this. but also annoyed.

this is my "annoyed with facebook face" ^

finally!

2009-04-19T11:19:00.001-07:00

the 419 is here! happy birthday to caitlin and me (: i am finally 21.

this is my CAKE:

my birthday card (:

mom made me this sign and put it on the front door.

haha, i tried to take a picture with the sign, but i am a little bit too short.

this is brynn's present. her friend painted this:

the love of my life wishing me happy birthday:

it's a great day.

it's been a while.

2009-03-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

so i've got some mad props to give out.

first: to the hallmark channel. i watched loving leah (pronounced like princess leia from star wars) on the hallmark channel a couple weeks ago. i kid you not...every single commercial on that channel was a hallmark commercial. there were no thumbelina barbie commercials, no awkward 80's guy trying to sell his new two-disc album for $9.99, no commercials for twilight (oh i can't wait for it to come out on dvd!). every single commercial was about some perfect relationship and how hallmark has the perfect card for each and everyone's individual needs. i feel that this is gutsy and deserves some credit. a little annoying, but it's something i remember. which is probably the point.
second: to the irukandji jellyfish. native to northern australia, this is a deadly sea creature. dad started watching something about it on the animal planet, and long after he fell asleep, my eyes were glued to the television. if i remember correctly, its venom is something like...more than 300x more powerful than the portuguese man of war. and it's smaller than a thumbnail! i am deathly afraid of swimming in australia now. congratulations to the irukandji jellyfish for being overly creepy and stealthy.

third: to elvis presley. we all know i have a long-standing love thing for him. it is nerdy, but i have an elvis encyclopedia. but anyway. anyone who can wear rhinestone-studded zip up jumpsuits and get away with it is cooL in my book. not to mention to mention the passion he had for performing. not many people find something that drives them in that way. maybe it wasn't such a good thing...but it's fascinating to watch him perform.

fourth: to nail technicians. now i know i've only had my nails done like twice...but seriously. i am absolutely horrible at painting my nails, or "shaping" them, or whatever you call it. that is a very hard job. i have no idea how they can paint those crazy, intriciate designs on people's FINGERNAILS! or toenails, i guess. so tiny. i mean, sometimes people get carried away and have crazy/ugly lookin' stuff...but even if it's ugly, it still takes a lot of time and talent. i would be horrible at this...so seriously. mad props.

mysteries of the universe revealed.

2009-01-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

let's have a Q&A session.

Q: why can't mom set up an email account?

A: i have no idea.

Q: how many EOB's has jilli had to sort out over the past 24 hours?

A: one million.

Q: what did mom sound like when she answered the phone today?

A: a frog (she has a cold.)

Q: what is the secret desire of jilli's heart?
A: to have a strawberry cheesecake.

Q: what is the secret to get daddy to pay attention to what you're saying?

A: mention something mummy-related.

Q: what's the surest way of ruining your hair?

A: color it.

Q: who looks like a bat on crack?

A: audrey.

Q: who obviously needs more to do with her time?

A: jilli.

note: all answers are based on the experiences of jilli.

if i were a super genius.

2008-12-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

five things i would invent if i were a super genius:

1. good book finder
(a metal detector type-deal that starts beeping really loud when you come a cross an interesting book. it should probably have headphones in case you are in a library because i don't like people giving me the stink eye.)

2. icecream chips
(made out of waffle cone batter...shaped like a chip. you'd have to soften the icecream so the waffle chips wouldn't break, but this is only a slight drawback.)

3. insta-change
(a pill that changes the natural color of your hair.)

4. personal genie
(not that i could really invent a genie...but i would still like to have one. this would defeat the purpose of being a super genius with the power to invent anything i want...but oh, well.)

5. dream drink
(it would look like a soda fountain...but it would magically know exactly what you want to drink and give it to you on the spot)

daddy.

2008-11-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

lately, i have been thinking of how grateful i am for my father. how much he has done for me. things i don't really think of as out of the ordinary. however, the more i look around...the more i see how incredible he is/has been.

it's mostly the little things. his ability to make anyone feel better, no matter what the situation may be. his love for animals. the way stupid TV commercials make him laugh so hard. his silly pictures. chips ahoy cookies and peanut butter roll-ups. hot dogs from the pantry. johnny bravo.

i feel safe in saying i have the best daddy in the world.