GOOSEBUMPS!

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallow Part 2! July 15th!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_kDb-pRCds

Watch it you won't regret it. It gave me goosebumps!

Marcus and Jace

Jace got a suit for Christmas so he could be just like his Daddy. This are
some of the ones that I liked out of our little photo shoot.
These two are heart breakers! This one is my favorite!

Truck Full

A truck full of gifts.

Eleven needy families.

An unforgettable night just because of these two...

Dirty Socks

I had an experience last Sunday that has made me take inventory of my life. This experience has made me realize I have so much to be thankful for and here is just to name a few.

My Parents
Words can't justify the gratitude I have for them.

My Brothers and Sisters
I am thankful for all the times I have been teased or asked to babysit.

Friends
For helping through times when I was being dramatic
and thought my world was going to end.

The Gospel
This has taught me about love and service. It gives me something to live for.
It make me happy and it wipes any worries have from my mind.

Swiping of the Card and it works.
This one is weird I know, but it is comforting that I can go to the grocery store
and I know that I am going to able to afford food for myself.

A Clean Smelling Home
I love when my Mom has a random candle burning,
even if it is the awful pine scent.

Married Parents
They have been married for over 43 years. They fight, but I can
see the love they have for each other.

Clean Clothes
I love the smell of clean clothes especially bleach. I am thankful that I can pull
something out of my drawers or closest and I know that they are clean.

Too bad it took me 21 years and little girl to come to church in dirty socks and old clothes to make me realize I have so much to be thankful for in my life.

The Lab

This is going to be a quick post because I am suppose to be working on a paper.

Lately, I have been doubting whether I will stay interested in Landscape Architecture. Plus I have been thinking about how tough and rigorous the program is and whether or not I would be able to cut it in it.

Just know did I realize I am actually interested in this kind of stuff. I was reading about curb extension and now how they are using them in Oregon to capture storm water runoff and I was captivated. I saw a picture of frame work for the curb and it made me excited. Who gets excited about sustainability?

I am a freak!

The Person I want to be

Today in Relief Society I had the overwhelming thought of what kind of person do I want to be and the first thing that popped into my mind was my Mother. She has so many character traits that I want. I want my future children to be as lucky as I am.

Caring. There hasn't been point in her life where she hasn't been serving someone. Her belief is that when you are helping someone you are happier. So though she never has her own personal time she is the happiest person I have ever met. Which brings me to the next one....

Happiness, it seems to radiate right off of her. She is always smiling. When I had to go the plastic surgeon, he told my Mom that he could get rid of her wrinkles. She politely turned him down. I was proud of her because those wrinkles shows the type of life she has.

Her ability to love makes her stand apart the most. Us kids were not easy on her and still she loves us. She was never allowed to have anything nice because we would destroy it, but that never mattered to her. She loves her family. She takes care of us. She will do anything for anyone of us. Her love doesn't stop with her family, it moves to the neighbors or anyone that she comes into contact with.

The Gospel has always been a part of her life. She has an unwavering testimony and she isn't afraid to share it. Everyone that meets her can see it in her eyes. No matter the topic of conversation she can bring it back to the church. Though at times we tease her about that, I really do love it about her. She truly has centered her life around Christ.

She has raised eight kids while working full time and she helped my Dad run the Donut Shop. While doing that she never complained about a single thing. She is the strongest woman I will ever know.

I just hope that I can be half of the woman, wife, and mother she is.I LOVE YOU MOM!!

My front porch

Every morning the past couple of weeks I have sat out on my porch waiting for a ride to work and this is Erda that I have come to love...
The beat is the sound of a sprinkler in the near by hayfield. The hint of wet grass that come in the slow, cool breeze. Watching the sun slowly come up over the mountain making it seem like everything is starting over again. The occasional rooster announcing the coming day. There isn't a sound of a car to interrupt the quietness, just the sound of a country life. Simple, happy yet full of trials and hard work.
Erda will always be my home.

Dreams, shopping, and a friend

The other night I had the best dream in the world. Cliche, I know, but it was pretty good. I was shopping with one of my BEST friends...Heather June Nancy Rae Taylor.

We found all of the great sales, looked at shoes, and even got Arby's curly fries. And then I woke up...and realized that I was in boring Erda (or Ur-duh depending on who you talk to) wishing so much that I was really in Logan with her.

Now I just need to make it to the end of the week or until April 24th then I get to go back to my home away from home and back to my best friend!

Home wouldn't be home....

This past weekend I got to go home to see my entire family. The family that I love and that I didn't realize that I missed so much until it came time to leave...

It wasn't just because of these two girls, but they seemed to keep me busy the whole weekend with "Crackers, more crackers" or the running down the hall to have me scare them. Here they are having a conversation with each other, but no one really knew what they were saying. (Sorry for the cheesy date at the bottom, not my camera.)
I love every single one of my nieces and nephews and I am glad that even though I only got to see them run by me when they were playing their crazy games or when they were collecting their Easter eggs I got to spend this time with them.

I never said it would be easy....

I never said it would be easy, but that it would be worth it. That statement keeps running through my mind. After I finished my previous post, I couldn't sleep. My mind wouldn't slow down. I thought about more things that I didn't have control of, but most importantly like I thought about what I am doing in life. Since that night I have tried to keep my spirit bright, but tonight I finally threw up my hands and gave up.

I can tell that this post is going to be mostly for me (sorry I don't know how to make it private). But it is going to remind why in the heck I am here at Utah State.

For the past year I have had nothing, but hopeful dreams of become a photographer. But, this past month has put me in moods of anger, frustration, and hopelessness. Every time I try to figure something out in photo it becomes more confusing and it ends up costing me more money.

Take today as an example. I need to do a zone system project. To do that I have to take a picture of a black towel and a white towel using my camera and a spot meter. This spot meter cost me about $350. It unfortunately doesn't work for this class or I can't seem to make it work because I am such an idiot so I have no assignment to turn in tomorrow, ( I know that is what I get for trying to do it late.) In order to do this I am either going to have to buy a new spot meter or by a 1 degree attachment which costs as much as the meter.

This all brings me back to why am I doing something that I am beginning to hate so much. I have had a lot of time to think about this and I haven't come up with anything so who do I call....(not the ghost busters) I call my Dad.

He told me about when he started making donuts. None of them tasted any good, but eventually he got it right. It took a lot of time, but he became good at it. He told me that this is what it was going to be like with me. It is going to be rough and hard, but ending result will be worth the time and effort I put into it. So with my Dad's word of encouragement I press forward with the scene from "Emperor's New Groove" or the twelve cheerleader movie...."BRING IT ON!!"

Box of Chocolates....

The famous line from Forest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." This line, that has been repeated and repeated since it came to theaters, is now something that I honestly believe. My life has been a different kind of chocolate everyday. I wake up in the morning and I don't know what the day has in store for me. I think of tomorrow and I wonder what will happen. Is it going to be awkward, normal, or am I going to find something to cause drama in my life? (Because I love drama)

I have now begun to worry about things I have no power over and what most people wouldn't have a second thought about. It has gotten the point where I have forgotten how to live in the moment. Instead of taking charge and doing something about it, I'll sit and fret about it. I have wasted my life worry about these things. I now know it is time to take charge of my life. I am going to do it the best way I know how. I have a great example in my life and she always has a theme for each year and I am going to instill that into my life.

3 Nephi 13:34- "Take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for things of itself..."

I am going to stop worrying about things because I know that my Heavenly Father is in control. I have faith that the worries I have will be resolved, though they won't be in the time frame I would wish, it will all work out for the best.

Because life is like a box of chocolates......and I can't wait to see what I get next!

Snow 408

The other night someone mentioned to me that I am more out going now and they liked it. Since that night I have been thinking a lot about what has brought me to this point in my life and what has made me...me.

In high school I was dead set on playing some sport in college. The first opportunity was soccer, Westminster. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough money in the scholarship fund to pay for my tuition so that went out the door. Though I wasn't happy I knew that basketball was still in my back pocket.

Two schools looked at me. One even invited me to scrimmage with his team. The College of North Western Wyoming. That two day experience was probably one of the worst times in my life. Not to be dramatic, but at the time it seemed like it. To work your butt off for four hours and just after a seven hour car ride and to get "we are going to take a look at another girl and than will let you know." Those words devastated me. Soon after that a four year school, William Penn University in Iowa, came knocking. He offered me the point guard position on his team. My dream was right there before me, but my brilliant father had this to say, "I don't think that you were meant for college sports. I believe that your place is Utah State. You need to meet someone there. Whether you are going to marry them or whether you are suppose to help each other I do not know, but you need to be in Logan."

So with my Father's advice I am here in Logan where I believe I was suppose to meet the amazing girls of room 408. Brooke, Sara, Abi, Kayt, and Heath. I believe it was in those short few months that I became who I am today. Though we have gone our separate ways these girls will always hold a special place in my heart. I always look back on those months and smile. Helping me with make-up or picking out my clothes for the next day. Or even someone doing my nails to have me mess them up two seconds later.

I don't want anyone to think that those who had been in my life before this time didn't have an effect on me (like family or friends), but this is when I changed the most.

So thank you Snow 408! Thank you for helping me become a lady :) and helping me find some self-confidence. Your presence in my life will never be forgotten.

The Biggest and the Best

It was twenty years ago today that I came into a wonderful family. Lately, it seems that every time I call home I am getting some news that someone in my family is struggling with some new illness that my ancestor have so neatly bestowed upon us. So I have been thinking a lot about those that are a part of the Nigh clan. And that I am so proud to call my family....

Derek the big brother. Out of all of us he is probably the one that teases the most. Every time he calls you either get the famous grandpa voice or the "so why did you call me." Everyone around him probably would never believe that he has a serious bone in his body, but that is what we love about him. The fact that no matter what he is the one that makes us laugh.

Elizabeth the gentle sister. The more I watch her the more I realize she is like my Mom. She generally cares about everyone. Besides my Mom, she is the first one to burst into happy tears as we call them. She loves like no one I know. I know that her and I are the same in that aspect. We wouldn't hurt a fly. When it comes to animals something gives our heart stings a little tug and we instantly want to care for it. I think that is the same for people to. Always trying to help others.

Jordan the hardworking brother. Ever since I can remember Jordan has work his hardest at anything that he wanted. He reminds me of my Dad. He does project after project on his home even though he could have someone else do it. On top of his hard work he is extremely smart. I could sit and listen to him talk. He took his education seriously and became the best at what he does. And one thing people don't notice unless you watch him closely is that he loves to help. He volunteers in anyway that he can and he never expects something in return.

Meghan the Mother. She has one aspect of my Mother that I hope that I get. She puts children before herself. She has a love for her children that I know every mother has, but she shows it every minute of every day. I love to sit and watch her in action. Her kids do not get everything that they want and they are disciplined when they need to be, but they should have no doubt in their minds that their mother loves them.

Marcus the liquid nails. I don't think there is a way to describe him. He is goofy and the one I love to joke around with the most. He made be a kidder, but cares about all of us. He is the one that makes the phone calls. He helps remind us that we have gotten sucked into our own worlds. He makes effort to see how we are. He is the glue that holds us together.

Easton the one with self restraint. Easton is one of the most self-disciplined people that I know. When he puts his mind to something it gets done. If he wants to eat healthy then it happens. With us Nigh's we will eat anything that is in front of us, but he is the only one that will stop. That is just one strength of his that I wish I had.

These are only small parts of what I love about my big brothers and sisters. There were qualities that they all shared, but I wanted to point out the ones that I love about them the most. With things that have been going on in my life I have come to know more about them. Like that fact that even though my brothers joke around they have a protective side that I love. I know that they would protect anyone in my family no matter the situation. As for my sisters they are the ones that I turn towards for advice. They might not have the answers, but I still love to be able to call for those sister chats.

Though we are loud and there is a lot of us, I would never have it any other way because that is what makes us the Nigh's.

Microsoft Word...will be used

I would like to apologize to all those who read my last blog. From my sources I was told it was quite a miserable experience. I am sorry and from now on I will write only in word and I will actually read them over again.

And my parents wanted me to be an English major. Ha ha ha ha

I am pretty sure this wasn't suppose to happen...

An other night of work that need to be done so Joe and I head out to get my night photo done. It first, starts out that I forget my cable release at my apartment. After taking the trip back and forth I finally set up my camera and beginning the long process of night photo. Each shot takes about ten minutes, at least the one I was going for.

I set up the camera and just waited. With about two minutes left a car pulls up and has their lights directly on the area where Joe and I am taking my pictures. Then we hear a siren from a cop and then the wonderful blue and red lights. We figured that it had something to do with the creepy man that kept walking to the end of the dock and then walking back to his car and driving away. But, since the cop didn't seem to be leaving any time soon or even shutting off his spot light I had to pack up and finish my project somewhere else.

After packing up, which took five minutes, we start heading for my car. When we were about there a loud speak announces to us that they need to talk to us. Oh crap...or something close to that went through my mind. We walk over to the cop car where he proceed to tell us that we needed to leave because all parks in Logan City are closed after dark. I explained that I was taking photos for a class. He wouldn't have any of that and he made sure that we were not going to stay.

So I may have been dramatic, but it was sure funny that at nine thirty at night you couldn't be down by first dam.

One for the record book..

I knew at the start of this week that Friday was going to be crazy, but I never knew that it would be quite like this.

I was woken up suddenly when my phone went off. Confused and disoriented I jumped down from my bunk bed and ran out of the room. This phone call was about my car. It had only been online for two days and someone was already calling about it. This lady wasn't the nicest person I have had shared a phone call with. She lived in Provo and wanted to see the car in an hour. I told her that wasn't possible because I was two and half hours away. She said that she was willing to meet half way and her half was at Thanksgiving point. Well that would take twenty minutes off my drive. YAY! Well with the that sale down the drain I got ready for the day.

Seilie needed a ride to her car so I gave her a ride and came back to the apartment. I went to institute. 

Thus far the day had been going pretty good and it is about to get better.

I needed to do laundry so that I would have something descent to wear to my job interview. Well I was preparing for that adventure when I got another phone call from another  potential customer. He was buying the car for his daughter and he really seemed interested. I am just waiting for him to call me back. I am not going to keep my hopes up, but I do have my fingers crossed :) 

Well I got ready for my interview and I got to my car. I went to start it, but just like the old faithful that it is, it didn't start. My battery was dead. I instantly freaked out because that is what I do. I called Joe twice and he didn't answer. I then called Emily, the whole time praying that she didn't have work. Thankfully she answered and she was at her apartment.

She gave me a ride and I was there ten minutes early. YAY! Go Emily! So with the job interview over and done with, Joe came over to see what was up with my car. I went to start it before we even messed with anything and it started right up. Can anyone say trial? It was okay 

though because now I can still sell it. We cleaned up all of the cables and it starts up like nothing was wrong.

I ended this day going to buy a new toothbrush since my other one was used for the cables. I got the cutest one because I am such a child. I got a Crayola (orange) toothbrush. And I watch 24. It was really one for the record book.

 

With Time to Spare....

Today Heather and I got out of class early so we decided to take a walk because of the wonderful weather that we are having. We thought it would be a great idea to walk around the TSC to see if we would know anyone. To our surprise there wasn't a single person that we knew there, so in our efforts to keep ourselves entertained we went to the Eccles Conference Center.

Those that don't know about the Eccles Conference Center it has, the lack of better terms, mirrors on the outside.

Heath and I went inside where we began to watch people check themselves out. It is hilarious because everyone tries to do it on the sly. We even began to try and guess which people were going to look.

I know that we are total creepers, but how can you pass up such enjoyment.

You Know...

This school year has been one of struggle. I am not going to lie as of right now I am ready to give up. I have thought of every possible way to leave Logan and go home to my family. This a weird experience for me. When something gets hard or down right nasty I try to weather the storm out, but now it seems so hard. I have struggled with my car, classes, friends, roommates, and even the gospel. I believe that is why it is so hard for me now. I have forgot my savior. This weekend my Mom was sure to remind me.

This weekend I got to go home to see all of my family. I have never been so happy to see them in my life. I was really happy. A happy that I haven't been in a long time.

My big brother Jordan got married. This was a big celebration for my family. We haven't had one like this is awhile. It was great to see all of their smiling faces and to hear their laughter. This did help my resolve to get thru this.

Saturday I was suppose to leave in the morning, but I kept pushing it off. Finally, my Mom said I needed to get out the door. I said flat out to her "I don't want to go back." My loving Mom, my hero simple stated...

You know where you need to be.

Those words have echoed in my ears ever since and that is why I am here righting this blog at four o'clock in the morning because I don't know where I need to be. Logan? Salt Lake? Tooele? I don't know maybe this will all blow over. Just a little trial that I meant to endure or I am being completely dramatic as my best friend says I always am. Either way I am going to find out where I need to be.

Five Years....

Wow how time flies. I still cannot believe that it has been five years. I still remember it like yesterday, but now I can look back and not let sadness completely overcome me. I do miss my big, bear of a brother, but I have realized that I need to be happy. He would want to me to be happy.

These next stories as so that I don't forget him and so that I can share who I thought my brother, Winston was. How I saw him.

The earliest memory I have of him is when I would watch him run track. I would sit in those bleachers once a week with my Mom and watch him run. He was the fastest person that I have ever seen. (He still holds the record at Tooele High). Back than he had longer hair or I should say that he had hair. When he would run his hair would fly back and you could see it flapping in the wind as he would run pass all of his opponents.

I loved to watch him and I so much wanted to be like him. It was to the point that I even did track. I ran the same events: 100 M, 200M, 4 X 100 M. While at track I learn so of the tactics that he used. Apparently, when he would get into the block he would bark like a dog to throw off everyone. That is how he got the nickname Mad Dog. I was tempted to do that as well, but I was too chicken.

After he served his mission we got to spend sometime together. He had to go to an appointment out at Mag corp where he worked and he brought me along. That is the first time that it was just the two of us. We took the hour drive out there and talked the whole time. I don't remember what it was that we talked about, but I do remember laughing a lot. After the appointment we went to this little food joint in Grantsville where he brought me lunch.

The next and last time it was just the two of us is when he got his Toyota 4 Runner. He wanted to show it off to me so together we went to the donut shop and picked up the money. On the way back he was showing me his surround sound. Enya's "Anywhere is" was playing. He turned it up really loud and called it his own bubble because he couldn't be interrupted by the things of the world.

I think back on that moment and I remember how happy he was. He was a new father to my nephew Gabe (who looks just like his father) and he was in a happy marriage with his wonderful wife, Ann.

That is how I remember him. His giant smile that he wore all of the time. The great "bear hugs" that he would give. And how he was the one that kept our family together. You could expect a call from him every Sunday. He loved to no end and he was patient and kind.He was a proud of father of two children who will never know him. But, I know that he loved them and still looks after them. He was the heart and soul of my family.

What A Week!

So I have been wondering for a long time if going into history was for me. Well I final came to a conclusion when I went to the photo lab with Heather. It not normal for a person go and watch something like developing a photo for four hours and not get bored. So I made the decision to change my major. I am now majoring in Art with the emphasis of Photography.

Continuing one the path of change, I went to see my new advisor. It started off wonderful until she gave me the news that I have until the next day to turn in an art portfolio.

This portfolio not only had to have ten pieces of my art work, but it needed to include two still lives. So I spent that night and the next day drawing my heart out.

With all of this going on I had the amazing opportunity to read the Book of Mormon in twenty-four hours. It was really cool and I would do it again. We read from 4-11 p.m. on Thursday, 4-11 p.m. on Friday, and on Saturday we went from 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

I would never trade in my experiences that I had this week!