Update

my sissy poo sara ann nay had her second baby today at 12:12 am and his name is Tucker Nay. He weight 9 pounds 13 ounces- which is insanely huge but a small relief from the huge Brycen that came a couple years ago. i'm super excited to see the cute little boy in person, and i'm happy that my sister has a new addition to her family:) we lovey brycen and i can't wait to get to know tucker- its gonna rock.

So, i got to talk to Colten on Christmas Eve, Christmas and the day after- why? because simply i'm the luckiest girl in the world. haha. it really was good though, its an awesome feeling to talk to your best friend- when you haven't in a long time, and even though he talks weird now haha his accent is hilarious- he is still colten, with the same sense of humor that makes me laugh pretty hard, and he is still one of the only people in the whole world that understands me, and makes me wanna be better and man idk he just makes me happy.

lately i've just been workin still- my last day at the theater is tomorrow night, and i'm excited but sad. i've worked there for what feels like my whole life! and as much as i complain about some of the things that have gone on there, it truly at times has been my second home. Sometimes, when my life was just too crazy it was nice to have to go to work- because then i could put my mind into something else for a little bit. That job really has taught me so much, and i'm so thankful for it. I'll miss my family there- all the employees that make me laugh and just make me feel good. I bet i'll go back sometime or another, but only if i really need money, and they really need an assistant manager.

I dont have too much of a social life, but i do get to play with buddies here and there. I'm a little excited that Susannah's boyfriend went on a mission this week- only because i know she'll hang out with me more:) and then we can party it up. But i do feel way bad for what she's going through and i can truly say i understand.

Happy New Year. Good luck to everyone that makes new years resolutions, i probably will and hopefully i'll fulfill all my goals, last year i'll admit i did better than i thought i would but here we go for 2009. Yay.

Merry Christmas:) snow days rock!

i thought this one was perty.

just thankful.

well, i like blogs, cuz you never know when your gonna make someone laugh so hard they cry- or when you're gonna inspire another person. my cousin amy inspired me, to share with you what i'm thankful for, now with thanksgiving and stuff and everyone blah blah blahing about how thankful they are i got sick of it- which is terrible but its true, but then i read her blog and i thought gosh i'm dumb, this is a wonderful time of year, it only comes once a year, and if we're gonna show gratitude we might as well do it now. I'm thankful for so much in my life, but the one thing that will always be there for me is my family, and so most of all here is my thanks to them:

• My family. I know full well that i have been extremely blessed to have such an amazing family- its not anywhere near perfect, but its something that i can call mine...forever. I love my family. Even with it's imperfections, even with the differences we all have, even when we all make mistakes, i really love them, i dont know that i could ever show them enough how much i love them, and i know that i take them for granted but i really love them, with every single part of me. i'm thankful for jenny being so freakin smart and her always being nice to me when we were little (haha...really tho) and for her choosing a husband that always makes us laugh. and i'm thankful for her 2 beautiful children. I'm thankful for Sara- her kindness can be overwhelming sometimes and i almost wanna tell her to be mean just for once but i really am thankful for the unconditional love she shows our whole family. I'm thankful for her also choosing a wonderful husband who takes care of their family and fits in so well with ours. Im also thankful for her little boy brycen whose smile lights up the room- even after he just punched grace, haha we all know he doesn't mean it :) I'm thankful for Emily- she is gorgeous, and she just cracks me up- tho i haven't been able to share as much time with her as our other siblings, we've got plenty time ahead to get to know each other better and i'm so lucky to have her as a sister. i'm also thankful for her darlin daughter Sadie, who is always so ready to give hugs to make your day just a little bit better. And who always makes me laugh:) i'm thankful for jesse- for being on the same page when it comes to sense of humor, for giving as well as taking advice (even tho i dont usually know too well what im talkin about) and for being such a good big brother. Thanks jesse for never really beating me up, for laughing at my stupid, stupid jokes, and for being the best brother anyone could ask for. Last, but certainly not least-i'm thankful for Susannah, little does she know how much she means to me. 14 months isn't very much time in between 2 girls, and tho i used to hate it, she and i have become so much closer- and i guarantee we will become even more so as time goes on. She is a beautiful girl and she doesn't even realize it, she loves more than most people ever will, and she is always there to listen to me, even if i do bug her cuz my room and my side of the bathroom has been pretty messy these past few months. (ok, its always been messy...) ok, actually last are my parents, my dad, aka supergospelcitycouncilmanfarmerjohnman, has always been one of my heros. (my other hero is my mom but well get to her in a second) i've definitely wished many times that he could just stay home more, but how on earth could i be that selfish and miss out on the example that he sets by being the hero to so many other people. He gives and gives and gives. He is wise, and teaches me lots and lots. Always has, always will. he is the head of this wonderful family, but my mom is the neck, and thats who is at the bottom of this list, because last the best of all the game. my mother means more to me than she will ever know...most see her as very strict, sometimes a little too strict, and very to the point. but i've gotten the wonderful chance to see who she really is. I've spent more time, just talkin to my mom, than any other member of my family. I've woken up at night, gone into her room and she will sit and talk to me for hours- helping me figure out life, even tho she needs rest more and more as time goes on. She gives, and gives, and gives, and gives some more, and never, never gets appreciated enough. The obstacles she has climbed through in her life are sometimes chamoflauged by her everyday service and smile. But my mother has been through so much pain, and so much heartache, that she will get her spot in heaven. Sometimes i'll admit, she seems to be ridiculous, but ultimately its because she cares so much, She cares so much for our family that she will tell you straight up what your doing wrong and if we'd just heed her advice 100 percent instead of 90 percent of the time we'd all do a lot better, She cares so much for animals (this is where the ridiculous part can come in) that she will do whatever it takes to make sure that her animals (as well as everyone elses) are taken care of. She cannot stand to see any living thing suffer, which is why she spent so many years in nursing, even tho for her health that was probably one of thee worst professions she could have chosen. My mother has sacrificed so much in her 50 some odd years that she deserves more credit than she gets. I love her and could never thank her enough for what she has done for our family. At this point, when there are no more words to say, last i write, I dont know that i could be any more blessed, I'm just thankful.

Long Time Gone.

WOW. it's been a long time since i've blogged. haha. Finally i'm writing a little somethin- November flew past me like a hummingbird. Random relation but hummingbirds are fast. My life for the past little while has been up and down and just crazier than crazy- ok i've just been busy but other stresses outside of work have made me mentally crazy. haha. that may not make sense- but its ok it doesn't need to- just know i'm finally back to my sane self. There have been moments where i thought seriously i was gonna have a breakdown haha, but last night- major talk with my mommy- and talkin with taya my bestest buddy- has really helped. The Lord truly has given me angels in my life in both my families- the bramalls and the iversons. He has blessed me with some seriously amazing people and i'm so lucky. I do not know what i'd do without them. I still have tons of decisions ahead of me and I definitely will have many more confusing moments but thats what lifes about and I'm in the 'decision decade' of my life and i'm ready to take on what the Lord will give me. At times i'm still so freakin weak (seriously i have to use that slang cuz it adds to the affect, and i really am so weak sometimes) doubt lingers in me sometimes and i get so unsure. I bore my testimony on Sunday, mostly for my Heavenly Father- to let Him know i still believe and I know this gospel is true. But it turns out it honestly just helped me so much remind myself of my testimony- and the Lord like i said blessed me in return. There is just a lot to say, and without disclosing too much about my personal life I just wanted to blog about the fact that life is good- because when i'm discouraged again (like i said i'm weak so i'm sure i will be) i'll hopefully read back through other blogs and it'll remind me that trials are really for our own good- and that life is meant to be good- men are that they might have joy and so i just gotta be happy- not go insane- and appreciate all the wonderful people in my life.

4th folder 4th pic:)

i've been tagged. so here ya go:)

this is a pic from England. it's the 4th out of my pics, because technically i would have been taking nana's if i did the actual 4th. this was taken from the bus, that's how pretty it is in England. Even if i'd had a kodak disposable camera good pics woulda been possible because that place is so unbelieveably beautiful. I loved that trip.

what to do....

i want to show you my poem- but do you guys think it'd be bad to idk i dont want someone to copy paste and call it theirs- not that its that amazing im just sayin... or am i crazy to say that.

my 'singing' experience

So since i was supposed to sing, and i didn't really have a voice, i couldn't leave the YW president (who is an awesome lady) with a blank spot in the program. (ps i tried the salt water - like 15 times, so nasty and it helped but still didn't work :() I tried more honey and lemon hot water stuff and that helped only slightly too. so, instead of singing i shared a poem that i wrote a while ago that's called This Light. and it went well - except for the fact that i cried through the whole thing. So the moral of the story is i think the Lord wanted me to read that instead of sing because the poem helped me if nothing else. It's weird, when you write in your journal or you compile your thoughts and feelings into a bunch of words that rhyme, sometimes you read it later and thing "dang, i wrote that? that was for sure inspiration for the future..." at least thats how it is for me. That's why i love writing though, because sometimes, somehow you get to express how you feel and sometimes it needs to be said. the best forms of communication though i think are singing, nonverbals, and things like hugs- that dont need words at all. but like i said i think tonight the Lord wanted me to say it rather than sing it. Do you guys journal write? Do you ever look back and find little sparks of genius from yourself haha that you forgot existed? Or which do you think is better- artly forms of communication haha or just stating the facts and how you feel? tell me these things so that i may learn wisdom...:)

livin la vida loca

living the crazy life. i hope- actually im pretty positive i didnt spell that right- but oh well. everything is crazy. i'm supposed to sing at yw evening of excellence on sunday- then at the roadshows wed and thurs- then another time but i can't write because it's a surprise and a certain person who may read this cannot know about it- and yesterday i got a sore throat!!! and today it still hurts and my nose hurts and i really dont wanna be sick. i'm ticked. it doesn't hurt to sing, but i hope it doesn't sound too bad. its not a super bad sore throat and i'm gonna drink hot water with lemon and honey everyday pretty much till it feels better- its just the worst possible time for me to be sick. And this happens right when pedicures are pickin up and so i'm just so busy!! I just hope that everything works out- but i know i just gotta have faith and stay positive. I've learned (as most women do as they get older... not that im old but of course i'm stil learning) that when i'm in the slightest negative mood i immediately want chocolate- or some sort of other tempting food and then it makes me sick and then i feel worse and then want to eat more and its an ongoing cycle of craziness. I'm trying to not eat my way through the next two years, haha but October was a bad month. November has brought a little more joy to my life though, because i'm tryin to be better. I think honestly Taya helps a lot cuz she is freakin rad- that whole family rocks- my family helps tons- being busy is a blessing- and just being happy despite my rage about certain things that go on in my life. Most of all, i just want my sore throat to go away. Any advice?

Busy stuff

So, i did my first real pedicure that wasn't just another practice on Taya (which those are fun too) and it was way fun. they are long pedicures. if you want one let me know!! we'll schedule you up!:) life's just been kinda busy- good because time flies when your busy. my classes are going good and my work is too. i've been of course on an up and down roller coaster of emotions here and there and everywhere but honestly this week has been good- and i've learned the more you study of the gospel and really really want your life to get better- it will. i read in the new era today that Happiness is basically something that we choose to be, it comes from within us. and ya know? i'm gonna keep tryin to be positive. i must say i love my family and they make it a lot easier. Also, Colten's family makes it a lot easier too, i Really like hanging out with them and they're all so freakin rad. I love em! sidenote- the new era has some good stuff this month. just fyi- open it up and read it:)
BEST NEWS OF TODAY: I got another 3 letters;) i'm way excited- haven't opened up the little treasures yet but i'm about to. I'm just at work and i thought i better blog about life a little.
Everyone have a wonderful day:)

3 letters!!!

So this morning when i awoke, haha, i walked into the kitchen. All of a sudden my eyes were drawn to a white rectangular shape on the counter, when my eyes zoomed in to the center of the shape, i read the name Samantha Bramall. "What?" my head exclaimed, and my heart started pounding as my flew over to the counter, and beheld the truth right before my eyes, two letters from Colten. When i opened one of them, there was actually two in it so really altogether 3 letters. It was pretty--dang--saweet. haha, He is doing very well, he strengthens my testimony just in a letter- what else are missionaries good for? haha. Just kidding. He really is quite an amazing kid though, I knew that before he left, but i realize it more and more everyday now that he is gone. I am so lucky just to have him in my life.

So he eats Bonku, which apparently is some sort of doughy stuff, that you dont chew. And you dip it in nut soup which apparently is really spicy. He is learning to like it i guess though.

Tonight was the Region football game and Tigers took first!!! :) wahoo!

It's crazy how much my life has changed in one year. How much i learned my Senior year, i can't even describe, its unreal. I have changed and grown so much that i feel like i hardly know who i was throughout most of high school. It's for the better, and most of us are always growing up, you can't really grow down, you can stop growing though which some adults definitely do, but like i said most of us are continually growing up and its a good thing, but kinda sad too as we pass through phases of life such as high school. I'm so glad I'm done with it, but it's kinda sad to think that its really done. I like it though, idk life right now for me is just So BitterSweet.

Faith Strong Enough

Good music, Good movies, Good Friends, Great Family, Good uplifting stuff feels so good right? But when a sad day comes along, and we are weakened, what really uplifts? sometimes chocolate. sometimes a girly movie. sometimes re-reading letters that you've recieved...:) haha. sometimes a nice book and a cup of hot chocolate.
However, what about when its a really bad day, or a bad week, or a bad month or even year?
Well, dont forget about a book you might have sitting by your bed. dont forget the knees which you were given to kneel on. I was reading chapter 19 in the relief society joseph smith book ya know, and the chapter is quite inspiring if you ask me, it really made me feel good. Joseph Smith said, "Stand Fast ye Saints of God, hold on a little longer, and the storm of life will be past, and you will be rewarded by that God whose servants you are..."
He also said, "All difficulties which might and would cross our way must be surmounted. Though the soul be tried, the heart faint,and the hands hang down, we must not retrace our steps; there must be decision of character" I loved this because honestly, on that day when we feel like hope is lost, and were so far down there isn't a way back up, know that this is part of life, but you have to choose, make the decision of what kind of character you have, will i choose to stand fast, will I choose to fall to my knees? Will I choose to ask for help with faith strong enough to know i'll recieve it?
Joseph Smith again, " At that time the hearts of the widows and fatherless shall be comforted, and every tear shall be wiped from their faces. The trials they have had to pass through shall work together for their good, and prepare them for the society of those who have come up out of great tribulation, and have wahsed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
As hard as life can be, and trust me so many of you have gone through things that completely surpass what i've had to deal with in my life, but its only making each of us stronger. If we will make the choice to decide who we are, who we can become, and whether or not we will use the help already given to us by our Heavenly Father we will be made strong.
quotes are from "Teachings of Presidents of the church- Joseph Smith"

I dont know, i dont wanna sound preachy, but i had to write what i've learned this week, and whats the use in a blog if you can't read someones and maybe feel a little light spark within you.

Good News

Yesterday i got a tape and two letters from colten!!!!!!!! ya i freaked out. he sounds so different, but still so good. haha. So as of right now i'm on cloud 1500 haha. He is doing so good. Everything is just good idk, haha. ill blog more later. ta ta for now.

NO SLEEP

so yesterday, i went to the doctor and did not get any fun news at all. First of all, question, how would it make you feel if your doctor looked at your throat and looked away saying "oh girl..." shaking his head. Also, if he is doing a scoliosis check and feels your back and says "whoa!" not good. Also when he tells you you have to get 4 shots in your neck and shoulder. Not good. Not a real happy day yesterday. thanks to the shots and their soreness and my sick to my stomach feeling from just drinking freakin lemonade, i slept approximately 2-3 hours last night. ya. staring at the ceiling gets boring, and still doesn't make you fall asleep. I'm really tired. With how i feel right now, i am not excited to have kids, im still going to have some in the far far future, but this does not make me excited for the many sleepless nights ahead of me. shout out to all you moms who go through this for long periods of time, and then do it again with another child. You guys are amazing. Good news, i am gonna live everyone, just got some problemos gotta work out. literally, i have to work out for the rest of my life or else these probs could get worse so i'm prob gonna have to go to physical therapy. FUN. sidenote, when i broke my arm and had to do physical therapy i was so impatient and unwilling to do what the guy told me to that my arm still doesn't bend all the way completely straight so i think this is one of my many tests of patience that i will get throughout my life. FUN. WEll, since i can't sleep good during the day i think im gonna go get in bed and look at the ceiling some more, and then get ready for the day.

How is Colten?

Jesse commented that the rest of you would like to know. Well, he got sick over the weekend (wont go into detail) they run out of toilet paper often (wont go into detail) the power in their apartment (as well as in most of Ghana) has not been working, he hasn't gotten our packages yet, they are still at the mission home, he still hasn't gotten any of my regular letters i've sent either, and yet he is still working hard. I've probably missed some other things going on but it's ok i think you get the picture. He is having a hard time but i will post what he said at the end of the last email he wrote to me,and this tells me that he is tough and he will keep going:



"yesterday after church before we went out for the night, i was just in tears, i was having a rough time. i said a prayer and just asked him to help me out give me strength and help me be positive and concentrate on the work. the rest the night i was happy and pretty foucused on the work. i know that was totally the lords hand that got me thru the night. how grateful i am to know that wonderful power of prayer and that the lord truly is there to help me i just have to ask for it. we are so blessed to have this gospel and to have the power and strength that comes from it. its experiences like this that testify even more of its truthfulness to me. i love my savior so much. hope the week goes well for you. i'll talk to ya next week."


here are the pics he sent too...

Ok, Ok.

So after fridays post, I've been thinking. The thinking is caused from an extremely wonderful General Conference. Saturday's sessions were both wonderful, this morning's was wonderful, and i'm sure the last one will be. I've been thinking though that yes it is true that standing up for yourself is important. That part I do not feel bad about. But what i have learned from my experiences in the past week (up and downs with coworkers as well as customers...mostly downs) is that maybe there are better ways to go about it. I don't regret how i dealt with a co-worker this past week because the type of person that he is called for the type of confrontation that he got. However, one of the general authorities (i cant remember which one and my notes are downstairs and im upstairs so i dont really wanna go get em.. haha) said something to the effect of, when that moment comes, that contention occurs, that is when we step back, pray, and then follow Christ's example. So, I do feel bad about what i said when i freaked out about how i was treated, and so I do take that back, it's not my place to immediately get mad, I should just be thankful for the help that the one guy gave. (the one brought out one of the kids that snuck in)
My job is teaching me alot. The importance of respect, that I deserve it and that I am required to also give it. The importance of taking a stand, my whole life I've just been nice and sometimes i've let people just walk all over me, but not anymore. I'm grateful from this job that i've learned that i never wanna be a manager of anything again, which really is a blessing, saving me from possibly making the same mistake later. It's teaching me that I am maybe just not that kind of person. BUT, it's also teaching me that i can do whatever i put my mind to. Though I may struggle at times, I CAN do this, along with whatever else I choose to do in this life. It's teaching me patience. This job is also allowing me to talk with people, learn from them, and to learn to love them no matter who they are. I've had opportunities in this job to share my testimony with others, and that is a great blessing. So, though i may have complained, today Pres Monson talked about being grateful, living life now, and being happy, and I learned that rather than keep complaining and getting frustrated, I can take advantage of the good things in my job, i can be appreciative that I have a job, and I can always continue to learn from experiences I have in this job, and I'm so thankful that the Lord has never stopped teaching me- because I think if he had my life would be boring.

Sick and tired of stereotyping

Ok, so at work, one of my coworkers has made comments such as: "Ya when i talk to you i can tell your head is in the clouds and you usually don't know what im talking about" "I knew you'd panic if I did that" "I knew you probably would be too scared to handle it" OK. So. Confrontation occured, and he is no longer allowed to talk to me in that way, or basically pretty much to talk to me. So, then tonight at work, some little tweens snuck into a movie, and after much talking, many lies from them, and much convincing that no, im not stupid i do remember selling one person three tickets, and giving those tickets to other friends does not count, finally one girl said k well then can we get our money back and just leave? and so i said yes. WELL, one guy in the theater that they snuck into told me i was way too nice and then walked away, while another guy told me that what i should've done was just kicked them out. Excuse me, I do recall being asked to be the assistant manager, i do recall that tonight when i got ready I was the one who put on the button up collared shirt with the theater's logo on the front, I do recall that I am 18 years old (which may be young however,) and I can make MY own decisions about what to do with tweenage liars. Personally I think i did the right thing, whether or not others dont like it. I also know that i may be short, and i may be young, but this is my job, and i will do it how i want it done, (and how my boss mr moser would like it done) and so far he has not had any complaints, if he ever does he will tell me, and i will change, but right now could people please stop treating me with disrespect just because i may not "look" the part? For crying out loud, when unless their married, a lot of men that are 'nice' to me ask me when i get off work!! (thus the reason i wear a fake wedding ring to work)
Those reading this: have you ever experienced what i have- being stereotyped basically as a retard?
Have you ever just wanted to slap a coworker in the face? (im sure this one is common)
Please let me know, cuz i'm Sick And Tired of Being Stereotyped.

Also, thanks to all those of you who just love everyone regardless of who you might think they are or what they've done or whatever, I'll try to be more like you guys. I know this blog sounds pretty angry (cuz i am) but I just had to vent out my frustrations.

Well,

sorry about any confusion, what i meant was, nicole might move down in december but then again, she might in april:) ya never know? guess what? I dropped my math class!!! and ya know what? it felt pretty Darn Good. I know that maybe one day i will prob have to retake it, but at this point i dont care, i was too stressed, and now i feel better. it was a decision all my own (ok my mom had the idea) but i did it nonetheless and im proud of myself.

Exciting news...

Though quite pitiful compared to how much i have left, i still can't believe one month has passed. I'm excited:) I also just found out that my buddy Nicole is moving back down here in December ish. So, this means hopefully we will find an apartment together and party! haha, but we really might move to st george--- if we can find a cheap apartment and stuff, so if you hear of one let us know! It all just depends though because if i dont have a job in st george by then and if she doesn't either we might just live at colten's sister sheilee's casita (if its open) until we can find somewhere in st george. Just for the fact that we can live on our own:) haha. I just figure it'll be good for me. The main reason i'm still at home (other than i love my family) is because i just wanna save money, so if we don't find somewhere way cheap then maybe nicole can live in the basement with me, cuz it practically is my own little apartment with the kitchen and everything. Anyway, i'm just excited for the road ahead, and today, this morning actually i hope to get an email from colten, still waiting, but hopin it'll come soon! That's why i'm even posting a post, i'm just waiting to hear from him haha, and this is prob one of those posts that no one will comment on, but hopefully will still be read. Everyone seems to like posting on the cute ones- like the rose one, so maybe one of these days i'll just have to bust out some good ole memories of me and colten. then ill get some sweet comments i bet. ya ok, enough rambling. Have a Good Day!

The First Rose...

So, it's pretty much been a month. and so i decided to put the first rose back into the vase, which means a little less time till colten gets home:) technically its like 22 months till he gets back because he will most likely come home in july, rather than in august so that he can get ready to start school that semester. so this is a good day. if you didn't know, colten gave me 24 roses one for each month to put back into the vase. So, i dried them, and now just one per month. yaya!

school stress.

no one is commenting, but thats ok, ill just keep writing! haha. so today in communications, we played 'password' and all you had to do was say one word that related to the secret word, and your companion had to guess the secret word. so my word was Belguim, and we played 2 people vs 2 other people. so here is how the game went,

other couple first guy gives clue: waffles
guesser, gets it wrong.

my turn- first clue: Dutch
my guesser, gets it wrong!

other couple 2nd clue: uh, idk, waffles!
guesser, gets it wrong

my turn 2nd clue- tulips
my guesser! still doesn't know!

other couple 3rd clue: WAFFLES!
guesser: IDK still gets it wrong.

my turn 3rd clue: (i asked the teacher if we could tell a country that is close to it) so i said Holland
my guesser: still no clue gets it wrong.

NO ONE GOT IT, and everyone in the class was like- why'd you say tulips? Dutch? What?
So my question is, Am i retarded? or are these seriously college students that no nothing about countries in this world, and the fact that tulips are grown everywhere in places like Holland and Belguim, that Dutch is the language they speak, and yes we Americans might have what we call the Belguim Waffles but still- there are other facts than just that. it was awkward for me, because i had to try to explain myself and apparently i dont exactly look like the type of person that would know these things so everyone just looked at me like i was retarded.

Everyone!!!

Do you get the Deseret news? or just the Church news? if not, you should find the latest copy. in the church news there was an article about the Ghana mtc because they hit an all time record of 55 people in the Mtc. and in one of the pictures, you can see Colten! please check it out and let me know if you see him! I thoroughly enjoyed it... :)

heres some more.

yesterday in the email colten sent, he talked a lot about how blessed we are that we have two big amazing families who love us very much. And I'm so thankful. I love my family so much. (and i like his family a whole lot too!!:)) Colten usually reminds me of things like this, just how lucky both of us are. I can't believe it sometimes. I am so thankful for everything in my life. last night i got a flat tire, and basically i was freaking out, not out loud, cuz thats not my style- haha but in my head though i was really stressin, and i was walking up the stairs and i thought-- oh my heck sammy your ridiculous, its a flat tire! how many times a day does this happen to people everywhere! who cares! yes it is a little inconvenient but at least i have a car, cuz most of the world doesn't. Then i felt retarded at myself that i would honestly worry, and put that much emotion into a tire! haha it makes me laugh now, but i realize that its those little things that can sometimes steal our good mood away. It shouldn't be that way, so i gotta work on that. I also really love my dad, he is the master of the cars in our family, i told him yesterday, that he will just be in charge of things like that, until i get married one day and then my husband will be haha. good thing. :)

The Trick!

so, a while ago i wrote a post about how time really doesn't go any faster or slower, though it feels like it does- well i decided if you just keep busy and have fun, then i swear it really does- haha i know it doesn't but it is the trick, then all of a sudden its like wow almost a month has happened since your best friend left on their mission- ok one more week till it'll be amonth but im still excited haha. p.s. i got an email from him today, he is doin good, but headed out to "the bush" haha hes gonna be living in an area called "Ho" but he will have email so im excited to hear from him on a regular basis rather than wondering when i was gonna get somethin. so, i posted pics that i took, just from around my house. just because i like pictures and i think most people do on blogs so here ya go! also, thanks to haili i now have a cute blog... yes. :)

Taya's Birthday!! :)

haha here are the official pictures from vegas! it was awesome, this was at the cheesecake factory... yumyum:)
this right here is lexxus with some sweet, sweet teeth.
this was taya's first challenge, find someone who was also 30 years old, and take a pic!
this was another challenge, she had to find a baby and play pattycakes with it! cute.

another one: find someone who had the same birthday, and sing happy birthday to yourselves in front of everyone, classic!

this is an abercrombie model that she had to take a pic with too!

she also had to take a pic in front of a way nice car, so thats that one.
then these guys came along, weren't exactly part of the plan, but we just had to get a pic of her with these "two hansome fellas" (they were a couple)

this is just me and lex at a huge toy store! good times:)

A New Day...

So, i took that picture this summer up at kolob, beautiful huh. Scenes like that don't take a good photographer, they are just so amazing that even with a disposable camera, you could win an award. pictures like this, are witnesses that the real artist is in heaven, and He creates pictures like this so that our day might just be a little happier, a little brighter, and a little better. When i look at this picture, i see a new day. I see the sun reaching through the clouds, rising above. even though the clouds pretty much cover it, the sun won't let itself be completely covered up. So, even through hard times, I can't let myself get thrown into a depression and cover myself up and hide away from the world. This is my chance in life to do whatever i want! yay! I miss colten, but dude, i got two years myself to become the best freakin person ever :) So, good news, I decided what to do. I'm going to do that nail apprenticeship thing, and then probly work at the salone in st george for a while, through january till the summer, and in the summer i want to be an efy counselor either in cedar or at byu- probably byu. and then if the economy is good and things are safe enough, i want to go to mexico next fall and teach little kids how to read/speak english. Sometime throughout these different things i want to get an apartment (hopefully in january) in st george. but idk, i might just wanna stay at home at save some mula. that part we shall see. but i'm definitely not leaving in january now. i've decided. its A New Day... yay!

well.

i miss colten.

So I guess i was tagged...:)

so here i go.

im not following all the rules though. im just gonna tell you 6 quirks about myself.

1) as of yesterday i did tell my sister that i have a secret superpower. jenny, seriously you better watch out.

2) i tend to be so sarcastic in my head sometimes that i laugh and look around to make sure no one saw, but i just can't help it when i'm in so many awkward situations. It's my natural identity to find humor in almost any situation, but sometimes im mature and i just block out my immature side for a while.

3)sometimes when i wake up, i'm really really really happy. and i tend to dance. and i tend to want to wake everyone else up. or if im at sleepovers and i wake up, i laugh at just about anything anyone says.

4) i like to read. :)

5) I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC. yes even 90% of the twangy good ole fashioned stuff. even though sometimes i dress like a person who doesn't like country music (if you were to stereotype me) i really love it. lots and lots.

6) i check my email and my blog just about every single day. i really enjoy comments (hint hint) for example today in my math class our proffessor let us have the usual 5 or less minute break. what did i do? went to the lab down the hall and plopped myself down and checked my email. (the reason behind my insanity couldn't have anything to do with the fact that i'm impatient and every blessed day that goes by i anticipate and anxiously await some form of communication from Colten)

thats all folks. ill be here all day. seriously. like for real ill prob check my blog sometime within the next hour. so if you wanna comment feel free. even if you compelled to call me the biggest nerd ever, thats ok because you took time out of your day to comment on my blog and that shows that you love me just a smidgeon. :)

What to do...what to do...

So, i'm tryin to decide what to do. :) My brother is movin up north either fairly soon, or in january -most likely sooner, and he would love for me to go. well, I want to, and i think it would be good for me, and i think i should, BUT- i dont want to. at least today i dont. maybe tomorrow things will change, but i just dont know. i would have to wait till january because i need to start my nail apprenticeship and finish it, and by then i should be done, but then once i am, do i stay down here? or do i move? idk. Obviously i've prayed about it, but who wouldn't? but i still don't know what i should do. if i stay, i might be able to work at the salone that i'm learning how to do nails from, and maybe my friends would move into an apartment with me in st geroge (that's my ideal thing i wanna do) but, what if they dont wanna? so, then i could just move up north, live with my grandma(much cheaper and funner cuz she cooks yummy and i could be closer to her) (my friends would be way fun too tho but you see my dilemma) and i could experience life at a different angle for a while, see if i like it. Even though i'm pretty sure i wouldn't last too long, i still think it would be good for me to live somewhere else. But if i did move i'd be further away from colten's family, and my family, and i'd probably be forced to go to a singles ward and that's not exactly my dream. Freakin heck, i dont know! i guess well all just have to wait and see what the Lord thinks i should do. But i do know one thing- that ultimatly it doesn't matter what i do, but its how i serve the people around me, and how i choose to live- righteously or not. So, that's the most important thing, now i just need to make a decision! Help me people! please?

just a little pick me up....ok a big one

so really quick- i went to vegas on labor day with colten's mom and sisters and niece and sisters-in-law and it was really fun! i'll prob put some pictures of it later- but shopping is always a little pick me up.

but,

then,

all of a sudden,

out of nowhere,

a spectacular thing happened.

I walked into the office in which i sit and check my blog, (and work). and lo and behold there on the desk sat a little red bag, with a teddy bear inside. also, my eyes stumbled upon a note, well technically an envelope, with the words "Sammy Grace" printed on the outside, and a picture of a heart beneath the words. It hit me, someone had brought lil ole me a present, but who was it? None other than the amazing Haili. Haili is a sweet gal, short, i would say auburn hair, has a very cute style, and is one of the nicest people ever. She wrote within the card, that was within the envelope, entitled sammy grace, with a heart, some amazing things. She helped me in my time of trouble and brought me up to Cloud 10. I'm so thankful for her efforts to cheer me up. Men are that they might have joy, and people like Haili, are that they might bring joy to those around them. Thank you Haili, that really meant a lot to me.

WOW. What a Lesson.

WEll, this month has been my lesson learning month officially.
-lost Mandy Johnson
-lost my Grandma Polve
-lost my dog, Mya
-Colten is in Ghana
-my closest girlfriends are all in Provo now.

So, today when i went to get in my bed and cry some more, it hit me. like a ton of bricks. i started listing all the things wrong with this month when all of a sudden i realized, i can list, and relist, and relist, forever. and i could forever give up my power to these trials. I watched a movie called Penelope, and you gotta watch it if you haven't. but at the end, a little boy sums up the moral of the story in a sentence "It's not the curse, it's the power you give the curse" so relating that to my life, i've learned this month that i can take the trial that comes to me in a day, and i can grieve, (spelled wrong?) and then, i can move on. or even better, because i have the gospel, i can take each trial and remind myself that my Heavenly Father knows exactly what he is doing. and that if all this will come in one month, He must know that I can handle it. and I can. I've never felt so strongly the renewed strength from my Father in Heaven as I do today. Another movie, (ya i work at a movie theater) Kung Fu Panda, really did have a good message too, that the secret of life is the power that you believe you have within. and i truly believe that each of us has a stronger power than we know. and then add on the power and strength that we get from our Father in Heaven, WOW. I'm so thankful for August, I'm thankful that my Heavenly Father believed in me enough to send me these trials, cuz i'm gonna take em, and i'm gonna learn from them, and humble myself. I'm thankful for the strength He has given me. so here i go, another day, maybe some more "trials" that really are "trails" leading us onto a higher way of life.

T- THE

R- RIGHT

I- INTERPRETATION

A- ALWAYS

L-LEADS TO LEARNING

S- SOMETHING SPECIAL

Last time...

For the past few days i keep thinking, this is the last time colten and i will do this or that, all the time. and then i think well, at least for two years, if everything works out. And it's scary, everything changing, and him leaving, and so i thought oh we have to do really fun stuff right before he leaves, we can't waste time. Well, here's what we did, everyday the past few days, we've just visited each other's houses, talked about good times, talked about the future, and laughed and cried. And ya know what? it's been better than it ever could have been. Most would think that it's gonna be just too heartbreaking those last ten minutes you get to really be with them, well i just did it, and honestly we laughed and cried up until i drove away. But i'm gonna type this because maybe i'll come back to this blog, and it will help me remember. He is my best friend. In the whole world. No one has ever been closer, and I've never cared about someone so much. No one is as silly as him, or can make me laugh the way he does. And i told him, not to think of me as a girlfriend impatiently awaiting his return, but as his best friend, who will always be there every step of the way. And so I will. And the next few years of my life, and gonna be selfish (meaning take advantage of the time i'm not married) and focus on growing as an individual and becoming the best sammy i can be. One time at girls camp we had to pretend we were writing on gold plates and we had to write out a goal. and a year later we dug them up and read what we wrote. My goal (which sadly i had forgotten) was simply to "be the best Sammy Bramall i can be" so that is my goal still today. and for the next few years. Wish me luck, cuz this will suck, but i'm ready to do it, as cinderelly says, "there's really nothing to it" and i'm gonna have a great two years.

My First Day of School!

yay. today is my first day back at dixie state. i would normally probably be excited but since colten hasn't left yet, it just sucks. He leaves on Thursday but the last time i'll see him is on wednesday. it's gonna be so hard. thursday i have classes, but i really dont wanna go till next week because i dont want to sit there and hold in the tears. IDK, i'm not usually a cryer but with this subject there's no way i could hold it in. Basically, it is not gonna be a fun week, but i'll get through this. i'll be fine, just gotta keep going. (what is funny, kinda ironic, last night at work some kids best friend's moms, if that made sense, stopped me and asked for my number so that she could have him (her son's best friend) call me for a date. She said i seemed nice and cute so ya. that kid texted me later and he seems nice. he said he was way embarrassed that she did that but oh well.) (just kinda funny that i meet someone the week colten leaves. this is gonna be a rough 2 years.)

just in case...

just in case there wasn't enough change going on, they(meaning my dad and his counselors) had to change our bishopric too. dont worry, my favorite bishop of my life Jody Rich, is now not my bishop. its ok because im confident enough with myself to be a true super senior and visit him at the high school occasionally, which i will seriously do. but, i will miss him so much. I've never known a person to love people as much as he does. He truly shows the best example of charity (the best example that can come from all of us imperfect people, because of course Christ was the perfect example) There have been times that he made me feel like such a great person, and I see him open others eyes all the time to their true potential. Anyway, he is just an awesome guy, but i'm excited to get to know our new bishop, even though its another change from what my life used to be.

so much change.

there are so many things changing. i feel like my life is reaching the top of one set of stairs, and im just about to start a whole new set of huge, long, winding stairs, but i'm ready for the climb. I'm the type of person that just puts off preparing emotionally for these big changes, and so i think that the week of August 24th- August 30th is gonna hit me pretty hard. Colten leaves that thursday, i say goodbye to him that wednesday, and i start school that tuesday. I can't wait to start my life, but at the same time i kinda wanna take these last few steps slowly, before i start a bigger climb. I'm ready for what lies ahead, and i just have to remember to keep doing the simple things that really matter, like reading my scriptures (haven't been doin so good lately), praying (that is one thing i never forget to do) and just being active in the church i love. Things are hard right now, but i just have to keep reminding myself that it's all gonna be worth it in the end, and that the trials we face in this life are only really so small in the big scheme of things. I can do this, and I will.

SisterHood of the Traveling Pants

Since i work at the theater, and i do see more movies than most people, here is my review for Sisterhood of the Traveling pants 2. i liked it a lot, the beginning had a jumpy story and i found myself trying to string all the different parts together to make sense, but towards the end the movie flowed really well.

The last Blessed Kids Show

wow. so, Stouts, a lovely furniture store gaveout 150 tickets, supposedly which is what we told em to do. they are awesome and i sincerely hope that this deal helped out their business, however, somehow, we got 189 tickets today. thank goodness for a bigger theater that we could shove everyone in. The last show did go better today, but, let me just give you some details.

1) out of the first three moms, One mother, (with her many children running around her and one on her hip) possibly not having a good day, came to the podium. (that is the place i stand to take tickets) now, sidenote- every kids show we have been kind enough to let a few people in without tickets. so today, this mother did not have any because when stouts told her they did not have any tickets, she said ok, came to the theater, and said well, you guys never take the tickets anyway so i figured i wouldn't need them. well, oh no you did not just say that to me honey. (that was the thought going through my head, and my fellow manager lisa's head) and we kindly explained that we do take them, and they are supposed to be always if they haven't been then sorry. then we told her she should be ok, we let her in. and her many children. then she said, "sorry i wasn't trying to be snotty its just that..." yeah honey, now that we gave ya what ya wanted. sheesh.

2) we have like 30 or 40 booster seats, every kids show a lot have been used, but they are only for really small children anyway so never in the history of the theater have all been used up. well folks today we made history. the stack was gone 15 minutes before the show even started. people honestly asked me if we had any extra, i kindly said no, but in my head im thinking(are you crazy! we never have this many children at the theater on our busiest nights! we shouldn't even be out now! i know its a kids show but oh my heck!)

this is actually an eyewitness of one of the beloved booster seats. Thank you to the many of you who left them if you happened to attend this show. we appreciate the extra work.:)

3) our biggest theater, the one that seats like 275 or something, is FULL. Not ONE SEAT LEFT. EVERY SEAT GONE TO SOME LITTLE CHILD.

4)if you have ever worked in a theater, you may have already thought of this detail, but for those who haven't, let me give you an idea of what we are dealing with regarding CLEANING. when a theater is filled with adults, for maybe a show like pirates of the caribbean or something, every row is filled with popcorn, wrappers, boxes, trays, and anything you can think of. a lot of which we dont even sell, but dont worry, we clean it up. OK, so picture that in your head, now, picture a child in every seat, for just Horton Hears a Who, and picture how little children eat, especially when they are focused more on the movie than where their popcorn just fell because it didn't make it into their mouth. Ok, picture hundreds of kiddie trays, value popcorns, kid icees, value drinks, even the famous large combos, scattered all around. I know the mothers care, but if i were a mom with 5 kids under the age of ten, i probably would tell my kids to leave it too. Now, here is what it looks like:

thanks for letting your child spill then walk all over the popcorn and smush it further into the carpet. well sweep it.

good thing we offer large combos.

this would be a bag of something we did not provide. dont worry well throw it away for you.

this would be the stairway. we love sweeping stairs. its the funnest.

this would be one of the garbages we filled up.

sorry about the blurryness of some of the photos. but this here would be one of the many value popcorns, and two of the many value drinks.

and there we go. get to work. we love cleaning up. really its awesome. i love it about as much as i do when i step on a prickly plant. or a rock. or a nail. i really love it.

5)next detail, before the movie started, whoever you were lady that drove a golden i think honda van, i saw you park in the handicapped parking. your children were not handicapped. ma'am i know you were late, but that is just rude. (she maybe didnt think we would notice since all our doors are windows, next to other windows, and handicapped spots are on the front row) plus miss, you pulled into it at like 50 mph someones gonna see ya. Rude.

6) Oh also, i got yelled at because people were saving seats. Sorry to the person who yelled at me, but there were only like six seats being saved. get over it.

Thats all i have. if i had anymore, i probably would have quit my job today.. not really, but i would have come closer. Thank goodness, these Blessed,Lovely, Awesome, Fun, FREE KIDs SHOWS are OVER!

Thanks again, and ill probably see ya next summer.

Asking for Miracles

A couple in my ward have a brand new baby in the hospital about to undergo surgery. This new little infant may need to have a pacemaker put in. Her health has been touch n go here an there for the past few weeks but everyone continues to pray for her and her family. As i sat and listened in testimony meeting to the testimony of her father, he said that miracles are happening all the time. It got me thinking, in our lives, when we encounter any struggle, whether it be a helpless sick baby, or even just something simple, often we find ourselves asking God for a miracle. And today i realized that there are millions of people who ask for miracles every single day. I can't help but be humbled by that, because i know that he hears every prayer, and that every single day, he does perform miracles. In families everywhere across the globe he proves his love. Yet sometimes i'm selfish enough to think that He isn't listening, or that He just doesn't care. But in my heart i know that He loves me, just as much as he loves every single person on this earth, all of which at some point in their life, if they look for His hand, they will see that he has given them a miracle. Sometimes even without asking.

workaholic

so, basically, im so cool that im at work (bored out of my mind, i swear there really is not much for me to do today) (not that i'm lazy, it just happens to be that im a little bit bored today) ok, anyway, im so cool that i'm posting two blogs today, mostly out of boredom. however, the first blog i posted today was pretty dang meaningful i must admit. but, since i feel as though this is my online journal(cuz thats what it is) im going to update everyone on my upcoming schedule.

Beginning August 26th:

Monday
Work at 6 to close. fun.

Tuesday
math class at 9:00-10:40
Communications 1010 @ 1:00-2:15
possibly eat lunch
possibly go to an institute class if i can find one at this particular time
then, go to Salon Sienne and spend the rest of the day there learning how to do nails, acrylic ones, and pedicures and all of the above when it comes to nails.
then travel home:)

Wednesday
Work at 6. till close. fun.

Thursday
See tuesday

Friday
most likely work at 6 till close. fun.

Saturday
work 6-close.
awesome.

i just love growing up. man it rocks. its like the funnest thing ever. and i mean that seriously. about as serious as Ashton Kutcher was when he yelled "Her candles smell AWESOME!".

in other words, my life is about to become crazy boring. yessss.

Oh and i forgot, Sunday, usually a day of rest. I will most likely work 4 till close. AWESOME!

not.

If Tomorrow Never Comes....

This song is by Garth brooks:

Sometimes late at night I lie awake and watch her sleeping She's lost in peaceful dreams So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark And the thought crosses my mind If I never wake up in the morning Would she ever doubt the way I feel About her in my heart (chorus) If tomorrow never comesWill she know how much I loved herDid I try in every way to show her every dayThat she's my only one if my time on earth were throughShe must face this world without me Is the love I gave her in the past Gonna be enough to last If tomorrow never comes 'Cause I've lost loved ones in my lifeWho never knew how much I loved themNow I live with the regret That my true feelings for them never were revealedSo I made a promise to myself To say each day how much she means to meAnd avoid that circumstance Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel*chorus* So tell that someone that you loveJust what you're thinking of If tomorrow never comes

I'm sure most of us have heard this song, but when you really think about it, every single day we should celebrate who we have in our lives- not so much what we have, but who.
We all know that we can't take material things with us past the grave, but the relationships we share with those around us are forever. I've always been a people person myself, so these thoughts cross my mind quite often. But if you think about it, if everyone cared more about each other, then I wouldn't have to complain about rude customers, (i shouldn't complain i should probably just love them regardless of their tone) also, families wouldn't sue each other, grudges would be non-existent, and life might be just a little bit easier. We rely on the strength of our own technologies to make life easier and faster, without realizing that sometimes our own human nature slows life down.
So, my message for today is, care about those around you, try to understand them, and know that whether or not someone just ran into your car, stole your mail, or someone lied to you, just know that we are all people just tryin to get through life, and if we all showed a little more compassion for each other, the world would be a better place.

Jesse is home... :)

He has been home for a week now, but i didn't have any pictures. My wonderful bro is now home and were excited to have him back. Here is one of me and him and one of the fam:)

Cute Cute Cute

These are pictures of my cute nieces sadie and grace, whom we were watching the other day and i couldn't help but photograph their cute smiles.

SICK

This may be my shortest blog ever, but all i honestly have to say is, I hate being sick. i hope no one else will go through what im feeling. end of story.

A little of my own Philosophy....

Time... time can be a many splendid thing. Time... can be the worst thing ever! I decided that time may just be one of the biggest tests in this life. No matter who you are, where you live, what you do, or where you come from, we all are subject to time, we can't speed it up, we cannot slow it down. This may be a very obvious observation, but kindof annoying to think about. It's annoying because it makes you realize that at some point or another you must learn patience. No one can go through this life without a bit of patience to get them through. Most of us are all waiting for something, none of us are perfectly content, and so it frustrates us all.On the bright side, eventually what you want will come maybe a lot of waiting, and maybe not in this life but it will come because even though time sometimes feels slow, it always keeps going.