He Sent Me Flowers!

I got a text from my friend Steven on Monday saying a surprise for me was on the way. I love surprises! Whatever it was would be delivered into my hot little hands around 3 p.m. that day. However, the powers that may be didn't get the memo...so it would be coming the next day. Okay by me since the anticipation is half the fun! As much as I love the anticipation, I also have no patience, and Steve wasn't given up any hints! Tuesday when it came time for me to leave for work, still not surprise. I sent text after text to my roommates wanting to know if it had come. Finally, the reply came from Josie "It just did!" Of course I called right away, but neither she or Katie were giving any details up. I did, however, talk them into to bringing it to me and work! Imagine my surprise when I came around the corner to see a beautiful Christmas bouquet of flowers! I've never been sent flowers before! Thanks Steven!

ZUMBA Baby!

It's one booty shakin' dance party....
And, my new favorite Thursday night activity!
ZUMBA BABY!
Zumba® fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program that will blow you away.

Thursday nights...7:00...Golds Gym...Me, Shara, Dana, and Brittney!
Ya'll should come and join the fun!

Pride can stand a thousand trials
The strong will never fall
But watching stars without you
My soul cries

Turkey Coma

The Best Part of THANKSGIVING....
a turkey induced coma.

Hold On Tight Spider Monkey

When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.

After months of waiting and anticipating the day was finally here....TWILIGHT on the big screen. Over the past 9 month, a dose of Twilight has become part of my daily routine. As each character was cast, I grew to love them and see them in the role. I watched every preview, read every interview....all in anticipation for the big screen debut of the world I get lost in and the story of a love women long for. Now, after all is said and done, the question remains: What did I think?

Casting: Overall, I loved the entire cast of Twilight. There were, however, a few standouts... those who were the embodiment of my imagination brought to life. Rob Pattinson as Edward was AMAZING! The cautiousness with which he moves, the cadence of his speech, his facial expression speaks novels to the inner struggle of love vs blood lust. Bluntly, and childishly, put... he can bite me any time! Billy Burke as Charlie was genius! He captured the uneasy and awkward emotion and excitement of Charlie at Bella's return seamlessly. The stunned, broken hearted look on his face when Bella tells him she doesn't want to get stuck in Forks brought tears to my eyes. The scene of Charlie cleaning his gun before meeting Edward is one of my favorites! I totally love Mike Newton and could see him in the characters I call friends.

Storyline: Two thumbs up! I really got caught up in the world of emotions created by the screen writer, director, and actors. While it hit every key point from the novel, it seemed at times to jump the plot forward too quickly. It was like, "I know who you are. You're a vampire." "Yes I am...and here's how I run, what I look like in the light, how I was changed...." But, at the same time, how do you convey all of those things without dragging the movie on and on? There were also some elements from the storyline of the novel that I missed. I wish the fact that Bella's heart beat played such a big role in both she and Edwards actions was added to the movie. I also wish the blood typing scene was left in as well. After all, it is quite ironic that Bella hates not only the sight, but also the smell of blood...and yet fall head over feet for a blood sucker. More ironic still is the fact that in Breaking Dawn she comes to love the smell and the taste. While I understand that the movie was released with an uncertainty of the reality of sequels, it's the little things that are built upon throughout the Twilight Saga that endear me to the characters.

Overall: While I've only seen it twice, so far, but would be happy to watch it over and over. I loved the movie in itself, as it's own entity in the Twilight world.

So the waiting is over, and I'm kind of sad. But, Stephenie Meyer said it best: When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.

Hangin' Tough

Remember when they said, "Girl please don't go" and that they would be loving you Forever? They taught us 'bout hangin' tough as long as we had the right stuff....and then they were gone. But then...TONIGHT! TONIGHT!

There they were....THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!
All of them!

Jordan

Jon

Joey

Donnie

And Danny!

Be still my 11-year-old heart beating within my 29-year-old body! To think it began so long ago...Then, in April it began again! Middle aged women all over the world scream in unison, picked up the phone and squealed to their girlfriends...."OMG! New Kids are getting back together!" You can imagine the shrieking reply that followed, "Ahhh! We so totally have to go to the concert!" Packs were made, tickets were purchased, and the countdown began.

I literally squealed and giggled like a school girl! I couldn't help it! When they showed vintage footage, I jumped up and down screaming, "I have that! I have that!" I knew all the words to every song, and I sang them at the top of my lungs! Donnie came to the edge of the stage and pointed right at me! Unfortunately, I was too busy freakin' out to get a picture of the actual moment. Jordan came up from the stage in a fanfare of smoke....then the fan turned on and his shirt blew open...and I laughed hysterically like the 11-year-old I had turned into because...you could see his chest! All the childhood day dreams came flooding back... much more detailed and dirty. Oh how the mind has evolved!

They rocked us with the right stuff for almost two hours straight! We couldn't help but to get out on the floor and do the New Kids Dance! I would have stayed until 2 in the morning with childish daydreams of being their Valentine girl. It was a full service concert!

It's been years since we've dreamed of being their Cover Girl and I'm still Single. But I'm a Big Girl Now and they can give me some Grown Man any time!

Love At Home

There is Beauty all around....When there's love at home!

Halloween Spooktacular

I love Halloween! In a family full of traditions, some of my favorite are found at Halloween. Running to beat the sunset, we strike a pose for pictures...I think it's the closest thing we have to an annual family portrait. I think my favoritest thing is our family Halloween parade! Since Kierstan lives just down the street from Harts, we walk dressed in costume to get Big Chills. As we walk, people honk and wave...watching Kaicee is the cutest. She thinks it's all for her. Game time always includes BINGO, and this year we added pictionary, and a game kinda like Big Budda. Hocus Pocus is a staple in the tradition...we've seen it so many times I think we all know the lines by heart! Alas, it's all over until next year. However, it's never too soon to start thinking about a costume!

On An Endless Quest For The Perfect Jazz Square

One of my favorite family traditions is going together watch a movie on the big screen. The first time we all met Keayra {My future-sis-in-law at the time} was at the midnight screening of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Three years later and our tradition is still going strong with the viewing of HSM3. Instead of going at midnight, we opted for a Saturday matinee so we could take Kaicee along. The movie wasn't half bad, in fact it's my favorite of the three, but the best part was watching Kaicee watch the movie. With popcorn galore and her Gabrielle barbie in hand she was completely engrossed in the movie. I absolutely love watching her interact with my little brother as he fills his role as her daddy. When he told her we'd pause the movie so she could go potty, I have to admit, I got a little teary. I am so blessed to have such a wonderfully crazy, strong, loving, and united family. Up next...Madagascar: Escape to Africa!

Girls Night...IN

There's no better way to forget my worries than a night out with my best friends! Opting instead for a night in, we took over my dad's house, feasted on pizza and channeled our inner rock star! Who would have thought a plastic guitar, great music, and fabulous friends could be so stress relieving? I set up the camera to take a picture of us, but set it to record instead. Marcee and Ashlee had no idea, and no reason to be suspicious because, well, I ALWAYS have the camera.

I've been so blessed to call Marcee and Ashlee friends for my entire life! We've had our ups and downs, but always come out on top. There's no one else in the world I'd rather laugh with, cry with, and share secrets with. When they say, "call me any time, day or night" they mean it. I love you both! Thanks for being my friends!

Pumpkin Patch

Fall is here! To celebrate, my roommates and I headed to the pumpkin patch for some fun fall festivities! We tackled the corn maze, braved the spook alley, and channeled our inner Great Pumpkin.

Dance It Out

When Life Get's Crazy, Just Dance It Out

Sorry Katie...I override your veto

Get The Lead Out

I've now officially completed my medical/surgical rotation at Timp Hospital. While I was there I got to sit in on two different procedures in the cath-lab. The first was a vertebroplastie and the second was a heart catheterization. For both procedures, I had to wear this big lead dress. It's has the benefits of protecting all our vital organs from the x-rays the doctors use to guide them through the process. I tried to convince the guys in the cath-lab that I didn't need to wear the thyroid guard, since I don't have one, but apparently parathyroids are our friends too.

Walk The Dog

Walking with Wookie and Brik! I get a kick out of watching them. Wookie prances along like a little prince with dainty little steps, while Brik marches along like an army soldier.

Any time I sit down, this is where Brik has to be...

And, of course, Wookie is not to be left out

Nothing Will Be The Same

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer

Say it out loud. Say it.
VAMPIRE

Sweet Dreams

A tired 3-year-old is the perfect excuse for an exhausted nursing student to take a nap. With Cinderella singing loudly from the TV, we both drifted off into dream land. Mom came in and snapped a few pictures and I was completely oblivious!

He's a BRIK house!

Since Wickett died, Wookie had been severely depressed. The vet said he was suffering from separation anxiety...so, we got him a new friend.

This is Brik

Brik is such a good boy! He learned to use the doggy door almost immediately. He loves to snuggle. I stayed down at my mom's for the weekend after picking him up. He snuggled with me the entire night. When I went home, he sat by the front door and cried. Now, when I start gathering up my keys and what not to come home, he follows me around and makes a little whimper noise because he knows I'm going to leave. Wookie and Brik love to go on walks together. It's so funny to watch them side by side. If I had never had Wookie and Wickett I would have thought Brik was a small dog. At 18 pounds he a giant a long side Wookie. He's a fat boy too...2 pounds over weight, so we're working on that.

The decision to get a new dog was a difficult one, but Brik was meant to be a part of our family. Wookie is so happy now! While we love Brik, he'll never take Wickett's place in our hearts. That's the great thing about love...

The heart just keeps growing 'til there's room for everyone.

K-K-K-Kaicee Good Night Sweetheart

I don't think it's possible to love a little person any more than I love this little one. I've sang "her song" to her since she was born. Even before she could talk I knew it was her favorite. I kept singing it to her even though her mom hated it and was worried it would give her a stutter. Now, she'll sing with me and, much to her mom's chagrin, she sings it to herself when she's buckled into her carseat. She definitely is the only girl that I adore!

When we tuck Grandma Bear in at night we sing our rendition of "Good Night, Sweetheart." Tonight, everyone preformed! Kaicee loved it so much we did THREE encores. During the final show, I ran and got the camera...


If you couldn't tell...I'm just figuring out how to use the video on my camera.

Quirkie

The Rules:-Link the Person who Tagged you- Mention rules on your blog- Tell about 6 quirks of yours- Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same- Leave a comment to let them know.



Quirk #1-I play with the light switches until they are all flipped the "right" way.
Quirk #2-Toilet paper must go OVER the role. I have been known to change this in other peoples houses.
Quirk #3-I fear heights and rushing water...but I jump off waterfalls.
Quirk #4-I love the lines left after vacuuming...I vacuum walking backwards so I won't mess them up.
Quirk #5-Halloween is my favorite holiday. I look forward to it more than Christmas.
Quirk #6-I'll get my associates degree after being out of high school over 12 years.

I tag...Katie...Amber...Dana...Heather...Scott Pete...and Joni

Baby Love

My first day at
Primary Children's Medical Center
I gave a 22 day-old-baby
his first bottle.

I sang him lullabies and cried.

Staying Afloat

School's in and with the start of the new semester I was transported to an alternate dimension...Nursing: Second Semester. I've always loved to be busy, to have a full schedule. Currently, however, I feel as though I'm barely keeping my head above water. I exsist only in this new dimension. An exsistence of school, work, and working for free to satisfy clinical hours. I've recently considered changing my voice mail to say: This is Somer. If you'd like to reach me, please try back between the hours of 4-5:30a.m., 1-3p.m., and 9-11p.m. If you're calling between the aforementioned hours, I've probably looked at the caller idea and am just too tired to carry on a coherent conversation. If you'd like to leave a message, I'll return your call...in an average of 4-6 weeks.

I dreamt of you again.

When I woke, my skin burned and
my heart ached.

I thought I'd purged the memory of you.

I hate that I still miss you.

What's In A Name?

What is it with all the crazy celebrity baby names? I blame it on Bruce and Demi! I mean, come on...who names their daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah? Perhaps it began even farther back with the Zappa family. Poor Dweezil, not to mention his sister Diva. Names like Suri, Shilo, Apple and Coco are tame, when compared to Moxie CrimeFighter, Penn Jillette's daughter, and most recently Gavin and Gwen's bouncing baby boy Zuma Nasta Rock. What on earth were they thinking? Contrary to a seemingly popular belief, naming a child is a very serious responsibility. Naming a child begins shaping who they will become. I wonder what the world would say to {Somerset} for a celebrity baby name, and what effect it would have on shaping who she would become.

In searching baby name sites on the internet, Somerset was no where to be found...for a baby girl. Somerset is a boy's name of Old English origin meaning "summer settlement" or "place of the summer settlers." Not so helpful. I already new I was named after a man...W. Somerset Maugham. But, you would think that someone, somewhere, would have thought it nice for a girl...well, besides my parents.

So, I got creative. Turning to my trusty key-chain from Disney world and a poster I got at a mall kiosk.

According to my Disney source:

{Somerset}
From Somerset, a name of English origin.
Meaning "the summer settlers place"
She learns something from everyone she meets.
Knows she has the drive to succeed.
She's a light shining in the darkness
Constantly working to improve her talent.
Can turn a rainy day into sunshine.
Limitless potential is what she has.
Captivates attention in subtle ways.

The explanation from the mall says:

{Somerset}
From the Old English root Summer.
Expression~her presence provides a breath of fresh air.
Personality~takes everything with a grain of salt.
Natural~skillful in all she attempts.
Emotional~a lover of truth and God.
Character~there is a mild, pure soul within her.
Physical~inspires others with her grace.
Mental~she is inquisitive about extraordinary things.
Motivation~has a neat and tidy manner.

Definitely interesting. I wonder what celebrity life would say about that?

Time In A Bottle

I find it interesting that some of life's realizations sneak up when you're not expecting them. I've always loved going to the Ericson Family Reunion...my dad's mother's side of the family. I rarely see any of my relatives on that side, but come once a year. I really don't know who any of them are...Cousins, that about covers EVERYBODY that's there. This year as I walked down the dirt road to the pavilion up Tooele Canyon it hit me...things couldn't be this way forever. Things would change. Suddenly I felt an overwhelming desire to remember every moment, and save every memory possible of the day. Faces of familiarity that I love and cherish.My Dad and his siblings: (L-R) Gaylen, Richard--my dad, Nancy, and Gary.

The Aunties: Aunt Alli, Aunt Beth, and Aunt Leah.

Me and my Shorty Uncles

So this is what everyone feels like around me!

Puppy Love

I've always considered myself to be someone that dealt well with death. I started working in geriatrics as a 16 year old. I've held the hands of people I loved while they crossed the veil, comforted families...I've even spoken at funerals. However, none of those experiences prepared me for loosing Wickett. We found out at the end of June that Wickett's kidney's were shutting down. When you hear news like that about a person, you immediately think, "What can we do? What tests can we run? Spare no expense!" When you hear it about your puppy, you think the same things...but it's a DOG. There was nothing to be done. So, we waited as long as we could before accepting the inevitable action of putting Wickett to sleep. I was surprised at how quickly he went to "sleep"...pretty much as fast as the injection was given it took effect. Mom and I cried and cried. I held him the whole ride home. When we got there, I laid him on the floor so Wookie could see him. I don't think he understood it was Wickett. I wrapped him in his blanket with his paws hugging his baby. Mom and I had a little funeral in the back yard. We couldn't help but laugh as we talked while digging the hole in the dirt, wondering what we looked like--two grown women sobbing over a dog, we even made sure he was facing east...laughter through tears always has been my favorite emotion. It's true what they say: Dog truly is man's best friend. Wickett and Wookie listen without judging, interrupting or talking back. They're always happy to see you when you walk in the door. When I had my knee surgery they both never left me alone. My own little watch dogs. They're content to snuggle on the couch and watch a movie or take a Sunday nap. I've decided that the difficulty in Wickett's death was that it was in our hands. With people, they can tell you what they want, what they feel...if they're ready. When people die, I know they have a family waiting to welcome them home on the other side. Wickett just looked at us with his big brown eyes. I believe that we did the right thing. And, when all is said and done, I believe what they say....All Dogs Go To Heaven. I hope my Granddad gave him a treat when he got there.

Floatin' Down The River

This year for the 24th of July our family floated down Provo river....a new Tradition was born! We had so much fun laughing and giggling the entire way. We did our best to stay linked together, but at times got separated...lucky for us, Ashleigh's friend Tim provided the brute strength needed to gather us back together. It was a perfect day...the sun was sizzling and the water was like ice, but together, it made for the perfect atmosphere. I already can't wait until next year!

I Know What You Are...

Surviving Supai

I did it! I survived my trip to Havasupai! It all started a few months ago my Mike invited me to go on his annual trip to the Grand Canyon to go hiking in Havasupai. I can only imagine the look of shock and fear at his request as memories of statements made by those who'd made the trip in the past echoed in my ears..."Next time I'm taking the helicopter".... "I don't think I'll ever walk the same".... My answer was not only no, but Hell No! However, Mike can be incredibly persuasive. So, after some encouraging words and a helicopter to fall back on, I was in. Although I'd started preparing about a month before, my anxiety kept increasing as the number of days until our departure were decreasing. Then, it was
suddenly July 8th and we were on our way! The hike into the canyon wasn't so bad...I didn't expect it to be, since it was all down hill. We started out around 4 a.m. and made it to the camp ground around 8:30. After setting up camp and a quick nap, we were off to play in Havasu Falls. It was just a quick hop from camp and truly a Garden of Eden in the desert. Mooney Falls was day two's destination. We spent the day playing in the water, soaking up the sun, and saving our snacks from sneaky squirrels. Navajo Falls was our final day adventure. Since it was on the way to the village, we packed up our packs and headed out to play. These were my favorite falls of all! I even jumped from 40 feet high...much to the surprise of the onlookers below.

After some fun at the falls, we hiked out to the village to fill our bellies with food and a quick rest before facing the 9 miles ahead. I was nervous, but confident. Seven of us girls set out together...The Sisterhood of the Traveling Packs. We made a vow to stick together, take things slow and steady, and passed the time with singing and laughing...especially with the rule that any complaint must be sung!

I'll never forget the feeling of accomplishment, empowerment, and fulfillment as I made my way up the final switch back! I had done it! I'm so grateful for the confidence and encouragement from my friends and sister...I can't wait until next year!

Smith Super Star Rally

I seriously have the greatest family EVER!!! We've always gotten together to celebrate the holidays, but this year we started a new family tradition: The Smith Superstar Rally! We split into two teams, complete with matching shirts and a trophy, to compete in a series of events. Each person had an individual event, a partnered event, and team events. And what crazy events they were! At one point I found myself laying on the ground holding an ice cream cone in my mouth while my mom stood on a chair and tried to drop scoops of ice cream into the cone....all of which landed on my face. The final event of the night was a relay race involving all the members of each team...starting with bobbing for apples, licorice eating, throwing Cheetos into the shaving cream beard of your team member, dressing crazy, a math equation, and popping water balloons. The highlight of my night was beating my sister in the math equation....she's a CPA! With the trophy on the line things went above and beyond competitive! While we were all winners, Darin insisted on keeping the trophy until next year. After the festivities, we set up camp in the backyard for an outdoor movie and sleep over. It was the best time ever!

UVUPhoria

It was the event of the century...or maybe the decade...or the year...well, of the day at least. The culmination of the Grand Celebration marking the transition from UVSC to Utah Valley University marked by a concert featuring Josh Gracin, Collin Raye, and Joe Nichols. And to top it off, there was even a Niel Diamond impersonator straight from Las Vegas! A Perfect excuse for a girls night...



...I'm so excited to graduated from a University! I thought that may have been the reason it's taken me so long to get through this higher learning experience--that was until I found out ANYONE who has graduated from UVU in any of it's previous forms qualifies for a diploma from UVU. Sure, now you tell me.